Horseshoe Huddle

Colts Protection Ranked Worst in Lineup Consistency

The Indianapolis Colts had a revolving door for lineups in the offensive trenches last season.
Drake Wally|
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) and fellow members of the Colts offensive line look to the score board after a play ended in the Los Angeles Rams' favor during the first half of the game Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) and fellow members of the Colts offensive line look to the score board after a play ended in the Los Angeles Rams' favor during the first half of the game Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts had several injuries to their offensive line in 2024. Then-rookies Matt Goncalves (566 snaps) and Tanor Bortolini (351 snaps) saw plenty of action due to setbacks to starters like Bernhard Raimann (left tackle), Ryan Kelly (center), and Braden Smith (right tackle).

Also, Colts veteran Mark Glowinski (355 snaps) filled in for the injured Will Fries, as did then-undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker (464 snaps). This all shows that the Colts didn't have much consistency on their offensive line, but still finished strong in the run game, ending the campaign eighth in rushing yards with 2,331.

Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis posted an interesting factoid about offensive line consistency in 2024, and which teams played the same lineup the most. Indy finished 32nd out of as many possible places, displaying how bad the injury bug was for Tony Sparano Jr.'s department.

The Colts' most consistent lineup was (left to right), Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Kelly, Glowinski, and Goncalves. Sparano deserves immense credit for keeping the offensive line playing well, especially on the ground.

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Also, Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco only took 32 sacks in 17 games, amounting to 1.88 per game. While it's fair that Richardson is mobile enough to avoid sacks, Flacco wasn't in the slightest, favoring standing in the pocket to operate more than being on the move.

This situation that unfolded paints a vibrant picture of how important depth is on the offensive line. This is likely why the Colts retained Danny Pinter and Wesley French to solidify the depth chart for the offensive trenches.

Indianapolis can always use more help and backups for the offensive line but have a good amount at this juncture. However, after Kelly and Fries departed to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, center, and right guard might need more assistance to ensure nothing falls through the floor if a starter goes down for any amount of time.

The Colts put heavy emphasis on their offensive line, as they should. Given how much of the offense operates through the ground attack for Shane Steichen and the workload Jonathan Taylor and Richardson get in rushing, it makes sense to continue building up talent behind the starting lineup.

The Colts still have free agency and the upcoming NFL draft to add more names and make certain that Richardson (or Daniel Jones) stays upright during the 2025 season while continuing to run the pigskin efficiently.

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Drake Wally
DRAKE WALLY

Drake Wally is a co-deputy editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. His works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, Yahoo, and SBNation. He also co-hosts the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast.

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