The Indianapolis Colts are tied for first place in the AFC South, due in no small part to backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's stellar play in four victories without a loss.
Thanks to the episodic nature of the NFL season, building in intensity toward the finale, Colts faithful are suddenly wondering if the team is better off with Hasselbeck keeping the job once Andrew Luck is healthy enough to play.
Coach Chuck Pagano scoffed at the notion.
"That's ludicrous," Pagano said during Monday's news conference. "You gotta stay off Twitter."
Pagano added that Luck is the starter when healthy, though that prospect remains "week to week."
Hasselbeck is a savvy backup. As Marc Sessler noted on Week 12 Recap edition of the Around The NFL Podcast, Luck has the luxury of sitting back and learning from a veteran for the first time in his career.
That said, it's understandable that Pagano would lampoon the idea of benching a healthy Luck.
Godsend though he may be as a fill-in starter, Hasselbeck led Colts offenses that have been outgained 1,261 to 1,594 in total yards through four starts. That's hardly a recipe for sustained success against stiffer competition than the Jaguars, Texans, Falcons and Buccaneers.
Luck has generated three seasons worth of game film proving that he's one of the NFL's top young signal-callers. The Colts aren't going to ignore that mountain of data in favor of a 40-year-old backup quarterback excelling as a game manager in a four-game window versus suspect defenses.
