Who Will be Colts 2nd-Half Breakout Player?
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The Indianapolis Colts overwent a drastic overhaul in the middle of the season. They fired their coach, hired an interim coach with no experience, reinstated their starter, and got revenge on a coach who left them at the alter.
And that was just last week.
Everyone has a clean slate with the Colts. Couple that with the natural progression a rookie gets through the season, and it's no surprise that Bleacher Report (B/R) tabbed offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann as their candidate to break out for the Colts the second half of the season.
Playing isn't the same as coaching, but much of (Jeff) Saturday's job as Peyton Manning's center was making sure the team had proper pass protection adjustments. His understanding of how to block different fronts and blitzes could go a long way in fixing the Colts' pass protection issues. That's great news for Bernhard Raimann. -- Alex Ballentine, B/R
Ballentine wrote that assessment of Raimann and the Colts before their 25-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Raimann was excellent in his first game under interim coach Jeff Saturday. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Raimann an overall grade of 71.7, his highest in four games as a starter.
The offense showed nearly perfect balance under new play caller Parks Frazier with 208-yards passing and a season-high 207-yards rushing.
Raimann was considered a raw, athletic prospect out of Central Michigan when the Colts took him in the third round. Because of his athleticism and upside, Raimann was considered a steal at the time.
He has started the last-two games at left tackle for the Colts and showed immediate improvement from the offensive disaster in New England to his first game under Saturday.
Should he continue this trajectory the rest of the the season, Ballentine's pick for Colts' breakout player will be right on the money.
