Monday, August 26, 2019

Does one man's retirement change the balance of power in the AFC South?

Andrew Luck decided the other day to hang up his helmet & cleats as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, just two weeks before the start of the regular season, citing leg injuries that have been slow in healing since the off-season, the latest in a series of physical setbacks for the 2018 NFL Comeback Player of The Year.

Most pundits had the Colts winning the AFC South before Luck announced his retirement. Now, they're backpedaling, ignoring the rest of the talent on offense, including receiver T. Y. Hilton and running back Marlon Mack. Now, they're touting either Houston or Tennessee as the class of the division.

Personally, I'd think there might be some residual effect from those stupid DirecTV ads Luck did a few years back, along with the likes of the Manning brothers and others. Peyton used what few brain cells he has and retired soon after winning a Super Bowl with Denver, while Eli has been regressing the last couple of years with the Giants, and Tony Romo is now a CBS analyst. Curses, anyone?

Digression over. Of course, Luck's decision, and the timing of same, was a topic today on ESPN's First Take, as Stephen A. Smith debates with Will Cain and guest John McEnroe, who stopped by the studio en route to the US Open tennis championships, which begin today.



For now, Jacoby Brissett becomes the starter at QB for Indianapolis, unless the team manages to pull someone off the scrap heap in the next 13 days. ESPN could offer Tim Tebow, whose baseball season ended due to an injury, but.......nah.

2 comments:

Hal said...

Brissett could surprise people. For sure, the O-line is much, much better than the one that let him take 52 sacks two years ago.

hobbyfan said...

And Brissett was once a caddy for Tom Brady, so maybe he knows a few secrets about the Evil Empire.......