Tuesday Indianapolis Colts head coach (for now) Chuck Pagano spilled the beans that the team has no timetable at all for quarterback Andrew Luck’s return from off-season shoulder surgery.
If you’re a Colts fan who expected your team to bounce back this season, it might be time to reassess that plan. I just hope you didn’t put any money on it.
It's amazing what Andrew Luck does to this team's offense. You don't appreciate it until he's not out there.
— Indy SportsOne (@IndySportsOne) August 19, 2017
The fear started gaining momentum sometime last week that not only would Luck miss all the preseason, but he might not be ready for Week One of the regular season. Now it sounds like he might even need more time than that.
Indianapolis has, pretty much without question, one of the worst quarterback depth charts in the league. Luck is an All-Pro and likely on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Scott Tolzien is a dumpster fire and Stephen Morris is the rat that couldn’t escape the dumpster before it went up in flames. Phillip Walker is the crazy homeless guy next to it trying to warm up before taking a shit over a sewer grate.
If you’ve watched the Colts this preseason, and God help my I’ve live blogged them twice, it’s been a disaster across the board. But don’t bother Pagano with your facts, stats and lying eyes. He thinks Tolzien is doing a fine job.
“Scotty didn’t play bad,” Pagano told ESPN. “Scotty didn’t play bad. It takes 11 guys hitting on all cylinders offensively, defensively and special teams. So Scotty did not play bad.”
Colts' Chuck Pagano says media worries too much about Andrew Luck's status https://t.co/ya6SenhoJa via @cbs4indy
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) August 23, 2017
He said it three times so you know it has to be true. The fact that we, as a civilization, saw Tolzien look like complete ass at quarterback is just fake news.
Tolzien is one of those guys that just inexplicably keeps a job in the NFL. Guys like Dan Orlovsky. Josh Johnson, Matt McGloin and Ryan Findley just seem to pop up on rosters every year like some kind of herpes outbreak. But there’s no Valtrex prescription that is going to save you this time, Colts. You’re going to be rocking that cold sore for a while.
Don’t pick it or it will never heal.
This is usually the time someone will bring up the prospect of signing Colin Kaepernick off the street, but let’s be honest here. This is Indiana and Jim “two drink minimum” Irsay is the owner and that ain’t gonna happen. As much as it’s not all about Kaepernick’s protest keeping him out of the NFL, when it comes to the Colts, that definitely is the problem.
In a wide-open division where the title may turn on one game, how are the Colts content to start the year with Scott Tolzien at QB?
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 23, 2017
Just because Indianapolis has its franchise quarterback all locked up doesn’t mean they shut down drafting quarterbacks. Look at how New England and Green Bay have run their drafts. You need a guy better than Tolzien, for God’s sake and I can’t believe I’d have to tell an NFL coach that.
Joe Flacco could miss some live snaps too
Speaking of Colin Kaepernick, his natural and best fit, the Baltimore Ravens, are still without quarterback Joe Flacco after an off-season back injury and he’s yet to practice at all. There’s hope, at least, with offensive coordinator Marty Mohnhinweg, that Flacco will be ready for Week One. But even that’s up in the air.
“I think I know (when Flacco will be back),” Mornhinweg said. “And at least Joe thinks he knows when this will happen, so that way I think I know and so we think we know. …If it’s before that (Week One) or a little bit before, probably not going to be much before, maybe a little bit before or a little bit after, we’ll adjust the plan. As long as he’s back within a reasonable amount of time to prepare I think we’re going to be just fine there.”
Joe Flacco's recovery is top-secret.
"He's like Weapon X." – @Wallace17_daKid
😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/7A1Sp50ES7
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 20, 2017
That’s the sound of confidence right there. You won’t believe the amount of “Yeah, wells” and “lookits” I had to edit out of that mess.
The Ravens aren’t in as dire straights with Ryan Mallet as the Colts are with Tolzien, but it’s definitely bad. If they aren’t in a complete panic mode it’s because they’re confident Flacco will be ready for at least Week Two.
Though the Ravens won their preseason game last weekend, Mallett was a complete turd cannon. He finished 13-of-22 for 113 yards, one touchdown and two picks. And before you get too impressed on the three scoring drives Mallett “led,” the second field goal came after a Miami Dolphins fumble deep in their territory and the touchdown came after a blocked punt that the Ravens recovered on the Dolphins’ four yard-line.
Joe Flacco won't play at all this preseason and I don't know how the Ravens don't view Ryan Mallett as a major potential weakness.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 17, 2017
Just call Kaepernick, Ozzie Newsome. What the hell do you have to lose?
Has Cleveland picked its quarterback?
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson said he’d pick a Week One starter this week. Has that already happened? The Browns announced that rookie DeShone Kizer would work with the first team in their Thursday night preseason game and Brock Osweiler will not play at all.
“This morning, I informed our quarterbacks that DeShone will be our starter for the third preseason game against Tampa,” Jackson wrote in a statement. “He has made a lot of progress by investing the time necessary to learn our offense, working hard to improve on his fundamentals while also effectively moving the offense in preseason games. Development is so important for a young quarterback, this is the next step he needs to take and he deserves this opportunity. We are very excited about seeing DeShone in the role of starter for this week, as he is certainly positioning himself well to earn the starting job heading into the regular season.”
.@DKizer_14 gets the starting nod for the @Browns' third preseason game: https://t.co/PE1kZslEOn #CLEvsTB pic.twitter.com/Vf6QKDWb4s
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2017
What does this mean? Does it mean anything?
Here’s what I think. Jackson would love for Kizer to show him something Thursday night to make this call. I also think, and Jackson probably does to, that Kizer probably won’t do that. So starting Kizer gives the young guy plenty of in-game experience and keeps Osweiler healthy to play in Week One.
It could also be possible that the Browns are dangling Osweiler out as a trade for a team in desperate need of a competent back up. Teams like Indianapolis or Baltimore, for instance.
#Colts reported interest in Brock Osweiler is as more an indictment on Scott Tolzien than anything else.
— Matt Glenesk (@MattGlenesk) August 23, 2017
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