Chiefs exposed the real problem with the Colts’ offensive line
The offensive line for the Indianapolis Colts continued to struggle in Week 3 despite getting a win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Indianapolis Colts finally got a win in Week 3 beating the Kansas City Chiefs 20-17. While Indy did several promising things, there were still some concerning moments for the Colts on Sunday. The most concerning thing of all continues to be Indianapolis’ offensive line.
Through the first two games, it was evident that Indy’s offensive line was struggling but Kansas City did a great job at showing what exactly the problem is upfront for Indianapolis. The biggest problem in terms of pass protection for the Colts is communication and that was especially on display Sunday.
Several times throughout the game, Matt Ryan was harassed in the pocket by the Chiefs. He was sacked five total times and hit an additional 10 times. While this just continues the trend of Indy’s struggles the first few weeks, it became evident on Sunday where everything was going wrong.
Oftentimes when Ryan was under duress, it was from a free rusher. That only happens when the defense sends more players than the offense has in for protection or when someone misses their assignment in pass protection. For Indy, it was often the latter. Everyone wasn’t clear on their responsibility and it resulted in Ryan being under pressure.
fairly certain this one is on Jonathan Taylor pic.twitter.com/Rfs2U1sTLQ
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 25, 2022
Colts’ offense struggling with communication
With a new quarterback, right guard, and left tackle, it’s somewhat explainable that Indy is struggling to get on the same page in pass protection. Although the team has had the entire offseason to prepare for these situations, things are different once everything becomes serious.
Matt Ryan and Ryan Kelly could both be on different pages as they are both trying to call out protections and that could be leaving everyone else confused. If there’s a silver lining to this situation, it’s that this is much easier to fix than if Indy’s offensive line just consisted of horrible players.
Improving communication is somewhat of an easy fix for NFL teams and something they get better at with time. If the Colts were struggling because everyone was just getting beat individually, there wouldn’t be much of a path to get guys to magically improve their skills.
Understanding assignments and communicating responsibilities is something the Colts should be able to get better at in the coming weeks. While Indy still does have players that need to improve their personal skillset, the entire unit improving their communication should be a major difference maker for the offense moving forward.
