INDIANAPOLIS –Over 1,000 minutes of Colts football took place in the 2012 season and there was Andrew Luck fielding every offensive snap.
Luck's durability in 2012 was quite remarkable considering the 650+ drop backs the rookie signal caller took for the Colts.
Around the NFL, 68 different players attempted at least two passes last season but Luck was the lone man doing that in Indianapolis.
The plan is for Luck to once again be under center for all 16 games this season. However the unpredictable nature in the NFL, meant the Colts needed to head out into free agency and find a quality backup.
They did just that in acquiring 15-year veteran Matt Hasselbeck.
So what's in store for the Colts quarterbacks in 2013…
SHOULD COLTS FANS WORRY ABOUT A "SOPHOMORE SLUMP"?:Chuck Pagano made it clear in the offseason that those words won't be discussed when talking about Andrew Luck in 2013. Luck's numbers in yards (4,374) and attempts (627) might be difficult to reach this year but it's the areas of completion percentage (54.1%) and touchdowns vs. interceptions (23/18) that should be focused on in year two.
Being reunited with Pep Hamilton certainly helps from a comfortability standpoint for Luck and the Colts have added four key offensive veterans that should see ample playing time.
What Luck did when the game was on the line in 2012 was impressive for any quarterback, let alone a rookie who missed nearly all of OTAs.
With a full set of OTAs in 2013, look for a more efficient Luck and for the signal caller to continue to rise among the league's top quarterbacks.HOW IMPACTFUL WILL MATT HASSELBECK BE WITH A YOUNG QUARTERBACK ROOM?:Simply put no backup quarterback in the NFL has the resume, 15 years/3 Pro Bowls/1 Super Bowl appearance, that Hasselbeck brings to the Colts young quarterbacks room. Hasselbeck was on vacation when the Titans released him earlier this offseason and the pitch he heard from Pagano and Ryan Grigson sold the deal on Indianapolis.
Hasselbeck wants a Super Bowl ring and he felt that Indianapolis gives him the best chance for that, while also mentoring one of the game's finest young signal callers. Both Luck and Harnish have already alluded to the wisdom that Hasselbeck has instilled into the quarterbacks room.
If Luck were to go down for any period of time, the Colts are in good hands with a veteran quarterback that has ample experience in the AFC South.WILL CHANDLER HARNISH MAKE THE 53-MAN ROSTER FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR?:Last year's Mr. Irrelevant spent his first NFL season playing for his home state team.
Harnish was on the Colts active roster for the first five games of 2012 before injuries on the 53-man roster forced him to be signed to the Indianapolis practice squad for the remainder of the season.
The ideal situation for Harnish would be protected on the 53-man roster but like you saw last season, any rash of injuries and a third quarterback is often the first to go.
That would mean Harnish would then have to clear waivers before being signed to the practice squad.
In a perfect scenario, the Colts would hold onto Harnish and allow for Hasselbeck's influence to groom the Bluffton, Ind. native into an eventual backup to Luck.
