The Indianapolis Colts have been searching for consistency in their ground game and they are hoping to have found it with Frank Gore. The veteran running back signed in the offseason and is expected to be the workhorse running back for the team. At least that is what fantasy football owners are hoping for. However, head coach Chuck Pagano plans on keeping Gore on a short leash with a pitch count to start the year.
The Colts have every intention of being in the playoffs come January and Gore will be critical to that effort. As a result, Indianapolis has no intentions of putting the kind of workload on Gore that players like DeMarco Murray handled last season. Pagano told the media that he will be limiting the running back to a certain number in order to keep him fresh and healthy.
"Very closely....we've got to be smart with the amount of carries," Pagano said, per the team-distributed transcript. "He's going to want to play every snap. If we play 80 plays, he's going to want to be in there 80 plays. I think we all know that we can't do that. We need him. It's a marathon; it's not a sprint. So we've got him on a pitch count and we're going to stick to it."
Gore is 32 so the idea of keeping his carries limited is wise from a team perspective, but frustrating from a fantasy standpoint. Outside of Gore, Vick Ballard will likely see a lot of playing time along with Dan Herron. Gore is not concerned about the number of carries he gets during the year, but instead remains focused on what he does when he touches the ball. The veteran is enjoying a change of scenery with the Colts and is more confidence than ever which is making Andrew Luck very happy.
"He knows how to talk about football, knows how to get his point across," Luck said, via ESPN.com. "He doesn't say much in the huddle. But at the line scrimmage, calling out what he sees, what we're doing protection-wise. Then maybe on the sideline he'll say, 'This is what I saw, why did we do this?' It's good. He's sharp. He is a sharp football player."
Gore is just one piece of what is expected to be a high-powered Colts' offense. TY Hilton is healthy after a concussion issue following a nice, new contract extension. Dwayne Allen is expected to start in the slot while the newly acquired Andre Johnson takes over the other side of the field following a departure from the Houston Texans. UPDATE: Herron was previously waived after being injured and could be an option later in the season.
