In a back-and-forth game with the Patriots, the Indianapolis Colts leaned heavily on their running game to escape New England with a much-needed win.
Heading into this matchup, the Colts' running game has struggled over the last month, particularly between the tackles.
If we ignore Jonathan Taylor's 58-yard run against Buffalo starting in Week 9 against Minnesota, he averaged just 2.9 yards per carry over that four-game stretch.
However, Sunday in New England was a different story and a different outcome for Indianapolis. Shane Steichen leaned heavily on Taylor and Anthony Richardson in the running game, with the Colts carrying the ball a total of 34 times for 144 yards. On the other hand, Richardson only passed the ball 24 times.
With Josh Downs out, we were able to get involved in two tight end sets, and in these tighter formations, Steichen used the pre-snap movement to help transition and create some natural running routes. Not to mention, as the numbers above show, Richardson again got the ball on targeted touches.
In addition to the play instructions and game plan, Indianapolis would also make a change on the right side that seemed to pay off. After rookie Dalton Tucker struggled in recent weeks, the Colts used veteran Mark Glowinski at right guard, bringing him off the practice squad for this game.
Even with an inconsistent passing game in this contest, success on the ground gave the Colts' offense needed stability and allowed them to string together several long scoring drives, including on their game-winning possession, where Indianapolis continued to utilize the running game even as the clock ticked down 0:00 was approaching.
When the running game works, there is a positive trickle-down effect for the rest of the offense when regularly playing from short down-and-distance situations. This success helped increase the efficiency we saw from the Colts on third downs – an area they have struggled with this season. Indianapolis was also an efficient 3-for-4 in the red zone.
On the other hand, we've seen these Colts' offense falter many times over the last month. A contributing factor to these problems was problems on early downs – often in the run game – which resulted in Indianapolis falling behind the hitters and leading to predictable passing situations.
Entering the game, the Patriots were giving up 4.3 yards per rush, ranking 12th in the NFL. From play calls to execution, especially along the offensive line, the Colts needed this performance, and looking forward, they will need it as a catalyst for the remaining weeks.
As we saw on Sunday, a reliable running game can bolster the offense and offset some issues that can arise in the passing game.
It's also worth noting that the Colts will hopefully get healthier on offense in the upcoming bye week, as Braden Smith and Ryan Kelly may return at that point.
