In the NFL, the bye week can be used for one of two reasons or both. They can either be used to get healthy or to clean up some lacking areas. As the Colts have a late bye week this season, they have a unique advantage in the fact that they can get healthy and better as they make a final push for the playoffs.
In terms of health, the Colts are looking to get their starting offensive linemen back. Their veteran center, Ryan Kelly has spent the last four games on injured reserve. With this, he is eligible to come back after the bye week. Further good news is that things seem to be trending in the right direction for his return sooner rather than later. However, second-year slot receiver, Josh Downs, is not trending in the right direction. He injured his shoulder in the Colts Week 12 loss against the Detroit Lions and is “unclear” on a return after the bye week. So, while the Colts are getting healthy in one area, they are also unhealthy in another. Therefore, the Colts must work on these three things to win these last four games.
Three Things the Colts Must Work on During the Bye Week
Running the Football
The Colts have one of the league’s most talented running backs in Jonathan Taylor. However, over the last few games, Taylor has struggled to produce. In the last three games, Taylor has averaged 3.1 yards per rush and 63 yards per game with his longest rush being 14 yards. Needless to say, Taylor has not been producing the way the Colts want him to. He also received a three-year contract extension, worth $42M last season and is not living up to that contract. As a whole, Taylor averages 4.3 yards per rush and has 804 yards through 10 games played. However, the Colts need more from him.
As the Colts look to make a playoff push, they will need their run game to get better. If Taylor cannot produce consistently, the Colts can always look to Anthony Richardson with his dual-threat abilities. The only issue is that Richardson has been prone to injuries and the Colts do not want to open that door again. Protecting their franchise quarterback has to be priority number one. Therefore, it will need to be up to Taylor to get this running game back on track.
Defensive Line Pressure
Much of the criticism surrounding the Colts defense was put to rest until this past week. In Week 13 against the New England Patriots, the Colts had Drake Maye having one of the best games of his career. Also, the Patriots as a whole looked like an actual contender as they were able to run the football efficiently which set up the pass. In this contest, the Patriots had 200 total rushing yards with 6.5 yards per rush average. The Colts also did not register a sack that day and struggled, in general, to get pressure on Maye.
The Colts will face some reasonably below-average quarterbacks in these next four games. However, on any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team, regardless of roster strength. The Colts defensive line will need to be sharp these last few games and certainly, if they make the playoffs.
Anthony Richardson’s Growth
The biggest thing for the Colts to work on during their bye week is Anthony Richardson’s growth. By far, the biggest topic of conversation surrounding the Colts this season has been his growth. When Richardson was drafted with the number four overall pick, the Colts knew that it would be an uphill battle with him. They knew that Richardson would not be an elite quarterback on day one. Nor did they believe that he would be an elite quarterback in year two or even year three.
Nonetheless, this will be Richardson’s first bye week in the NFL in which he will have some downtime to get ready for four important games. The hope is not for Richardson to come back from the bye and be this elite quarterback. Rather, it’s just another step in his growth development.
Main Image: Eric Canha – USA Today Sports
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