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NFL Playoffs: Five reasons Colts won’t make it

By Randy Gurzi

Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck walks to the locker room at half time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck walks to the locker room at half time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) is taken down by Indianapolis Colts linebacker D
Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) is taken down by Indianapolis Colts linebacker D /

5. This team can’t stop the run

The Indianapolis Colts made two fatal flaws this offseason which could lead to them not only missing the playoffs, but also seeing a lot of pink slips passed out in the offseason. The biggest of these blunders happened when teams were gathered in Chicago to select players coming in from the NCAA.

Indianapolis was on the clock with the 29th selection of the 2015 NFL Draft. The team was a powerhouse in 2014 in terms of passing and they had just extended the contract of their star receiver T.Y. Hilton in the offseason.

With enormous holes on both sides of the line, the Colts surely would select an offensive or defensive lineman, or at least it seemed. Instead, they picked Phillip Dorsett, an undersized receiver who has nearly identical measurables to the player they just gave a huge contract to.

Now Indy finds themselves in the same spot they were last year, unable to run and even worse, unable to stop the run. The Colts rush for just 92.0 yards per game, which is behind 25 other teams. They are 24th in stopping the run as they surrender 115.1 yards per game.

Playoff football is won in the trenches, and the Colts should know this after being pushed around last season by teams like Dallas and New England who were able to run all over them.

Instead of learning from this, they decided to add to a strength and ignore their weakness. Dorsett has added 11 receptions on the season, and they show no signs of being able to control the clock or stop the run as December rolls along.

Next: #4 They rely too much on over-the-hill players

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