It seems like a match made in heaven. A defensive minded coach who produced results in his last stop, albeit a brief one. Sure the talent level in Baltimore was superior, but you still have to implement your system and get the players to buy into it, and to say the least, he did a credible job.
That being said, ladies and gentlemen please welcome Charles D. Pagano, the new head coach of your Indianapolis Colts.
Pagano obviously said all the right things in his debut press conference and he also displayed some confident body language.
What he did not bother to say was he has no one on his defensive roster here in Indianapolis as productive as aging veterans Ray Lewis or Ed Reed were this past season in Baltimore and may go to training camp with a roster that does not include Jeff Saturday, Ryan Diem, Reggie Wayne or Gary Brackett.
When you throw in the fact that most likely either Robert Mathis or Dwight Freeney will probably be gone as well, you have more than enough reasons to recommend to Pagano that renting a home rather than buying one is the solid and sensible approach to his long term housing needs.
Coach, forget the fact that the foot of punter Pat McAfee was the best weapon the team had this year, as surely Colts owner Jim Irsay will spend some of the money he saved when he hired new General Manager Ryan Grigson and yourself to land you some talent to go along with Andrew Luck who is being touted as both a savior and your ticket to a quick contract extension.
You will find the fans here to be patient – at least for three regular season games – before they bombard the airwaves of the local sports talk radio programs with questions regarding everything from your credentials to your coaching staff.
Just load up on Maalox and try not to fall asleep in your office watching film, as you will indeed need your rest for what will no doubt be the most significant challenge of your coaching career.
Yes coach you are walking into a mess, one that will no doubt be thankless and downright ugly at times. Something tells me you already knew all of this and despite it all, figured the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL was worth the risk of being both ridiculed and fired after three seasons.
I welcome you to Indianapolis and I encourage you to find solace in the fact that with the Pacers on the rise and some momentum in Indy Car racing actually rearing its head, you will be under the local radar for awhile.
Personally, I do not think you should get caught up in all the whispers of “Who is Chuck Pagano?” that recently surfaced when you were hired. Just go about the business of working hard each day while the joy derived from the recommendations of your previous employer is still ringing in your ears.
After all, it is just football, and we really do not need the playoffs around here to fill the stadium each Sunday. Just give it your all and do it your way.
You have shown you can win with talent, but you will be short on that here for awhile so you will have to make do with a roster that probably could not win the Canadian League title. I wish you the best, and again, simply disregard the high expectations of season ticket holders.
Time will tell on how well you do, but the reality is you are walking straight in to a beehive here in Indianapolis, and the bees are favored by 14.
I look forward to seeing you in the future, one that lasts at least three years.
Danny Bridges can be reached at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
