Indianapolis Colts Offense Thriving Thanks to Dwayne Allen, Ahmad Bradshaw
Let's forget for just a minute that the Indianapolis Colts defense gave up 51 points and 639 total yards on Sunday in the 51-34 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Colts defense wasn't going to be elite, and fans knew that coming in. The defense may have been exposed this past week, and while the Colts probably won't be putting up any more shutouts, it's highly unlikely that they continue to allow opposing quarterbacks to put up video game numbers.
Instead, let's look at the positives, mainly the Colts offense. Despite some bad play from the offensive line, Andrew Luck was able to help Indianapolis score another 34 points, helping the Colts stay at second in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos with 31.3 points scored per game.
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That's a big difference compared to 2013, when the Colts scored just 24.4 points per game. The difference? A better offensive line, at least taken as a whole through eight games, as well as the return of Ahmad Bradshaw and Dwayne Allen, who both missed the majority of last season.
Dwayne Allen Emerging as Pro Bowl Candidate
Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton may have been expecting Allen to be a big part of the offense last season, but he never got a chance after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1.
This season, Allen has finally gotten his chance to break out. He only has 22 receptions so far but has already put up 326 yards and six touchdowns, with only five players in the NFL having more scores through the air.
Allen only had one catch this past week against Pittsburgh, but it was a 21-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone off a great throw from Luck. Overall, his numbers aren't quite on the same page as the likes of Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham, but they're not too far off either.
| Antonio Gates | 32 | 417 | 9 | 13.0 |
| Rob Gronkowski | 40 | 558 | 7 | 14.0 |
| Julius Thomas | 30 | 327 | 9 | 10.9 |
| Jimmy Graham | 39 | 435 | 4 | 11.2 |
| Dwayne Allen | 22 | 326 | 6 | 14.8 |
At 6'3'' and 265 pounds, Allen is not only a mismatch down the middle of the field but also a key part of the run game, doing a nice job as a lead blocker when needed. Perhaps the best example of him as a lead blocker can be found from Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In the second quarter, Allen motions across the offensive line, then returns to block behind the right side. The Colts plan on running a cut-back play with Allen to seal the linebacker and give Bradshaw an open rushing lane.
Although Allen is able to get to his assignment, the lane that could have been wide open is no longer an option with Jack Mewhort unable to get to the linebacker. The play looks dead, but Allen isn't done blocking.
Instead, Bradshaw cuts behind Allen, who continues to block his man. The play only goes for five yards, but by the end of the play, Allen has driven the linebacker to the ground.
Blocking won't show up on the stat sheet, but the fact that Allen can make plays as a blocker and pass-catcher deserves to be noted. Few tight ends in the NFL are as good all-around as Allen, and ESPN's Trey Wingo agrees.
The advanced metric sites tend to agree that Allen is one of the best tight ends in the game right now. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has Allen as the sixth-best overall tight end and third-best in run blocking. Meanwhile, Football Outsiders has Allen as its third-best receiving tight end in terms of defense-adjusted yards above replacement, or DYAR.
Ahmad Bradshaw Making Most of Touches
With Trent Richardson not playing a single snap this past week, Bradshaw was asked to play a lot more than he's used to. The Colts have been limiting his touches to try to keep him fresh after an injury-plagued few seasons, but the veteran running back has looked as explosive as ever in Indianapolis.
For Bradshaw, it's more than just running the ball; his ability to keep his eyes downfield while bursting through the line of scrimmage with such violence has made him a tough threat to stop on the ground. On 76 carries this year, he's run for 371 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a solid 4.9 yards per carry.
| Matt Forte | 58 | 490 | 3 | 8.5 |
| Le'Veon Bell | 42 | 395 | 1 | 9.4 |
| Andre Ellington | 28 | 274 | 1 | 9.8 |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 31 | 264 | 6 | 8.5 |
What makes Bradshaw an even more deadly player in the Indianapolis offense is his ability to make big plays in the passing game. He's caught 31 passes for 264 yards and six touchdowns, needing just four more to break Marshall Faulk's NFL record of nine receiving TDs as a running back. Football Outsiders has him as the best receiving running back with 150 DYAR, compared to Matt Forte in second at just 119.
Bradshaw tends to come right at defenders, but when there's open space, he can pick up extra yards by making defenders miss. That couldn't have been clearer than on the first offensive play for the Colts in the second half of Sunday's loss.
On their first play in the second half, the wide receivers go deep in order to try to draw the secondary and open the field up for Bradshaw on an easy swing pass.
Unfortunately, the Steelers don't bite on the receivers going deep and instead wait for Luck to send the pass to Bradshaw. Before the running back even crosses the line of scrimmage, two Steelers defenders are already headed toward him.
Instead of getting tackled for a short gain, Bradshaw does this and picks up a first down.
Bradshaw likely won't get any Pro Bowl consideration, but that doesn't make what he does any less valuable to the offense. Not only can he provide a change of pace as a more aggressive runner paired with Richardson, but he can also consistently make plays in the passing game, especially when near the red zone.
Conclusion
Luck is looking like an elite quarterback in his third season in the NFL, but Allen and Bradshaw deserve a lot of credit for what the Indianapolis offense has been able to do. They've both proved that they are much more than one-trick ponies, and their versatility will continue to be vital.
Of course, defenses will eventually begin to plan around Allen and Bradshaw, but the Colts have more than enough weapons right now. Reggie Wayne should return after the bye week, and rookie Donte Moncrief proved to be more than just a fourth-string player this past week, catching seven passes for 113 yards and a score.
The Colts defense still has some questions to answer, but as long as Allen and Bradshaw stay healthy, this offense is able to do so much more than it could in 2013.
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