INDIANAPOLIS — For two decades now, with only a few exceptions, the Colts’ identity has been defined by an explosive, efficient passing game. It’s an identity that began with Peyton Manning and passed on to Andrew Luck.
Luck’s shocking retirement two weeks before the start of the 2019 season altered that identity. It put the franchise firmly and fully in the hands of a new passer, Jacoby Brissett; a quarterback who wasn’t able to come anywhere close to matching the fireworks put up by his predecessors.
Head coach Frank Reich, general manager Chris Ballard and the rest of the coaching staff have only begun to perform a thorough autopsy on a season that got off to a surprising 5-2 start and sputtered and coughed to a disappointing 7-9 finish.