Joel A. Erickson
INDIANAPOLIS — Frank Reich put Quenton Nelson in charge of the Colts' running game long ago.
Nelson's the man who made "Run the Damn Ball" hats fashionable in the Indianapolis locker room, the big bear of an offensive lineman who goes viral for the way he pulls and hunts down linebackers and defensive backs in the open field.
Reich counts on the third-year All-Pro to set the tone for the Indianapolis offensive line, to provide the road-grading mentality the Colts need.
For the first time in Nelson's career in Indianapolis, the Colts haven't been able to live up to his motto. Indianapolis is ranked second-to-last in the NFL in yards per carry (3.7) and 21st in rushing yards (104.4 per game), the latter number in large part because of Reich's commitment to the run game even when it's struggling.
Nelson's not happy with the way the Colts have run the ball this season.
"Definitely not to our standard as an o-line," Nelson said. "I think there's been times that we showed can do it; we know we can do it because we've done it before. It's all about trusting it, working hard as one, seeing it all through one set of eyes, going out there and getting five guys on their five guys."
Nelson feels somewhat the same way about his own play.
Quenton Nelson: 'I definitely need to be better'
Universally hailed as the best guard in football, Nelson hasn't been perfect this season. The big guard has had issues with holds — he's been flagged for seven penalties, the most on the Colts — and at times hasn't been his usual overpowering self at the point of attack.
"There's been some good, there's been some bad," Nelson said. "I definitely need to be better."
Nelson's not about to admit it, but he's been playing a little hurt. The big guard has dealt with back and ankle injuries, and he was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans, although he ultimately started and played every snap for the Colts.
Eleven games into the season, Nelson has played 99.2% of the snaps for the Colts; he's never missed a game in his career.
"I feel fine," Nelson said. "Ready to go."
Nelson might be playing through injury this season, might have had some hiccups this season — most notably a few plays against Titans backup Teair Tart — and might have a critical view of his own play, but the man of few words has always been incredibly self-critical in his time with the Colts.
The way the Colts see it, Nelson has been close to the top of his game.
"You look at his grade week-in and week-out, he's grading out very well, so I think he's playing good football," Reich said. "They have good defensive tackles, so you're going to get beat every now and then, but still I think Quenton is the best offensive guard in the league."
But Nelson has always been the type to take responsibility for the running game, and the Colts haven't been able to live up to his expectations this season, one year after Indianapolis rushed for more than 2,000 yards for the first time in a quarter-century.
Injuries have hurt Colts running game
The loss of Marlon Mack, and the ups and downs rookie running back Jonathan Taylor has faced this season, have often been blamed for the Colts' running-game issues, but Nelson loves Taylor, praising the rookie's work ethic, bond with the offensive line and his potential.
Nelson believes the line should be blocking better.
Of course, the running backs might look at it the other way. Before last Sunday's dud — the Colts gained just 56 yards on 21 carries against Tennessee — Indianapolis had run off four straight games with more than 100 rushing yards, a sign that maybe the running game was beginning to come around.
"I think it's just staying patient in the run game," Colts running back Nyheim Hines said at the time. "The o-line has been blocking, and I as a running back, we've been doing a great job of slowing things down and being patient and getting into a groove."
Patience is a key to the Colts' running game.
Mack was famously patient, waiting seemingly forever before hitting the hole, and when the Colts have been successful in the running game, backs like Hines, Taylor and Jordan Wilkins have almost always attributed the gains to renewed patience in waiting for blocks to set up.
"We run a lot of zone scheme, so I think any time you're in a zone scheme, that's a big deal," Reich said. "You've got combination blocks with the offensive line, there is a little bit of a chemistry that builds and a trust that builds on the timing of those blocks. That is where the patience is needed."
The timing has also changed more often this season than it did last year, when Nelson and the other four starters on the offensive line were together for every game.
Left tackle Anthony Castonzo, center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith have all missed at least one game this year, and the MCL sprain Castonzo suffered against the Titans is likely going to force Nelson to build some chemistry with Le'Raven Clark as the Colts make a playoff push down the stretch.
"Anthony and I have played a lot of games next to each other, and he's a really great player," Nelson said. "It definitely affects me a little bit. I think Le'Raven has come in, done a great job and will continue to improve, too, but it is what it is. Injuries are a part of the game."
A part of the game that has made this season arguably Nelson's toughest in the NFL so far.
Not that the big All-Pro is going to use them as an excuse.
The way he sees it, there's a standard in Indianapolis, and the Colts offensive line has to live up to it.