Things were supposed to be different this year for the Indianapolis Colts. They only missed the playoffs by one game last season, had a bunch of talent returning, and had a determined owner who claimed “All chips in!” for the franchise going into this season. Here are the results so far: A record of 4-10-1, an overrated O-line, three tries and three fails at Quarterback, a coaching carousel, and 30 Turnovers- which leads the NFL by a wide margin.
I was at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday night, and the Colts fans packed the house and were ready to rock as if the team was still in the playoff hunt. This fan base is actually 2nd in the NFL this season in attendance percentage, based on seating capacity of their stadium. It’s a fan base that is craving the days of old, and yearning for better days ahead. There wasn’t much to cheer about on Monday, as the team in blue put together another embarrassing performance for the national audience to see. They fell 20-3 to the Chargers, while QB3 Nick Foles threw three interceptions on the night.
The only good news for Indy: Draft position continues to improve. With two games to play, the Colts could be anywhere from first (with a ton of help) to 10th in next year’s draft. They currently sit at fifth and play the Giants and Texans in their final two games. For a team that desperately needs a Quarterback, this is really the only thing left to monitor this season.
So what’s next for this franchise? Will Jim Irsay really stick with Chris Ballard at GM? Who will be the seventh opening day QB in seven years the next time Indy takes the field? Who will be the coach? Surely Irsay will try to aim big for the position, but he’ll also have to sell a coach on the idea that this team isn’t as far away as they currently appear. I know a lot of the fan base thinks this team needs a full rebuild from top to bottom. They may be right. I still think there’s quite a bit of talent here, and the team could get back in the playoff mix if they had an actual QB and filled a few big holes. Even the current team is a handful of plays away from winning this terrible division. But if they go that route, they need to get aggressive this off-season. No more bandaids at QB. No more waiting until day three of free agency to make moves. And they need to address their weaknesses with some urgency.
Not long ago, the Colts franchise was one of the very best in all of sports. Here’s to hoping they can start making their way back in the near future. A lot can happen in one off-season, which is good news for a team that needs some big changes.
Tyler Smith covers the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Hoosiers for IndySportsLegends and is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review. Smith is also the head girls basketball coach at Crawfordsville High School.
