To truly define just where the Indianapolis Colts are with their current roster, one must ask the good people in our community who plunk down their hard-earned money for tickets, as well as all the “official” merchandise they so proudly display on game day.
While nearly all of them I spoke to conceded the fact that they’ve never played or coached any level of football, there certainly were no shortages of suggestions and ideas on how to improve the team and ensure a playoff bid.
“It starts with the coach, and they need to fire him,” proclaimed the wonderful Sarah who brings me my breakfast every morning at the local greasy spoon diner.
She and her husband have been season ticket holders for some 28 years and still wonder if they’ll live long enough to see Peyton Manning’s son take snaps for their beloved hometown team.
Then there’s Phil at the dry cleaners I frequent. He puts a razor-sharp crease in my dress shirts and he’s not bashful about his ongoing theory regarding the need to upgrade the quarterback position.
“Why do we keep signing guys my age who have very little left in the tank?” asked the man who readily admits he’s never been a general manager in the NFL, but feels he could do better than Chris Ballard.
I can’t overlook Marvin, who for years has provided me with friendship and great service on my automobile. “What is Jim Irsay thinking when he hands out these big contracts to guys who can’t even block or tackle?” he asked me as he rang up my oil change and then admitted he’s never negotiated an NFL player contract, but couldn’t do any worse than the Colts have.
Their insatiable appetites for winning football aside, I couldn’t help but wonder why these good people didn’t factor in some of the deficiencies regarding this team that yours truly highlighted in an earlier column before the season.
In no particular order, offensive line play, including the glaring need for a left tackle, an edge rusher, a lock-down corner and a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver were my concerns, and while the season is young, the aforementioned was definitely showcased in an unfavorable light these past two games.
Despite amassing more than 500 yards of offense against Houston, Colts quarterback Matt Ryan spent a large portion of that game, as well as the Jacksonville contest, running for his life, and as the schedule gets tougher against Kansas City in the home opener this Sunday, many of those in attendance may indeed be heading for the exits sooner than they planned.
Are the Colts the worst team in the National Football League?
No, but they have certainly taken up residency near the bottom, and one must hope they haven’t signed a season-long lease. No one likes the truth when it comes to their team, especially when it’s performing very poorly.
There’s only a handful of teams each year that are capable of winning the Super Bowl. Sadly, Colts fans, your team isn’t one of them, but it’s perfectly fine to cheer them on and second guess those calling the shots for the franchise at the same time.
Danny Bridges, who has been scratching his head about NFL fans for decades, can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
