Is the Indianapolis Colts’ front office forcing head coach Chuck Pagano to play certain lineups?
According to the Indianapolis Star, the 3-5 but somehow still in first place of the putrid AFC South Indianapolis Colts held a players-only meeting last week to avoid distractions surrounding the team and the disarray in the coaching staff. Sources from this player’s meeting speculate that head coach Chuck Pagano has little to no say in who he has to play on Sundays, as the Indianapolis front office is forcing his hand.
This might explain why the Colts have looked pedestrian at best in the 2015 NFL Season, playing overpriced over the hill veterans at key skill positions, while simultaneously playing inexperienced players in traditionally ‘glue’ positions, like in the front seven.
The Colts offense has sputtered this season, as franchise quarterback Andrew Luck has supposedly been dealing with broken ribs. Offensive Coordinator Pep Hamilton was let go after the Colts’ Week 8 overtime loss to the undefeated Carolina Panthers.
Indianapolis might have the worst front seven in football. Their best player on the front seven doesn’t start for them, as Robert Mathis is now only a situational pass rusher at this stage in his career. That speaks volumes of the talent on the Colts’ front seven at present day.
Indy Star’s Stephanie Holder expands on the sticky organizational issues in Indianapolis. Players are reportedly concerned about the thought of the front office forcing Pagano’s hand by some of their recent encounters with the head coach. “During the past several weeks, and even dating to last season, there have been instances in which, sources said, players approached Pagano and his assistants with suggestions or requests, only to be told they could not act on the ideas because of forces beyond their control.”
So was the Snapfu part of Chuck Pagano’s game plan or did that come from someone like owner Jim Irsay? Situations between coaching staffs and front offices are becoming too common of an occurrence. Didn’t this pretty much happen in San Francisco last year between 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manger Trent Baalke and owner Jed York?
The Colts still have the most prized passer coming out of college since John Elway in Andrew Luck. He’s only 26, so there is ample time to build a Super Bowl winner around him in the coming years. However, if these speculations of extreme undermining emanating from the Colts’ front office are true, who would want to come coach in Indy after Pagano leaves.
Four years ago, it was all about Chuck Strong. Now it seems as if the Colts’ front office wants to move on from a man whose staffs have made the postseason three straight seasons. Considering how bad the AFC South is, the Colts are still the favorites to win the abysmal division. Even that may not keep Pagano with the Colts come season’s end.