The Indianapolis Colts bring one of the top five offensive lines in the NFL to town Sunday to face the Buffalo Bills.
What makes them special is their athleticism. Four of the Colts five starting offensive linemen are among the most athletic, top-rated offensive linemen ever to be drafted in the NFL.
"The comfortable games are over for you, Bills fans. Stress-free fourth quarters do not await you," writes Mark Gaughan.
Left tackle Eric Fisher was the No. 1 overall pick in 2013. Left guard Quenton Nelson was selected No. 6 overall in 2018. Center Ryan Kelly was the 18th pick in 2016 and right tackle Braden Smith was 37th in 2016.
There is an analytic measurement for draft picks called the Relative Athletic Score. It ranks a player’s measurements – height, weight, speed, vertical jump, long jump, etc. – on a scale of 1-10, in comparison with all the other players drafted at the same position.
Fisher scored a 9.82. Smith was 9.71, Nelson was 9.67, Kelly was 9.54. They’re all among the top 4% or so at their position in the last 30 years.
If Brown is unvaccinated, he will miss both Sunday’s game against the Colts and next Thursday’s game in New Orleans.
What does the athleticism do for the Colts? They’re awesome on the move when they're blocking downfield, getting wide on run plays and moving laterally in pass protection.
Indianapolis ranks No. 1 in the NFL in yards per carry off right tackle (7.83) and No. 2 in yards per carry off left tackle (6.64), and that’s on 49 overall carries this season.
Many of the players drafted by Colts general manager Chris Ballard the past five years have strong athletic testing numbers (and high RAS totals).
Asked in jest this week if he was prejudiced against fat guys, Colts coach Frank Reich replied:
“We are very prejudiced about wanting to get smart, tough guys with the right body composition. Chris Ballard has an obsession with body composition. It’s not just about weight, it’s about body composition. That’s just a personal philosophy he has and is rather obsessed with. That’s always a factor with us.”
'Spencer Brown is gonna be a special football player': Bills rookie right tackle impresses in return
When it comes to the Bills’ run game, he loves a big play, of course, but Brown finds the most delight in controlling the game.
Good body composition means more mass and less fat. Players with lean body mass tend to be more explosive.
The RAS measurement was created by a Lions fan from Michigan named Kent Lee Platte. It’s simply a measure of physical traits. It’s not meant to be a scouting evaluation or a projection of a player’s value in the NFL. Among offensive tackles, NFL starters Jonathan Ogden (1996), Joe Staley (2007) and Taylor Lewan (2014) all scored a composite 10 RAS number when they performed at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Bills tackle Spencer Brown scored a 10 this year, actually eclipsing the overall numbers of those three. Why? He scored higher for height, at 6-foot-8. And his numbers for the 3-cone drill (6.96), broad jump (9 feet, 9 inches) and short shuttle (4.4 seconds) were among the best ever for tackles.
Where does the Colts’ offensive line rank in the NFL? It’s subjective. The consensus among scouts The News talks to puts Dallas, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay and New Orleans in the top five.
DB tackling. Colts lead back Jonathan Taylor runs a 4.39 40-yard dash, and change-of-pace back Nyhiem Hines runs 4.38. Taylor leads the NFL in rushes of 10-plus yards (24) and 20-plus yards (nine). All of the Bills’ defensive backs are excellent tacklers. The Colts are going to rip off 5, 6 and 7-yard runs. Preventing 15 and 20-yarders is key for the Bills.
“I think as a DB you kind of got to expect you’re going to make some pretty tough tackles in a game,” safety Jordan Poyer said. “We work extremely hard throughout the week in our tackling drills, and at the end of the day you have to find a way to get them down. Plays are going to break, and as a DB on the second and third level, we have to find ways to get them down no matter what, using the DB net, and that comes with everybody running to the football. We always try to preach one on one tackles, and that’s basically everybody running to the ball and taking good angles. It’s the NFL, there’s going to be missed tackles, but try to limit those, but at the same time turn it back to the guys that are running to the ball.”
Tennessee’s Derrick Henry is No. 1 in yards after contact (728), according to Pro Football Focus. The Colts’ Taylor is No. 2 with 579.
Back on track. Carson Wentz led the NFL in interceptions last year, when he played on an injury-ravaged Eagles offense and often tried to do too much. The Eagles had the most offensive line combinations in the NFL last year. Reunited with Reich, his former Philly coordinator, Wentz has thrown just three interceptions this year and ranks No. 2 in INTs per attempt.
“I think the play of our offensive line has been really at a high level,” Reich said. “I think Carson has done a great job. I think everyone at some level acknowledged how difficult it was last year in Philly with all the injuries they had. Yet what really matters is we’ve started to build some chemistry and consistency with our offensive line. Carson has adjusted well. He’s protecting the ball well.”
The 30,000-foot view. The Colts got Wentz from the Eagles for a third-round pick in last year’s draft and a second-rounder in 2022. But the 2022 pick becomes a first-rounder if Wentz plays 75% of the Colts’ snaps this season or if he plays 70% and the Colts make the playoffs. Wentz currently is at 99%. Wentz is under contract for three more years, through 2024, and his cap numbers are between $26 million and $28 million each year. That’s reasonable – if the Colts make the playoffs.
Stats for the road. The Colts have given up 23 passing touchdowns, most in the league. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes has been battling a calf injury all season. ... With such a good running game, you’d think the Colts would be effective in the red zone. They were only 17th last year, and they’re 28th this year, scoring TDs on 51% of their trips inside the 20. The Bills are up to 14th in the red zone (61%) after last week’s blowout of the Jets.
