The Colts' 2025 offense is built on versatility, with players like Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Tyler Warren and Jonathan Taylor possessing remarkably complementary skillsets that've created headaches for opposing defenses.
But the versatility the Colts are able to access — the kind that's led this group to average 33.1 points per game, tops in the NFL through Week 7 — is not limited to just those skill position players.
A versatile offense requires a versatile offensive line. And the Colts have just that across the board, from left tackle Bernhard Raimann to left guard Quenton Nelson to center Tanor Bortolini to right guard Matt Goncalves to right tackle Braden Smith.
"We try to put the defense in conflict every week," offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. said. "And one thing that I think is very, very unique about our group is we're very multiple in terms of, we have linemen that are not able to be successful in just one scheme. And that's something I think is really important."
Taylor leads the NFL with 697 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns and 37 rushing first downs, and he's hit those numbers while taking a healthy mix of handoffs on inside zone, outside zone, gap runs, etc. This is notable: Some teams have to major in one or the other run scheme (zone/gap) based on their back and/or their line.
The Colts have a running back and an offensive line that can do both, which allows them to unpredictably attack opposing defenses on the ground. If a defense does some things to smother inside or outside zone, the Colts can pivot to more gap-scheme runs and vice versa.
A key driver of this versatility has been Bortolini, who in his first year as a full-time starter enters Week 8 with the second-highest Pro Football Focus overall grade (79.2) among centers.
"When you have a center that can reach a nose (tackle) like he can but he can hold the point in gap plays, he can get out in space and pull and make things happen, it allows you to be really multiple and it allows you to attack a defense a lot of ways," Sparano said. "It's no secret – you run the same things every week, these defenses are really good, these coordinators are really good, they'll find ways to take away your ability to have success doing the same thing over and over.
"You want to have ways to keep them off balance, you want to have ways to attack different parts of the defense. And to do that, you have to be scheme versatile and you have to have players that are able to play in different schemes, to be multiple. And these guys can."
It's not just in the run game, though, that the Colts' offensive line is versatile. The Colts can design different protection schemes week-to-week because they don't have a weak link up front, allowing any of the starting five to capably take on any pass-rushing matchup they may encounter. And that, in turn, has given quarterback Daniel Jones not just the time to operate the Colts' offense, but the trust in his blockers that allows him to hang a split-second longer in the pocket to deliver a throw.
So the point here: The Colts' offensive line isn't just good; they're good at multiple things. Just like the running backs they block for, and the pass-catchers Jones is able to get the ball to while they block for him.
"I've never felt like our personnel is limiting us in any way that way," Sparano said. "When you have players the caliber of the ones that we do that are able to do a lot of different things, it opens up a lot of avenues to attack the defense."
