Luck’s Victory Sunday Came At A Cost

The Colts are on bye this week but will go back to Matt Hasselbeck for at least the games against Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Falcons are reeling and the Bucs have been below average, so it’s possible the Colts could improve to 6-5 in Luck’s absence.

But, yeah, the Broncos did pound him and Luck has been taking a beating all season long. All more the reason for the Colts to find a new GM who can do a better job building the team around him so he doesn’t have to take on such a load in the future.

ETA: Nicki Jhabvala notes the play on which the injury likely happened.

Football Outsiders: Andrew Luck And The Broncos D

Andrew Healy at Football Outsiders broke down what made the difference in the Broncos-Colts game, particularly noting how well Andrew Luck played against the blitz when he had struggled previously.

I suspect that’s why the Broncos blitzed Luck so much, because he had struggled against it. But as Healy notes, there were other issues that affected the Broncos, ranging from untimely penalties to injuries to players that may have limited what they could do. During the game, the Broncos not only lost DeMarcus Ware in the third quarter for the remainder of the game, but had to rest Chris Harris, T.J. Ward and Brandon Marshall for several plays.
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If Talib Is To Be Suspened, What About Lamarcus Joyner?

I’m sure many of you are aware that the NFL has informed Denver Broncos CB Aqib Talib that he will be suspended one game for poking Indianapolis Colts TE Dwayne Allen in the eye.

This begs the question: So what about St. Louis Rams CB Lamarcus Joyner?

For those not aware, Joyner was flagged for unnecessary roughness for a hit on Minnesota Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater. You can read this Deadspin article and see a clip of the play, in which it looks like Joyner wants it to appear he’s avoiding Bridgwater, but keeps his elbow lowered to nail Bridgewater in the helmet.
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Immediate Thoughts on Broncos at Colts

I had a feeling it was going to be a difficult game when offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski took the reigns mid-week after the firing of Pep Hamilton. This alters the game plan more than many would imagine. How does a defense prepare against a coach they haven’t seen call a play all year? I respect the guy, and it was obvious in the first half that we found difficulty stopping his calls. Even our defensive coordinator Wade Phillips knew what he was up against:

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What Was Denver’s Strength Was Not Good Vs. The Colts

On paper, this should have been a Denver Broncos win today. But as we all know, matchups don’t always play out like they do on paper.

And while we are aware of what have been the weaknesses with the Broncos offense — and they were evident against the Colts — that really wasn’t what cost the Broncos the game today.

If we are honest with ourselves, it was the Broncos defense that didn’t come through like it has in the past seven games. The defense isn’t the sole reason for the loss, but the defense was nowhere near as sharp as it had been.
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Game Thread: Broncos at Colts, 2015 Week 9

Talk about today’s Broncos matchup here. Players who will not suit up today:

* Broncos: Shane Ray, Jordan Norwood.
* Colts: Phillip Dorsett, Nate Irving.

And Ian Rapoport shared this news about Colts WR T.Y. Hilton.

Colts Injury And Drama Report

The biggest name on the Colts’ injury report remains TY Hilton, who is officially questionable (foot) and has not practiced all week.  If Hilton can’t go Sunday, he’ll join fellow receiver Phillip Dorsett (ankle) on the bench.  Old friend Nate Irving (knee) will also miss the chance of playing against his former team.

Meanwhile, there should probably be a separate report for all of the dissension going on behind the scenes in Indianapolis.  The latest news to emerge, via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, is that a players-only meeting was conducted in an effort to drown out the conflicts between the coaches and the front office.

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