INDIANAPOLIS — The right side of the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive line is a bit of a mystery for Sunday’s road game against the New England Patriots.

Bernhard Raimann is expected to return after a two-week absence at left tackle, and left guard Quenton Nelson will be the only offensive linemen to start all 13 games this year.

Danny Pinter will start at center in place of rookie Tanor Bortolini (concussion), and then it’s anybody’s guess.

Head coach Shane Steichen declined to name rookie Matt Goncalves — the starter at left tackle in three of the last four weeks — as the replacement this week for right tackle Braden Smith, who is out because of a personal matter. Other options there include Blake Freeland, who made nine starts between left and right tackle as a rookie last year but has yet to play in 2024.

If Goncalves is not the right tackle, he could move to right guard. Dalton Tucker, an undrafted rookie, has started there the past seven weeks but could be replaced after running into struggles in recent games.

Mark Glowinski, who made 55 starts at right guard for Indianapolis from 2018-21 and was signed to the practice squad last week, also could be in the mix.

Whoever ultimately takes the field will be charged with jumpstarting a rushing game that has averaged just 94 yards over the past four weeks.

“This league obviously it’s next man up, and we have a lot of confidence in whoever is out there — that we go out and perform at a high level,” Steichen said.

There are questions in the passing game as well.

Wide receivers Josh Downs (shoulder) and Ashton Dulin (ankle) will not play, and wide receiver Alec Pierce (foot) was listed as questionable — though Steichen indicated Pierce should be available.

“I mean those guys, (it’s) next man up and we roll,” Steichen said. “Obviously, Pitt (Michael Pittman Jr.) is our guy. He’ll be out there ready to go. Alec should be good to go. So we’ll be good.”

Where the receivers line up could be in question.

Downs has done the majority of his damage from the slot, a position which does not currently seem to be the best fit for rookie Adonai Mitchell.

Pittman, coming off a 96-yard effort in last week’s loss against the Detroit Lions, lined up at times from the slot in the first two weeks of the season when Downs was out with an ankle inury. Rookie Anthony Gould, who has been inactive since Week 4 and has played just 11 offensive snaps all season, also could be an option.

Tight end Kylen Granson can line up in the slot, and veteran receivers Laquon Treadwell and D.J. Montgomery could be called up from the practice squad.

After throwing for 272 yards in a 28-27 victory against the New York Jets on Nov. 17, quarterback Anthony Richardson passed for just 172 during the 24-6 loss last week against Detroit. But he had 74 passing yards called back because of penalties.

Regardless of the personnel challenges, the 22-year-old is looking forward to his first trip to Foxborough, Massachusetts.

“It’s always a blessing when you get to play football anywhere,” Richardson said. “But going and playing New England, that’s something I always dreamed about. Always thinking about Tom Brady and the things he’s done for that good team over there. But it’s football. It’s good football every week. So just why not go out there and have fun?”

PATRIOTS REPORT

New England has its own personnel challenges this week.

The Patriots (3-9) ruled out offensive guard Cole Strange (knee), and listed nine players as questionable.

Wide receiver Demario Douglas (ankle), safety Kyle Dugger (ankle), linebacker Christian Elliss (knee), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (shoulder), safety Jabrill Peppers (knee), defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (neck), linebacker Sione Takitaki (knee/neck) and defensive end Deatrich Wise (foot) were all listed as questionable. Each of them was a limited participant in practice this week.

KELLY HONORED

Center Ryan Kelly was named the NFLPA Community MVP of the week after he and his wife, Emma, hosted a community baby shower for more than 300 families and 150 expectant mothers.

The Nov. 12 shower happened in partnership with Healthy Birth Day Inc. and its “Count the Kicks” campaign. The program teaches expectant mothers how to track and recognize their baby’s movements and has reduced stillbirth rates by empowering mothers to alert doctors when irregularities arise.

Emma Kelly sought medical attention after using the “Count the Kicks” free app to track the movements of her twin boys, Duke and Ford, and the Kellys credit the app with saving their sons’ lives.

“It means the world to be nominated for this award and to win it,” Ryan Kelly said in an NFLPA press release. “I know there are a lot of great people out there doing a lot of great work. This was our true passion project.”