5 reasons why it shouldn't be 'Super Bowl-or-bust' for Colts' Chuck Pagano

5 reasons why it shouldn’t be ‘Super Bowl-or-bust’ for Colts’ Chuck Pagano

Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano celebrates following the game against the Denver Broncos in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Colts defeated the Broncos 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 18, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws the ball over Indianapolis Colts defensive end Arthur Jones (97) during the third quarter in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

The Colts’ window of opportunity is larger than other AFC teams

Of the contenders in the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts are the team best built to contend longer into the future.

With former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning nearing his last snap, and with the team invested in a lot of short term solutions and future financial conundrums, the Denver Broncos are in “win-now” mode. They are also experiencing a head coaching change, moving on from John Fox to Gary Kubiak. Similarly, while the defending champion New England Patriots retain all of the pieces to repeat next year, the possible departures of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick in the near future would put the team in football limbo (a realm populated by Drew Stanton; SPOOKY).

The Colts still need to add some pieces on defense, but for the large part, the core pieces of their team are just entering their collective prime. They can afford to be less urgent.

Next: Andrew Luck's development

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