Bortolini is Pro Football Focus’ second-highest graded center (82.7 offensive grade) entering Week 9, and the versatility he has brought to the Colts’ run game has fit extremely well with Taylor and his fellow offensive linemen. Bortolini’s ability to succeed while blocking a zone run concept or a gap run concept has helped allow the Colts’ run game to be unpredictable; because he and Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Matt Goncalves and Braden Smith are athletic enough to pull, offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. can be unpredictable in who’s getting into space.
“Some of the things that we’ve done in the run game with him – getting him out, pulling him, getting up to the second level defenders, has been a big part of our offense,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “When that situation happens, and we’re allowed to get him out with the fronts we’re getting – but I think him out in space has been tremendous. He can move really well for an offensive lineman, and he understands leverage of the defense and where he needs to get to do those things. But yeah, he’s been terrific doing that stuff all year.”
And from a pass protection standpoint, Bortolini and quarterback Daniel Jones have consistently got the offense into the right protections, allowing Jones to deliver accurate passes with confidence from the pocket.
“He’s earned the belief that coach Sparano has in him and we have in him,” Nelson said. “He works really hard, he loves the game and he plays extremely hard. He prepares very well, and it’s not easy at center — he’s got to know a lot of information. And especially as a second year player — he got some starts last year — but he’s done a really good job processing the information and getting us in the right calls as an offensive line. And then his play as well, in the run game and pass block, he’s been really good for us.”
Bortolini this year took over for four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly, who was the longest-tenured member of the Colts before he signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason. Those were big shoes to fill, Bortolini acknowledged, but he credited Sparano, Nelson, Smith, Raimann, Danny Pinter, etc., with helping him and Goncalves – who took over at right guard this year for Will Fries – seamlessly step into their roles.
“The standard for our group is to be the best in the NFL,” Bortolini said. “So when those guys left, the standard doesn’t change. We had to step up and rise to the occasion.”
Bortolini and Goncalves have certainly risen to the occasion as first-time starters. For Bortolini, he’s embraced the grind – this time, of playing offensive line in the NFL.
Seven years ago, the grind involved chugging protein shakes, scarfing down sandwiches and – like a true Wisconsinite – having the occasional bratwurst or basket of cheese curds. It was all part of the process to get to where he wanted to be.
Which, now, has become the starting center of the NFL’s top scoring offense, and blocking for a running back who’s more than lived up to the hype Bortolini heard back in Madison.