Report: Colts OG Jack Mewhort believed to have torn ACL

The offensive line of the Indianapolis Colts has long been an area of concern. Things just got worse, as offensive guard Jack Mewhort is believed to have torn his ACL during Sunday’s shootout against the Detroit Lions.

Since being selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Mewhort has started 31 games. He was one of the strongest performers on a rather dismal line before this injury.

In addition to being a capable pass protector, Mewhort will be missed in the running game as well.

The Colts are razor thin in terms of talent on their offensive line. It looks like it might be up to rookie Joe Haeg, who was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft, to take over.

Pass protection a concern in Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Colts are well aware their Super Bowl hopes are largely dependent on the arm of quarterback Andrew Luck and keeping Luck healthy throughout the season is a top priority as a rsesult.

That's why the offensive line's performance in Saturday's exhibition loss to the Chicago Bears, in which Luck was sacked once and hit two other times early in the game, is a concern.

“We’ve got to be able to protect the quarterback,” Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said, per ESPN. “Pass (protection) at times was okay and at times has got to be better, got to get it shored up.”

After investing money and draft picks upgrading the offense by adding wide receivers Andre Johnson and Phillip Dorsett, along with running back Frank Gore, the Colts chose to stand pat along the offensive line, with the notable exception of the addition of veteran guard Todd Herremans. Second-year lineman Jack Mewhort, who played guard last season, is the team's new right tackle, taking over for Gosder Cherilus, who released just prior to the start of training camp.

Mewhort surrendered a sack Saturday to Bears linebacker Pernell McPhee. On the next play, McPhee got by Mewhort again, forcing Luck into an incomplete pass. 

“It’s crippling when you go out there as a tackle and you give up a bad sack like that on the second play of the game,” Mewhort said. “You can’t start fast when a guy is on top of the quarterback. That’s on me. I have to go back to the grindstone and get better and make sure I have to give Andrew time to make plays.”

After the early struggles, the offense settled in and Luck was able to lead the Colts on 89-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown. 

Pagano preached patience with Mewhort, citing the time it takes to adjust to playing tackle in the NFL.

“You know he’s a second-year player, we lose sight of the fact that he’s a second-year player," Pagano said. "There’s going to be growing pains and we need to find out what we can do to accentuate our strengths.”

GM Ryan Grigson deserves blame for not fixing offensive line

INDIANAPOLIS -- The spotlight of the Indianapolis Colts' struggles during their 0-2 start has centered on coach Chuck Pagano and quarterback Andrew Luck.

But there's one person who deserves some of the blame for Luck continuing to get pressured and playing under siege during the first two weeks of the season, and that's general manager Ryan Grigson.

It was Grigson, the team's fourth-year general manager, who decided not to completely address the offensive line in the offseason.

The biggest question mark on offense heading into the season was whether the offensive line could block long enough to give Luck a clean pocket to work with.

The results so far have proven the offensive line is as bad as advertised. The Colts got away with it in previous seasons. That hasn't been the case this season.

Luck has been blitzed on 47.9 percent of his dropbacks, which is the third-highest rate in the NFL, according to ESPN's Stats & Information. That's almost a 15 percent increase from last season.

Point the finger at Grigson, a former offensive lineman himself.

The Colts used their first-round pick on receiver Phillip Dorsett. They let six more picks pass before selecting an offensive lineman in the seventh round. And tackle Denzelle Good is considered a project player.

Free agency didn't include much, either, as Grigson signed 32-year-old Todd Herremans, who hasn't been overly impressive so far. Gosder Cherilus' injury problems and desire not to re-negotiate his contract led to his release, which caused the Colts to move Jack Mewhort, who started at guard last season, to right tackle. Journeyman Lance Louis is starting at left guard.

Guess what?

Pagano is used to having offensive line issues.

"That's been the case for three years now," he said. "Has it not? [Luck] should be more than comfortable dealing with what he's dealing with. We've got to get it fixed."

Teams will continue to blitz and hit Luck until the Colts prove they can protect their franchise player.

Next up: The Tennessee Titans.

"We have to get in better field position offensively," center Khaled Holmes said. "That's going to allow defensive coordinators like in the first two weeks to really draw up fun stuff for the defense and make things tough on us. We have to get out of those situations and give Andrew time to throw."