Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano made headlines this week in his post-game press conference comments by critiquing quarterback Andrew Luck on his recent turnovers.
However, while the media may have blown Pagano’s comments out of proportion, his star quarterback insists there’s no rift between him and his head coach:
"“No, he doesn’t need to clarify any comments that are misconstrued,” said Andrew Luck on Wednesday. “I think I know where I stand in his mind.”“He knows that I respect the heck out of him,” added Luck. “Great coach. Love everything about him–as a man, as a coach. So that’s all I’ve really got to say about that.”"
Sep 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t get me wrong, the Colts have their fair share of problems right now, particularly on offense and even the rumored disconnect between coaching and management.
However, the Luck and Pagano quarterback-coaching combination is one of the least of their worries.
Despite his recent struggles, Pagano is still firmly in his quarterback’s corner, judging by his comments made Wednesday:
"“No, no. He’s going to be fine,” replied Pagano when asked if he was worried about Luck. “We need to play better. Got to block. Got to communicate. Got to throw. Got to catch. As a football team, we’ve got to play better.”“I think we’ve all seen the level that Andrew (Luck) plays at and can play at,” added Pagano. “It’s not just the quarterback. It’s across the board. Every single position. Like I said, you’re going to win some plays. You’re going to lose some plays.”“Does he have to make good decisions? Absolutely,” said Pagano. “Does he have to manage the game? Absolutely. That’s the role of the quarterback. It’s the hardest job on the football field.”"
While Luck has struggled as of late, he may get a little bit of relief this week, as he’s gone up against two very stingy defenses (who get after the quarterback)–the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills in consecutive weeks.
That’s not necessarily a knock on the Tennessee Titans this week. That being said, that defense did just allow 28 points to Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns last week, so Luck should have a much more favorable defensive matchup on Sunday.
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