The Indianapolis Colts have had a terrible year as far as injuries. Just when one key player went down, another was soon to follow. One wonders how the season would have gone had the team not been as injured as it was.
In Week 17, the team knew it would be without quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles tendon), cornerback Charvarius Ward (concussion), and right tackle Braden Smith (concussion), among others, but the offensive line is still going to be dealing with issues.
Left tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow) will return after missing Week 16, but center Tanor Bortolini (concussion) will be out. In other words, 40 percent of the Colts' elite offensive line is still out. If one is looking for a reason why running back Jonathan Taylor has been less effective later in the season, look no further than the health of the blockers in front of him.
Indianapolis Colts will be missing several key players in Week 17
Backup guard Dalton Tucker, who has been atrocious when he has had to get meaningful snaps this season, has been dealing with a shoulder problem as well. He has missed some practice time in a weird week of practice, where there was only one full practice.
If nothing else, the Christmas holiday has forced the team to take a rest. The team had one walk-through and another "practice" session that was simply a guess as to which players might have participated because Indy was actually off for Christmas.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf) has missed every game since Week 13 after appearing in only three games after being dealt from the New York Jets, but he will play, too. In other words, he has missed as much time as he has been able to play.
The brutal reality, though, is that Gardner's addition is something that will more likely help the team in the future than currently. Unless the Indianapolis Colts win their last two games and the Houston Texans lose their final two, Indy is going to miss the postseason. Indianapolis and Houston do play each other in the final game of the season, so what happens in Week 17 is key.
Indianapolis must beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17. They will need to do so without center Bortolini. The team will also be without defensive end JT Tuimoloau (oblique), wide receiver Anthony Gould (foot), and tight end Drew Ogletree (neck).