Should the Indianapolis Colts use Ahmad Bradshaw more?

Ahmad Bradshaw may be the most talented running back the Colts have had since Edgerrin James was wearing the horseshoe.  He can make the most of bad blocking, can catch passes and is a reliable blocker in passing plays. Yet for some reason, the Colts continued to talk about how Trent Richardson should be the bell-cow for this offense all offseason. However, Bradshaw has seen a rise in snaps played so far this season and the results have been very promising. This is not an article to bash T-Rich, who has looked better this season, but an opportunity to talk about how good Ahmad Bradshaw has been for the Colts so far.

So far, Bradshaw has rushed for a 6.0 yards per carry average on 25 rushing attempts and has added 9.5 yards a catch on 12 receptions. He has also shown an ability to create ‘chunk’ yardage both in the ground game (longest rush so far is 29 yards) and through the air (longest reception is 22 yards). If you enjoy more advanced metrics, Football Outsiders has Bradshaw sixth in rushing DVOA, second in passing and first in their receiving DYAR statistic. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also has some advanced metrics that shed light onto some things you see on film; Bradshaw averages 3.5 yards after contact this season placing him fourth in that metric, which is higher than a certain running backs average yards per carry from a season ago.  This shows that Bradshaw will run through arm tackles and fight for extra yards after initial contact. They also have him as their number one player in pass blocking efficiency and it seems like the Colts realize this by making Bradshaw the third down and passing situation running back. Clearly, whether you use regular or advanced metrics, you can make the case that Bradshaw is playing like an elite running back so far.

Even when watching the game tape, you can see how he transforms the offense into a much better unit and you can see how much different he looks from the other running backs. Pro Football Focus has rewarded that film with a +3.7 grade, which places him third in their grading. While Pro Football Focus is not perfect (nor are their grades supposed to be taken as gospel), they do a very good job. In addition, their grades are only based on watching the game tape and assigning a grade based on what an average player would have done.

So I bet you are wondering why the Colts don’t just use Bradshaw exclusively and let Trent come in only to give Bradshaw a breather. Well, the answer to that question is Bradshaw’s extensive injury history. Last season, Ahmad Bradshaw only managed three games before he went down with a season-ending neck injury. In years past, Bradshaw has managed to play through injuries to his feet, ankles and knees. However, Bradshaw has only managed to have one season in which he played all sixteen games.

Due to his injury history, I would say that what the Colts have been doing so far is a perfect strategy. They let Bradshaw get a large number of snaps, but they will not let him carry the entire load for the team. They also have made an effort to put him into more situations that utilize his skill set to get maximum production from Bradshaw. This should help keep Bradshaw around all season and even allow the Colts to rely on him more down the stretch and into the playoffs.