INDIANAPOLIS --- Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener became the first tight end duo in NFL history last season to both catch eight touchdown passes. On Monday Night Football, neither was thrown to by Andrew Luck.
"Yeah, I won't make any excuses for those guys. We've got to get them involved," said Chuck Pagano on a conference call Tuesday. "We've got to do a better job of that."
Andrew Luck said the same thing Tuesday. He doesn't want it to happen again.
"I don't think I've done a very good job of getting them involved early," said Luck Wednesday. "They are so productive and a big part of this offense. I think for us to be successful they will have to be involved."
The response from the tight ends to that?
Dwayne Allen (smiling): "Let's go."
Coby Fleener (smiling): "That sounds like an awesome idea to me."
"Coby Fleener is the biggest mismatch on the field week in and week out," said Allen Wednesday. "He's 6'6", runs 4.4 (40-yard-dash). There's no one that can guard him in the National Football League. For him to not have any targets last game is egregious. It's easy for me to come in here and demand more balls. That's not what our team needs."
"You always want to be a bigger part of the pie," said Fleener Wednesday. "Dwayne and I are both of the mindset that as long as we're winning we are absolutely happy to do whatever roll is called upon us."
But Coby, you're not winning yet.
"Valid point," Fleener said with a smile. "That is something that will hopefully be addressed moving forward. If our roll changes great. If it stays the same, as long as we win we'll be fine."
This is the point in the article where I point out that the science, technology, and society major at Stanford pulled out the word duality to explain his feelings about his usage in games.
"It's a duality. There's a selfish urge that you always want to catch more balls," explained Fleener. "But at the same time, you want the team to win, first and foremost."
It certainly sounds like the pursuit of that win will involve #80 and #83 (if healthy) much more in week 3.
