Kravitz on Sunday

[JAFF]

https://www.wthr.com/article/kravitz...s-bengals-game

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Bob Kravitz breaks down the five things the Colts need to do to pull out a win against the Cincinnati Bengals:

The Colts must utilize their tight ends, Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron, and must utilize them often against a Bengals' defense that is missing suspended linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Both Doyle and Ebron feasted on the Bengals last year, Doyle here and Ebron with the Detroit Lions. They combined for 17 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. This game will feature a strong Cincinnati front four against a mostly-untested Indianapolis offensive line, so it makes sense the Colts will be throwing shorter passes that don't take as long to develop.
The matchup to watch will be a fascinating one: Colts' rookie guard Quenton Nelson, chosen sixth overall, against the perennially disruptive Bengals' 3-technique, Geno Atkins. Atkins has 61 sacks since he arrived from the University of Georgia in 2010, and has 29 of those 61 sacks his last three seasons. If you pick a guard at No. 6, he'd better be special, and we're going to find out very quickly.
The Colts must stuff the run. The Bengals have running backs, but they're lacking on the offensive line, finishing last season as the worst Cincinnati rushing attack in franchise history. If the Bengals can stay ahead of the chains and be productive on the run, Andy Dalton can carve up the Colts. If they put him in third-and-long with some frequency, the Colts have a chance to be disruptive. It might be weakness on weakness – a poor offensive line against what we figure will be a sub-standard Colts' pass rush.
We all know it's a passing league, but running still matters, and it will matter Sunday for the Colts. Now, who's going to run the football? That's anybody's guess with Marlon Mack having just returned from injury. Somehow, some way, Indianapolis must avoid those third-and-long situations. Their offensive line is a riddle wrapped inside an enigma and we know with certainty that the Bengals' front is stout and can rush the passer. This will be a tall order.
Ride the wave of emotion. The Colts' only real advantage stems from the fact they're playing at home in front of a crowd that's waited forever for Luck to return to the regular season. I'll be very curious to see how different this offense looks; T.Y. Hilton told me recently that they've used about .1 percent of the playbook this preseason. I want to see high tempo. I want to see the run-pass option, which the Colts didn't show in the preseason. They need to start this season with victory, especially given the fact they've gone 0-2 to begin the last four seasons.

[DragonTails]

Originally Posted by JAFF

https://www.wthr.com/article/kravitz...s-bengals-game

No huddle with quick passes would be nice.

Something like the game plan against Denver in the playoffs. That was the only masterpiece plan I remember.