Mark Glowinski is giving the Indianapolis Colts a much-needed boost in the running game

The Indianapolis Colts‘ The stormy attack finally found some life against the New England Patriots on Sunday, ending a disastrous series of football games. The reason for last weekend’s success may have to do with the return of an experienced starter to the lineup.

The Colts’ offensive line has been hampered by injuries of late, with Quenton Nelson the only opening weekend starter to miss a game yet this season. Undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker (replacing starter Will Fries) had major problems on the right side, so the team decided to trade for veteran Mark Glowinski.

Glowinski is no stranger to Colts fans, having started almost every game for the team at right guard from 2018 to 2021. The 32-year-old was a free agent this season until the Colts acquired him, so Sunday was his first piece of NFL action all season. Even though Glowinski had to shake off some rust, he looked just like the player we all remember in Indianapolis.

The veteran guard solidified the Colts’ offensive line on Sunday, and his strong play in the running game was a key reason for the Colts’ resurgence on offense against the Patriots.

The Colts’ offensive line was dealt a major blow when Fries was eliminated for the season in Week 5. Fries was playing at a Pro Bowl level at the start of the year and was even the No. 2 overall guard in the league, according to Professional football focus. Tucker initially filled in admirably, but his play began to decline in recent weeks.

From Weeks 9 to 12, the Colts’ rush offense ranked 30th in success rate and 26th in rush EPA, and Tucker’s struggles were a big part of that. Last week, with the switch to right guard and a more favorable game against the Patriots, the Colts ranked No. 3 in success rate and No. 4 in EPA on the ground.

The offense averaged just 4.2 yards per carry last weekend, but the running game was operational and productive for the first time in nearly a month. Glowinski was instrumental in the Colts’ success. Tucker ranked 64th out of 85 qualifying offensive linemen in the run block class forPFF from week 9-12. Glowinski ranked 4th among 36 offensive line starters across the league with an elite grade of 87.5 in his first start this season.