Offensive Line Changes Afoot for the Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts Week One struggles continued as they tied 20-20 with the Houston Texans. Roster changes could be at the forefront of head coach Frank Reich’s mind in order to improve the team as the season goes on. Besides kicker, the first place Reich is looking towards is the offensive line.

During the game, offensive tackle Matt Pryor took the majority of the snaps at left tackle, but rookie Bernhard Raimann would occasionally be subbed in for a series or two. “That was a planned rotation. The plan was that Matt (Pryor) would play most of the game, but we would rotate Bernie on a couple of series here and there,” said Reich in his Monday press conference on September 12th. But could Raimann eventually unseat Pryor if he struggles to solidify his position?

Matt Pryor vs Bernhard Raimann on Sunday

Pryor, a fourth-year tackle, re-signed with Indianapolis this past offseason and was instantly penciled in as the starting left tackle. Pryor played in 80 snaps for the Colts and earned a PFF grade of 65.1. He was charged with only one hurry and one pressure, a solid afternoon for a position that plagued the Colts in 2021.

Raimann, on the other hand, was drafted in the third round of the 2022 draft. Raimann has a unique football background. He was born and raised in Austria and did not play football until he watched ‘The Blind Side,’ and fell in love with the game. Raimann initially committed to Central Michigan as a tight end but blossomed into their starting left tackle. Because of his short career, many thought that 2022 would be a “redshirt” year of sorts for Raimann, but the Colts had other plans.

In his 16 snaps against the Texans, Raimann earned a 72.8 overall blocking grade from PFF including an 81.5 pass-blocking grade. “Bernie’s done enough to show us that we trust him being out there… I think it’s meaningful for him to get game reps… The amount will be a week-to-week decision,” said Reich of the rotation.

While Raimann had far fewer attempts at tackle, he played well when called upon. Pryor has veteran experience, but his ceiling as the team’s tackle is limited. Raimann could inch his way towards more snaps, and eventually, towards the full-time starting gig.

Matt Ryan Earns Teammates Respect

When looking at the box score from Sunday’s game in Houston, many may blame quarterback Matt Ryan for the offensive struggles. But Colts’ tight end Mo Alie-Cox shut that down. “That’s a guy I’ll go to war with any day… when we needed him to come up big, he made the throws he needed to make and led us down the field.”

Ryan’s stat-line was nothing to raise your eyebrows at, but he certainly received no help from his young receivers. Michael Pittman Jr. had a stellar day at the office with 121 yards and a touchdown, but there was no help from the rest of the receiving corps as Ashton Dulin and rookie Alec Pierce both dropped a touchdown in key moments. Ryan will be hoping that these young receivers develop quickly or it could be a long season for Indianapolis.

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