The Indianapolis Colts acquired running back Zack Moss from the Buffalo Bills at least season’s NFL trade deadline. In the deal, the Colts also received a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick while sending fellow running back Nyheim Hines to Buffalo.
Hines has basically been a jack of all trades throughout his career. Not only has he been a part of the running game, he serves as a receiver and kick returner as well. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Week 18 against the New England Patriots last season. The former NC State star is out for the season, though, after suffering a knee injury in a jet ski accident during the summer. Meanwhile, Moss has blossomed into one of the Colts’ best players this year, looking like a future Pro Bowler.
Zack Moss Continues to Be Brilliant For the Colts
Began Career as a Bench Player
After rushing for over 1,000 yards during each of his final three seasons at Utah, the Buffalo Bills selected Moss in the third round (86th overall pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft. He would play 2 1/2 seasons with the Bills, starting only three of his 31 games. The Florida native served as a backup to starter Devin Singletary. He also shared carries with superstar Josh Allen, easily one of the league’s top running quarterbacks.
Zack Moss appeared in eight games for the Colts last year. He started three of those contests, filling in for the injured Jonathan Taylor. He rushed for a then-career-high 114 yards during the Week 18 loss to the Houston Texans. Producing 917 rushing yards and eight touchdowns during his Buffalo tenure, Moss was never expected to make a major impact. Little did fans and experts know that he’d become a household name later on in Indianapolis.
A Force to be Reckoned With This Season
2023 has been a breakout year for Moss so far. Entering Week 7, he was the league’s second-leading rusher behind the San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey.
Zack Moss rushed for 122 yards and caught a touchdown pass during an impressive overtime road victory over the Baltimore Ravens. While Colts kicker Matt Gay, who became the first player in NFL history to make four field goals of 50 yards or longer, was the star of the game, you can’t forget about Moss’ contributions in the win.
Taylor made his season debut in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans. The 2021 NFL rushing leader had missed the first four games of the year while on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Moss ended up stealing the spotlight in Taylor’s return, setting a career-high with 165 rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns in the 23-16 win.
Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will miss the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury. That means veteran Gardner Minshew will take over as the team’s starter.
The 3-4 Colts can still find a way to make the playoffs this year without Richardson. If Moss can continue to play at a high level and Taylor shakes the rust off, Indianapolis will have a dangerous one-two punch at running back, capable of keeping the team competitive.
Main Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski – USA Today Sports
