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Jim Irsay on Colts Leadership: ‘Unlikely Any Changes to Occur, Honestly’

By Luke Schultheis

Oct 9, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson talks to owner Jim Irsay before the game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Chicago 29-23. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson talks to owner Jim Irsay before the game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Chicago 29-23. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay doesn’t envision making any drastic changes regarding his team’s general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano at this time:

"“I would say it would be unlikely for any changes to occur, honestly,” said Irsay to NFL.com earlier this week during the league meetings in Houston. “It’s unlikely, but look, we’ll see when we sit down and thoroughly vet the season … We’ll see what happens. Obviously it’s been a disappointing week coming off that loss, but we will get ready for the Vikings and get to 9-7 and see what happens. There’s still hope but we obviously have to win the next three games to maintain that.”"

It only confirms what USA Today’s Tom Pelissero reported earlier this week that Irsay isn’t ‘anticipating making any changes‘ at this point in time.

Irsay once again pointed to the Colts franchise’s early success with the current regime, where the team made the playoffs in starting quarterback Andrew Luck‘s first three seasons, advancing further each season–highlighted by an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2014:

"Dec 6, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indianapolis Colts fans greet Colts owner Jim Irsay (bottom) as he makes his way to the field to watch the Colts play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports“If you think you can improve your football team, if you think you can do better, if you have a vision as an owner even when you’re having some success, then you think you can make a move that benefits you, you do it,” added Irsay. “But I also believe if you look at what happened in our market for in the five years in the Andrew Luck era, then you say let’s go back to Peyton Manning’s first five years, you have two losing seasons and no playoff wins.”"

While what Irsay says is true at its face, it’s still a bit misleading.

For instance, in the Colts two losing seasons under Manning during his first 5 seasons:

"The 1998 AFC East, which the Colts were a part of, featured a remarkable four other teams that were above .500: 12-4 New York Jets, 10-6 Buffalo Bills, 10-6 Miami Dolphins, 9-7 New England Patriots, while the Colts finished 3-13 with certainly better divisional play than we’ve ever seen from the AFC South since Luck’s arrival in 2012. The 2001 AFC East, in the Colts final season as a member of the division, had three teams over .500: 11-5 Miami Dolphins, 11-5 New England Patriots, and the 10-6 New York Jets, whereas the Colts finished 6-10."

During these last two seasons, the Colts will have missed the playoffs due to a currently mediocre 7-6 Texans team with below average starting quarterback Brock Osweiler behind center and missing All-Pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt, as well as an average 9-7 Houston Texans team last season–having lost to backup quarterback Brandon Weeden in a would-be division-clinching game without star quarterback Andrew Luck.

The Colts have clearly benefitted from playing in the lowly AFC South during Luck’s first 5 seasons, which has enabled them to easily make the playoffs and overlook flaws–except as of late.

Dec 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) walks off the field after the Colts 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) walks off the field after the Colts 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

Consider that Pagano’s career coaching record (including wins where head coach Bruce Arians took over on an interim basis in 2012) is 22-7 (0.759) against the AFC South and just 25-23 (0.521) against all other non-divisional NFL teams since taking over in 2012.

That being said, the one thing that cannot be taken away from the current regime is that they have indeed achieved more early postseason success than ‘Peyton’s Colts’–who failed to have a playoff win in the first five seasons. That has nothing to do with the AFC South at all once you’re actually there in the playoffs and it’s ‘sink or swim’.

Nevertheless, the Colts have now missed the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history since 1997-98, and the same issues that have plagued these Colts for the last 5 seasons, offensive line and defense, continue to be significant deficiencies.

It doesn’t mean that the Colts can’t bounce back and make the playoffs again next season, but it does raise questions of how depleted the talent level of this roster exactly is going into next season with a head coach on the sidelines who maybe cannot maximize whatever horses he’s given.

Having seemingly missed the playoffs for two seasons straight, fans have real questions of whether the franchise is actually improving or regressing with Luck now 27 years old and entering the prime years of his career–and rightfully so.

However, those advocating for a significant change at the top of the Colts leadership may have to prepare to be disappointed based on Irsay’s latest comments–hoping for the best regardless this holiday season.

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