INDIANAPOLIS —
If the Indianapolis Colts have, as goals, to win and to entertain, they continue to fail on both counts.
Much of the team’s 17-3 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday was drenched in frustration for Indianapolis players and certainly for the fans.
Both teams demonstrated very little confidence in their quarterbacks based on the play calls. Both had very safe game plans designed not so much to give the QB a chance to win, but to limit their chances to lose.
At game’s end, neither Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert or Indianapolis’ Curtis Painter could see a triple-digit quarterback rating with a strong pair of binoculars. Gabbert averaged about 5.6 yards per pass attempt with a TD and an interception for a rating of 77.1. Painter got just under 5 yards per attempt, but his two picks and no touchdowns got him a pathetic 40.1 rating.
Actually Dan Orlovsky, who replaced Painter on the final two drives, had the best rating of the three. He averaged 6.7 yards per attempt for an 88.3 rating.
None of the three QBs played well. Some of that is on them. Some of that is on their coaches. Colts head coach Jim Caldwell and Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio could have listed their game plans on a 3-by-5 inch index card.
Both coaches knew the opponent was bad. Both apparently thought if they waited long enough, the opponent would open the door and let them win.
The Colts were the team that did that.
Only two plays in the game were longer than 25 yards and both were by the Colts. Painter hit Pierre Garcon for 33 yards in the first quarter and Jacob Tamme for 29 yards, also in the opening period. If offense sells tickets then the NFL slept well Sunday night knowing neither of these two teams has any chance of returning to Lucas Oil Stadium for the Super Bowl.
Believe it or not, there actually might be a quarterback controversy brewing in Indianapolis.
Because the team has two weeks to get ready for the Panthers, this might be the perfect time to prepare Orlovsky to start that game.
Painter has been hugely ineffective the past four weeks and very little could be lost by taking a look at what Orlovsky can do when given an entire week to prepare with the first string.
“Well, I think this is going to be one of those tough games to evaluate when you look at all of the things,” said Caldwell. “He (Painter) was a bit unsettled, maybe, on drives and I just made a change to see if we could get a spark. But we’ll evaluate that, take a look at it and see where we go from here.”
One thing is certain, no matter if Painter or Orlovsky gets the call, when this team lines up for its next game, the training wheels have to come off. Indianapolis needs to play like they have nothing to lose. Because, if they don’t, it might be the interest of the city that they forfeit along the way.
Contact Rick Teverbaugh: 640-4886, rick.teverbaugh@heraldbulletin.com
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Contact Rick Teverbaugh: rick.teverbaugh@heraldbulletin.com
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