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Bill Polian on Andrew Luck: ‘Peyton Manning Was in the Same Situation’

By Luke Schultheis

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Former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian spoke on star quarterback Andrew Luck‘s struggles this season, noting a strong similarity between Luck’s 4th season and Colts great Peyton Manning‘s–all the way back in 2001:

"“Here’s the problem. He has this year–more than any other time, an unreliable defense, and he’s still young and growing,” said Polian on ESPN’s Monday Night Football pregame coverage. “And when Peyton (Manning) was in the very same situation, he had his worst year interception wise. Why? Because he thinks he has to make a play every time.”"

Of course, Manning threw 23 interceptions that season, a career high outside of his rookie season. He was also sacked a career high 29 times (sound familiar?). The Colts struggled to a 6-10 record that disappointing season.

Not to mention, Jim Mora was replaced as Colts head coach at season’s end–with it now becoming a strong possibility that Chuck Pagano could suffer a similar fate if things don’t considerably improve soon.

Polian’s main criticism of general manager Ryan Grigson‘s construction of this team is that the “pieces don’t fit”:

"“This is a team where the pieces don’t fit,” said Polian. “The guy in the middle, Andrew Luck, is the centerpiece, right? But the other pieces don’t fit. It’s a line designed to power block. But you’ve got to protect him, he’s the franchise.”“They’ve got great wide receivers, but they run the ball,” added Polian. “Things like that.”"

While I’ll disagree that the Colts exactly “power block” in the running game these days, it’s clear that the team lacks a true offensive identity right now.

Nov 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) tries to fire up his teammates prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Specifically, the offense hardly uses running back Frank Gore, and the team continues to utilize deep routes with Luck at the helm despite having considerably more success with Matt Hasselbeck in a west coast offensive attack behind what’s clearly a porous offensive line.

Don’t get me wrong, no one’s realistically suggesting benching Luck, but at the same time, it may be time to tailor the offense to a quicker attack that features shorter routes and throws given the offensive line’s continued struggles.

As a former general manager himself, Polian commented that the struggles aren’t just the team’s lack of a cohesive identity, but also the disconnect that appears to be at the top of the organization between owner Jim Irsay, general manager Ryan Grigson, and head coach Chuck Pagano:

"“Well, I don’t think it’s just a couple (issues),” added Polian. “It’s the style of play. Exactly what you’re talking about. Symbiosis from top to bottom. That’s clearly not there.”"

The Hall of Fame general manager also noted that already in his 4th season, Luck doesn’t have a ton of football years left. The Colts could seemingly be wasting his prime years because of a roster that lacks an identity and doesn’t mesh all that well together:

"“The question is how do you change that, and what do you do to build around the centerpiece, who after all is in his 4th year. I mean how many years does he have left? You think about it realistically.”"

While Luck is still only 26 years old, time is clearly ticking on this year’s Colts to turn things around sooner rather than later and get this jigsaw puzzle finally put together.

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