Indianapolis Colts: Frank Gore Must Get More Carries

Just about everything is going wrong for the Indianapolis Colts in 2015. 

Quarterback Andrew Luck is in a funk. The Colts offense is subsequently stalled for three quarters in every game.

The team is routinely unprepared for games, and halftime adjustments rarely swing the game in the Colts' favor. The team is undisciplined and is one of the most penalized squads in the league. As a result, head coach Chuck Pagano is on the hot seat, with rumors of a potential midseason firing swirling about, including a report from Bleacher Report's Jason Cole. 

Of course, the talent level on the team is lacking as well, as highly paid veterans like Andre Johnson and Trent Cole have disappointed and the team's continued strategy of signing veteran band-aids at positions of need keeps backfiring. 

The highly touted receiving corps is struggling to beat man coverage. The not-so-highly-touted offensive line continues to disappoint in key moments. The defense's lack of talent in the middle of the field and in pass rush shows up in every game. 

There is one person who has rebounded well from a few early-season miscues: running back Frank Gore. 

Though he contributed to the Colts' early-season skid with two goal-line fumbles, Gore has been extremely efficient running the ball throughout the season, showing the vision and NFL experience to consistently weave his way through a below-average offensive line. 

Prior to the season, Gore told the media how excited he was to be facing less than eight defenders in the box on most plays, per Colts.com: "I can’t wait. Just knowing that you’re going into a game, not seeing eight-man, nine-man boxes. This will be the first time in my career, where it’s a partly filled box. I just want to see how it really is with six, seven in a box. I’m excited about that."

Well, so far in Indianapolis, Gore's excitement has been validated. 

Gore has averaged 4.6 yards per carry this season, just the second time in the last six years that he's averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry for a season. Over 22 percent of his carries are going for first downs, the second-highest percentage of his career. He's on pace for 1,019 yards, which would be the the first 1,000-yard season for a Colts running back since Joseph Addai did it in 2007. 

Though he ranks just 15th in overall DYAR and DVOA at Football Outsiders, that's an impressive feat in itself given how inefficient the offense has been. 

Gore ranks 13th in the league Pro Football Focus' Elusive Rating, which is a measure of missed tackles forced and yards after contact. That's ahead of players like Justin Forsett, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles and the league's leading rusher, Devonta Freeman. 

While Gore has struggled to get in rhythm in the passing game, his rushing contributions have been unlike anything Colts fans have seen in years. 

But he's only getting 14 carries per game. On Sunday, he saw just nine carries despite averaging a healthy 4.8 yards per carry. 

Gore's lack of carries can be attributed to a number of issues. For one, the Colts continue to pick up big deficits early in games, and the coaching staff is quick to resort to a spread passing offense in an attempt to speed up the game. 

The Colts also consistently hurt themselves with penalties on early downs, resulting in long downs that make running the ball less viable. The team is tied for the league lead in offensive holding penalties, many of which come on first- or second-down rushing plays. The Colts are also tied for ninth in the league in false-start penalties. 

But some of the issue is the Colts getting pass-happy in unnecessary situations. 

For example, the Colts were ahead or down by just one possession for most of the loss to the New England Patriots, but Gore received just 13 carries. The veteran running back averaged an even 6.0 yards per carry in that game. 

Even against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7, the Colts abandoned the run far too early, when plenty of the game was left in hand. On the first drive of the game, Gore ran the ball for two yards on first down and seven yards on second down. The Colts opted to pass on 3rd-and-1, and Andrew Luck was sacked for a two-yard loss as the Colts went three-and-out. 

A few chaotic drives later, the Colts were down 20-0, but it was still the beginning of the second quarter. More than a quick score, the Colts just needed a score. They'd get the ball at the beginning of the third quarter, so getting a touchdown before halftime was paramount to keeping this game in reach. 

And then...:

Whether it's panicking due to deficits, a desire to maintain a pitch count for Gore or simply overthinking things, the Colts cannot get down the correct rhythm and balance in play-calling this season. Part of this is likely on Andrew Luck, who has some control at the line of scrimmage. 

For example, on that 3rd-and-1 scenario mentioned earlier, the Colts went no-huddle on the down and had a predetermined pass play called against this defense:

NFL Game Pass

Against six men in the box on 3rd-and-1, Luck has to see this mismatch and change to a run, even if offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton's play call was pass. 

The Colts did learn, if that's any comfort. The team faced another 3rd-and-1 in the second quarter and ran Ahmad Bradshaw for five yards and a first down. 

It's time to take the training wheels off of Gore. 

With Andrew Luck playing as poorly as he is, the Colts cannot revert to a spread passing offense every time things get a bit dicey. They especially can't take the ball out of Gore's hands when he's running well in the middle of drives. 

Gore isn't going to be a 25-carry-per-game back at his age, but the team has to make more of an effort to have some offensive balance, especially with their toughest three-game stretch of the season up next.