Horseshoe Huddle

Colts' Biggest Need Revealed Ahead of Postseason Push

The Indianapolis Colts will need some help for the season's final quarter.
Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates with guard Quenton Nelson (56) after throwing a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates with guard Quenton Nelson (56) after throwing a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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As the Indianapolis Colts embark on a late effort to get a bid within the top seven of the AFC, netting a postseason appearance for the first time since 2020, this roster needs to show some progression on both sides of the ball to make their chances at the playoffs a bit more convincing.

Right now, the Colts have a record of 6-7 within the regular season, good for eighth in the conference. They're knocking on the door of getting a shot to make this year's Wild Card round, yet with a bottom-ten ranked offense and bottom-five ranked defense in terms of yards per game, Indianapolis has to find a way to take a few more steps forward to generate some more sustainability in their collective unit.

When pointing out the Colts' most glaring need on the roster with four weeks remaining in their season, CBS Sports and Josh Edwards circled one significant hole Indianapolis had been forced to patch up in recent weeks that has to improve -- the state of their offensive line.

"The Colts offensive line has been working through injuries for quite some time," Edwards said. "The Bye this week serves as an opportunity for them to get healthier. Four offensive linemen are on the injured reserve, including guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly. Tanor Bortolini, Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann have all been limited lately."

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As with any team in the NFL, the best ability you can have is availability. Unfortunately for the Colts, that quality hasn't been on their side throughout this season.

The offensive line turnover was fully displayed during the Colts' last outing vs. the New England Patriots in Week 13. Within their starting line, Indianapolis rolled out their third-string center in Danny Pinter, a new starting guard in Mark Glowinski and a rookie tackle on the right side with Matt Goncalves.

Of course, the Colts ended up edging out a win vs. New England 25-24, but for a playoff-caliber team, finding more consistency and stablility on the offensive line will be critical moving forward. Especially when trying to fit second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson back into the picture comfortably, ironing out his protection to give him the best chance to succeed is a component that cannot be overlooked.

Thankfully, the Colts have some extended time to get right up front during their much-needed Week 14 bye before hitting the road to face off vs. the Denver Broncos -- another contest with major implications for Indianapolis and their playoff aspirations.


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