Indianapolis Colts

Chuck Pagano: Colts offense needed a change

Published Nov. 5, 2015 10:03 a.m. ET

foxsports

By David Kenyon

The Indianapolis Colts recently fired offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, and head coach Chuck Pagano offered a simple reasoning for the change. Perhaps too simple.

According to Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star, Pagano said the change happened because the Colts needed one.

“I think when you keep seeing the same thing over and over again, through the course of time, we needed a change. We’ve got the talent, the grit and the character (to win), and this was something I just felt like we needed to do.”

Hamilton wasn’t the problem.

Did he revert to more aggressive play-calling with Andrew Luck despite winning twice with Matt Hasselbeck under center? Yes. Should Hamilton have kept part of that conservatism in the game plan? Sure.

But Luck is supposed to be one of the league’s best quarterbacks, one who can handle a variety of route concepts, go through progressions and make smart decisions. It’s not Hamilton’s fault Luck would get to his third read and then force a poor throw that results in a turnover.

General manager Ryan Grigson put together an awful offensive line, a mistake compounded by taking a wide receiver in the first round instead of addressing the team’s biggest weakness. That was one year after swapping a first-round pick for Trent Richardson, who did nothing productive in Indy.

Unfortunately, the pressure to make any change led the franchise to make the easiest one, since Rob Chudzinski is absolutely a capable replacement.

The Colts’ problems run much deeper than their former coordinator. They start at the top.

But firing the GM in early November would mean Indianapolis must surrender some of its pride, and that change isn’t going to happen.

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