The Indianapolis Colts are falling apart, with just three wins on the season and the future of Andrew Luck very much in doubt.
On Monday, just one day after the Colts lost again (their eighth of the season), head coach Chuck Pagano launched into one of the most bizarre rants of the season.
After a reporter noted the season has been a bit like the movie "Groundhog Day," Pagano pretty much laid out the entire movie and went a bit further.
Pagano went on to call it a "storm in the Atlantic." He called the season a self-fulfilling prophecy right now and continued in easily the most bizarre segment we've seen all season.
Indianapolis currently holds wins over the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans (who just days earlier lost Deshaun Watson for the season).
The Colts play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
This is Pagano's sixth season with the Colts. He's never finished under .500, with three consecutive 11-5 years before back-to-back 8-5 seasons.
He coached the secondary with the Cleveland Browns from 2001-2004,with the Oakland Raiders from 2005-2006 and for the Baltimore Ravens from 2008-2010. He was promoted to defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens in 2011 and took the Colts head coaching job in 2012.
Luck, who had shoulder surgery in January and has been battling the ailment since that point, said the following in an official release.
"I wish I was better and 100 percent this season, but that's not the case. I know I'll be better from this. I know I'll be a better quarterback, teammate, person and player from this, and I'm excited for the future."
The Colts acquired Jacoby Brissett to operate at the quarterback position and, while there have been rays of hope, the decline between Luck and the other options is quite stark. That comes with the territory for a quarterback billed as a "once in a lifetime" prospect but the Colts' roster shortcomings have been magnified in his absence.
While Luck was projected to return earlier this season, Pagano illustrated that the team is taking the long-term approach with his health.
"We're going to exhaust all resources because the best interest is the player. It's long-term and we said that. It's for the next 10, 12 years for this guy and for any player. Before we put anybody out there, we're going to make sure he's right so we're going to stick to that process.
"We want the kid healthy. Nobody is more frustrated than him. He wants to be out there with his teammates badly. It isn't fun for anybody, but it is what it is so we'll just keep plugging away."
Indianapolis is likely making the right move for its franchise, especially when considering what it would take to make a playoff run given the dismal record. Still, this will only add fuel to the fire when it comes to Luck's long-term health and there will be plenty of intrigue about 2018.
