New GM Ballard on Colts' future: All about team
INDIANAPOLIS – New Colts general manager Chris Ballard says he has the utmost respect for franchise quarterback Andrew Luck but made sure to point out Monday that in order for the franchise to reach the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, the Colts have to do it as a team.
“Let me say this because Andrew is a great player, but it will never be about one guy,” Ballard said during his introductory news conference. “It’s about all 53 men in the locker room. All 63 men, including the practice squad. It’ll always be about the team. And is he a good piece? Absolutely, but he’s just one of the 53 men that we have to win with.”
Luck’s ability to cover the flaws on the Colts roster helped them win 11 games in each of his first three seasons in the league. They also reached the playoffs in each of those seasons, including the AFC Championship Game in 2014.
But Luck suffered an assortment of injuries, including a lacerated kidney, the past two seasons, and the Colts’ roster wasn’t good enough to make up for his absence. They finished with an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
One of the most significant areas Ballard, who spent the past four years with the Kansas City Chiefs, will have to address through free agency and the draft is improving Indianapolis’ defense. The Colts’ aging defense finished 30th in the NFL. Indianapolis has finished 20th or worse in total defense in four of five seasons under coach Chuck Pagano.
“Defense wins championships,” Ballard said. “You’ve got to score points. But I’ve been blessed to be in the league and work for two places where we’ve been pretty special on defense: Chicago and Kansas City. So that definitely is a goal. That’s probably why I have such a fit with Chuck, who is a defensive head coach.
“But don’t get me wrong. We have to score points. We have to have weapons. But in this league you win up front. You win on the O-line and D-line. If you’re not good up front, it’s very difficult when you get into December and January football.”
Ballard ended any thought of a potential head-coaching change when he echoed owner Jim Irsay’s comments in that Pagano will return next season.
“There was no other options,” Ballard said. “Chuck Pagano is a good football coach in the National Football League. Three 11-5 seasons, went to the AFC Championship Game. [He] had two 8-8s back to back, but he’s won 49 games. We need to keep our eye on how hard it is to win in this league. It’s hard to win. He’s won 49 games in the National Football League.”
