Indianapolis Colts Running Back Ahmad Bradshaw Making the Most of Opportunities

If you've watched the Indianapolis Colts at all this season, you've seen Ahmad Bradshaw tearing it up.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. This guy has been doing it his whole career.

Through Week 3, Bradshaw has recorded 264 total yards on just 34 touches. That's nearly 7.8 yards per touch.

Is he sexy? The average fan would likely say no; but the numbers don't lie. Through three weeks, Bradshaw has been an elite player on a per-touch basis.

Among players with at least 25 carries this season, only Justin Forsett of the Baltimore Ravens is averaging a higher yards per carry at 6.3.

And of all NFL running backs, Bradshaw ranks fifth in receiving yards at 114. He also has three receiving touchdowns, which is tied for third across the entire league.

So why is Trent Richardson still atop the depth chart?

File that question under unanswerable mysteries of the universe.

But in the meantime, why would anybody be surprised by Bradshaw's production?

Indy's do-it-all back has averaged 4.5 yards per carry for his career and has averaged at least that many in six of his seven campaigns, excluding the current season. His receiving numbers thus far are a bit eye-opening, but total yards-wise, this is not uncharted territory for Bradshaw.

During his final four years with the New York Giants, Bradshaw averaged 1,180 total yards. Not bad, considering he missed eight games over that period and started only 33-of-64 games.

So, while Bradshaw has been brilliant so far in this young year, there is bound to still be ample skepticism concerning his staying power.

The running back has played a full 16-game season only once in his career. This may explain some of the Colts' reluctance to feature the player full-time. It could be that they are trying to save him from himself.

With running back committees in vogue across the league, they stand to face little criticism from pundits or otherwise. Of course, the front office is desperate to prove acquiring Trent Richardson wasn't a mistake, so the Colts don't seem likely to pull the plug until it is well past time to do so.

Regardless, the franchise is making a mistake every time they thrust Richardson into action. In his 17 games with Indy, he's totaled 198 carries and amassed a hard-to-accept grand total of 614 rushing yards. That's an unsavory 3.1 yards per carry.

Or layman's terms, "bad."

His 233 total touches for the Colts have resulted in just four touchdowns, another alarming number. That's just .017 touchdowns per touch, or one touchdown per nearly 59 touches.

Bradshaw's 366 rushing yards for the Colts, while admittedly a small sample size, have come at a 5.1 yards per carry clip. His 85 total touches have produced four touchdowns, as well. That amounts to .047 touchdowns per touch, or one touchdown every 21.3 touchdowns.

Which is more than twice as prolific as Richardson's numbers.

At this point, it's become a joke for the former third-overall pick to be a starter in the NFL. Nonetheless, every Indy fan has to accept the fact that the front office just isn't ready to admit it.

When Indy hosts the Tennessee Titans this week, make no mistake: Richardson will receive more touches, Bradshaw will deliver more success.