Curtis “freaking’ Painter, Colts quarterback. It just doesn’t sound or look right and if you’ve watched him play just this preseason, his time may be coming to the end.
There’s something about him the Colts like. Nobody can put their finger on it, but something has the Colts sticking with their former 7th-round pick.
He’s struggling–and not just early season jitters or rust. We’re talking about throws way off the mark. We’re talking about throws that couldn’t find the ocean from the beach.
In his preseason debut at St. Louis, it took only three plays for his first interception. Not even close. Last Friday against Washington, he ‘led’ the Colts to just one, ONE first down in four series. And outside of the first series where he moved it more than ten yards, the rest were three and outs despite playing with mostly first-string guys. If he can’t do it with the starters, there’s no chance for Painter to move the ball against an average defense.
Is all this talk about the Colts backup quarterback overboard? Possibly. But when the league’s only four-time MVP won’t take a preseason snap and is recovering from surgery for a pinch nerve, it’s serious.
I’m not sure Manning knows the severity of the pain he is dealing with. One bad hit could put him out for the season or he may continue to be his Superman-self and not miss a game. His streak is currently at 208 straight.
Divulging into owner Jim Irsay’s tweets are outlandish. 90% of his tweets are entertainment and stream of consciousness. The other 10% are announcing signings, contests for fans, and feeling for communities hurting from tragedies.
This team undoubtedly is built around No. 18. He leads the offense to scores, allowing the defense to play with a cushion.
I’m confident Manning will be the starter in Houston on September 11th. Everyone well-connected and inside the locker room believe so. Painter is not the guy to command control of the Colts offense. (Aside: He looks like a factory man. I can’t take him serious with the long hair and rough beard).
Manning said during his PeyBack classic over the weekend that he is working hard everyday to get back on the field. He’s going through intense rehab and possibly trying various techniques to get this nerve to repair properly because it’s very delicate. It affects his arm motion and strength, head rotation, neck strength, posture and more. But I don’t think Manning knows for sure how he will play when he returns to the field.
The Colts need him and we know it’s killing him to be forced to stand on the sidelines and watch his team lose, week after week. He’s a perfectionist, but this may be an injury that not even he can completely overcome–especially against the clock.
We know Painter isn’t the solution and Dan Orlovsky may be a force. For now, it appears the Colts will sit back and leave it all in Manning’s hands, as usual.