All last week, Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton referred to Indianapolis' divisional showdown with Houston as "Game 7."
In a discussion with USA Today's Tom Pelissero, owner Jim Irsay suggested Wednesday that the chain of command will remain intact for next season.
"Right now, I'm not anticipating making any changes," Irsay said. "That can always change. It always can when we're sitting down at the end of the year and evaluate things. But I'm just looking at seeing if we can win these next three games and get some luck from the football gods right now."
Although the Colts have plummeted to third place in the underwhelming AFC South, Irsay firmly believes the team is better than its 6-7 record.
"Obviously, we're disappointed," Irsay continued. "People kind of agree or disagree, but I saw every single game and I know -- besides Kansas City -- yeah, we could be right now 10-3. That could be us if the ball bounces a little bit differently. It's been that type of year -- hasn't gone our way."
While we appreciate Irsay's attempt to put lipstick on his pig, it should be noted that the Colts could just as easily be 3-10 if the ball bounced differently in several of their victories.
It's natural for the owner to see his roster in a positive light. As Irsay laments his team's bad luck, though, The Indianapolis Star openly wonders if Andrew Luck is further away from the Super Bowl than he's ever been.
The fifth-year quarterback is on pace to absorb a career-high 46 sacks behind an inexperienced offensive line. With the exception of Hilton, his most trusted pass-catcher has been blocking tight end Jack Doyle. The ground attack ranks in the bottom-third of the league. The talent-starved defense lacks speed and playmaking ability.
Ignoring his team's biggest needs two offseasons ago, Grigson pulled the trigger on undersized wide receiver Phillip Dorsett with his first-round draft pick. While Dorsett has been one of the NFL's least effective starters this season, the roster remains desperately in need of bodyguards for Luck and young pass rushers to transform an aging defense.
"Let's be honest here," NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner explained in October. "Since Andrew Luck has been with the Colts, they have not had a great supporting cast around him in any way, shape or form. ... He has to do so much for this football team if they're going to have any chance of winning."
The presence of Luck, authoring a career-best season, overshadows an otherwise barren roster closer to the 2-11 Jaguars than the 7-6 Texans or Titans.
Irsay needs someone like Warner to provide a dose of that honesty.
