Colts Expected to Shuffle Starting Offensive Line Again During Week 6 Against Jaguars

According to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer, the Indianapolis Colts are shuffling their starting offensive line again, as both Braden Smith and Matt Pryor will flip from their starting positions just made during last week’s game:

It also means that former starting right guard Danny Pinter has effectively been benched, but he could be reinserted into the starting lineup—should incumbent starting center Ryan Kelly suffer another injury or continue to struggle this season.

Honestly though, this is the starting lineup that most expected to see last week if the Colts changed things along their starting offensive line. Instead, it was Smith playing right guard, and Pryor at right tackle—but the latter had a disastrous showing in pass protection on Thursday Night Football, with a short week of preparation.

The Colts appear to be willing to let rookie third round pick Bernhard Raimann continue to develop at starting left tackle—even if it comes with some expected growing pains. At the very least, it provides Indianapolis the opportunity to see if Raimann can be a long-term answer at the position—and despite an initial rough beginning, he got more comfortable as the game progressed last week.

As a whole though, the Colts will need more from their standouts: Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, and Braden Smith collectively for this unit to at least become an average performing o-line again.

This is a Jacksonville front seven that has dominated them in the trenches offensively during the two teams’ last two matchups—albeit both blowout losses were on the road. That has to change for the Colts to get another victory and start a win streak at home.