Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. will not play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, Colts coach Shane Steichen announced Friday. Pittman did not practice this week and was ruled out due to a nagging back injury. At one point, Pittman admitted, his ailing back threatened to send him to injured reserve.
“He’s been battling like crazy. We’re taking this thing week-to-week,” Steichen said. “Like I’ve said before, one of the toughest guys I’ve ever been around.”
Steichen said the team still isn’t considering placing Pittman on IR. The Colts’ top wideout has only missed five games in his first five NFL seasons. However, he has clearly been compromised, evidenced by his combined two catches on 10 targets for 30 yards over the last two weeks. Pittman’s 366 receiving yards are his lowest through the first nine games of any season in his career.
“I’m not gonna make excuses for it,” Pittman said Thursday. “If I’m out there, I’m out there.”
In Pittman’s absence, quarterback Joe Flacco and the Colts offense will likely lean more on starters Alec Pierce and Josh Downs. Pierce leads the team with 435 receiving yards on 19 receptions with three touchdowns. Downs has scored three touchdowns as well, to go along with a team-high 38 catches for 411 yards.
Rookie AD Mitchell will likely see more playing time against the Bills, too. The second-round pick has been quiet this season with 12 catches for 140 yards. He played just five snaps last week but made a highlight-reel 22-yard catch on the sideline in the fourth quarter that Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne believes can build Mitchell’s confidence. Mitchell said Wayne noted his catch during film review, and the rookie is eager to continue developing as a pro.
“I can only control so much, so what I can go out there and control is just my everyday action and how I prepare and kind of how I just look at everything,” Mitchell said. “Just keep stacking, keep stacking days on days, and at the end it’ll all come around.”
Steichen also announced that starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann, who missed last week’s game due to a concussion, has cleared concussion protocol and will play Sunday. Raimann will be joined in the starting lineup by rookie center Tanor Bortolini. The fourth-round pick will fill in for starter Ryan Kelly for at least the next four games after Kelly was placed on IR Tuesday due to a knee injury. Bortolini previously filled in for Kelly in Weeks 4 and 5 and played well.
“Obviously, that’s not the way to want to get in there,” Bortolini said of Kelly’s injury. “But regardless, you gotta capitalize when you’re given your chances, and I’m really excited to get back out there. The last two times I’ve been out there I’ve had a blast.”
(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
