Every Thursday we'll take a look at the battle at the line of scrimmage in one game. Check back every week for a new edition of Between The Lines.We've heard all about the Colts' offensive injuries, and how losing center Jeff Saturday and tight end Dallas Clark has left Indianapolis struggling to get back to the dominance they showed two years ago.
All of that may be true, but as we saw on Sunday, the Colts have a much bigger problem. The run defense, which was always the team's biggest problem, but one that was finally fixed in 2006, has fallen apart again. The Jaguars rushed for 236 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
That's a whole lot of yards, but the 4.9 yards per carry is right in line with what the Colts have given up this season. It wasn't a case of outsmarting the Colts--there are high school offenses that are more complex than what the Jags did on Sunday, but the Colts had few answers. The Jags used a two-tight end, two-back formation with the lone wide receiver going in motion to eventually line up as an H-back just off the line. When the Jags bunched up in this formation, the Colts would bring 10 men up into the "box." It's a formation many teams use in goal line situations, but the Jaguars were happy to run it on first and 10. If Knute Rockne watched, he'd recognize what he was seeing.
