We give Adam Gase some grief for his inexplicable fondness for Frank Gore, but he's not alone in having a sense of loyalty to some players. Frank Reich worked with Trey Burton in Philadelphia, and he signed him this offseason after a failed two years in Chicago. And now Burton is his preferred tight end.
Burton opened the season on IR; in that game, Jack Doyle caught 3 passes for 49 yards. Then Doyle got hurt, and Mo Alie-Cox showed up to go over 100 yards in one game and score in his next two. But now Burton is healthy, and the wheel has come round for him.
The last two weeks, Doyle and Alie-Cox have been playing plenty, but combined to catch just 2 passes between them. Burton has seen 11 targets in those two games, catching 7 for 49 yards. Much to the dismay of those with Alie-Cox or Doyle, Burton seems to be Reich's huckleberry.
Colts face the Bengals this week, and they should put up big rushing numbers in that one. But there's a decent chance their best receiver is Burton. He's been busy the last two games, and the Bengals have allowed the opposing tight ends of any ability to have good numbers against them. A few better ones than Burton, perhaps, but some potential for him to pay off this week.
| TIGHT ENDS VERSUS CINCINNATI | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | No | Yds | TD |
| Henry, LAC | 8 | 5 | 73 | 0 |
| Hooper/Bryant, Cle. | 6 | 3 | 36 | 0 |
| Ertz, Phil. | 10 | 7 | 70 | 0 |
| Eifert/O'Shaughnessy, Jac. | 8 | 3 | 48 | 0 |
| Andrews, Balt. | 9 | 6 | 56 | 1 |
--Andy Richardson