The Colts will be without quarterback Andrew Luck for at least a week and potentially more. Barring an unexpectedly quick Jacoby Brissett takeover, quarterback Scott Tolzien will lead Indianapolis out of the tunnel for the foreseeable future.
Colts tight end Jack Doyle, appearing on Good Morning Football on Friday, is not as upset about this proposition as the typical Colts fan. Coach Chuck Pagano defended Tolzien throughout the preaeason amid some spotty offensive line play.
Doyle says Tolzien won't have any problem making the throws he needs to.
"Scott's a great competitor first off, he's done a great job coming in here and taking command of the offense in Andrew's absence and he's a fearless competitor," Doyle said. "That's what you'll see from him. Smart guy. Can make all the throws. So you see a guy that comes out there and really competes and has the desire to lead this team and win."
Tolzien went 23 of 34 for 241 yards and no touchdowns in the preseason, edging out Stephen Morris by a slim margin to win the backup job. The trade for Brissett showed the Colts' desire for at least one more layer of safety netting beyond Tolzien should Luck's shoulder injury linger.
While the Colts' roster is built around Luck (meaning Luck is one of the few quarterbacks who can make this offense as presently constructed run at close to optimum speed) Colts fans could be left wondering why the Brissett trade wasn't made sooner if Tolzien struggles. That, or why the Colts didn't hit the backup quarterback market harder this offseason knowing that Luck was going to be recovering from a serious operation. Then again, Tolzien has an opportunity to show the rest of the football world what Doyle and Pagano see in him.