The Indianapolis Colts haven’t had a consistent ground game since they lost Edgerrin James, and that has been a long time. Since then, the Colts have seen quite a few running backs try to take over the workhorse role in the offense. That has been an utter failure, and the last disappointment was Trent Richardson who the Colts gave up a first-round pick to acquire from the Cleveland Browns.
Frank Gore was one of the big offseason acquisitions that general manager Ryan Grigson made, and he is expected to be exactly what the offense needed. He has been one of the NFL’s most consistent running back over the past few seasons, and is more than capable of taking the pressure off of Andrew Luck that Indianapolis has been needing.
Now the big question seems to be, what kind of production should the Colts and their fans expect from Gore in 2015?
Last season with the San Francisco 49ers, Gore was used much less than he has been used to throughout his career. He was still able to rack up 1,106 yards and four touchdowns on the 255 carries that he was given. Those numbers show exactly what the Colts can expect to see from him, although he may not see quite as many carries depending on how offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton decides to run his offense.
Luck is still going to be very close to the top if not at the top in passes attempted throughout the 2015 season. He has one of the most impressive offensive supporting casts that any team has had in recent NFL history.
Bringing Gore in during the free agency period was all about adding another aspect to the offensive gameplan. Now, opposing defense will have to respect the Colts’ ground game, which will in turn make life much easier on Luck and the passing game. He is also one of the best pass blocking running backs in the game, which will help protect the budding superstar quarterback.
Predicting statistics is never an easy task for any analyst, but Gore’s production should be very similar to what he did last season.
At this point in time, the 32-year-old running back should be expected to carry the football around 240 times for 1,050 yards and six touchdowns at the very least. He will also likely see usage as a receiver out of the backfield, as Ahmad Bradshaw was very effective in that role last season. Indianapolis will do what they can to give Gore consistent touches, and he will be a big part of the offensive success in 2015.
Needless to say, the Colts are going to be very entertaining to watch over the next few years. Grigson and owner Jim Irsay have been very adamant about building a championship contender since Peyton Manning and the Colts parted ways, and they are well on their way to doing that. There is no reason that the Colts shouldn’t come out of the AFC and make a Super Bowl appearance if they play up to their full potential.
Gore is ready to compete for a Super Bowl, and that is why he chose to sign with the Colts over other offers that he had. He is going to have a big role in the offense, and should be expected to have yet another 1,000-yard season and be exactly the difference maker that the Colts signed him to be.
