How well will Josh McDaniels Mesh with Andrew Luck?
By Ryan Stano
With reports coming out that the Colts will hire Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach, it’s time to wonder: how will he and the franchise QB get along?
The Colts reportedly wanted McDaniels as their head coach all along. He seemed to be their number one candidate, wanting him over Houston defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel. They clearly wanted an offensive mind to pair with franchise quarterback Andrew Luck. The Colts got their man, so how good of a match is it?
McDaniels worked with one of the greatest QB’s of all time in Tom Brady in New England. That experience should come in handy when grooming the still young Luck. Luck is more comfortable holding onto the ball and launching deep down field than Brady is though, so it will be interesting to see how these two different styles mesh.
McDaniels also worked with a less accomplished quarterback in his first stint as a head coach in Denver; Tim Tebow. He was a first round pick and actually was able to win some games under McDaniels. In fact, he even threw for over 300 yards in a playoff victory over the Steelers.
Colts fans have to love the success that he was able to have with Tebow given that he is much less talented than Luck. But Tebow didn’t exactly light the world on fire in his time in Denver. That begs the question: can McDaniels succeed with a quarterback who isn’t one of the best to ever play?
As has been recently noted, the Colts have gotten Luck banged up in the past by forcing him to hold onto the ball to try to make a play downfield. The Patriots typically run more crossing routes and quick curl routes than the Colts have in the past.
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It’s in the best interest for the Colts if they can get Luck to get rid of the ball faster. That way he can stay healthy, and the Colts can win more games. It will be interesting to see if McDaniels brings back Rob Chudzinski as his offensive coordinator, or if he hires his own man. That decision will tell a lot about what kind of offensive scheme the Colts plan to run under their new head man.