Colts: Here’s why Indy’s left tackle situation is more indefensible than you thought
By Mike Luciano
The Indianapolis Colts were pounded into submission by Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, as their two biggest flaws and foibles were exposed routinely by Pete Carroll. Not only was their secondary laid bare, but Carson Wentz was sacked five times due to some poor offensive line play.
Left tackle Julien Davenport was beaten up routinely by an aggressive Seahawks pass rush, and even some stalwarts like Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith, fresh off a nice contract extension in the offseason, had some of their worst games in blue and white.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Colts, as they will try to take down Matthew Stafford and a Rams team that looked absolutely dominant during their win against the Bears. How do they follow that up? With games against the rival Titans, a tough Dolphins defense, and a theoretical Super Bowl contender in the Ravens.
GM Chris Ballard can’t escape the blame for this, as he made the left tackle situation as chaotic as possible, failing to find an adequate replacement for the currently injured Eric Fisher, who himself comes with a new boatload of questions about his health.
Final: Seahawks 28, Colts 16.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 12, 2021
Carson Wentz on 41 dropbacks:
• 15 QB hits
• 4 sacks
This wasn't on the QB. O-line didn't get it done. Period.
The Indianapolis Colts saw their left tackle spot get dominated.
The Colts found out how much better Seattle’s pass rush is. Los Angeles gets to unleash Aaron Donald on this unit. Tennessee has Bud Dupree in town on a big contract, Baltimore has former Colts star Justin Houston, and the combination of Emmanuel Ogbah and Christian Wilkins could give Miami the edge.
Ballard KNEW that this would be the scenario, and he still decided to prioritize positions like defensive line depth. The offensive line was going to be critical to Wentz’s success, and Ballard left the most important position on the line as a complete turnstile until an injured player can get back to full health. Make it make sense!
Julien Davenport getting worked there again on 3rd down for the sack.
— Luke Schultheis (@LuckAtLuke) September 12, 2021
The idea that the Colts could 'plug-and-play' anyone at LT hasn't worked.
They desperately need Eric Fisher to debut.
The Colts don’t have a West Coast offense where the quarterback has to get the ball out as quickly as possible, as the Seattle game showed they want to reel off some big chunk plays with a great vertical passing game. It’ll be tough to realize that vision with a line that is struggling to abate even the youngest of pass rushers.
Ballard needs to figure out a long-term solution at the tackle spot, which could be even more difficult considering he could end up surrendering a first-round pick to the Eagles in the Wentz trade. Ballard is a good GM, but this mismanagement could be a major issue for the Colts in 2021 and beyond.
