Blue
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- Mar 19, 2019
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What potentially makes the Colts’ offensive line so good? There are several factors at hand.
First and foremost, the starting five that was assembled last year in Week 6 is back together. Not only is continuity key, but each of the five was a strong contributor to the unit in their own right. They will now be coached by new offensive line coach Chris Strausser, assistant Klayton Adams and senior offensive assistant Howard Mudd, both of whom were brought in this offseason to coach with an emphasis on technique and fundamentals.
Of those starting five linemen, the fresh starters like Mark Glowinski, Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith are still getting better. The latter two were just rookies in 2018, and Glowinski found a starting home in Indianapolis after an inconsistent first three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. If center Ryan Kelly stays healthy for all 16 games then he’s expected to take the mantle as one of the league’s few elite centers. When it comes to the veteran left tackle Anthony Castonzo, he says he’s even still getting better in his career now that he’s pain-free.
Behind the starting five is real, quality depth at every spot along the front, as Evan Boehm, Le’Raven Clark, Joe Haeg, Rees Odhiambo and J’Marcus Webb all have NFL starting experience, and guys like Antonio Garcia and Nico Siragusa both have plenty of potential to work with.
When it comes to offensive line productivity, you can’t forget the role that the tight ends play, and the Colts have a couple of high-quality in-line blockers in Mo Alie-Cox and Jack Doyle. The pair as well as Eric Ebron all ranked in the top 15 of NFL tight ends in pass blocking in 2018 according to Pro Football Focus. Doyle was also the No. 4 run blocking tight end in the league.
Actual skill, proven productivity and depth aside, the Colts’ offensive system under head coach Frank Reich and coordinator Nick Sirianni is designed to get the ball out quickly.
All things considered, 2019 should be another smooth year for those in charge of washing Luck’s uniform.