Starting quarterback Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts believes it was a bold move for owner Jim Irsay to bring back head coach Chuck Pagano in 2016.
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a dismal 8-8 2015 NFL season, where the team failed to reach the AFC Playoffs for the first time in the Andrew Luck/Chuck Pagano/Ryan Grigson era.
While the Luck/Pagano/Grigson trio pale in comparison to the holy Indianapolis triumvirate of Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, and Bill Polian of yesteryear, it seems that dysfunction is seeping from the top in this football franchise.
Luck told Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star what he thought of owner Jim Irsay’s decision to bring back Pagano to coach the Colts for a fourth season. “I think Mr. Irsay showed a lot of guts keeping coach Pagano and Ryan. I think the easy thing is to start all over, I really do. I that was an awesome, gutsy move. I think it surprised me, but then again, I think any decision would’ve surprised me.”
While Luck seems thrilled to see both Pagano and Grigson back in 2016, the quote he gave the Indianapolis Star is a bit unsettling. Ownership shouldn’t be making ‘gutsy’ moves with key personnel. Irsay should use pragmatism, as opposed to increasingly impulsive behavior. His team has gotten away with it for the last several years due to the AFC South being the worst division in football over that time.
Luck also needs to own up and realize that his health will be imperative if the Colts will rebound in 2016 and if Pagano remains employed beyond this season. His health hurt the team last year and this is seen by how far he fell in the NFL Network’s Top 100 players in 2016. Luck was No. 7 in 2015 but now resides at No. 92.
In short, Luck is going to have to play at a near MVP level in 2016 for the Colts to win the AFC South. The Houston Texans, even without star defensive end J.J. Watt for maybe a few games at the start of the year, are probably the AFC South’s most complete team.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have the best offensive attack in the division led by quarterback Blake Bortles and wide receiver extraordinaire Allen Robinson. Even the lowly Tennessee Titans are expecting big things from quarterback Marcus Mariota in his second season.
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