The Colts horrible season keeps getting worse. They have yet to win a game, a handful of players are sidelined with injuries (including their franchise quarterback), and those making personnel decisions are sending mixed messages to fans.
Before completing his third year as defensive coordinator, the Colts fire Larry Coyer.
With Bill and Chris Polian to either side, head coach Jim Caldwell announced Tuesday that defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was fired, replaced by linebackers coach Mike Murphy.
“We’ve made an organizational decision this afternoon, we actually made it last night, to relieve Larry Coyer of his duties as defensive coordinator,” Jim Caldwell said in a news conference. “The move was made to improve our production and obviously our communication as well…We feel this is the most effective and realistic way of moving forward and getting ourselves in position to win games”
The Colts defense has allowed the most points per game in the league and time of possession played. They are struggling to stop opposing teams on critical downs, allowing a league-high 48-percent conversion rate on third down.
I don’t think this will be the first coaching change, it’s just the beginning. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Jim Caldwell gone after this horrific year. However, I highly doubt there will be new leadership brought in replacing the Polian’s. Owner Jim Irsay seems very satisfied with the job they are doing. Remember before this season, Chris Polian assumed a lot more responsibility previously handled by his father.
Mike Murphy, who will take over Coyer’s responsibility, has a nightmare first assignment in stopping the explosive Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. In Foxborough. The Patriots won last year 31-28 but the Colts have won five of the last seven meetings.
The coaching change wasn’t the only news. After starting 0-11, Jim Caldwell said that Dan Orlovsky is now the starter, the third different quarterback to start for the Colts this season.
Orlovsky will make his first NFL start since 2008 for the 0-16 Detroit Lions.
“We’re also going to make a change at quarterback,” Coach Caldwell announced. “Curtis Painter will not start this game. Dan Orlovsky will, and much the same thing, after evaluation and taking a real good look at him, I think Curtis had a couple of good weeks to really get it under his belt. We had two solid weeks in terms of (bye) week and then going into the ball game. Curtis did some things better but overall not quite what we were looking for.”
The Polian’s seem to have an agenda of their own that misguides fans. Vice-Chairman Bill Polian consistently goes on his weekly radio show proclaiming his confidence in Curtis Painter.
Before the season he said the team was satisfied with Painter as a backup. They then brought in Kerry Collins for $4 million after Peyton Manning had another neck surgery. A couple weeks ago, Polian proclaimed that Painter was “progressing,” and that Painter needed more time to prove he can play. And now in week 13, Orlovsky is named starter.
The change also doesn’t come at an ideal time. Two weeks ago the team had their bye week. Last week they played the 2-7 Carolina Panthers at home. The next two weeks the Colts are on the road at New England and at Baltimore. Talk about being thrown into the fire.
With Orlovsky in, the Colts have spent $30 million on quarterbacks now on their bench; or in Kerry Collins’ case, back home.
Many changes will be made for the remaining five games, and at season’s end. Is Peyton healthy, does the coaching staff stay, do they draft Andrew Luck.? There are plenty of questions right now and very few answers.
Two years ago the team caught grief for throwing away a perfect season at home against the Jets. Again, the Colts are proving they are willing to pull their starters with a streak on the line.
I’ve been a Colts fan for over 30years. I’ve seen some really bad Colts teams. The past 12 years have been great. In my opinion, we have a quarter back. If Peyton is cleared to play, forget the Andrew Luck talk, spend those draft choices and build a real offense and defense. No little ones either. I am so tired of watching us get pushed around. As for the coach and Polians. They are responsible for us going 0-16 and you know that will happen. So the ax needs to fall from the Polians down to Caldwell.