Why Shane Steichen Will Improve the Colts' Running Game
It may be difficult to remember now, but in 2021 the Indianapolis Colts had arguably the most efficient ground attack in the NFL.
That season, they were tied for first in yards per carry (5.1), second in rushing yards per game (149.4), and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (22). Not to mention, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was the premier back in the league, leading in major categories such as attempts (332), rushing yards (1,811), and rushing touchdowns (18).
Once the 2022 season concluded, however, none of these numbers were replicated in any sense. The Colts finished 25th in yards per game (109.8), tied for 26th in yards per carry (4.3), and 30th in touchdowns (8).
Taylor also had injuries, which held him to 11 total games, but he was just a ghost of 2021 when he won the rushing crown. He’d finish with 192 carries for 861 yards and only 4 touchdowns. This pitiful pitfall of a turnaround for the Colts was due to awful blocking, no ability to throw the football past 10 yards, and a revolving door at quarterback and running back.
New Colts head coach Shane Steichen, however, set the NFL on fire as the offensive play-caller for the Philadelphia Eagles, racking up monster numbers on the ground with a consistent and elite performance. The Eagles would end fifth in the league in rushing yards per game (147.6), third in attempts (544), and first with an insane 32 rushing touchdowns.
With a running quarterback like Jalen Hurts paired with the three-pronged attack of Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott, Steichen maximized the talent of the Eagles and made life easier on the receiving corps to get open with such an overwhelmingly efficient rushing scheme. The good news for Colts fans, he can do the same in Indianapolis with what he’s walking into.
Regardless of the quarterback that the Colts choose in the upcoming NFL Draft, each can move with their feet at the least, perhaps not at a Hurts-type level, but with far more grace than Matt Ryan or Nick Foles. While there may not be elite talent from top to bottom like he had with the Eagles, Steichen is still overseeing another three-headed running back committee in Taylor, Zack Moss, and Deon Jackson. Each player also has their skills and traits, like the aforementioned Philly group, that make them formidable and special.
Taylor is the all-around beast of a tailback (Sanders), Moss is the potential goal-line bruiser who can also do things out of the backfield, if needed (Scott), and Jackson has the skills as a receiver for a young quarterback (Gainwell). Throw in that the offensive line may not be as bad as the 2022 season may have indicated and you’ve got a chance for the new Steichen-led Colts to have a resurgence with their rushing prowess.
Steichen said in his introductory presser that “we pass to score points and run to win,” showing he understands the importance of running the football. He’s also off to work already with hiring former New York Giants running backs coach DeAndre Smith, so the wheels are turning as we speak on the improvements that need to be made.
With the offensive line coach and coordinator still needing to be hired, as well as a quarterback in the draft, the Colts have light at the end of the tunnel to return to what made them so fun to watch just a year ago. The final step in the equation will be the type of signal-caller that is brought in. Buckle up, this will be an exciting new look for Indianapolis as the team restructures in the upcoming weeks before the draft.
