EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Entering Sunday's game against the New York Jets, the Indianapolis Colts had been without starting running back Marlon Mack for all but one game this season.

Making his return to the lineup at MetLife Stadium, however, Mack was able to remind everybody of something the Colts' offense had been missing without him.

Despite a slow start with the run game overall — Colts' backs ran the ball eight times for just 18 yards in the first half — something changed in the second half.

And despite the fact the Colts were down by 17 points to begin their first drive of the second half, they knew they needed to stick with the run — and it was the second-year back, Mack, who was able to find some holes and get some big chunks of yards.

Ultimately, the Colts would fall, 42-34, to the Jets — getting to within as close as six points in the second half before New York pulled away — but head coach Frank Reich is encouraged by what he saw in the run game, in particular, on Sunday.

"Yeah, I thought we did stay patient with the run game, even when we got behind. We talked about it at halftime (that) we didn't want to abandon it," Reich told reporters after the game. "But what helps is when you say that and then you go out and hit a couple of good runs. And Marlon got it going, had a couple nice runs, some big chunks, so that was a real positive that we can build from."

In the second half, Mack ran the ball eight times for 81 yards — including 66 yards in the third quarter alone — and finished with 89 yards on 12 carries (7.4 yards-per-carry average) overall on the day. It is the highest single-game rushing total for a Colts running back through the team's first six games.