This can be a big 12 months for the Chris Ballard and Frank Reich period. The pair have stored the Indianapolis Colts afloat following the sudden Andrew Luck retirement however with that being farther up to now, they’ll’t use that as an excuse anymore.
The Colts have solely made it to the playoffs as soon as since Luck’s retirement earlier than the 2019 season. Final 12 months’s season-ending loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars left a poor style in lots of people’s mouths and a postseason look would be the solely solution to repair it.
The Colts haven’t been to the AFC Championship recreation since 2014, which was additionally the final time they received the AFC South. Followers are itching for a deep playoff run this season and they’re prepared for the group to lastly reap the benefits of the expertise on the roster.
Indianapolis has gained some constructive momentum from the offseason and so they have a possibility to hold that into stepping into the playoffs this season.
If the Colts wind up making the playoffs, it’s possible going to be due to a mix of those causes:
Matt Ryan’s arrival sparks the offense
AP Picture/Darron Cummings
When the Colts made the commerce for Matt Ryan, it confirmed that Chris Ballard understood that this roster is able to win now and so they want the best man at quarterback to get the job performed.
The 37-year-old isn’t getting any youthful and is wanting so as to add a Tremendous Bowl win to his resume earlier than he hangs up the cleats. It’s honest to say that Carson Wentz not solely performed his half within the loss to the Jaguars that knocked the Colts out of the playoff image, however he additionally price the staff different video games all through the 2021 season.
Ryan’s totally different type of play will assist hold the ball with the offense and never put the protection in a nasty place. Gamers on the roster have been speaking up Ryan’s management and presence within the locker room all through the summer season. The idea of their new quarterback will provoke the staff through the preseason to assist keep away from the everyday gradual begins to the season of the previous.
The addition of Matt Ryan ought to lead to two-to-three additional wins.
The protection steps up with new additions
The NFL continues to be extra of an offensive-friendly league however the groups which have a protection that may disrupt the circulate of a terrific offense have a tendency to seek out themselves within the postseason.
This 12 months’s unit will likely be coached for the primary time by Gus Bradley. The longtime defensive coordinator has proof of success throughout his time with the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers,and Las Vegas Raiders.
The Colts’ defensive teaching workers additionally added the quiet addition of John Fox, who would be the senior defensive assistant. The quantity of expertise that Bradley and Fox have within the NFL ought to assist after they put collectively their recreation plan.
It ought to assist that Bradley has playmakers on all three ranges of the ball. The addition of Yannick Ngakoue offers the Indianapolis protection a confirmed move rusher. If Kwity Paye can escape in Yr 2, which is anticipated by a number of pundts, then they may type a lethal move rush tandem. DeForest Buckner will make it straightforward for them by giving them one-on-one alternatives.
The Colts’ protection will likely be trying to proceed creating turnovers below Bradley as they did final season. It helps when you may have Darius Leonard and Kenny Moore II on the unit. Stephon Gilmore offers Bradley a lockdown cornerback that he can belief. The largest key to success for the unit will likely be Julian Blackmon staying wholesome and if Isaiah Rodgers has taken the following step in his improvement.
The protection has a whole lot of potential in Indianapolis, and it will possibly assist the staff win some video games in the event that they keep wholesome and there are not any bumps when they’re studying the brand new system early within the season.
A softer division
Successful the division is any staff’s best path to the postseason. Exterior of successful the Tremendous Bowl, successful the AFC South has been essentially the most elusive objective for the Colts since 2014.
That drought wants to come back to an finish to ensure that Indianapolis to crack into the playoffs. It does assist that the division is taken into account one of many worst within the NFL. The Tennessee Titans have run the AFC South for the previous couple of years so that they stand proper in entrance of the Colts’ probabilities of making the playoffs.
The departure of A.J. Brown will have an effect on their offense. Groups can gear as much as decelerate Derrick Henry with out the concern of Brown successful his matchups. Most analysts assume that Tennesse is ready to take a step again in 2022 so that is the opening that Indianapolis has to reap the benefits of. However Mike Vrabel does get the perfect out of his roster so the Titans received’t surrender their crown that simply.
Exterior of Tennessee, the trail appears rather a lot simpler for Indianapolis. The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a thorn within the aspect for the Colts however hardly ever they’re able to win the division on the finish of the season. They need to be a lot better below Doug Pederson and with Trevor Lawrence coming into his second season. Their nonetheless a younger staff so there will likely be rising pains and the expertise that Indianapolis has ought to give them the sting.
The Houston Texans nonetheless have a whole lot of work to do with their roster and if final season was any indication, the Colts have management in that rivalry in the meanwhile.
This season would be the first one in fairly a while that Indianapolis is favored to win the AFC South.
The difference-making Jonathan Taylor
The Colts virtually bought into the playoffs final season on the again of their bonafide stud that they’ve within the backfield. Jonathan Taylor is taken into account the most effective working backs within the NFL and he’s solely coming into his third season.
His means to put on down a protection and hit a house run at any level of the sport will make life simpler on Matt Ryan. The quarterback-running again tandem will likely be an important key to Indianapolis making the playoffs this season. Taylor confirmed that he can shut out video games for his staff final 12 months and he will likely be a cause why the Colts will win matchups all through the 2022 season as nicely.
A enjoyable truth about Taylor heading into the season is that he’s presently on the longest lively streak of 24 video games in a row with at the least 50 dashing yards. Priest Holmes owns the file with 38 video games so Taylor can break it this season.
Frank Reich enters the following tier
Frank Reich is coming into his fifth season because the Colts’ head coach and he’s in a back-against-the-wall kind of scenario. Jim Irsay is prepared for outcomes with the present roster and Reich understands he has to ship for the proprietor.
He’s proven that there shouldn’t be a cause to imagine he’ll fail on this scenario. Reich’s confidence in going for it in fourth-down conditions and being profitable in doing so. Not wavering following Andrew Luck’s retirement and conserving his staff aggressive that season. He’s been to the playoffs in two of his first 4 seasons with the staff and the final time he did that was with Philip Rivers.
Matt Ryan finds himself in the identical scenario as Rivers. Becoming a member of a brand new group after spending over a decade with the identical staff. Reich was in a position to retool his offense to go well with Rivers and it helped get the staff into the playoffs. Reich’s means to attach together with his quarterback and to suit the system round him is excellent.
Though it didn’t lead to a playoff look, he did assist Carson Wentz seem like a reliable quarterback within the 2021 season and it reduce down the interceptions for him. It additionally must be famous how he was in a position to modify the offense to Jacoby Brissett in a short while after discovering out Luck was strolling away.
Frank Reich hasn’t backed down from a problem and with the significance of happening a postseason run, I count on that he’ll get the job performed. He’s set to take his staff to the following degree as a head coach.