INDIANAPOLIS — It took them half the season, but the Indianapolis Colts’ offense is starting to look whole again.

They went five weeks without the anchor of their offensive line; they lost their playmaking receiver for a pair of games; they missed their Pro Bowl tight end for a month and change; and they made do in the backfield without their most explosive running back for most of September.

And make no mistake: It hurt. Gashed by injuries as they were, the mistakes piled up, and so did the losses.

In a lot of ways it’s led them to a 2-5 record that very easily could be 3-4 or even 4-3. Only twice this season have the Colts not seen a game go down to the fourth quarter, and that’s because they’d already wrapped up the win.

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On Sunday in Oakland, the Colts will try and push that record to 3-5 with a healthier offense than they’ve had at any point in 2018. Jack Doyle is the latest to return to the fold, the dependable tight end who hasn’t played since injuring his hip in Week 2’s win over Washington. That means Doyle, quarterback Andrew Luck, running back Marlon Mack, receiver T.Y. Hilton and left tackle Anthony Castonzo – the five most critical pieces of the Colts’ offense – will all be on the field together for the first time this season.

Which figures to give another significant lift to an offense that’s coming off its best outing of the fall, a 37-5 dismantling of the Bills in which Luck was ridiculously efficient (four touchdowns on just 23 throws), T.Y. Hilton was a game-changer (two of his four catches were for touchdowns) and Mack played his best game as a pro (126 yards on 19 carries).

Castonzo’s return two weeks ago has offered stability to an offensive line that’s playing better now than it has in years.

Throw in Doyle – Mr. Reliability – and Eric Ebron, the league leader among tight ends in touchdown catches – and Sunday figures to offer the first real glimpse of Frank Reich’s offense operating at full capacity. With Castonzo sidelined throughout August, the team didn’t even have this opportunity in training camp.

Not to be lost in the shuffle, veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri also expects to suit up Sunday as well after fighting through a groin injury in last week’s win over the Bills. Vinatieri kicked Thursday in practice, testing the pain, and recovered well enough to be on track to play Sunday.

“That’s the plan,” he said Friday.

Reich backed up that sentiment.

“Barring some unforeseen circumstance, he should be ready,” the coach said.

Vinatieri, remember, is just five points shy of setting the NFL’s all-time points record.

On the defensive side of the ball, lineman Denico Autry is expected to make his return to the lineup after missing the last two games.

That’s the good news for a team that’s battled injuries throughout 2018. The bad news is starting safety Malik Hooker was one of five players ruled out for Sunday’s game – the 2017 first-round pick is battling a hip injury and didn’t practice all week. The remaining players who won’t play: wide receiver Ryan Grant, tight end Erik Swoope, running back Robert Turbin and defensive tackle Jihad Ward.

Clayton Geathers, who’s been battling a neck injury since the team’s loss in New England in Week 5, practiced just once this week but wasn’t ruled out after missing Thursday and Friday’s workouts.

New arrival Mike Mitchell, the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week, will continue to man that spot if Geathers doesn’t play. George Odum or Corey Moore figure to be the leading candidates to fill Hooker’s spot at free safety.