Why are the Colts Considering Luck?

It's time for someone who lives in Indianapolis to vent a little. I grew up a Cleveland Browns fan, but when they were taken away from me and moved to Baltimore, I became a Colts fan. The Colts went through some rough seasons before drafting Peyton Manning with the first overall pick in the draft. Since then Manning has led the Colts to more victories than any other quarterback in the NFL during that time span. He has been the "face" of the NFL and a class act under every circumstance he's faced. Now Manning is hurt and the media is calling for the Colts to trade him and draft Andrew Luck from Stanford in April. Allow me to explain why this is not the answer for the Colts.

For starters, let me state the obvious; Andrew Luck is not Peyton Manning. No one will ever be! Do Colts fans really think this kid will come in and orchestrate a two minute offense like Peyton, manipulating defenses and changing plays at the line of scrimmage? I'm only 32 years old, and I'm not sure if I'll ever see another Peyton Manning in my lifetime. He is a once in a lifetime type of quarterback and they can't expect someone to come in and pick up where he left off. This team has so many holes, Colts fans are considering wearing Green Bay Cheese Heads to the games because the team looks like Swiss cheese.

Curtis Painter is currently the 7th ranked QB in the NFL and seems like a legitimate starter, despite not having a running game or capable offensive line. They've drafted running backs fairly high but none of them have panned out since Edgerrin James. They have a number of talented receivers in Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, and Austin Collie. On offense, the major problems are offensive line play and no running game, it's not the quarterback position, especially if Manning is able to come back next season.

Defensively this team is awful. They are small and fast, built to play with a lead. The problem is they haven't led and even when they did against the Chiefs, the defense blew the game. The corners are slow and not very physical, and the linebackers are young and inexperienced. The defensive line is small and cannot stop the run. Cutting Tommie Harris blew my mind before the season started. He's a big, strong guy that could have been a force up front for them, but they decided to part ways before his career ever started in Indianapolis.

This takes me to the Colts next problem, the coaching staff. Tony Dungy could pull off the silent approach and not showing emotion on the sideline, but Caldwell just looks like he doesn't have a clue what's going on at any point during the game. It's like he has not interest in what's happening. Irsay and Polian would be smart to get rid of him at the end of the year and go after Bill Cowher. He's expressed interest in getting back into the NFL as long as the situation is a good one and he can win. I think he can do that in Indianapolis. He would definitely turn this poor defense around and give this team a heart. Let's face it, Peyton Manning was the coach of this team and without him at the helm, the Colts are lost.

As I write this the Colts are getting beat 48-7 by the Saints. Drew Brees has thrown five touchdowns, which is more than the incomplete passes he's thrown in the game. This defense is awful. They don't play physical, they have no heart, and they can't stop anyone. It looks like they're going to be granted the top pick (at least top three) so they would be smart to trade down and stock pile picks and rebuild this defense. They need a run stuffing nose tackle, a shut down corner, and some solid linebackers. All they have now is Gary Brackett who is hurt.

I really hope Bill Polian makes the right decision at the end of the season, because the people that live in Indianapolis are counting on you to build this team back to the power house we've been for so many years.