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During their 20-17 victory Sunday, the Colts passed the ball 50 out of 68 plays.
They said that was by design, but was it also by necessity?
There’s no doubt that running the ball has been the Achilles’ heel – pun very much intended – of the offense this season.
It’s up for discussion whether the blame belongs to the running backs for being too tentative when hitting the holes, the offensive line for not playing with enough ferociousness or the coaches for not knowing when to call which plays.
“(Offensive coordinator) Tom Moore always says that throughout the season, ‘We’ll have storms,’ meaning ‘bad times,’ ” running back Joseph Addai said. “I think the great teams know how to get through that.”
For the Colts, the answer has been passing the ball – often.
There’s no denying that the Colts are passing with proficiency and a beauty seldom seen in NFL history.
The first half Sunday was an absolute clinic by Peyton Manning and company on how to run a hurry-up offense, keep a secondary on its heels and pass with precision.
But imagine this scenario: It’s January, it’s the playoffs and the weather is bad. Aren’t NFL teams required to run the ball in such situations? Are you completely confident the Colts would be able to get it done in such circumstances?
The Colts will be the first ones to tell you, they’re not scoring enough. Their drives are stalling out as games progress.
“When you come out and put points up on the first couple of drives, and kind of hit a lull, we just can’t keep doing that,” tight end Dallas Clark said.
A few weeks ago, the Colts’ running woes were directly attributable to Addai, who spent more time running toward the sidelines than up the field and was just not executing properly. But Addai is playing better now. His game-winning 2-yard touchdown run up the middle was terrific.
“A great run by Joe,” right tackle Ryan Diem said. “He made a few guys miss, maybe even dragged one into the end zone with him.”
Despite seeing more and more plays like that – Addai has 189 yards and two touchdown runs in the last three games – there’s still no commitment to the run game.
Maybe the Colts are just waiting to get rookie Donald Brown (shoulder) back on the playing field, or maybe they lack confidence. Either way, the philosophy has to change before the playoffs to strengthen the Colts’ chances of winning a Super Bowl.
The Colts may be the best passing team in the NFL, depending on how you feel about the New Orleans Saints, but one-dimensional teams don’t win championships. Balance is necessary, and the Colts don’t have it.
Then again, the Colts are 8-0 heading into Sunday night’s game against the New England Patriots (6-2), so maybe they know something the rest of us don’t.
