Dwayne Allen Realizes Colts Can't Continue Being One-Dimensional

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck really emerged as one of the league's best quarterbacks in 2014, leading the league with 40 touchdown passes and setting a new franchise record with 4,761 passing yards (third-most in the league).  More impressive than those numbers, however, was how he carried a Colts' team that reached won 13 games, won the AFC South, and reached the AFC Championship game.

It was the last factor that makes Luck among the most important and valuable players in pro football.  Despite having the number one passing offense in the NFL in both yards per game, total touchdowns, and plays over 20 yards, the Colts ranked 22nd in rushing yards per game and yards per attempt and were tied for 24th in rushing touchdowns (and one third of their rushing touchdowns were by Luck).  The running game was so ineffective at times that it led to the single worst rushing performance in Colts history when the team gained one yard total on ten carries against the Cowboys.

Put simply, the Colts' offense was very much one-dimensional.  That's something that needs to change, and the Colts players and coaches realize it.

"Andrew can throw the football, he can dissect defenses and get us into the best play possible," tight end Dwayne Allen told Colts.com's Kevin Bowen. "We rode his arm a lot of the season through victories. I feel as if whenever you are dealing with those top-four, top-five teams and you are competing against those teams who are able to run the football and stop the run, you have to be multi-dimensional. You can't go into those games thinking you can out throw them and come out of there with a victory."

Allen pointed out that the Colts didn't run the football well in the AFC Championship game and that allowed the Patriots' defensive backs to key in on the receivers in the passing game.

This is certainly something the Colts need to address, as they have been largely one-dimensional ever since Andrew Luck arrived in Indianapolis.  They have a lot of areas to address this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the football, but they also would be wise to focus on becoming less one-dimensional and on being a balanced offense, taking some pressure off of Luck in the process.