The Colts opened Lucas Oil Stadium by losing to a Bears team that most people pegged for two or three wins this year. And last Sunday, they found themselves trailing the Vikings 15-0 before finally realizing that the regular season had, in fact, started. To be fair, quarterback Peyton Manning didn't take a snap during the preseason while he recovered from knee surgery, and the offensive line has four starters out with various physical maladies. That Indianapolis was able to comeback and beat Minnesota is a testament to Manning's moxie, stick-to-it-iveness, and other cliches that might seem appropriate here.
It's early in the proceedings, but if the Colts hope to continue their AFC South dominance, they'll need some semblance of a running game. To date, it's been nonexistent:
Two games, 78 rushing yards. The Colts have fewer rushing yards than 35 NFL players.A functional running game isn't absolutely imperative -- the Patriots managed to win a Super Bowl with Antowain Smith in the backfield, after all -- but it certainly makes Manning more versatile. Play-action is a big part of what Indy's offense does, and if linebackers and safeties aren't concerning themselves with stopping the run, it'll make it much tougher to matriculate the ball down the field.
"It is easy for everybody to get frustrated because the running game kind of gets everything else going,'' running back Dominic Rhodes said Monday. "When we're running, the defensive line just can't tee off.
"We've just got to be patient.''
Of course, not starting four rookie backups along the o-line, and getting one of the league's best receiving tight ends back on the field will probably help, too.
