Indianapolis Colts: The Good News and The Bad News
By Erik Lambert
Sep 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano during the first half against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
After two painful weeks the Indianapolis Colts are suddenly 0-2 and last in their division. Here are some positives and negatives about their situation.
The Good News
Andrew Luck is still the quarterback
If there is any solace for Colts fans to take in their tough start, it’s remembering they have the good fortune of knowing their is a star quarterback under center on their offense. Andrew Luck is no stranger to playing from behind. His record-setting pace of comeback victories demonstrate that all-too rare ability to focus in the midst of panic. Indianapolis will be competitive down to the wire because he has that talent and poise to carry them when the situation calls for it.
It’s still the AFC South
Being 0-2 in divisions like the NFC West or AFC West would probably be a death sentence for a team, but the Colts are sitting comfortably in the AFC South. Not exactly the pick of the litter. Jacksonville remains lost in NFL purgatory, still not able to figure out how to win. The Tennessee Titans fell back to earth in week 2 and the Houston Texans are 2-0 but have had an easy time of it against the Redskins and Raiders. The Colts have no reason to fear any of those teams.
The Bad News
Robert Mathis isn’t coming back
There could be more than one piece of bad news but this one provides enough sting by itself. The sour truth is the Indianapolis Colts defense is going to struggle at times this year simply because they have nobody who can adequately replace the pass rush ability provided by Robert Mathis. You don’t replace 15-20 sacks a season. All they can do is make whatever adjustments they can to cover it up either by blitzing more or rotating through more players until one of them shows they can create pressure. Chuck Pagano is a good coach who is no stranger to adversity, but this is one loss he’ll have a hard time getting over.