The Colts are heading into the 2015 NFL season as one of the favorites to be playing late into the season. They have one the best young quarterbacks in the game, explosive offensive weapons, and a defense that might be improved enough to accomplish their goal of a Super Bowl championship.
So what could wrong? Well if you’ve read WTHR’s Bob Kravitz article from this week then you probably know that he is reporting “growing discontent” between Head Coach Chuck Pagano and the General Manager Ryan Grigson and Team Owner Jim Irsay.
We all know that Kravitz has a flair for the dramatic when he delves into the world of the Colts, but understand that this time he actually makes some sense. Kravitz elaborates that there is a sense that Pagano would like more say when it comes to personnel and he and Grigson may not always be in agreement when it comes to the GM’s additions to the roster. The other component mentioned is the belief that Irsay may not be as patient with Pagano due to the perception that Chuck is considered to be a “player’s coach” and the owner believes a more hard-lined approach may be needed to put them over the top (Jim Harbaugh, anyone?)
So these are the basic issues that are believed to be at the heart of the issue with Pagano. Both seem very plausible when taken in context of argument of why Pagano is playing out the last year of his contract. The NFL is a business and can be cold and calculated at times. We all remember ChuckStrong not that long ago, but now that seems like a distant memory. I really like Pagano the person and think he’s done a really good job despite some perceived and self-admitted short comings as a coach. We have seen this team come out flat all too often, but also they play with the heart of their coach. Yes, I’d love to see him clean things up from a game management perspective, but this team has achieved more each year.
As I mentioned prior about ChuckStrong, I also believe that this also hurt his perception as a coach in some regards. Many fans and national voices felt maybe the team should have retained Bruce Arians as head coach and somehow dump Pagano. Arians definitely had this team overachieving in 2012. What Pagano may lack in the X’s & O’s of football (I’m not sure that’s even fair) he more than makes up with his charisma and motivation. Sure, the defense hasn’t improved as much as we would all like, but if you look at the makeup of this team it is heavily skewed to the offensive side of the ball and the Grigson has largely been in charge of the roster. Couple that with a spotty record so far at drafting and bringing in free agents and you can see why there might be some disconnect.
The biggest wildcard in the entire equation is owner Jim Irsay and his current state of mind. He has largely been good to the city of Indianapolis and has been a good steward of the team. I can look past some of his personal demons and hope he has dealt with them properly. We have all see the videos of Irsay in the locker room during Pagano’s post-game victory speeches, so it’s a complex issue. We have also seen the Tweets come out after a poor performance in preseason game that means nothing, again, making it hard to understand where he’s coming from at times. His expectations are clearly high, which they should be and is his right as an owner, but what can Pagano do this season for it to meet his expectation? That’s what we are all trying figure out. Is it Super Bowl or bust? Does getting to the post-season constitute as successful or making another AFC Championship Game the drawing line? These are the questions that will be raised until Pagano and Irsay come to a decision about his future with the team.
To wrap up this article with a bow, I want to reiterate the question: Is Pagano being disrespected? It largely depends upon how Pagano is viewed. Some will see him as a coach of a good team with a superstar that wins because of him. While others will see him as a coach of a good team with a superstar that wins in spite of him. That is the crux of the argument. Winning it all would be the simplest way to validate his status as coach and would likely extend his future with the team. However, if he comes up short of this goal than anything could happen. That is the where the wildcard comes into play. The NFL is a business and the bottom line is winning. You can like a person and their style, but if you own the team the ultimate goal is winning it all. Let’s just hope he does that and puts an end to the questions.
