Colts QB Matt Ryan says his arm is healthy, will that result in more explosive plays?

INDIANAPOLIS - Matt Ryan is back from a bye week of rest on the shoulder he separated against the Titans. And if the 37-year-old is still feeling the effects of that shot, he's not letting on much, privately or publicly.

"I feel pretty good," Ryan said. "I think you look around the locker room this time of the year and everyone's dealing with something. But I feel pretty good.

"This is the latest bye I've ever had. I think it's a chance to try to get your body to a space where you're feeling as good as you can."

The plan, interim coach Jeff Saturday said, is for Ryan to remain the Colts starting quarterback this Saturday in Minnesota.

But plans change often with Colts quarterbacks, and that's gone from a year-to-year truth to one that strikes during the season. Ryan has been benched once already and not just for injury, as the team tried a different direction with Sam Ehlinger for two games. They've also moved Ehlinger from third string to second and back to the scout team, with Nick Foles ping-ponging between being inactive and active on game days.

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Saturday said he is sticking by Ryan, and the decision is not without with some financial risk: If Ryan suffers an injury that extends through the spring, the Colts could owe him $17 million more than they would if they decide to outright cut him this spring.

In his first season with the Colts, Ryan has 13 touchdowns with a league-high 13 interceptions and 14 fumbles.

Saturday spent his first bye week as an NFL coach poring over Ryan's film to see whether a quarterback change could cut down on the turnovers.

"You want to attribute all those to one guy and if I could, that would be an easy position to change. All of a sudden, we’ve kind of got no warts, but that’s not the case," Saturday said. "I feel like Matt has continued to give us the best chance and unfortunately, we keep turning the ball over but it’s not just on him. It’s on a number of different guys."

Michael Pittman Jr. admitted to one such example against the Steelers, where Ryan threw an underneath pass that Pittman Jr. sat and waited for and allowed a defensive back to undercut for the interception.

The most notable drop for Ryan has come in the distance of his throws. Though never considered to have the strongest arm in the game, Ryan has been more than capable and confident down the field in his career, which has paved the way for four Pro Bowl appearances and the 2016 league MVP. He showed off an accurate and capable arm in training camp as well.

But ever since his return as a starter in Week 10, just three weeks after separating his shoulder, he's survived almost exclusively on timing routes and short distances. In Saturday's four games, Ryan has attempted just 15 passes of at least 15 air yards, according to the NFL's NextGen stats.

The week before the separated shoulder, Ryan attempted nine downfield passes in his 58 attempts.

In filling in for a fired Frank Reich and Marcus Brady, interim offensive play caller Parks Frazier admitted that he's tailored the routes to being shorter in Ryan's return as a way to keep him from getting injured again. The slower developing routes require more time in pass protection for a leaky offensive line and can further expose Ryan's lack of movement at 37 years old. Throwing before the rush has time to arrive is a means of survival.

The Colts have had moments where they have had no choice but to push the ball down the field in order to come back or to get a first down, but too many of those possessions have ended in sacks or throw-aways. The throws Ryan has attempted down the field sometimes lack the proper loft and placement, though he has completed nine of 15 such passes in the past four weeks.

With wide receivers who bring either elite size or speed in Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce, in addition to an athletic tight end in Jelani Woods, the lack of big plays has been startling to everyone.

"It has been harder than any of us would have anticipated," Ryan said. "It's been different things at different times. I felt confident coming into the year. I felt good about our preparation during that time. But you just don't know how things are going to shake out."

Now, the Colts will see whether a bye week of rest was something Ryan needed to gain a little bit of life back in that right arm. Their chances of making it matter for the playoffs are almost gone, but it could go a distance in deciding on what to do with the final year of his contract next season and to further develop their young receivers.

Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Matt Ryan has had a challenge creating explosive plays