Eight. That appears to be the magic number for the Indianapolis Colts this season. They are 8-0, which includes two playoff victories, when running back Daniel "Boom' Herron has at least eight rushing attempts.

That number, as pointed out by Eric Adelson of Yahoo Sports, appears even more significant when the Colts face the New England Patriots this Sunday in the AFC championship game.

Herron had zero carries when the Colts were routed by New England 42-20 last November 16, and the Colts are winless this season when he has had seven or fewer rush attempts.

The Cleveland native has rarely been the focal point of the Colts offense under quarterback Andrew Luck, but Adelson detailed the numbers that might just lead to Luck winning back to back games against Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

The week after the Colts November loss to the Pats, Herron was fed with his season-high of 12 attempts as Indianapolis bounced back to beat Jacksonville. The only loss the Colts suffered after that New England game was when they lost to Dallas with Herron only getting seven attempts.

Last week against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, Herron played a key role in keeping Manning off the field, rushing 23 times and gaining 63 yards to get Indianapolis to the AFC championship game.

Adelson points out that while Herron's rushing attempts need to be healthy, his threat as a receiver will also be critical. In the Colts two playoff games this season, he's received for 117 yards, complementing his rushing yards of 119.

Tom Brady and Andrew Luck will deservedly get most of the attention on Sunday, but a "Boom" explosion might swing it Indianapolis' way.

The 25-year-old Herron was picked 191st in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. After playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, the Indianapolis Colts signed Herron in October of 2013.