Indianapolis Colts: Creating the Blueprint for Optimal Offense in 2015

The Andrew Luck-era Indianapolis Colts reached new heights last season.

The team not only finished third in the league in total yards but also sixth in points scored and first overall in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. It was the first really high-flying offense Indianapolis has seen since Peyton Manning left town.

At the same time, the Colts left plenty of production on the field, leaving room for improvement in 2015.

The Colts were just 17th in Football Outsiders' DVOA (which measures efficiency), including ranking 13th in passing DVOA. With a premier quarterback like Andrew Luck, ranking 13th in passing DVOA is certainly a disappointment. A number of factors contributed to the offense's relative lack of efficiency.

For one, the Colts turned the ball over far too often. Luck's 16 interceptions were the sixth-most in the league, and while that's somewhat forgivable given his high usage rate and production levels, it's still something that is far below elite levels. The Colts also lost 15 fumbles last season, the most in the league, with their 31 total turnovers ranking third-highest in the NFL.

While the Colts offense did run the second-most plays in the league, the .152 turnovers per drive was 27th in the league, according to Football Outsiders.

Along with the turnover problems was the lack of top-end efficiency in the red zone and on third down. The Colts ranked just 13th in third-down conversion percentage in 2014, as well as 13th in points per red-zone trip, according to Football Outsiders. While those numbers are not nearly as poor as the team's turnover problems, ranking outside the top 10 in such crucial categories is incredibly disappointing for what should be a top offense.

Of course, a big part of all three of the above issues was the lack of a running game. The team ran fairly effectively when not using Trent Richardson but overall was relatively ineffective, finishing 27th in rushing DVOA, according to Football Outsiders.

So how can the Colts most effectively use their upgraded offense in 2015? The additions of Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, Phillip Dorsett and Josh Robinson could lead to big steps forward as a team but must be utilized correctly alongside the returning personnel.

Speed is a Priority

When you draft a wide receiver in the first round despite having a plethora of needs elsewhere, you better make sure he makes an impact. 

That's especially true for Phillip Dorsett, the speedster out of Miami drafted with the 29th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Dorsett adds yet another game-breaking receiver to the Colts' deep group, and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton must take advantage of him.

Fortunately for Indianapolis, Hamilton has already begun, telling Colts.com's Steve Andress that he went to his office and "ripped up some of his six-offensive-linemen, three-tight-end-and-one-receiver, two-tight-end packages."

This, of course, should be the case with these Colts. The team is blessed with an embarrassment of riches in the speed department, with Dorsett, T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief all being legitimate 4.3-second 40-yard-dash runners.

We have already seen how Hilton and Moncrief can be big-play receivers, as both were a big part of Andrew Luck's league-leading deep-passing efforts last year. Moncrief caught three touchdowns on deep passes (20 yards downfield or more), according to Pro Football Focus.

Statistic	Deep (Aimed 20+ yards) Catches	Deep Yards	Deep Drops	Deep Catch Rate	Plays Gaining 30+ yards
Hilton	14	528	0	45.2%	13
Rank	5th	5th	1st	8th	2nd

Luck was fifth in the league in deep-passing attempts last season and led the league with 39 completions and 1,387 yards on such throws, according to Pro Football Focus. The runner-ups in those two categories last season had 31 completions and 1,098 yards, respectively.

The Colts' move to a vertical passing offense was the biggest key for the offensive resurgence last season, and they must continue to have that focus this season. That doesn't mean that every attempt has to be a 40-yard bomb, but utilizing their speed and ability to force the defense into uncomfortable matchups should be the priority.

As Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report already has pointed out in a fantastic series of diagrams, sending guys like Hilton, Dorsett and Moncrief deep should both open up downfield options and underneath yards-after-catch opportunities:

"

Our Colts play isn't going to fool the defense. It will simply spread the defense too thin. Opponents will respond to route concepts like this by playing lots of "Quarters" coverage, with both safeties and both cornerbacks backpedaling to play deep while linebackers and/or nickel defenders work underneath zones. With opponents in quarters coverage, life will be easy for Gore—and for Luck as an underneath passer.

"

We saw the Colts shift their focus to underneath passing in the first two rounds of the playoffs last year, as running back Dan Herron racked up 18 receptions for 118 yards against the Bengals and Broncos. Of course, the deep passing was on point during those matchups as well.

With the Colts using speed to spread the defense thin, Luck should be able to find weak points at all levels of the defense. As he enters his fourth year and grows even more comfortable finding those weak points before the snap, the upgraded weapons should result in a career year for him and wild success for Hamilton.

