INDIANAPOLIS – Life without Andrew Luck will last at least half of the 2015 season.
On Monday, Chuck Pagano ruled Luck out for this week's trip to Miami.
Here is what Pagano had to say to the media on Monday afternoon:
Injury News
- WR-Phillip Dorsett (ankle): Came into the facility on Monday and should be fine.
- S-Winston Guy (hamstring): Grade One hamstring injury. Day-to-day.
- QB-Matt Hasselbeck (ribs): No update from Sunday. Colts will see how Hasselbeck is on Tuesday when they begin their week of practice.
- CB-Greg Toler (hamstring): Day-to-day after missing Sunday's game.
Chuck Pagano on Andrew Luck's availability for Week 16:
"He's not playing this week."
Bowen's Analysis:* *For an eighth time this season, someone other then Andrew Luck will be under center when the Colts kickoff. On Monday, Pagano ruled Luck out for Sunday's game in Miami, meaning the Colts quarterback will enter a seventh week in an original timetable of two-to-six-weeks.
Pagano said that if the doctors clear Luck for a game and the quarterback can have practice reps after being cleared, No. 12 would play this season. The chances for that is down to potentially one more game (Week 17 vs. Tennessee). As far as Hasselbeck, the 40-year-old isn't 100 percent after having to be taken out in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game for a third straight week. The Colts also lost their practice squad quarterback, Alex Tanney, on Monday. Tanney was signed to the Titans' active roster, so the Colts are back to three total quarterbacks on their active and practice squad rosters (Hasselbeck, Luck and Charlie Whitehurst).
Chuck Pagano on the offensive issues in recent weeks:
"Guys have to make some plays. There are plays to be made and guys aren't making them right now."
Bowen's Analysis: While the Colts have been outscored 79-3 in the second halves the past three weeks, they've misfired on chance after chance to pad first-half leads. Pagano pointed to breakdowns in execution and the lack of a big-play threat as reasons why the offense has struggled in recent weeks.
Pagano said on Monday there are no excuses to still be having these inconsistences on offense this late in the season. In the past three weeks, the Colts have had zero touchdown drives longer than 50 yards. Their opponents have had nine. The inability to sustain drives is why the Colts have lost their playoff control with two weeks remaining in the regular season.Chuck Pagano on the Colts needing help down the stretch to get into the playoffs:
"I'd hate to sit there and let something slip by and say, 'Hey, I didn't know they were going to lose two games.'
"Stranger things have happened. Call me naïve, but there's still a chance."
Bowen's Analysis: For all playoff questions on where the Colts stand: take your eyes here. To put it simple, cheer for the Colts and against the Texans.
The Colts will move practice up one day this week (Tuesday-Thursday) to have Christmas day off for their players. In Week 16, the Colts will see a Miami team already eliminated from the playoffs.
Roster Moves
On Monday, the Colts elevated defensive end Earl Okine and defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and signed running back Trey Williams off of the Miami Dolphins practice squad.
The team also placed wide receiver Griff Whalen and defensive tackle Billy Winn on the Injured Reserve list and waived running back Zurlon Tipton.
- Okine (6-6, 290 pounds) has been on the Colts practice squad since early October. He played the first three games of the season with the Colts. Okine has previously played in the FXFL, AFL and CFL.
- Quarles (6-4, 312 pounds) spent nearly all of 2014 on the Colts practice squad, coming up to the active roster for two games. Last week, Quarles was signed to the Colts practice squad after time on the Patriots practice squad this season. Quarles was with the Colts during the team's offseason program this year.
- Williams (5-7, 195 pounds) has been on five rosters this season (Redskins practice squad, Cowboys active roster, Patriots active roster and most recently the Dolphins practice squad). Williams was an undrafted free agent in 2015 after putting up impressive speed numbers at the Combine.
- Whalen (5-11, 190 pounds) fractured his ribs during the fourth-quarter fumble on Sunday. Whalen had still been in the receiver rotation despite Phillip Dorsett returning from injury two weeks ago. Whalen had four fumbles in 40 touches this season.
- Winn (6-4, 300 pounds) was seen with a sling on his right arm after Sunday's loss. He tore his rotator cuff. The Colts traded for Winn just prior to the start of the regular season. Winn had made three starts this season when Henry Anderson was initially put on injured reserve.
- Tipton (6-0, 230 pounds) had been receiving some passing down reps at running back in recent weeks. Tipton played in 10 games for the Colts this season, carrying the ball five times for 20 yards and catching five passes for 57 yards.
