For the past couple of years, the Indianapolis Colts have hung their hat on having one of the best offensive lines in the game. It only took them wasting Andrew Luck's career for them to ultimately figure it out.
Shane Steichen's team returned four or five starting linemen this season, with Jalen Travis taking over at right tackle after Braden Smith's departure. Losing Smith was tough, but the Colts were high on his younger replacement.
Four weeks into the season, they may want to reconsider their plans at right tackle. He's not the only one to blame, but the line looked terrible against the Washington Commanders, and he's the only new face in that unit.
The Indianapolis Colts need to make adjustments at right tackle
Travis didn't do Daniel Jones any favors in this one. He gave up a couple of pressures and one sack against a defense more known for its prowess against the run than its ability to bring the heat at the line of scrimmage.
Through four games, Travis has allowed a whopping 15 pressures (including 11 against Houston), nine hurries, two quarterback hits, and four sacks. He has been disciplined and hasn't been flagged once, though, so there's that.
The Colts should at least explore the idea of moving Goncalves, a former swing tackle, to the right tackle spot. Of course, that would thrust rookie Jalen Farmer into the starting lineup, and while he drew a ton of buzz coming out of training camp, they might not be ready to give him that type of responsibility.
They can also try their fortune with Luke Tenuta, who took the field briefly at left tackle when Bernhard Raimann left with an apparent ankle injury. Whatever the case, Travis' play hasn't been good enough thus far.
Daniel Jones is more elusive than people give him credit for, and he showed that his Achilles is just fine by running for a touchdown on an RPO with Seth McGowan, diving headfirst into the pylon. However, that doesn't mean they have to keep him moving because the line won't give him a clean pocket.
Jones does plenty of things well, but he's never been the best decision-maker when throwing under duress, and those woes have resurfaced in the past couple of games. Then again, it's hard to blame him for everything when the pocket keeps collapsing every time the defense comes at him.
It's usually never just one guy, and the Colts' line has to be better as a whole. They certainly have the personnel and the talent to do so. But with Travis failing to establish proper depth and struggling with a high stance and poor hand placement, he's making everything harder than it needs to be for the quarterback.
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