Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said Wednesday that Mack would be in store for an increased workload in the weeks to come after Robert Turbin (elbow) suffered a likely season-ending injury in Monday's loss to the Titans, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports.
Frank Gore and Mack had both ranked ahead of Turbin on the depth chart, but the latter still managed to pick up double-digit offensive snaps in each of the Colts' first six games thanks to his prowess on third down. Neither Gore nor Mack are top-flight receivers out of the backfield, but both players should see more passing-down work out of necessity, with the more explosive Mack probably offering greater upside in those scenarios. After turning heads with a 91-yard, one-touchdown performance against the 49ers in Week 5, Mack took a step back with just two carries for 18 yards in Monday's loss to the Titans, but the lackluster showing may prove to be more of an anomaly now that rookie is healthy and Turbin is out of the picture. According to Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan Indianapolis, Colts offensive coordinator said that Mack's lack of touches after the first quarter Monday was due in large part to quarterback Jacoby Brissett's run-pass option reads going to other players based on how the Titans' defense was aligned.