Frank Reich’s shooting reveals brand-new Colts coach will requirement QB to besuccessful

Frank Reich’s shooting endedupbeing inescapable for the Indianapolis Colts, a matter of when, not if. 

After Sunday’s embarrassing 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots, including one of the worst offensive efficiencies in franchise history, the truth felt concrete in Reich’s voice resolving the media. There was the playcaller of an offense that couldn’t enhance. The fingers hadactually been pointed all round, dating back to last season. It was quarterback Carson Wentz, so they traded him in the offseason. It was quarterback Matt Ryan — Wentz’s replacement — so they benched him. It was offensive planner Marcus Brady, so they fired him. The Colts ran out of individuals to point fingers at. It was Reich’s time. 

But comprehend this, too: The Colts’ offensive problems go far beyond Reich. One of them? The carousel at quarterback, the most essential position. 

For the brand-new coach to be effective — in the interim, it will be famous Colts center Jeff Saturday, who has no expert training experience, a sensational relocation — the franchise needto discover stability at the area. 

In Reich’s Colts period, which covered 74 videogames (77, consistingof the playoffs) in 4 and a half seasons, Indianapolis had 7 beginning quarterbacks: Andrew Luck (2018), Jacoby Brissett (2019), Brian Hoyer (2019), Phillip Rivers (2020), Wentz (2021), Ryan (2022) and Sam Ehlinger (2022), the existing starter. It’s really unexpected Reich had as much success as he did — a 40-33-1 regular-season record (.547 winning portion) – with bridge-option quarterbacks post-Luck. But that’s not a sustainable winning design, particularly not one for a happy Colts franchise, to routinely compete for Super Bowls. 

Of the 16 groups to play in conference champion videogames consideringthat 2018, 10 had homegrown quarterbacks: the 2018 Patriots (Tom Brady), 2018 Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes), 2018 Rams (Jared Goff), 2019 Packers (Aaron Rodgers), 2019 Chiefs (Mahomes), 2020 Bills (Josh Allen), 2020 Chiefs (Mahomes), 2020 Packers (Rodgers), 2021 Bengals (Joe Burrow) and the 2021 Chiefs (Mahomes). 

The staying 6 obtained their beginning QB bymeansof trade or complimentary company – the 2018 Saints (Drew Brees), 2019 49ers (Jimmy Garoppolo), 2019 Titans (Ryan Tannehill), 2020 Buccaneers (Tom Brady), 2021 49ers (Garoppolo) and the 2021 Rams (Matthew Stafford) – however just 3 of them were real stars: Brady, Brees and Stafford. Of the last 2 – Garoppolo and Tannehill – just Garoppolo made the Super Bowl, which he lost. 

Offensively, a excellent piece of Super Bowl-winning groups have star power at quarterback — typically homegrown, with them sometimes being obtained lateron in their profession. But anticipating a middling or old veteran quarterback who’s not a lock for Canton (like Brady or Peyton Manning are) to raise your group to champion status is traditionally bad service. The latter is where the Colts have lived for years. 

We’re barreling towards the Colts’ utilizing their first-round choice in 2023, presently pegged at No. 15 general and trending earlier, on a blue-chip quarterback possibility (Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson are amongst the leading 2023 potentialcustomers at the position). They nearly have no option. They’ve been running on a hamster wheel with band-aids at quarterback giventhat Luck’s unexpected retirement. It would be organizational malpractice to continue doing so. And it appears notlikely that the brand-new Colts coach is going to put his task on the line for Ehlinger, a previous sixth-round choice, as the long-lasting beginning quarterback. 

If the Colts continue as they’ve been, and do not invest their leading choice on a quarterback, their brand-new coach might have the verysame fate as Reich: Find limited success, just to be let go when the constant dissatisfaction endsupbeing too much to bear. 

Ben Arthur is the AFC South pressreporter for FOX Sports. He formerly worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat author for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.