When you think of the AFC South, you probably think that this is the easiest division in the NFL. Although it is not, it may just be one of the toughest for 2017. For the Indianapolis Colts, they may wish it were the easiest. Nevertheless, their offense will be key for them to try to unseat the Houston Texans.
The Colts offense finished ranked ninth in the league in 2016. They averaged just over 360 yards. The Colts were finally able to muster up somewhat of a running game as well. They will need to continue to have that balance if that want to be a contender in the AFC South and the AFC.
Everyone knows that, when healthy, Andrew Luck is one of the best QBs in the game at this time. Last year he came back from an internal injury and was able to complete 64% of his passes. He threw for 4,240 yards as well. The Colts are going to need every bit of those 4,000 yards and maybe some more to keep their head above water in 2017. While Andrew Luck is good, he does not have enough around him to be able to carry a team yet.
The running game vastly improved in 2016. Frank Gore ran for a quarter over 1,000 yards. This year the running game could be even better. The Indianapolis Colts continue to make improvements along the offensive line. They also drafted RB Marlon Mack out of South Florida.
Mack is a big-play back. Six of his 15 TDs in 2016 went for 40-plus yards. He has very shifty hips and finds ways to slip out tackles. Making him very hard to bring down. He also has decent hands out of the backfield. This is probably his area of needed improvement. If he can improve his hands he will help out a somewhat lackluster receiving corps.
The receiving corp was of course led by T.Y. Hilton. His 91 catches for 1,448 was by far and away the best on the team. However, the Colts are going to have to find another weapon to compliment Holton. The second leading receiver on the team was TE Jack Doyle. There was no other wide out that came close to Hilton. They will need to fix this recipe in 2017 to have continued success on offense.
The Indianapolis Colts offense can be very good. They displayed times of greatness last season. They need a few more working parts for continued success in 2017. If they can find those parts they may put a scare into opposing defenses.
Editor’s Note: This article can also be seen in our upcoming NFL Preview Edition.