Colts need to get Marlon Mack involved in passing game

I have been harping on this for years and it is still true. The Colts’ starting running back needs to be more involved in the passing game.

Marlon Mack is a great running back. He proved that last season when he ran for over 1,000 yards while still missing a couple of games because of a broken hand. He is a dynamic runner who has excellent burst and the speed to leave defenders behind him.

Mack is clearly the number one back on the roster. But he hasn’t been featured in the passing game nearly as much as he should. His rookie year, he had 33 targets. In 2018, he had 26. In 2019, he finished the season with just 17 targets in the passing game.

While his lack of targets can be explained by the drafting of Nyheim Hines, Mack still needs to be involved more than he has been. He’s a good, though not great, receiver and is dynamic with the ball in his hands in the open field. He can do a lot of damage that way.

Having Hines in the game during every passing situation leads to predictability. I’m not even saying Mack needs to get a ton more targets in the passing game. I am saying that he needs to be out there and at least a threat to catch the ball to avoid being so predictable.

Every time Hines is out there, it’s likely to be a pass play instead of a run play and vice versa with Mack on the field. The Colts need to change that up so they can be more effective in their play calling and show versatility. Getting Mack 20 catches a season should an easy enough target to hit.

We will see what the offense looks like with Philip Rivers in the backfield with him. But the more touches Mack can get, the better this offense is.