Among the position groups that general manager Chris Ballard brought up on Friday when asked about areas where this Indianapolis Colts team has to improve was the offensive line.
“I do think at the end of the year, the offensive line ended up playing better,” Ballard said. “We had some young guys that had to play…We need to make sure we’ve got the right talent level. I’m pleased with how these young guys came along, but we gotta make sure we got enough depth there.”
With continuity being a key factor as the same starting five from 2023 returned for the 2024 season, the Colts’ offensive line was supposed to be one of the strengths of the team this season. However, there ended up being more up and down play.
Now, as Ballard mentioned, injuries and relying heavily on rookies was a part of that equation. Losing Will Fries early in the year was a big loss. Undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker had to be relied on more than what the Colts wanted to, while Matt Goncalves wasn’t able to focus on just one position, but had to play both right and left tackle spots.
But regardless of how they got there, the end result was a unit that struggled in the run game through the middle portion of the season, which then hampered the entire offense.
From Weeks 9-12, if we take away Jonathan Taylor’s one carry of 58 yards against Buffalo, during that four game, month-long stretch, he averaged just 2.9 yards per carry. For an offense with issues in the passing game, the run game has to get going, but that wasn’t the case.
Then in pass protection, from Week 11–when Anthony Richardson returned to the lineup–through the end of the season, he was pressured at the fourth-highest rate among all quarterbacks during that span. The only reason he wasn’t sacked more was because of his elite ability to avoid them.
As the season concluded, and as Ballard mentioned, the play up front did improve. Starting Mark Glowinski at right guard helped, as did getting Ryan Kelly and Bernhard Raimann back in the mix after injuries, and Goncalves was able to focus on one position.
In those last few games we saw Taylor put up a lot of yards on the ground, while Joe Flacco in those final two games ranked 23rd in pressure rate.
Looking ahead to this offseason, both Kelly and Will Fries are set to be free agents, and as Ballard looks to bolster the competition throughout the roster, that will also mean adding to the depth of the offensive line so they are better prepared if injuries strike in 2025.
Success is always going to start in the trenches for an offense. A good run game keeps the offense ahead of the sticks and out of predictable situations, while playing from a clean pocket is crucial for any quarterback.