There are 16 games in the NFL regular season, and if you are even remotely like me, you feel that’s just way too many. That number will never decrease, as the sanctity of guaranteed revenue will always win over the common sense theory that screams less injuries, higher quality of play, better competition, etc. However the halfway mark does allow for a report card of sorts, and by now the contenders are generally separated from the pretenders, and locally, things are certainly crystal clear.
Yes, your Indianapolis Colts have checked in with a record of three wins versus five losses, and depending on who you converse with, it’s a mixed bag indeed. There are those who will point to home losses against Cincinnati and Houston, as well as coming very close to defeating Philadelphia on the road, and proudly proclaim their beloved Horseshoe could easily be five up and three down, and leading their division.
Not to be outnumbered, the glass-half-empty contingent will holler that they blew those games, and with an overall favorable schedule, Indianapolis should be doing better.
Without any further ado, I’ll offer you my perspective as I sit here safely hidden away behind my keyboard and far away from both disappointed season ticket holders and fan club members. Simply put, the Colts are still a mess and are striving to upgrade to the proverbial wait-until-next-year status. Are they better than last season? Well yeah, somewhat, but wouldn’t you expect that and then some at this point?
Back in July I had the audacity (according to you who emailed) to predict this year would be more about overall talent than just Andrew Luck’s surgically repaired shoulder, but yet most of you continued to say if he’s healthy, we can make some noise. Well, Luck isn’t 100 percent, and he still can’t throw it deep with any true zing on the ball, but he has carried the cast of characters about as far as any quarterback could. Many of those surrounding him would find themselves on a practice squad roster if they were playing for another team, and that in itself makes it hard to expect any more than what this team has given us to date. Yes, mental mistakes galore, and being outplayed by those more physically gifted is truly frustrating for the faithful who file in to Lucas Oil Stadium — and those who gather around their televisions each week — but the results are not surprising considering the script and the talent level on this roster.
Colts Head Coach Frank Reich knew the cupboard was bare when he took the gig, and he also knew Luck would not be totally healthy this year. To his credit, he has employed a strategy that features a short, quick passing game, and by virtue of the running back by committee approach and some rather anemic defensive efforts by the opposition, the rushing game has developed more than a pulse, and provided some sorely needed offensive balance. Defensively, this team has been more up than down and is still quite vulnerable to relinquishing big chunks of yardage through the air, but there have been a few moments when the pass rush actually pressured the quarterback and presented the offense with good field position as they came off the field. Not exactly playoff caliber stuff, however, it does provide a sliver of hope for the future as this total rebuild continues. Yes, there are glaring personnel issues on both sides of the football, and it’s certainly more than a work in progress, but there’s only a small handful of Super Bowl contenders in the NFL, and we all knew going into the season this wasn’t one of them. It’s easy to say I told you so, but the reality is, Colts General Manager Chris Ballard is a lot smarter about football than all of us, and has a multi-year plan in terms of returning to respectability and beyond, so stay tuned for at least two more years.
The second half of the season features some rather lame opponents, so you just might get a victory or two you were not counting on, and that’s clearly an added bonus.
Taking refuge in that won’t take the pain out of the cost of tickets, but you knew what you were signing up for then and now, so you can’t act surprised or be angry.
Yes, your team is still a mess, but it’s still yours, so as long as they play hard, l guess you can give them a pass. One thing is for certain: it will be interesting to see how the next eight games unfold and how you respond. It will take a miracle for this team to finish .500, but if you were offered that record in the preseason, you’d have jumped all over it. Admit it’s still a mess, and please, don’t say you weren’t warned.
Danny Bridges, who finds Colts fans to be both extremely loyal and quite unrealistic, can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
