Colts have concerns with the offensive line's ability to protect Andrew Luck

Colts have concerns with the offensive line's ability to protect Andrew Luck

INDIANAPOLIS -- It's a risk -- a high-priced risk.

There’s no other way to look at the Indianapolis Colts offensive line. The Colts spent the offseason adding skilled players such as running back Frank Gore and receiver Andre Johnson to go with holdovers Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener.

But they failed to address their offensive line. Signing 32-year-old Todd Herremans and sliding Jack Mewhort from left guard to right tackle wasn’t a sure-fire way of improving the offensive line to make sure Luck stays off the ground.

If the Colts don’t have one of the best offenses this season it won’t be because of Luck, Hilton and the rest of their playmakers. It’ll be because the offensive line didn’t do an adequate enough job opening holes for the running backs to run through and protecting Luck.
That was the case during the first two series of the Colts’ game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday. Luck was sacked once and hit two other times on his first five drop backs.

“We’ve got to be able to protect the quarterback,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “Pass (protection) at times was okay and at times has got to be better, got to get it shored up.”

Mewhort was the culprit of Luck’s lone sack when Bears linebacker Pernell McPhee put one move on him and blew by him to sack Luck.

That wasn't it.

McPhee got by Mewhort again on the very next play, causing Luck to throw an incomplete pass to Andre Johnson.

“It’s crippling when you go out there as a tackle and you give up a bad sack like that on the second play of the game,” Mewhort said. “You can’t start fast when a guy is on top of the quarterback. That’s on me. I have to go back to the grindstone and get better and make sure I have to give Andrew time to make plays.”

The Colts shifted Mewhort to right tackle in the offseason once it become apparent that Gosder Cherilus no longer fit in their plans. Mewhort played tackle at Ohio State, but there’s a significant difference from blocking defensive ends at Indiana University and those in the NFL.

“You know he’s a second year player, we lose sight of the fact that he’s a second-year player," Pagano said. "There’s going to be growing pains and we need to find out what we can do to accentuate our strengths.”

Mewhort wasn’t the only offensive linemen to struggle. Bears defensive end Jarvis Jenkins got by Herremans and delivered a clean hit on Luck just as he released the ball. Linebacker Jared Allen beat left tackle Anthony Castonzo and nearly got to Luck.

It's not like the Bears drew up fancy blitz packages to get to Luck. It was simply a matter of the Colts offensive linemen losing their matchups.

“It’s a tough defense with some werewolves over there,” Luck said. “Pernell McPhee, Jared Allen, those guys are premier pass rushers. They certainly do put a lot of pressure on you as an offense.”

The offensive line settled down and Luck led them on a nine-play, 89-yard drive that ended in a touchdown. But it’s what happened on the first two series that leaves you wondering if the offensive line can protect their franchise player.