Lock Down a Steady Lineup in the Trenches

While the Colts failed to upgrade the offensive line much during the offseason, with free-agent veteran Todd Herremans being the only significant addition, the unit still has potential to show significant improvement in 2015. 

Not only is Herremans a versatile veteran who can ease the pressure on young linemen like Hugh Thornton, but he also represents insurance if right tackle Gosder Cherilus does not recover in time for the beginning of the season. Cherilus battled through injuries last season and subsequently was the weak link on the line.

With Herremans, Joe Reitz and Jack Mewhort all available to play tackle in a pinch, the Colts have options. Both Mewhort and Reitz have taken a good number of snaps at right tackle during organized team activities (OTAs), as noted by Stephen Holder of the Indy Star.

Throw in Mewhort's development in his second year, as well as the same from second-year center Jonotthan Harrison and 2013 draftees Khaled Holmes and Hugh Thornton, and the potential for improvement is clearly present in Indianapolis.

But the biggest area where the Colts must improve is in their continuity.

The Colts were the most inconsistent team in the league in terms of offensive line units last season, according to Football Outsiders, using 10 different starters and 11 different lineups. Football Outsiders also found that the Colts' 28.4 adjusted games lost to injured offensive linemen was the third-worst total in the league.

With the only potential derailment (on paper) of Andrew Luck being poor protection, finding a lineup in the trenches to be consistent and build a rapport together will be one of the key offseason priorities.

Find Balance but Maintain Identity

One of the keys that the Colts have been working on this offseason, and will continue to, is finding balance on the offense. Last season, the Colts were one of the most pass-heavy teams in the league. Against smart, talented defense, they came unglued. 

Just ask Bill Belichick.

Forget Belichick; ask Dwayne Allen, who discussed the issue this offseason with Kevin Bowen of Colts.com after the team's postseason exit:

"

Andrew can throw the football, he can dissect defenses and get us into the best play possible. We rode his arm a lot of the season through victories. I feel as if whenever you are dealing with those top-four, top-five teams and you are competing against those teams who are able to run the football and stop the run, you have to be multi-dimensional. You can’t go into those games thinking you can out throw them and come out of there with a victory.

"

Allen has a point, certainly, and the Colts' coaches know it.

The Colts cut bust running back Trent Richardson in the offseason, replacing him with steady veteran Frank Gore. That change alone should result in improvement, as Richardson was the heaviest factor weighing the Colts' running game down over the last two seasons.

Gore has a chance to steady the Colts' run game in a number of ways, but he wasn't the only addition the Colts made this offseason.

Though he's only a sixth-round pick, rookie running back Josh Robinson should provide decent depth behind Gore this season, along with Dan Herron, who returns from last year's breakout performance in the second half of the season.

But as improved as the Colts run game could be, the team can't lose sight of its true identity, which begins and ends with Andrew Luck.

Luck and the passing offense are the present and the future. If the Colts are to advance to the Super Bowl and win over the next 10 years, it will be because of Luck. Now, the Colts need to surround him with better talent, certainly, but Luck still has to be the focal point.

The drafting of Dorsett and addition of Andre Johnson should be an indication that the Colts know this about their Super Bowl chances, but we've seen the team go through odd run-heavy stretches in the past, namely in 2013 with Reggie Wayne sidelined.

The Colts are never going to be, and should never try to be, the 2013 Seattle Seahawks. The pound-the-rock, play-suffocating-defense strategy works for some teams, but very rarely for teams with premier quarterbacks on the roster. The team needs to take advantage of having a talent like Luck on the roster. Making him the focal point worked wonders last year, and it must continue.

Minimize Overthinking

The final piece of the puzzle is a simple one: Play to your strengths.

Hamilton is a very creative, intuitive offensive coordinator and has done some wonderful things with the Colts offense. The man found a way to break Coby Fleener open for countless wide-open big plays last season, which should be indication enough of his schematic abilities.

But occasionally, Hamilton would try too hard to outsmart the defense, resulting in wasted plays. I can't remember the countless times Hamilton called draws on third down last year, despite having the firepower and deep passing talent available to pick up just about any third down.

Against the Broncos in the playoffs last year, the Colts ran a screen to blocking tight end Jack Doyle on 3rd-and-12. The play didn't result in a first down, shockingly.

Surprises will be a key part of Hamilton's identity, but this team has the ability to line up in four-receiver, three-receiver and two-tight end formations and win one-on-one matchups. They don't need to rely on trickery.

Let your strengths be strengths, and things will turn out well for you. At least, they will when you have Andrew Luck at quarterback.