In a game that the final score did not reflect how close t

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his game was , our Colts came away with a win. One they may not have deserved, but thanks to the legs of Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, a very good offensive line (possibly the best line most Indianapolis Colts fans have ever seen) and Darius Leonard’s ability to make plays at the biggest moments of the game, it was a win all the same. Frank Reich has been true to his word since getting Anthony Castonzo back in the lineup, as he has leaned heavily on the run game which has taken pressure off of Andrew Luck. Yet Luck still continues to throw touchdown after touchdown. The offense is starting to gel while the defense, save for a few building blocks , needs a serious infusion of talent in the off season. Each week, I look to break down two of the best or worst plays or situations from the previous game, but I rely on the help of the Stampede Blue community to decide what plays should be given a closer look as I hope to explain what happened in greater detail than the broadcasters can. Often you’ll hear “how did that guy get so open?” and I hope to be able to answer that question for Colts fans this season. My vote this week will be for Jack Doyle’s multiple catches in the 4th quarter with the score tied 28-28, it was a drive dominated by the now healthy tight end and it seemed fitting that Doyle was the one who capped the drive off with a touchdown catch and run to give the Colts a lead they would never relinquish. This game gave us a lot to look at when you consider the purpose of this impact plays series, there were a lot of well designed plays that went for 1-2 yards that don’t really fit with the definition of “impact”. Regardless in any game where the teams combine for 70 points, there will be plenty of options to choose from. Let me know in the comments if there’s anything else you want to see. On a side note, during this game I realized that Jack Doyle is to Indianapolis what Marshawn Lynch is to Oakland and though I’ve never lived on the West Coast , I now completely understand what culture shock must feel like. This has been a very strange week for Colts fans. After suffering through years of sub-par offensive line play, things appear to be coming together. The line has helped Indianapolis enjoy back-to-back games with a 100 yard rusher for the first time since 2007, and with 200 or more rushing yards as a team for the first time since 1985. According to Football Outsiders, the line has given up 10 sacks this year — which is tied for the second least in the NFL. They are tied for fourth in adjusted sack rate at 4.4%, a measure that includes intentional grounding and that is adjusted for down, distance, and opponent. Football Outsiders ranks the unit fifth overall in pass protection.In the ground game , the line is fourth in the NFL in average RB yards per carry at 4.93. In adjusted line yards, the offensive line is second with 5.11 yard per carry. They are the third best line in the NFL in generating positive yards on rushing attempts, allowing only 14% of rushing attempts to be stuffed for no gain or a loss.If all of that isn’t strange enough for Colts fans to read, it must have been a shock to see rookie guard Quenton Nelson receive Rookie of the Month honors for October. He is the first guard in NFL history to receive the recognition. The icing on the cake is that Indy’s offensive line is starting to gain other national recognition, with NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling naming center Ryan Kelly to the mid-season All-Pro team. The idea that the Colts would have two offensive linemen generating national discussion in one season would have been laughable a season ago. Kelly was hurt for much of 2017, Nelson was playing at Notre Dame, and the offensive line was held together by super glue and duct tape. Now? Anthony Castonzo’s healthy return to the lineup and pairing with Nelson and Kelly is a huge advantage against just about any opponent. More shocking , Mark Glowinski has been strong in his first starting reps in Indianapolis after a rough beginning to his career in Seattle and rookie Braden Smith — the assumed heir apparent to the starting right guard position — has looked good at right tackle.Sometimes everything seems to go right all at once. With two 2018 draft picks and one free agent addition, Chris Ballard may have done something in his tenure that former general manager Ryan Grigson was unable to do throughout his time with the Colts. The offensive line may be one of the team’s biggest strengths and they’ve just started to show signs of what they’re capable of accomplishing.If this unit stays healthy and continues to play dominant football, the Colts could shock the NFL world in the second half of the season.

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