In their third season under general manager Chris Ballard, the Indianapolis Colts had some strong depth on the offensive side of the ball, and they also had some weak depth at certain positions.
As the 2019 season comes to an end this week, the snap counts have been official since the Colts finished their campaign on the outside looking in. Injuries and performance have the most say in the year-end snap count totals, and it’s important to keep an eye on them throughout the season.
The Colts had 1,077 total snaps on offense and 425 total snaps on special teams during the regular season. All snap count information is courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
Here’s an analysis of the snap count totals for the Colts offense in 2019:
Quarterback
| Name | Position | Offense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Jacoby Brissett | QB | 947 | 87.9% | — | — |
| Brian Hoyer | QB | 129 | 11.98% | — | — |
The quarterback position shouldn’t come as a surprise. Brissett was named the starter once Andrew Luck retired and the Colts stuck by him throughout the entire season. Brissett did wind up missing most of Week 9 and all of Week 10 during the season, which leads to Hoyer getting some work.
This position will be interesting to watch, especially if the Colts decide to bring in another quarterback.
Running Back
| Name | Position | Offense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Marlon Mack | RB | 510 | 47.4% | — | — |
| Nyheim Hines | RB | 339 | 31.5% | 87 | 20.5% |
| Jordan Wilkins | RB | 173 | 16.1% | 189 | 44.5% |
| Jonathan Williams | RB | 99 | 9.2% | 55 | 12.9% |
The Colts ran with four running backs throughout the season. There were times when the room was thin because of injury, but the front office had a lot of confidence in this group and for good reason.
Mack was the leader whenever he was healthy. He missed two games but was the clear starter. He never recorded fewer than 11 carries in any game this season and was spectacular when healthy. Hines was the third-down back again and really got going in the second half when his usage increased.
Wilkins and Williams were used when the Colts needed to give Mack a break or when the latter was injured. They both were efficient and explosive when used.
Wide Receiver
| Name | Position | Offense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Zach Pascal | WR | 799 | 74.2% | 101 | 23.8% |
| T.Y. Hilton | WR | 478 | 44.4% | — | — |
| Marcus Johnson | WR | 412 | 38.3% | 35 | 8.2% |
| Chester Rogers | WR | 406 | 37.7% | 49 | 11.5% |
| Deon Cain | WR | 228 | 21.2% | — | — |
| Parris Campbell | WR | 196 | 18.2% | 22 | 5.2% |
| Ashton Dulin | WR | 97 | 9.01% | 178 | 41.9% |
| Dontrelle Inman | WR | 55 | 5.1% | — | — |
| Devin Funchess | WR | 36 | 3.3% | — | — |
| Chad Williams | WR | 6 | .56% | 8 | 1.9% |
The wide receiver corps was decimated by injury during the 2019 season. So much so that Pascal led the group, and the Colts had to patch the room together with the likes of Johnson and anyone else who could play.
Funchess and Campbell were major disappointments because they were limited so much in 2019. If Funchess returns, they will both have a chance to make amends in 2020.
Johnson and Pascal both had strong years when it came to stepping up in big roles.
Tight End
| Name | Position | Offense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Jack Doyle | TE | 798 | 74.1% | 3 | .71% |
| Mo Alie-Cox | TE | 354 | 32.9% | 111 | 26.1% |
| Eric Ebron | TE | 325 | 30.2% | — | — |
| Ross Travis | TE | 23 | 2.1% | — | — |
| Matt Lengel | TE | 5 | .46% | — | — |
There was a hope that the Colts could get similar tight end production like they did in 2018 but that didn’t happen. Ebron’s role was diminished and unproductive until he complained and then underwent season-ending surgery.
Alie-Cox was a constant but was used mostly for blocking while Travis and Lengel didn’t have any impact. Doyle became a Pro Bowler and was a constant on the offensive side for the Colts.
This group likely gets addressed this offseason, especially with Ebron leaving.
Offensive Line
| Name | Position | Offense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Anthony Castonzo | LT | 1,077 | 100% | 69 | 16.2% |
| Mark Glowinski | RG | 1,077 | 100% | 70 | 16.5% |
| Braden Smith | RT | 1,076 | 99.9% | 70 | 16.5% |
| Quenton Nelson | LG | 1,045 | 97.3% | 66 | 15.5% |
| Ryan Kelly | C | 1,018 | 94.5% | — | — |
| Joe Haeg | OL | 74 | 6.9% | 70 | 16.5% |
| Josh Andrews | C/G | 61 | 5.7% | 5 | 1.2% |
The Colts had five offensive linemen play more than 1,000 snaps on the season. That’s nearly unheard of. Not only were the starting offensive linemen available, but they were also productive.
The group paved the way to a top-seven rushing attack while also giving pretty consistent pass protection. Castonzo had the best season of his career while Nelson earned a Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod for the second consecutive season. Kelly was a strong anchor to the line and while Glowinski struggled, he was still an average right guard. Smith was also strong and had a very good second half.
The Colts didn’t have to dig deep into their depth at all this season. Haeg and Andrews filled in for injuries while Le’Raven Clark was a healthy scratch for the entire season.
