Colts' Quenton Nelson Displays Dominance in Win Over Cardinals

Nelson is one of the more intimidating offensive linemen in the league. His reputation as a nasty finisher that constantly scans for work is earned, and he makes opposing defensive linemen feel his presence on every single snap.

He caught two Cardinals defensive linemen with heavy hits in pass protection this past Sunday. The first one came on an inside spin move from an edge rusher, and the second came on a block off of a max protection look. Nelson delivered several body blows to the Cardinals' front seven that wore them down late in the game.

Running Behind the Superstar

The Colts' run game has been lethal this season, and a new wrinkle that the team has added in recent weeks is what I would simply call "running behind Quenton Nelson in space." The premise is quite easy to understand, as run plays tend to be more successful when Nelson is used as an escort to the second and third levels of a defense for Jonathan Taylor.

The Colts had two notable plays on Sunday where this play design worked well. The first came on a key third-down shovel pass to Tyler Warren, with the second being on a 30-yard rush by Taylor in the second quarter. Both of these plays were crucial in the Colts' victory, and Nelson was the man out in front on both of them.

Isolation in Pass Protection

Nelson isn't just a nasty finisher that can lead the way in the run game; he's also an outstanding pass blocker in isolation.

His tool bag is as deep as all great linemen, as he can win with a clean mix of pass sets and techniques on an island. He is particularly dominant on aggressive jump sets, but the power that he possesses in his hands allows him to dictate so much on his side of the line.

He was absolutely lockdown all game long against the Cardinals. He mixed two-hand punches and independent punches exceptionally well, and he locked down his side of the line with ease all game long. It's still a sight to behold watching a player like him operate in his prime like this.

He Can Do No Wrong

Nelson's run blocking in general was also fantastic on Sunday. He led the way on multiple big runs, as stated above, but also won in tight on power and gap scheme calls as well. At the end of the day, he was just dominant in every single facet of this game.

This may be called a career-best game for most players in the league, but this was just a normal run-of-the-mill Sunday for the future Hall of Famer. He was a crucial part of the Colts' game plan against the Cardinals and was a massive reason why the team was able to drop 31 points against a stingy defense.

The Bottom Line

It's hard to say something new and unique about Nelson at this point in his career.

He is simply one of the best guards to ever play the sport and will go down as one of the best Indianapolis Colts players in team history. It is always special to watch a player of his caliber on Sundays, and a goal of mine is to remind people every now and then just how great he is.

The Colts are one of the best teams in football at the moment, and their elite offensive guard is a big part of the equation.