As their playoff hopes are on the line, the Indianapolis Colts must have all hands on deck on both sides of the ball ahead of their must-win contest vs. the Denver Broncos. Both teams come in rested off a Week 14 bye to get them extra prepared for what one expects to be one of the better matchups in the league this Sunday.

The Colts enter the showdown as an underdog in the fight, as the red-hot Broncos are at home, fresh off a three-game win streak and some extended time to prepare. If they want to take a win back to Indianapolis, they’ll have to be an efficient and effective machine on both sides of the ball– especially when it concerns their run game.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen spoke to the media on Friday while gearing his squad to travel to Denver, revealing what he thought the “secret ingredient” is to unlock their rushing attack down the stretch of the season.

“I think it’s creating the big explosive plays when you have the opportunity,” Steichen said. “Sometimes it may be one block away from creating the big [run], or just one little gap, or seeing it, or one vision, a cut, or whatever it may be. But, again, it comes back to myself and our coaches putting those guys in a position to create those big plays.”

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The Colts’ rushing offense has taken care of business through the first 13 games of the year, but still stand a bit of a distance away from their true ceiling. Indianapolis ranks 14th in the NFL for rushing yards and touchdowns on the ground, also being 12th in yards per attempt and 19th for carries.

With a two-headed monster of Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor in the backfield, having a dominant rushing attack is a script that plays extremely well in this offense’s favor. The Colts have been mainly efficient in their opportunities this season at 4.4 yards per carry. Yet, if Indianapolis wants to make a serious bid to the playoffs, they must lean into their strengths more in the final four weeks of their season.

Taylor has yet to reach the heights of his 2021 campaign when he led the league in total rushing yards, attempts, and touchdowns, but he’s been solid when on the field this season. In 9 games, he’s posted 804 yards and 5 touchdowns for an average of 4.3 yards a carry.

If the Colts can get glimpses of the explosiveness the Wisconsin product showed just three years ago, this offense will be in good shape for the remainder of the season, yet seeing that happen is much easier said than done.

Taylor will have a perfect chance to make a huge statement on Sunday when the Colts travel to Mile High to face the Broncos.

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