Zach Pascal: The most underrated wideout in the Colts’ receiving corps
3 min read
Zach Pascal might very well be the Colts’ most underrated wide receiver. While he may not be ‘well-known,’ the former Old Dominion wideout has been quite productive for the team throughout the last two seasons.
For context: The acrobatic grab, as shown in the picture above, should tell you everything you need to know about Pascal’s contributions over the last two seasons.
Pascal’s numbers speak for itself, as the productive wideout has had back-to-back seasons where he’s garnered over 600 yards and found the end zone six times. To be more exact, Pascal had a grand total of 1,504 yards and twelve touchdowns during his last two seasons, averaging nearly 15 yards per catch with 14.3, according to profootballreference.com.
But Pascal is far more than just a numbers guy, though. He’s a leader within the locker room and has certainly earned respect from both his fellow teammates and coaches, too.
What’s even more impressive is that Pascal has put up solid numbers with three different starting QBs in Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers. Being on the same page from a QB-WR standpoint is one of the most important things about an NFL team fundamentally. Pascal has not only shown the ability to build a strong and consistent rapport with all three of the Colts’ starting QBs, but he’s also been a go-to target in key situations throughout the last two seasons as well.
Now entering his fourth season with the team, Pascal is also on his fourth starting quarterback in Carson Wentz. The chemistry is coming along quite nicely between the big-armed quarterback and wide receiver, as Pascal gave some insight into what it’s been like working alongside Wentz throughout the last few weeks.
“I feel like he fits in great,” Pascal said. “He came out, threw a couple passes and we [saw] how talented he was. Everybody’s embracing him. Great person, great guy.”
Additionally, Pascal didn’t appear to be too worried about playing with a fourth different quarterback in four seasons.
“Any type of different situation or any type of adversity, you just gotta make it work,” Pascal said.
Pascal’s competitiveness and toughness as a wideout is part of what makes him one of the most underrated players on the Colts’ roster. He’s been in this situation before — having to build rapport with a new starting QB. But Pascal’s ready to help the team in any way he can this season, starting with building a strong rapport with Wentz.
“Well, you know, like you guys said earlier, we had a couple different QBs in the past couple of years, but I think everything starts at practice,” Pascal said. “You have to go hard in practice; you have to get the timing down over and over in the offseason whenever you can.”
With T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell’s ability to attract double teams and the leap that many fans think second-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. will make this season, let’s not forget about the 6’2” wideout, in Pascal, who’s been about as sure-handed as any of Indy’s wide receivers over the last two seasons.
Pascal, in my opinion, has 100% earned the right to compete for the team’s No. 3 wideout slot. Given his production over the last two seasons, it wouldn’t shock me one bit to see the reliable wideout play a much larger role in Indy’s offense this season.
Zach Pascal might very well be the Colts’ most underrated wide receiver. While he may not be ‘well-known,’ the former Old Dominion wideout has been quite productive for the team throughout the last two seasons.
For context: The acrobatic grab, as shown in the picture above, should tell you everything you need to know about Pascal’s contributions over the last two seasons.
Pascal’s numbers speak for itself, as the productive wideout has had back-to-back seasons where he’s garnered over 600 yards and found the end zone six times. To be more exact, Pascal had a grand total of 1,504 yards and twelve touchdowns during his last two seasons, averaging nearly 15 yards per catch with 14.3, according to profootballreference.com.
But Pascal is far more than just a numbers guy, though. He’s a leader within the locker room and has certainly earned respect from both his fellow teammates and coaches, too.
What’s even more impressive is that Pascal has put up solid numbers with three different starting QBs in Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers. Being on the same page from a QB-WR standpoint is one of the most important things about an NFL team fundamentally. Pascal has not only shown the ability to build a strong and consistent rapport with all three of the Colts’ starting QBs, but he’s also been a go-to target in key situations throughout the last two seasons as well.
Now entering his fourth season with the team, Pascal is also on his fourth starting quarterback in Carson Wentz. The chemistry is coming along quite nicely between the big-armed quarterback and wide receiver, as Pascal gave some insight into what it’s been like working alongside Wentz throughout the last few weeks.
“I feel like he fits in great,” Pascal said. “He came out, threw a couple passes and we [saw] how talented he was. Everybody’s embracing him. Great person, great guy.”
Additionally, Pascal didn’t appear to be too worried about playing with a fourth different quarterback in four seasons.
“Any type of different situation or any type of adversity, you just gotta make it work,” Pascal said.
Pascal’s competitiveness and toughness as a wideout is part of what makes him one of the most underrated players on the Colts’ roster. He’s been in this situation before — having to build rapport with a new starting QB. But Pascal’s ready to help the team in any way he can this season, starting with building a strong rapport with Wentz.
“Well, you know, like you guys said earlier, we had a couple different QBs in the past couple of years, but I think everything starts at practice,” Pascal said. “You have to go hard in practice; you have to get the timing down over and over in the offseason whenever you can.”
With T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell’s ability to attract double teams and the leap that many fans think second-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. will make this season, let’s not forget about the 6’2” wideout, in Pascal, who’s been about as sure-handed as any of Indy’s wide receivers over the last two seasons.
Pascal, in my opinion, has 100% earned the right to compete for the team’s No. 3 wideout slot. Given his production over the last two seasons, it wouldn’t shock me one bit to see the reliable wideout play a much larger role in Indy’s offense this season.
