The Other Side: Indianapolis Colts
Phillip B. Wilson of SI Colt Maven gives his take on how things look from Indianapolis' perspective heading into Sunday's game with the Panthers.
Q: Indianapolis was dealt a severe blow before the season even began when franchise quarterback Andrew Luck announced his retirement on Aug.24. Obviously his surprise announcement impacted the quarterback position and the offense as a whole. But what were some areas on and off the field that were affected?
A: Andrew Luck was more than just the face of the franchise. He was a true leader, driven by the ultimate motivation of not letting his team down. Nobody was more humble and admired. Jacoby Brissett has far too much ego in trying to prove he’s worthy of being an NFL starter. But truth is, Brissett will never be Luck, not on the field nor as a leader. Colts fans were lucky to cheer for two legends in their lifetime in Peyton Manning and Luck. It’s an undeniable shame that the owner and previous administration didn’t do enough to ensure Luck’s longevity.
Q: The Colts acquired Jacoby Brissett one week before the start of the 2017 regular season and he signed a two-year extension in September. But he's struggled in his new role as franchise quarterback, as he's 24th in the league in passing yards total and 30th in passing yards per game and is in the lower half of starting quarterbacks when it comes to both touchdown passes and completion percentage. What's been his biggest obstacle this season and what's his role going into future seasons?
A: Some point to Brissett spraining his left MCL at Pittsburgh as the moment that changed everything. He only missed one game, but hasn’t been nearly as good since. But many overlook the fact that Brissett has consistently failed to spot open receivers, is hesitant to throw down the field and lately has been off target on the most routine throws. His decisions make heads shake. As the old saying goes, the longer you see a backup play, the more you see why he’s a backup. Brissett is a backup, sometimes good, seldom great.
Q: Indianapolis has lost four in a row, most recently a 34-7 defeat to New Orleans in which the Colts totaled only 205 yards. Can the losing streak and such anemic offensive performances be blamed on quarterback play or do the Colts' issues run deeper?
A: The Colts have lost six of seven because the QB play has fallen off, injuries to such key players as T.Y. Hilton have mounted and kicker Adam Vinatieri missed clutch kicks that he usually converts on a special teams unit that has also failed around him. Eleven of 13 games were decided by one score. The Colts are 5-6 in this games. So despite all the issues, they’ve been in position to prevail and have failed to finish.
Q: The Colts defense has been solid this year and could be the foundation of the franchise for years as six of 11 starters are 24 years old or younger. Is the youth movement to be credited to general manager Chris Ballard? And what are some areas on that side of the ball should be watch closely on Sunday?
A: The Colts are fortunate to have good, fast linebackers led by Darius Leonard. “The Maniac” is an intense tackle machine who runs down everything. Problem is, aside from injured nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II, the Colts lack talent in the secondary. Drew Brees showed that by going 29 of 30 on Monday night. Colts defenders couldn’t cover in man or zone and blitzes didn’t work, either. In many ways, the defense has regressed during the late-season fade. It’s not because of Leonard, but many others around him.
Q: How do you expect Indianapolis to try to slow down Christian McCaffrey?
A: Those fast linebackers had best be reading and reacting quickly. Leonard is one of the league’s best at running down quick players. He shadowed Houston’s Deshaun Watson so well, the QB thought twice about scrambling. I don’t know if anyone stops such a good player like McCaffrey, but count on the Colts to shadow him on most plays, stacking the box and blitzing more, while also being wary of how good he is in the open field as a pass catcher.
Q: Prediction for the game?
A: Sorry, no prediction. The Colts won at Kansas City and lost at home to Miami. There’s no way to know what bipolar team shows up, and now that the Colts are officially eliminated from the playoffs, there’s no way to know how much play will drop off in these final two meaningless games.
For more about the Colts, visit si.com/NFL/Colts and follow Wilson on Twitter at @PWilson24.
