It is difficult to win in the postseason with a young roster. The Indianapolis Colts don't have a single veteran on their offense that has won a Super Bowl. Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Colby Fleener and Trent Richardson are all in their second season and are the best offensive weapons the Colts have.
If the Indianapolis Colts win the Wild Card round, they will have to go on the road against either Denver or New England. They aren't used to playing in cold weather and these two teams are two of the best at home in the NFL.
The Indianapolis Colts are 26th in the NFL in rushing defense. With the inability to run the ball, not being able to stop the run forces them to lose the time of possession battle in most games. In January, playing in the cold weather, stopping the run and forcing the other team to pass is essential to win.
Trent Richardson has not been able to revive the Indianapolis Colts running game after injuries to Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard. They are turning to Donald Brown in Week 13, who has been used more often each week. If they can't get their running game going in the playoffs, they will be forced to throw the ball 40 times in the cold weather.
The injury to Reggie Wayne is the biggest injury in the NFL right now. He is their best player and their veteran leader on offense. Without him, T.Y. Hilton has had to move from the slot position to being the No. 1 receiver. A preseason injury to Dwayne Allen has forced the Colts to go away from the two Tight End set that Andrew Luck ran in Stanford. Injuries to Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard forced the Colts to acquire Trent Richardson, which has not worked out thus far. Losing Guard Donald Thomas has also hurt the running game and forced a shift on the Offensive Line.
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