INDIANAPOLIS – Reggie Wayne has seen this coming. Simmering, building.
He’s witnessed Alec Pierce’s potential up close as the Indianapolis Colts receivers’ coach.
“I’ve been a big supporter of his,’’ Wayne said Thursday. “I really feel like we really hadn’t seen his true identity yet, right?
“I just wanted everybody to be patient with him. I didn’t start until my third year.’’
The pot literally boiled over as Pierce headed into his third season as the Colts’ designated deep threat.
In the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans, he ran under Anthony Richardson’s much-hyped missile for a 60-yard touchdown. He added a contested, high-pointing-the-football 57-yard reception in the fourth quarter and somehow made what Wayne considered his toughest catch. It was an 8-yarder that came in quick and hot.
After two seasons of more than a few missed opportunities – Wayne came up with a video cut-up featuring Pierce open deep but no quarterback willing or able to get him the football; there were more than two dozen examples of those missed opportunities – the 2022 second-round pick seized the moment.
What was Wayne’s reaction on the sideline and telepathic message to Pierce when coach Shane Steichen dialed up what proved to be the 60-yard TD?
“Shoot, just, ‘Run. This is what you’ve been waiting for,’’’ Wayne said with a smile.
“I mean no disrespect to Matt Ryan and I mean no disrespect to Gardner Minshew, but you’ve got Anthony, who can throw it that far, right? Not very many quarterbacks that can throw it that far. We’ve got one of the guys that can do it.
“If you’re Alec, you want to feel like you’ve always got a shot, even if you are 50 yards down the field. This is all he’s been waiting for. Waiting on that opportunity . . . just being able to give him an opportunity, a chance to catch a deep ball, to make big plays.’’
It’s not as if Pierce was reduced to a possession wideout the past two seasons. He averaged a team-best 15.2 yards on his 73 receptions.
As a rookie, Pierce generated three of the Colts’ four longest receptions: 47-, 45- and 45-yarders. Remember, that was the chaotic 2022 season that began with Ryan, transitioned to Sam Ehlinger, went back to Ryan, veered to Nick Foles and finished with Ehlinger.
In 2023, he again gave the Colts selective pop with two of their five longest completions. There was a 58-yard TD against the Raiders and a 55-yarder late in overtime at Tennessee that set up the 31-28 win.
But Sunday’s opener was a different level entirely.
Pierce joined Pierre Garcon (at Tampa Bay in 2011) and Marvin Harrison (at Tennessee in 2006 and versus New England in 2000) as the only players in the Indy era to have two 50-yard receptions in the same game.
His 125 yards rank No. 3 in the league after week 1, as does his ridiculous 41.7 per-catch average.
Richardson became the first Colts quarterback since at least ’84 to have three 50-plus yard completions in a game. And this is a franchise whose history includes Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.
Again, Wayne smiled when asked whether he had played in a game that included a pass that compares to Richardson’s arching TD to Pierce.
“No,’’ he said. “Peyton couldn’t throw that far. Luck could probably throw that far, but, shoot, we had to make sure he could stay upright.
“It was good to see in person. If you’re a DB, you’re thinking no way that ball makes it that far. Sure enough, it did.’’
And it’s been gratifying for Wayne to witness Pierce’s growth and, perhaps, emergence.
During the offseason, he was curious how Pierce would respond after the Colts used another second-round pick on AD Mitchell. Like the 6-3, 211-pound Pierce, Mitchell is a long target (6-2, 205) with long-distance speed.
“Whenever you’re drafting a receiver, it’s going to open your eyes,’’ Wayne said. “I’ve been there before.’’
With Wayne entering his 12th season, the Colts used a third-round pick in the 2012 draft on T.Y. Hilton.
How, he wondered, would Pierce react to Mitchell’s addition?
Initially, Pierce insisted he’s a player who only controls what he can control, which includes “what I’m putting on film, routes I’m running.’’
Then.
“It’s definitely something you notice and (it’s) kind of like encouraging you a little bit and telling you, ‘OK, let’s go have a big year,’’’ Pierce said.
Wayne believes the arrival of Mitchell has made Pierce a better player.
That’s been evident since the Colts opened training camp in Westfield in late July.
“Alec had the best camp of them all,’’ Wayne said. “And it was good to see that it just wasn’t camp. He was able to transition that to the regular season.
“It was good to see him just compete. He kept saying, ‘This is a new year. Doesn’t matter what happened in the past. New year. New me.’ That’s all you can ask for.’’
Mr. Speed
Wayne keeps it loose with in his receivers room.
“I ask them, ‘If you’re an Avenger, what is your strength,’’ he said.
It was Pierce’s turn.
“He’s like, ‘I run.’’’ Wayne said.
His coach’s response?
“‘Then run. We’ve got somebody to throw it to you. I want to see you use your strength.’’’
Done.
According to Next Gen Stats, Pierce turned in two of the six fastest times in week 1.
On the 60-yard TD, he was clocked in 21.21 miles per hour. That was No. 2 behind the 21.89 mph of Houston’s Nico Collins on his 55-yard catch against the Colts.
Pierce hit 20.95 on his 57-yard reception, sixth-fastest.
Two other Colts hit the top 14: rookie Anthony Gould on a 26-yard kickoff return (No. 3 at 21.11) and Ashton Dulin on his 54-yard TD (No. 14 at 20.09).
‘Good room’
The week 1 focus was on Pierce – and Richardson, of course – but Wayne insisted his entire room is better than most observers realize.
“It’s solid,’’ he said. “More solid than people think. I think it’s going to be more of a problem when JD gets back. There’s only one football.’’
Josh Downs missed the opener but has been a limited practice participant Wednesday and Thursday. The 2023 slot wideout, who set a club rookie record with 68 receptions, could make his first appearance Sunday at Green Bay.
While Pierce posted a career-best with 125 yards, Mitchell could have been right there with him. Twice, Richardson overthrew him, once on what would have been a 29-yard TD and another time on what could have been a 70-yarder.
Michael Pittman Jr. had a team-high four catches for just 31 yards and Mitchell one catch for 1 yard. Ashton Dulin ran through the Texans defense for a 54-yard TD.
Pittman might be the beneficiary of what Pierce, Mitchell and Downs bring to the pass game as Richardson continues to evolve.
“If I’m Pitt, I’m excited about that because it’s an opportunity for teams to focus less on him,’’ Wayne said. “Now he can get more one-on-one opportunities.
“Pick your poison.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.