Despite the litany of injuries befalling the offensive side of the ball, the Indianapolis Colts will see the return of running back Marlon Mack on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Having been out with a fractured hand since the Week 11 win against the Jacksonville, the Colts’ run game will once again be led by the South Florida product.
For those wondering if Mack will be on a pitch count, it doesn’t appear the Colts are too worried about giving him his typical usage.
“I mean not thinking big pitch count. It is a feel with those backs, I mean even when he is humming we don’t hesitate to rotate those guys,” said head coach Frank Reich on Friday. “We know Marlon (Mack) is going to get the bulk of the carries.”
Mack was enjoying his best season to date before the hand fracture. The former fourth-round pick has taken 192 carries for 862 yards and four touchdowns.
Behind an incredibly stout offensive line, the Colts’ run game has come close to achieving their goal of being a top-five rushing unit. Now, they get their starter back against one of the league’s best run defenses in the Bucs.
Reich did mention they won’t be afraid to use all four backs in the backfield even if Mack is finding success between the tackles.
“I am anticipating that all four backs will be up. The way it is going to play I am anticipating all four backs will be up,” Reich said. “So it might be a little bit more rotation than normal.”
The Colts need a lot help getting back into the playoff race, and Mack will make his return for the first time after missing two divisional games.