Awaiting the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 is a road matchup with the New England Patriots.
Now at 5-7 on the season, and still clinging to their playoff hopes, we’ve entered the ‘must-win’ phase of the 2024 NFL season for Indianapolis.
So as Sunday’s matchup unfolds, what should we be keeping our eyes on? Here are three things on the offensive side of the football.
What is the Colts’ OL configuration vs. New England?
There are some unknowns around what the Colts’ offensive line configuration might look like in this week’s game. Some good news is that left tackle Bernhard Raimann was a full participant in Thursday’s practice–a sign that he is trending in the right direction and could be available.
However, Tanor Bortolini remains in concussion protocol as of Thursday, putting his status for this week’s game in jeopardy. If without Bortolini, Danny Pinter will start at center.
Then there is the right guard position with rookie Dalton Tucker struggling mightily. Do the Colts stick with him or opt to start veteran Mark Glowinski, who was recently signed to the practice squad, or could they move Matt Goncalves to right guard if Raimann is back at left tackle?
Regardless of what the starting five looks like, the Colts need improved play from this unit. Last week against Detroit, the offensive line was called for a number of penalties, didn’t generate much push in the run game, while Anthony Richardson was often under pressure–a bit of a microcosm of what we’ve seen from this group over the last month.
Can the run game get going?
If the offense is going to find consistency overall, they need more production from the running game, which, as was just mentioned, starts with the offensive line play.
Through the first quarter of the season, Taylor was one of the most productive backs in football. But that hasn’t been the case over the last month-plus.
In Week 9, Jonathan Taylor averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Against Buffalo a week later, he averaged 5.4 yards per rush but that number was inflated due to a 58 yard run. Without that explosive gain, he averaged 2.6 yards per attempt.
Then the last two weeks, Taylor averaged 2.4 yards per rush versus New York and 3.2 against Detroit–oftentimes with little room to run between the tackles.
Without a running game to lean, it is too often putting the Colts’ offense behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations, which puts a greater burden on the passing game and gives the defense the advantage coverage-wise and allows the front to pin its ears back.
On the flip side, success on the ground keeps the offense ahead of the sticks, opening up the playbook, keeping the defense off-balanced and forcing them to defend the entire field. In these instances, now the offense has the advantage.
Frequently when the Colts are unable to sustain drives, you can look back to early down run game woes as a key factor in those short possessions.
Can Colts passing game take advantage of the Patriots secondary?
The Colts want to avoid becoming one-dimensional and overly pass-heavy. But with that said, there could be an opportunity to push the ball in the passing game against New England.
The Patriots’ secondary will enter this game allowing the 10th most explosive pass plays this season, along with ranking 26th in yards per pass attempt allowed.
The best way for the Colts to take advantage is through the running game. For the reasons already discussed, being able to stay ahead of the sticks and steadily move the ball on the ground can, in turn, create opportunities in the passing game that can be exploited.
Of note, however, the Colts have three receivers on the injury report who haven’t practiced yet this week as of Thursday.