Should one expect the unexpected with the Colts this season?
The Indianapolis Colts had many different issues last season, one of which was the direction that they wanted to go in. Not many believed that former head coach Chuck Pagano would be retained for the 2017 NFL season. He went 8-8 twice after making the playoffs and going 11-5 in each of his first three seasons at the helm. Due to loss of his quarterback Andrew Luck for the season with a shoulder injury, compounded by the Colts’ poor line play and lack of playmakers, Pagano’s team would go 4-12 and he would not be retained as head coach in 2018.
Frank Reich is the new head man for the Colts. As the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, Reich implemented a heavy amount of run-pass option concepts to their offense. Eagles starter Carson Wentz was well on his way to winning the MVP award, before injuring his knee. In 13 games last season, Wentz threw for 3,296 yards with 33 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. Nick Foles, who was Wentz’s backup, would go on to win the Super Bowl MVP.
First Down: Will Luck be ready for the 2018 NFL regular season?
It looks like all systems are go for Luck this season. After injuring his shoulder in 2016, Luck has finally resumed practicing and has less pain with his shoulder. He also looks to have added some muscle to his frame to help absorb more contact. Indianapolis has put Luck on a throwing program during camp to help build up the strength in his shoulder.
“We set it up before camp started, what the off days would be, and it’s working well,” Reich said, via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. “He is still dialed in when we have an off-day from throwing, to still get out here and do some work in the run game and still get some footwork done, and then get a little extra rehab in as well to get a little stronger.”
Luck is expected to play in the first quarter of Indianapolis’ first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on August 9th. If he responds well to an aggressive Seattle defense, it could prove to be a great stepping stone for his recovery. Remember, Luck was in the running for MVP at one point in his career. He’s struggled with a shoddy offensive line, lack of help at the skill positions and injuries for the past few seasons. If he stays healthy, Reich could easily get Luck back to respectable numbers. Expect a healthy Luck to put up at least 4,000 yards this season.
Second Down: How badly will Jack Mewhort‘s retirement hurt Indianapolis’ line?
With the unexpected retirement of offensive lineman Jack Mewhort, the Colts have a problem to solve at offensive line. It’s an issue that they’ve had for quite some time now and they will have to solve it soon, especially if they want to keep their franchise quarterback healthy. Though Mewhort would’ve most likely been competing for a position, he wasn’t necessarily considered to be quite the technician at guard that first-round pick Quenton Nelson is.
Nelson was known to have a nasty mean streak while at the University of Notre Dame. He played through the whistle and finished blocks early and often. That is type of competitor that a quarterback would want to have in front of him. He also lost weight and got into the best shape that he could possibly be in before camp began. That is an encouraging thing for Luck to hear, who has been sacked a whopping 156 times in five NFL seasons.
The Colts also drafted Braden Smith in the second round of this year’s draft, who is penciled in at the right guard position. He was a first-team All-American while at Auburn, starting all 14 games for the Tigers in 2018. Standing at 6’6, 315 lbs., Smith has the reach and power that plays well at the next level. If needed, Smith could also slide to right tackle. With Ryan Kelly at center and Anthony Castanzo at left tackle, the Colts should be set on the offensive line, though their depth took a hit.
Third Down: Has the defense improved?
Yes, but on paper. Indianapolis drafted five defensive players and three in the second round during this draft. With that being said, they lost Rashaan Melvin, who led the team with three interceptions last season. He is now with the Oakland Raiders. Their secondary desperately needed help and general manager Chris Ballard didn’t deliver one piece in the secondary during the draft.
The Colts do have Quincy Wilson, Kenny Moore, Chris Milton and Nate Hairston as their top four corners. Malik Hooker also returns at free safety, after tearing his ACL in 2017. Hooker had three interceptions in seven games as a rookie and has the ability to generate takeaways on defense. He is unquestionably their best player on the defense and now with Hooker off of the PUP list and onto the active roster, the Colts can begin to create a formidable force in the secondary.
“Right now, you know, this is the best I’ve felt probably since the beginning of the season last year,” Hooker said via the Colts’ team site. “So I honestly couldn’t say if I’m at 100 percent or a percentage at all, but I just know that every day that they want me to come in and do something, I’ll do whatever I can to try to get back out there for Game 1 or even preseason if they allow me to. I’ll do whatever they ask of me.”
Second round linebacker Darius Leonard has had a very impressive camp so far. He’s been able to pick off Luck multiple times and has the ability to scan all points of the field and attack. Leonard could the piece that the Colts have lacked at the middle linebacker position, despite not being a highly-touted pick up. As a star linebacker at South Carolina State, Leonard had a huge performance against the then-defending national champion Clemson Tigers with a 19-tackle performance. That type of tenacity in the face of adversity is what the Colts needed on defense.
Fourth Down: Are the Colts going back to the playoffs if they stay healthy?
The prediction here is that the Colts are still the worst team in the AFC South even if they stay healthy. They don’t have the horses that the other teams do on both sides of the football. The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars made the playoffs last season. Jacksonville ended up in the AFC Championship Game, having a chance to win that game. With the Houston Texans getting back DeShaun Watson at quarterback and J.J. Watt at defensive end, the Colts will have another team to worry about in the division.
The Colts could take the next step in rebuilding their club. Their defense needs to take the biggest step forward, with their offense getting key pieces to return. If they can just stay healthy on offense and sharpen things on the defensive side of the ball, expect the Colts to take a big step forward in the next few seasons.
Follow Kyle on Twitter @KyleAndrews1994
