Credit Ryan Grigson-For the Colts Huge Mess
The NFL season is a quarter complete. And we are seeing the normal things. Surprises (Vikings, Eagles), disappointments (Cardinals, Panthers), stars out of nowhere (Dak Prescott), injuries (JJ Watt), and rebirths (Matt Ryan). And of course, you have those teams who are just complete messes. So looking at what is going on, which team in the NFL that is a giant mess right now?
No, not the Browns, who are the lone winless team and are a giant mess themselves.
No, not the Detroit Lions, though there are plenty of issues there.
If you remove Odell Beckham from the picture, the Giants aren't too roughed up.
Cam has reverted back to the "I want to be a superstar instead of want to win the Super Bowl" mode, but no.
Winner winner tenderloin dinner!
The Colts are probably in the worst shape in the NFL. And it was indicative this week. Why? Ryan Grigson, their GM pretty much summed it up.
So Andrew Luck is the reason for the Colts problems, is what Grigson insinuates.
"When you pay Andrew (Luck) what we did, it’s going to take some time to build on the other side of the ball."-Ryan Grigson
So, let me get this right..............it is Andrew Luck that is to blame for Colts issues on defense.
I don't even know where to begin on how DUMB that statement is. While I don't consider Luck as a top 5 QB in this league, he is top 10 and at worst the top half of the NFL. And he is being paid no different than the likes of other franchise QB's before him. Yes, he is probably overpaid. But wait a minute.........who decided to give him that contract offer? Oh yeah...........Grigson.
The Patriots made Brady the man for almost 15+ seasons by giving him a large deal. I don't see the defense struggling there.
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Secondly, we see teams ridiculously overpay their quarterbacks from Cam Newton to Matthew Stafford to Matt Ryan to even Andy Dalton. Now save for Ryan where the Falcons defense has been a mess for a long period of time, the other teams who have gave the big bucks to their quarterback has found a way to build their defenses. And I said BUILD their defenses. You don't see these teams like Carolina, Denver, Pittsburgh, and New England, who all do make signings, but for role veterans and for fairly cheap. There is a REASON why these teams are always there in the playoffs and find their way deep in the playoffs. Or how about Seattle? How many big name free agents did the Seahawks pluck the last few years on defense? Oh, that's right, rarely any. So what is Grigson trying to say? He cannot develop players so he needs to go out and net free agents, but it is Luck's doing that he can't do that? Sounds like it.
There are reasons why Denver has made the Super Bowl 2 of the last 3 years and the Colts are getting slaughtered by the Patriots in postseason in what feels like every year.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
So that brings me to this: if you are the GM of a team, isn't it their responsibility to get coaches and/or personnel to develop these guys? Why do you think this stuff works out in Denver? New England? Baltimore? Pittsburgh? Seattle? There is a system being used.
Manning & Dungy probably saved the Colts from futility-and possibly leaving Indianapolis.
Now, to be honest and I probably will get ripped by Colts fans for saying this but whatever. Without Manning and Dungy in Indianapolis, the Colts would be no different than the Raiders/Lions/Browns. It goes to show how both those guys were. While the Colts have had good years under Dungy on defense with the likes of Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney, it has never been AWESOME. And because of Grigson's comment, and maybe I am overanalyzing, but it seems like the Colts have the mentality of "a franchise QB cures all ills." As we have seen, that is not entirely true. You are seeing in Green Bay with Rodgers right now the Packers are a great offense but constantly get shredded because of their defensive woes. Drew Brees down in New Orleans is still a beast as a quarterback, but the Saints are still awful because the defense is one of the worst the League has ever seen. It is simple too: those teams have not fully developed their players in the drafts and that is why they aren't really considered a threat to the Super Bowl (my apologies to Green Bay fans too, but the Packers D always seems to implode in big games).
If not for San Diego, Indianapolis would be 0-4 and probably with no answers.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Right now Indy is 1-3 and are probably a few plays away from being 0-4 to start the year. Grigson, who has come under fire so far this year, is starting to play the blame game from all looks of it (with Brian Kelly doing the same in South Bend, something is in the water in Indiana). And that will spell disaster for the Colts. They aren't playing defense for anything and special teams has been a major problem. Luck has shown flashes of greatness but nothing like pre-2015 and while Gore has been a nice surprise for them, how long will that continue? It seems to me there are a lot of issues with the Colts right now that need to be resolved before they can right the ship. But blaming a guy for what YOU did? Well, it goes to show the Colts are mess, and it is the GM's doing, not Luck's. Maybe Grigson needs to find guys who can develop his draft picks instead of saying he needs to get better on defense. Or maybe he needs to realize why Indianapolis is the punching bag to the AFC contenders.
-Fan in the Obstructed Seat
