How Andrew Luck’s injury affects the rest of the Colts
By Ryan Stano
The biggest story for the Colts revolves around their franchise quarterback’s injured leg. How will it affect the rest of the team moving forward?
Andrew Luck has had injury problems the last few years. None were bigger than the shoulder injury that cost him the entire 2017 season. But this one might rival that. He has a calf strain, that has now moved up to affect his upper ankle according to GM Chris Ballard.
Apparently, it’s not a high ankle sprain. They don’t even know if it is still a calf strain anymore. No one within the organization knows what the injury is or how long it will keep him out for. They haven’t officially said he will play in week 1. That’s a big problem for the rest of the team.
In the short-term, Jacoby Brissett must step up. He’s in a better position than he was in 2017 because he actually knows the offense he is being thrown into. He knows the players too. But he has to be better than he was game one against the Bills. If he plays like that in real games, the Colts are in real trouble.
The defense has to step up as well. If Luck isn’t out there, the defense has to carry a higher burden in order to win games. There were times last year where the defense kept them in games. If Luck is out, they might actually have to win games.
T.Y. Hilton and company need to run the best routes of their lives. Luck can throw someone open because of his precision and arm strength. Brissett cannot. He has a stronger arm than Luck, but is not nearly as accurate. The receivers need to give him as much help as possible.
The offensive line might be the most affected. If Luck doesn’t play, they have to be an elite unit. They have to push defensive lineman off the ball to allow run lanes to appear. The running game will immediately become the focus of the offense if Luck isn’t out there.
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Ultimately, if Andrew Luck isn’t the starting quarterback for the Colts, they can’t go where they think they’re capable of going. They won’t be Super Bowl contenders. They might not even make the playoffs. Luck has to get healthy, and needs to do it quick. Week 1 is just around the corner.