It was a sunny October afternoon in 2017 when Indianapolis Colts common supervisor Chris Ballard made a promise to himself.

In his first 12 months as GM, he had simply watched his group get shut out by the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-0. His quarterback Jacoby Brissett was sacked ten occasions that afternoon, essentially the most because the Colts moved to Indianapolis. Ballard would later say it was at that second he vowed the Colts would by no means get bullied up entrance like that once more.

Quick ahead to 2022, and we’re proper again the place we began. The Colts’ offensive line is simply as unhealthy because it was in 2017, giving up 9 sacks on the way in which to a 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots. The Colts have now allowed 35 sacks in 2022, essentially the most within the NFL by means of 9 video games.

“It was as unhealthy as I can ever keep in mind,” stated Ryan Kelly, a member of each the 2017 and 2022 groups.

The Colts’ offense hit all-time low on Sunday towards the Patriots. A measly 121 yards had been gained all day, a mean of simply 2.0 yards per play. The Colts had been an abysmal 0-14 on third down, the second-worst mark for a sport in NFL historical past. It’s arduous to be any worse than that.

“The offensive efficiency, that is why I used to be introduced right here,” a dejected Frank Reich stated after the sport. “That is my accountability. So, we bought the gamers. We have got the gamers which are a lot ok. I’ve to do a greater job. It begins with me on offense. I have to do a greater job getting the fellows able to play, placing guys in a very good place to win and having solutions once we face issues.”

As Reich stood on the podium, he seemed like a person who had run out of solutions. The Colts have thrown the kitchen sink on the offense in an try to search out one thing, something, that may result in success. The record of modifications appears to be rising by the week.

There have been six completely different combos on the offensive line, but the outcomes are getting worse. The Colts benched veteran Matt Ryan for the unproven Sam Ehlinger at quarterback in an try and spark the offense, and as a substitute, it has created friction within the locker room. Offensive coordinator Marcus Brady was fired earlier this week. Nyheim Hines was traded to the Buffalo Payments.

Three factors. 2.0 yards per play. 0-14 on third down.

“That’s an offense that’s unacceptable,” Ehlinger lamented.

The second-year quarterback confronted an immense problem towards Invoice Belichick and the Patriots. Coming into the matchup, the Patriots had been 42-4 towards first and second-year quarterbacks at Gillette Stadium since 2003. Belichick makes it troublesome for younger quarterbacks with a number of appears to be like and disguises on protection.

Ehlinger was working for his life all afternoon, and when he did have time, it was not very fairly both. Ehlinger completed 15-of-29 (52%) for 103 yards and an interception. Whether or not it was the sacks, overthrows, or missed reads, it was a wrestle all afternoon for Ehlinger.

“Everyone’s going to have a look at the 9 sacks and suppose, “Oh, that is on the offensive line.” And it’s on all people,” Ehlinger admitted. “You realize, route disciplines, route spacing. For me, getting the ball out on time, taking checkdowns after they’re there, not holding on too lengthy. I believed, you already know, there have been a handful of them that had been on me. And it sucks as a result of they’ll take the warmth for that. However, you already know, it is on all people as an offense.”

“Now we have to guard higher,” Quenton Nelson stated. “We have to carry out higher offensively. I imply, going from week to week listening to the defensive gamers saying they’ve our backs. They’ve been holding groups to subject objectives and getting turnovers however we haven’t helped them. Now we have to determine it out offensively.”

What makes issues worse for this Colts’ offense is that they wasted a very good efficiency from the protection. Whereas the Patriots scored 26 factors, 14 got here off a blocked punt (the place the Patriots began their drive on the Colts’ 2-yard line) and a pick-6. The Colts gave up 12 factors – 4 subject objectives – the remainder of the sport.

Indy gave up simply 203 whole yards, permitting simply 3.3 yards per play. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was held to 147 yards and sacked 4 occasions because the Colts introduced constant stress. Kwity Paye (eight tackles, sack) and DeForest Buckner (seven tackles, sack) virtually lived within the backfield all afternoon.

When the protection is just chargeable for 12 factors, that needs to be greater than sufficient to get the win. And but, the Colts’ offense continues to fail their defensive teammates every weekend.

“Our protection saved us within the sport,” Ehlinger stated. “And we did not do something on the market to assist them out. They had been enjoying their tails off and could not get something getting into each part.”

“The protection performed lights out once more,” claimed Michael Pittman Jr., who caught simply three passes for 22 yards. “It’s actually robust as a result of the protection is enjoying actually nice and we wish to be there for them. Credit score to our protection, they arrive out and play each single week, and we’ve simply bought to be higher.”

However, at this level, can the Colts’ offense turn out to be higher? 9 video games in, and the identical points that had been occurring in Week 1 are nonetheless occurring and could also be getting worse. The phrases of perception are popping out of gamers’ mouths, but it surely doesn’t really feel like even they imagine what they’re saying.

The Colts are 3-5-1 and have misplaced three straight video games. The offensive points don’t appear to be they are often fastened with this group of gamers or coaches. With eight video games remaining, the Colts nonetheless have a mathematical probability to make the playoffs and switch issues round, however the writing appears to be like to be on the wall.

As we glance again on the ten-sack sport in ’17 and examine it to the nine-sack sport from Sunday, there are some parallels. The quarterback scenario, each current, and future, is unsure. The offensive line is in shambles. The top coach will doubtless be fired on the finish of the season.

Solely this time, the final supervisor has had 5 years to show it round. The offensive line, which he vowed would by no means be as unhealthy once more, has regressed to the worst within the league, but has the very best payroll within the NFL at $42.2 million this season. And nonetheless, no long-term reply has been discovered at an important place in soccer.

That is what all-time low seems like, and it’ll doubtless be a brand new regime that’s tasked with fixing the mess that’s the Indianapolis Colts this spring.

Comply with Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMooreNFL.

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