Indianapolis Colts running attack could be key to Super Bowl appearance

After a slow start this past season, the Indianapolis Colts got hot when it counted most. So will the team’s running game continue to emerge as a force?

There were numerous reasons the Indianapolis Colts were able to bounce back from a 1-5 start to finish 10-6 and reach the playoffs this past season. The club got better play from the defense, quarterback Andrew Luck got healthier as the weeks wore on and a revamped offensive line emerged as a team strength.

But the improvement of the latter was also a big factor when it came to the club’s ground attack becoming a bigger factor as the 2018 season wore on. And it’s safe to say head coach Frank Reich knows exactly what a strong running game can do for an offense and a team in general.

In 2017, as offensive coordinator of the eventual Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Colts’ current sideline leader oversaw a ground attack that finished with the third-most yards in the league. The Birds would defeat a New England Patriots’ team thanks in part to a running game that gained 164 yards that day at Minneapolis.

But early on in 2018, Reich’s new team was struggling to find itself when it came to this part of their offense.

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Of course, some of that had to do with the fact that promising Marlon Mack was inactive for four of the team’s first five games. He missed the opener, ran 10 times for 34 yards in a Week 2 victory at Washington and then missed the next three contests. Over that span, Indianapolis was limited to fewer than 100 yards rushing in all but the win over the Redskins.

In a Week 6 road loss to the Jets, Mack, rolled up 89 yards on 12 carries and the Colts finished with 127 rushing yards in a wild 42-34 setback. But that was the start of the turnaround when it came to the ground game.

Over the team’s last 11 regular-season games, Reich’s squad averaged 122.7 yards per game rushing. In four of those outings, Indianapolis ran for at least 150 yards. The Colts would also go on to run for 200 yards on 35 attempts in the 21-7 Wild Card win at Houston before being overwhelmed at Kansas City one week later.

During the team’s 9-2 regular-season finish, Mack totaled 185 carries for 874 yards and nine touchdowns. He added an impressive 148 yards and a score on 24 carries in the playoff win over the Texans. He’s the focal point of a running backs corps that includes second-year pros Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines, both who ran for over 300 yards as rookies. And general manager Chris Ballard signed veteran Spencer Ware this offseason for more depth.

In 2018, the Colts finished the season ranked 20th in the NFL in rushing yards per game. Look for that to change dramatically this year as that commitment to the ground attack will continue to make life easier for Luck and coordinator Matt Eberflus’ defensive unit. All told, this balanced football team appears ready to make quite a run to an appearance in Super Bowl LIV.