Black Monday: What Faces Colts’ Jim Irsay?
The New Year has come and gone, with a grimmer tradition in the headlights after Sunday’s Week 17 slate. ‘Black Monday’ witnesses many teams around the league move on from their coaching staff or front office members — or both. If ownership dabbles in this yearly occasion, it’s likely that expectations were not met.
The shattered hopes in Indianapolis, a stunted rising star, make their situation a fascinating one to watch come Monday. Amid the strain of quarterback injuries and turbulent relations, the Colts have hit an unexpected wall.
The challenges have been high-profile. Since the AFC Championship blowout in New England almost a year ago, nothing has gone to plan in Indy. Head coach Chuck Pagano declining owner Jim Irsay’s one-year contract extension, making him a ‘lame duck’ for the 2015 season, came soon after the embarrassing loss. Reportedly finding the offer risible, Pagano bet on himself to deliver upon the high hopes and earn a long-term deal.
In the early stages of this season, reports of a fractured relationship between Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson surfaced. It was played down at the time, but ESPN’s Mike Wells’ sources indicated recently that the relationship is currently 100 times worse than the Colts’ on-field play. That, if even remotely true, tells you all you need to know.
On Thursday, Colts beat writer Bob Kravitz suggested, via sources, that Pagano has been strong-armed into many decisions during his tenure. It goes some way to explaining the cracks in their partnership. These interferences included giving Trent Richardson extended playing time (whom Grigson traded a first-round pick to acquire), Pagano being unable to discipline players, and also having offensive co-ordinator Pep Hamilton join the staff (Hamilton was fired during the team’s bye week earlier this season).
Whilst not officially reported as a point of contention, the selection of wide receiver Phillip Dorsett in this year’s first round will also have likely irked the Colts’ head coach. The secondary and both sides of the line needed a marquee investment. Grigson, opting to stick to the ‘best available player’ belief, passed over eventual Patriot defensive tackle Malcom Brown, whose strong rookie season is detailed here, the Giants’ Landon Collins, Green Bay’s Demarious Randall and Washington’s Preston Smith (eight sacks leads all rookies) — all taken within the next ten picks.
Through social media and various comment sections, it’s clear from fans that the retainment of Pagano over Grigson is wanted. The opposite, given the latter’s relationship with owner, will likely happen.
There’s reason, of course, for the fans’ view. Pagano holds a special place in the organisation after his cancer diagnosis in 2012 — his first year in charge of the team. His genuine, ‘nice guy’ personality, whilst a shallow factor in the grander context, still plays a pivotal role in fans’ perception. We see Pagano in press conferences, his emotion in the locker room, and unquestioned rapport with players.
To chalk his only successes up to being a personable figure, though, is perhaps insulting. If he were to be shown the door on Monday, it would be a historic firing, given his winning context. Pagano’s 40–23 regular-season record entering Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans gives him the fifth-best winning percentage among active coaches with at least two full seasons (.635). He trails only Arizona’s Bruce Arians (.723), Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots (.666), Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers (.657) and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers (.636).
Whilst the slam-dunk drafting of Andrew Luck in 2012 has brought expected fortune, it, along with the weak divisional opponents, serve as Pagano’s greatest burdens. His record above is muddied, because of these factors. Without consistent performances against elite teams, he’ll always be questioned. Therein lies the problem facing Irsay: does he believe the above has been expected or outstanding?
Despite Luck missing nine games and backup Matt Hasselbeck playing through injuries throughout his eight starts, the Colts are still on the cusp of an 8–8 record. With third-string Charlie Whitehurst also out injured, Pagano will have to field Josh Freeman or Ryan Lindley in Sunday’s finale. Neither has played a snap this season. If it proves to be his last game, the quarterback situation is a living metaphor for how disastrous and quickly his tenure unravelled.
Grigson, on the other hand, is presented as a fiend — sitting in the rafters and peering down critically through binoculars upon his ever-disappointing minions. This perception is the life of many general managers; they are largely out of the media, and therefore public, sphere. They are easier to criticise because we see them as largely unaccountable through the press, whilst still having a mammoth role in the failure or success of a team. That said, Grigson has done little to help this view with his moves since 2012. The alleged interference detailed above is also a bad mark against him.
Without the schism between these two, the lost season in Indianapolis would have been chalked up to bad fortune — “They did an okay job without Luck”, we might be saying. It would have been likened to Dallas’ equally forgettable season without their star passer, Tony Romo. Coincidentally, their head coach, Jason Garrett, was given an overt green light to return in 2016 on Friday.
This isn’t to say either of Pagano or Grigson deserve a return; there are clear flaws within the recruitment and development of players during the past four years. Combined with their own relationship, the feeling of having reached the point of no return currently looms like a dark cloud. There is an apparent rush to blow this project up because of the context.
Ultimately, fan opinions and the more responsible member for the toxicity matters none. Irsay will act out on his own opinions and feelings.
The easy option is to make Pagano the scapegoat for the failures of both men, instead of blowing up the machine and starting fresh. The head coach is out of contract, also, making the decision slightly more obvious. Grigson, meanwhile, still has one year remaining on his deal. It’s a more safe state than Pagano.
The surprising option would be to show patience (perhaps delusion) and keep both, whilst presumably instilling much-needed philosophical changes. Given reports out of Indianapolis throughout this season, Irsay taking this option is extremely unlikely.
The right option, in my mind, is to expel both actors in this story. There needs to be accountability for the shortcomings in this chapter, and both men have made errors. The biggest of which, was being unable to work together. From what we’ve seen reported, it would seem Grigson was the undoing in that regard. If the shopper has been meddling with the cook, there is every reason to understand Pagano’s frustration. Whether it will be a positive factor for him come Monday, don’t count on it.
Whatever the path Irsay opts for, it’s clear that changes are needed in the direction of this franchise.