In Indy's case, the move to a run-centric offense is now driven by the desire to take a load off Brissett's shoulders. A strong running game is a quarterback's best friend, and the Colts' success on the ground has enabled No. 7 to ease into the QB1 role without a hitch. As a result, Brissett is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes (69.1) with an impressive 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, resulting in a 107.8 passer rating (eighth-highest in the league).

Think about that. While we're evaluating a small sample size, the Colts' former QB2 is operating at a more efficient rate than his predecessor, partially due to the team's commitment to the running game.

"Being able to run the ball helps in all phases," center Ryan Kelly said this week, per ESPN.com. "We need to pass, but for the most part in your shorter situations, you're not in third-and-long. You're on the ball, putting the defense on their heels. When we're passing the ball, it makes it a hell a lot easier when you're able to run it.

"Again, the defense can do a bunch of different things to stop you on the run game, but as long as your details and fundamentals are sound, it's tough to figure out how to get after you."

While the Colts' decision to lean on the running game might be partially driven by Luck's retirement, I don't believe the move goes anywhere near as smooth without the team's dominant quintet at the point of attack. The Colts' offensive line is one of the best in football and great coaches tend to rely on their best players in times of crisis.

In studying Kelly, Anthony Castonzo (left tackle), Quenton Nelson (left guard), Mark Glowinski (right guard) and Braden Smith (right tackle) this season, it is easy to see why Reich has built the game plan around the front line. The group not only controls the line of scrimmage by consistently moving defenders off the ball, but it's also given the once mild-mannered Colts an identity that's a little more blue-collar.

"We have five tough f---ing guys up front," Castonzo said, per ESPN.com. "Five very strong, very good football players on the O-line, and it's exciting when you can do that. You're chipping, chipping, chipping and I don't think we even remember the last play. We just focus on our job and the next play. It's the mentality of the offensive line."

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Remember, this is a franchise that has been fueled by the exceptional play of a pair of QB1s for the past two decades. The Colts frequently won high-scoring, "Madden"-like shootouts during the Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck eras, but the move to a more run-oriented approach enables Reich to control the game with his rugged offensive line and an emerging defense (third in the league with eight sacks).

With a stable of hard-nosed running backs (Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins) in place to carry the load, the Colts' ground-and-pound attack will continue to pop behind an offensive line that blows open holes at the point of attack. If Brissett can continue to complement the running game with timely play-action passes to Parris Campbell, Eric Ebron and T.Y. Hilton on the perimeter, the Colts' rushing attack could spark a run to the playoffs that few observers expected when Luck hung up his cleats in August.