Not many defenses have figured out how to make life hard for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck may be making bad passes, but it doesn’t help that the line has been allowing defense through almost untouched.
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Chuck Pagano resorted to a terse tone and sharp words.
Pryor ended Indianapolis’ first series with a 29-yard interception return that put the ball at the Colts’ 9. You’ve got to protect. You can’t drive the length of the field, 10-minute drive and get to the 1-yard-line and put the ball on the ground. “You can’t do it. You’re not going to beat Zionsville (High School) doing that”.
But Pagano wasn’t willing to make excuses for Luck’s rough night.
“I’m going to be smart about it this time”, said Decker, who played through a serious hamstring injury last season.
There are myriad reasons why the team every expert selected to win the division, and many had eventually representing the AFC in the Super Bowl, has yet to win a game. That’s not a new phenomenon.
Luck has always been prone to turnovers, but in his fourth National Football League season, you expect to see some change. He’s 0-4 at Lucas Oil Stadium, losing 35-3 with Cincinnati in 2008; 20-13 with Buffalo in 2012; 22-14 with Tennessee in 2013; and 17-10 with Houston last season. It was somewhat surprising that the Jets didn’t take more advantage of the fact that Indianapolis was missing their top four cornerbacks in the second half and were forced to play backups the rest of the way. The secret is officially out on the 0-2 Colts. That deserves credit. The two rookie linemen, Henry Anderson and David Parry, again stepped up and looked very good against the run, while Vontae Davis and Mike Adams teamed up for an absolutely sensational interception. “That’s when it’s tough”, Luck said.
Following the defeat, Pagano went right at Luck in his postgame presser when he said, “He’s got to take care of the football”.
Indianapolis has faced longer odds during Pagano’s tenure.
After the Indianapolis Colts’ miserable performance on Monday night against the New York Jets – during which Luck turned the ball over four times – the knives started to come out for the star quarterback for what felt like the first time.
But this slump has a different feel.
Rumors of a spat between head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson, the continued ineffectiveness of the offensive line, their inability to find an effective running back … Peyton Manning holds the franchise record of 153 games with at least 20 completions. “He’s got to get used to his pads”. This is not unfamiliar territory for us. “We’re not where we want to be, but we’re on the way”.
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Last week, Bowles’ defence wreaked havoc on Cleveland by forcing five turnovers and converting them into 21 points.
