At 0-7, Colts have hit rock bottom

We knew it was going to be bad, but not this bad. The usual steady hand of the Indianapolis Colts has turned upside down.

Curtis Painter's body language is very telling of not just last game, but the season so far.

At 0-7, the dejected Colts are searching for anything that can get them on track and back to the win column.

We haven’t seen this kind of performance since 1997, when they started 0-10 and there is a very good chance they will match it this season.

After nine straight 10-win seasons, and nine straight playoff appearances, now the Colts are at the completely other end of the spectrum.

It’s on the offensive line, defensive line, secondary, special teams, assistant coaches, Jim Caldwell, Bill Polian and most of all, it’s because Peyton Manning’s out. But realistically, with this kind of record, every facet of the team is to blame.

And the first six games were suppose to be the easy ones — Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Cincinnati plus average Houston and Pittsburgh teams. Just wait until December hits, and Indy plays at both New England and Baltimore on back-to-back weeks.

In uncharted waters, this team is in disarray. Fans are calling for the heads of coaches, and the team has been made fun of nationwide.

This is where leaders of the Colts must step in, hold a players-only meeting and figure out how they can solve some of the problems. They aren’t going to make the playoffs, but they can start the recovery process with a victory. And more than anything, the players want to be able to hold their heads high and know they left everything on the field each game.

Without their leader and NFL’s only 4-time MVP winner, this team is lost. It makes you wonder how many zips and blemishes Manning has covered up for in the last decade.

Many people are calling for the firing of Jim Caldwell after a 62-7 loss at New Orleans. Bill Polian told WISH-TV’s Anthony Calhoun that he is satisfied his third-year head coach. (It’s never good news with this sort of topic is brought up.)

“Anybody who hits a losing streak is going to be considered fair game. I think Coach has done a great job as far as keeping everybody focused. We play hard every week we give it our best shot every week. Can we play smarter in some situations? Absolutely. Can we play more efficiently in some situations? Absolutely.”

“After the game in New Orleans he (Jim Caldwell) was the first guy in the locker-room to say listen, I think this is what we need to do to make sure we give Curtis (Painter) the best chance to win and we do the best job we can by our offense. He is on top of all those details. This is a difficult time for everybody. But I can assure you Jim Caldwell is more than doing his job.”

The Colts end their three-game road trip in Atlanta Sunday. I want to see a player step up, be a leader and take full responsibility of these losses.

I don’t expect Colts owner Jim Irsay to make any mid-season changes…that’s not the way Irsay works. I would be surprised however, if there aren’t changes internally for the better.

Now after the season is different and a lot of the Colts’ moves will depend on the health of Peyton Manning and what he is comfortable with. The Colts must remain focused on the season at hand. And keep it mind, many big names are in a contract year like Jeff Saturday, Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, and Pierre Garcon.

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(Photo via @IndyStarSports)