Behind workhorse back Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts' ground-and-pound approach can take them far in 2019

Remember that horrendous 1-5 start that the Indianapolis Colts managed to fall into last season? Well, thinking back on it, there had to have been a reason for that ugly start, right? Former starting quarterback Andrew Luck was working his way back from a shoulder injury while the offensive line was revamped. The defense, although young and promising, lacked the basic essentials and discipline of being considered among the leagues' best defensive units early on in the season.

Through the first six games, it was abundantly clear that Indy couldn't get out of their own way. They couldn't figure out who they were, what their identity was, if you will. And to make matters worse, starting running back Marlon Mack was sidelined with a hamstring injury. This, in turn, forced a Colts' offense that was already scarce in the wide receiver department to become one-dimensional, thus making it even more difficult for the team to establish any sort of a ground game. That is, until Mack's return in Week 7.

Despite the Colts offense having a clear advantage over a Derek Anderson-led Buffalo offense, the Bills' defense was still one of the leagues' most well-constructed and dominant units. Indianapolis went into this game knowing that if they didn't come out with a victory, which would've resulted in them ultimately falling to 1-6, and their season would be inevitably over.

With that in mind, Marlon Mack – led behind what turned out to be a top 5 offensive line in 2018 – gashed the Bills' defense for a grand total of 126 yards on 19 carries and 1 rushing touchdown. It was a season-saving performance, and It was after this game when the Colts found their identity. They knew what they had the personnel for, what was going to work, and a first-year head coach that more than believed in his team.

The Colts redirected their focus and turned to old-school smash-mouth football that would, in turn, help them in winning 9 of their last 10 games all while Mack finished the season with a total of 908 yards on 195 attempts, averaging 4.7 YPC.

Fast forward to this season, where Frank Reich's offseason message was crystal clear. He wanted to be Top 5 in rushing yards for the season. And, through five games, he's more than on his way to accomplishing this ambition, as the Colts currently rank 4th in total rushing yards garnered per game with 142.0.

Despite one game where the Colts were stifled by a Raiders' defensive front that held the Indy ground game to a measly 81 yards on a total of 23 carries, the Colts still stayed the course going into their matchup against Kansas City. That day, Mack had perhaps the worst game of his young NFL-career with just 39 total rushing yards on 11 carries, averaging a teeth-clenching 3.5 YPC.

Then, in perhaps not only Mack's biggest performance of his career (in terms of what was at stake), but the greatest win of the Frank Reich era, Mack delivered the goods on Sunday Night Football's center stage with 132 rushing yards on 32 carries, averaging 4.6 YPC. Indy managed to regain its footing and dominated the "unstoppable" Kansas City Chiefs, thanks to a rushing attack that stockpiled 180 rushing yards on a total of 45 carries, all while keeping the reigning NFL MVP on the sidelines for the majority of the second half. It was a classic game of 'keep-away' if you will. And it worked profoundly in the Colts' favor.

Despite being 4th in the NFL in total rushing yards garnered per game, It's important to note that the Colts aren't going to matchup against the NFL's worst rushing attack each game. So, it's vital for Indy to continue to establish themselves as one of the league's most dominant rushing attacks as the season progresses.

One thing's for certain, the Colts have created a blueprint for themselves, "run the rock and milk the clock," as many NFL greats would say.

Without question, the Colts are slowly re-establishing themselves as one of the league's more prominent teams. Behind arguably the league's best offensive line and workhorse back Marlon Mack, Indy's ground-and-pound approach can take them as far as they want to go in 2019.