4 Colts responsible for the Week 1 tie with the Texans
Offensive line struggled to keep Matt Ryan clean
Just like wide receiver, the offensive line was another concerning group for Indianapolis heading into the season. While everyone knew they could run block, it was the pass-blocking that brought worry. In Sunday’s game, the offensive line did very little to ease those worries, in fact, they heightened them.
Overall, it was just inconsistency that was the issue. Ryan wasn’t consistently under duress, at points throughout the game, he did have a clean pocket and time to find wideouts. However, there were also several moments where the linemen were helping Ryan up off the ground.
Ryan was sacked just twice but was hit an additional seven times by the Texans. That’s not ideal for a 37-year-old quarterback that is playing in his 15th season. At a point in the game, starting left tackle Matt Pryor was subbed out for rookie Bernhard Raimann, however, the Colts have already expressed that they don’t feel Raimann is ready yet, so that wasn’t the solution.
This is something Indianapolis will need to figure out and they’ll need to do it fast. Matt Ryan has to stay clean in the pocket and since Indy doesn’t have elite receivers, he’ll likely need more time in the pocket so that the wideouts can run themselves free. This has to be better next week if Indy wants to get in the win column.
