The Colts had the seventh-best running game in the league in 2019. Expect that number to be even better in 2020.
Running the ball has been something that Frank Reich has wanted to do since he took over the job in 2018. The running game, not the passing game, has been the focal point of the offense. Even when they had Andrew Luck at QB in 2018, he wanted to run the ball more often.
Even with Philip Rivers replacing Jacoby Brissett, the running game will still be the focal point of this offense. The offensive line is still the same as it has been for the last couple of seasons and still is one of the best in the league. They can really get downhill in a hurry.
That’s good news for newcomer Jonathan Taylor who will join Marlon Mack in the backfield. Mack had his best season as a pro in 2019, running for almost 1,100 yards while missing a couple of games with a broken hand. He had to carry the Colts’ offense for large stretches of the season.
Taylor will give Mack a nice break every now and then. Taylor has 4.4 speed and power to run in between the tackles. Having two backs that can break a big run at any time will only make the offense more dangerous. Taylor brings that dimension to the offense.
Expect Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni to develop plays specifically for Taylor in both the running game and the passing game to make the offense even less predictable than it would be with Rivers as a better quarterback than Brissett.
The only bad thing is that there more than likely won’t be a training camp for the rookie to be integrated into the offense before the season starts. It will likely be a trial by fire for him and the rest of the new pieces on offense.