The prized man under the center is doing a lot for the Indianapolis Colts–too much in fact.
The situation I despise in sports is when a player doesn’t have beta support around him or her. They’re essentially on their own–on an island, if you will–doing whatever they can to help their team win. But there’s only so much one player can do.
That thinking couldn’t apply any better than to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are 1-3, dead last in the mediocre AFC South. You might assume that the record is the result of poor QB play. That’s not the case at all.
Courtesy: YouTube
After a grueling rehab process, Stanford product Andrew Luck looked ready to lead his team back to the playoffs–right where his team was in 2014 when it reached the AFC Championship game.
But, unfortunately, Luck has had zero help.
Any team with aspirations needs bonafide playmakers on the defensive end. Indianapolis doesn’t have many of those players. A once dominant front line of Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney has disintegrated into a bunch of C- starters. Result? They aren’t able to stop the run. And defensive ineptness is one of the main reasons why the Colts can’t maintain a lead.
The only defensive line mainstay is Darius Leonard, who’s having a fantastic rookie season, averaging 13.5 tackles per game. To be fair, the Colts’ safeties–Malik Hooker and Clayton Gathers–are capable guys down the field. But defensive success isn’t going to come from the play of three guys only.
Things aren’t much better on the offensive side of the ball. The club was banking on RB Marlon Mack to compliment Luck. But Mack was out until the Redskins game (he had 34 yards in 10 carries), so the Colts have had to rely on two late-round picks in this year’s draft–Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines. Hines, who has serious pass-catching ability, is the better overall player out of the two, but his overall performance is lacking so far.
Colts receiving corps (photo, coltswire.usatoday.com)
Then there’s the receiving corps. Remember T.Y. Hilton? He was once considered to be an elite talent? Well, how does 73.5 yards per game with two touchdowns through four games sound?
A rising patch catcher who may have turned a leaf in his career, Eric Ebron, has been the only source of reliable offense for the Colts. His 6-4 253-pound frame makes him an easy window for Luck to throw to. That’s why he leads the team in touchdown catches thus far.
Besides those two, there are no recognizable names in the team’s offensive arsenal. Undrafted free agents, draft busts, and straight out bland players have found their way to the middle of Indiana. That makes Hilton look like the clear #1 in this group. He’s just not playing like it.
When we take a look at the team’s protection of Luck, all is can say is: My, oh my! The lack of investment to the offensive line–excluding first-round pick Quentin Nelson–has been a huge drag on offensive productivity. There’s simply not enough talent on that line to keep Luck upright during the course of a game. The Colts’ O–line is sixth worse in sacks given up and fifth worse in rushing yards per attempt.
Some say the line is the primary reason for the Colts struggles. Yes, the line is bad, but there’s much more involved in why the Colts aren’t achieving. This team has holes at virtually every position besides kicker and quarterback.
The bottom line: Andrew Luck is on an island, an island of misfits. That needs to change for the Colts to have any chance at winning.
