Luck likely out with concussion, putting Colts’ season on brink
Uh-oh.
With Andrew Luck in concussion protocol during a short week, that sums up the state of the Indianapolis Colts just as they had hoped to rally for a playoff drive.
Concussions happen. It’s football.
Yet for a .500 team that has its first winning streak of the season and a slim margin for error, this setback to the heartbeat of the franchise could not have come at a worse time.
Ben Roethlisberger is coming to town, triggering one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses for a Pittsburgh Steelers squad that routed the Colts the last two times they’ve played.
With Luck — who was brilliant early and clutch late during a 2417 victory against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday — it seemed the Colts might have a chance to survive a shootout Thanksgiving night. The Steelers defense has been suspect, and, unlike the previous two meetings, the Colts get Pittsburgh on their own Lucas Oil patch this time.
But now they’ll likely have to do it with Scott Tolzien. Scott who? Tolzien, who joined the Colts this year, has been in the NFL as nothing more than a backup for six seasons. In his six appearances with the Green Bay Packers, he produced a 1-5 touch- down-to-interception ratio and 67.1 passer rating.
When Colts coach Chuck Pagano addressed reporters Monday night, he raved about Tolzien’s preparation.
That’s not the same as raving about a quarterback’s ability to, say, extend a play the way Roethlisberger and Luck can as two of the best in the league.
“He’s got some limited amount of exposure,” Pagano said, “but he’s a pro.”
Last year, when Luck was sidelined for nine games because of injuries (shoulder, lacerated kidney), the Colts went 6-3. But that was with since-retired veteran Matt Hasselbeck running the offense.
Tolzien, on the other hand, has thrown one NFL pass in three years.
Barring a quick recovery by Luck — typically, players in concussion protocol are sidelined for at least a week, but it is impossible to project individual cases — maybe Tolzien will provide a Turkey Day surprise.
Shoot, rookie Clint Longley once came off the bench on Thanksgiving to relieve injured Roger Staubach and spark the Dallas Cowboys to a comeback win against Washington. Jason Garrett once filled in for injured Troy Aikman and Rodney Peete to trigger a holiday victory. And look at Garrett now. He’s coaching the Cowboys on Thursday.
But those moments are far and few between. The Longley moment was in 1974. Garrett’s came in 1994.
As for the here and now, Luck’s injury derails a team that Sunday played with all of its offensive starters for the first time since Week 2.
Luck had avoided the injury bug and taken every offensive snap this season. Although he’s absorbed an NFL-high 35 sacks, he succeeded with the aim to better protect himself by taking fewer risks when running, which included decisions to slide quicker and run out of bounds.
On the fourth-quarter play in which he is believed to have been injured, there was no escape as the pocket collapsed. Although Derrick Morgan and Austin Johnson split the sack, it was 314-pound Johnson who landed on Luck to cause the quarterback’s head to bounce off the turf.
Luck didn’t exhibit obvious symptoms afterward and remained in the game. It seems more significant now that his next pass was incomplete and on the next series he was intercepted on a throw that he lamented was the result of a “bad decision.”
After not being examined during the game, Luck was seemingly healthy when he completed an 11-yard pass to T.Y. Hilton with two minutes remaining that sealed the victory.
The game-clinching play was indicative of what’s special about Luck. He scrambled out of the pocket and bought time as Hilton improvised to separate on his route. Almost made it look easy.
But there’s no mistaking how difficult the task looks for the Colts without Luck.