12-4. That was my prediction for the Indianapolis Colts' season. They were supposed to be one of the best this year. New additions on both sides of the ball were supposed to fix the most glaring issues, and with the easiest opposition strength of schedule, Andrew Luck's path to the Super Bowl was paved and waiting. But instead of starting strongly, as many analysts predicted, the Colts are 2-2, having turned in two miserable performances at the Bills and at home against the Jets. They are perched atop the AFC South (although they really shouldn't be), with a vintage Luck 4th quarter comeback against the Titans followed by a rather unimpressive victory against the Jaguars. So what exactly is going on in Indy?
Injuries: An absolutely decimated secondary has seen D'Joun Smith (2 games), Sheldon Price (2), Greg Toler (4), Darius Butler (3), and Vontae Davis (2) all miss time. A year ago the Colts were able to mask an extremely suspect run defense with a ball-hawking secondary. This year, the run defense has been markedly better, but the secondary has been absolutely abysmal, with an unsettled revolving door of backups getting shredded by unproven quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Marcus Mariota, and Blake Bortles. Add in injuries to key linebackers Bjorn Werner and Trent Cole, and it is evident how depleted the defense has been. Meanwhile on offense, the situation is only slightly better, with injuries to Dwayne Allen, Andre Johnson, and Andrew Luck hindering progress.
A truly sorry offensive line: Seriously, owner Jim Irsay and GM Ryan Grigson -- get it together. We all saw what happened to Robert Griffin III because the 'skins couldn't protect him. Andrew Luck has been sacked, knocked down, hit, or pressured on most of his snaps this year. He missed a game for the first time in his career, and is not a lock to play Thursday night against the Texans. Meanwhile, the running game has been sporadic at best, with a couple of impressive plays mixed with mostly mediocre results. The Colts' front office needs to understand that all the offensive firepower in the world is next to useless if the offensive line cannot do its job. They need to draft smarter and possibly trade for a top tier guard or tackle.
Management turmoil: The rumor going around the league is that the Colts front office has given Chuck Pagano an ultimatum -- make it to the Super Bowl or lose your job. Now I don't presume to know how to run a football team, but it seems illogical for a front office to create pressure and conflict with this overly aggressive stance. Pagano has taken the Colts to a further round in the playoffs in each of his three years as head coach. He is a player and fan favorite. But if the rumors are true, Jim Irsay will be making another rash, unnecessary decision which will only hurt the Colts further.
The Colts may be on top of their division, but as a team they look lost, devoid of the hunger and aggressiveness they showed much promise of last season. The new additions have largely fizzled and failed, the biggest bust no other than Andre Johnson. This team needs to improve drastically, starting with the issues plaguing the secondary, offensive line, and front office, if they wish to turn their season around and make a deep playoff run.
0 comments:
Post a Comment