The Indianapolis Colts must do a few things better offensively this upcoming season if they want to have a stronger year than last season.
With the 2022 season approaching quickly, I got to thinking about this new look Indianapolis Colts offense and things that they could approve upon heading into this season. The upgrade at quarterback is good for starters. Matt Ryan will be entering his 15th season and he is a totally different quarterback than what we had last year with Carson Wentz.
The Colts were only one game out of the playoffs last year and if they did a few things differently offensively, they would’ve been in the postseason. I am going to name 3 things that Indianapolis needs to get better at this season to make that jump.
1. Colts must succeed in the red zone
Indy finished 19th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage. Now, many people will say that is due to play calling but I think it was just the failure of execution. If you get that percentage up just five percent, you are looking at close to a top 10 team in the red zone.
How many times did the Colts get stopped last year inside the five-yard line? It seemed like almost every game. With a more accurate quarterback, I believe that percentage goes up.
There have also been times, however, where the play calling has not been great inside the red zone. It would be hard for me to not run behind this big O-line every play when you get that close. You can not do that though, teams will key in on that and sell out to stop the run. Matt Ryan opens up the playbook completely for Frank Reich, so there should be no limit to what they can do.
The Colts ranked fourth in red zone attempts per game last season at right about four. That is a good number to have as it shows Indy did a good job driving the ball down the field. But, it does not do you any good to drive down there and be 19th in TD percentage. Scoring touchdowns is what’s all about. You have to put the ball in the end zone to win. With the changes on the offense, there should soon be a change in the red zone.