Colts owner Jim Irsay is a man who will always speak his mind, even if that means laying into his own employees.
Andrew Luck, who in his second season is undeniably the Colts’ franchise player, was sacked four times last Sunday in a narrow win over the Raiders, and Irsay challenged the rest of the Indianapolis offense — coaches included — to do a better job of protecting the quarterback.
Actually, it wasn’t a challenge — it was a “DEMAND.”
[tweet https://twitter.com/JimIrsay/statuses/377815715950370816Â align=’center’%5D
The Colts were the surprise of the NFL last season, going 11-5 and earning a wild-card berth in Year 1 of the post-Peyton Manning era. Manning’s successor took a beating, though. Luck was sacked 41 times, third-most among NFL quarterbacks, and Irsay has been very outspoken in his desire to change that.
“That’s every week, you know,” head coach Chuck Pagano said of his owner’s demands for better pass protection, according to ESPN.com. “That’s [emphasized in] all of our offices and every office up and down the hallway. … We all know that as long as No. 12 is upright and on his feet, we’ve got a much better chance of winning with him.”
Indianapolis will host the Dolphins this Sunday. Here’s what Irsay expects from that matchup:
[tweet https://twitter.com/JimIrsay/statuses/377817148066136065Â align=’center’%5D
