Matt Hasselbeck, other aging stars come to Colts' rescue against Texans, Mediocrity and age. These are the faded bus tickets to the abyss in professional football. And for much of this season the Indianapolis Colts have been sputtering across America, seemingly headed on a tour to the middle region of the NFL standings. Right into this week: With Matt Hasselbeck, a 40-year-old quarterback whose roster elevation was a worst-case scenario; to Andre Johnson, a 34-year-old wideout who was buckling under the weight of his own name; to Frank Gore, the 32-year-old running back whose predicted demise has stretched on for a decade.
You're not supposed to build a franchise with pieces like this. You're most certainly not supposed to win by counting on them. But here we are, with the Andrew Luck-less Colts suddenly on a two-game winning streak without their young superstar quarterback. And coming out of Thursday boasting a gritty 27-20 win over the Houston Texans, in which every single point was scored by four guys: Hasselbeck, Johnson, Gore and 42-year old kicker Adam Vinatieri. The average age of that quartet? A spry 37.
Don't look now, but something happened on the way to the early bird special. The Colts started leaning on their graying pieces, and it has brought them unexpected life (and a perch on top of the AFC South, too).
"Fountain of youth," Colts coach Chuck Pagano joked. "[Gore and Johnson] are from Miami, so I guess you go down there and find Ponce de Leon and find the fountain of youth. I spent six years down there sipping out of that thing myself."
That's great, so long as Pagano and the rest of the team haven't shared the cup with Hasselbeck, who has been struggling with a bacterial infection that devastated his hydration since last Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hasselbeck became ill just before halftime of that game, then had to be taken to the hospital this week after being unable to keep himself hydrated.
A lot of stuff coming out of the attic, and then after that, a lot of stuff coming out of the basement," Hasselbeck said, in what simultaneously managed to be the most and least obscene descriptor of his illness. "I really lost it after the [Jaguars] game."
Hasselbeck's condition remained so poor that prior to Thursday's game, he grabbed the earliest bus he could to the stadium to start taking fluids and work with the training staff on keeping himself hydrated right up to kickoff. But the trip over came after a day when coaches and friends became concerned over his continued exhaustion. So much so that Colts quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen called Hasselbeck on the bus and offered him the chance to stand down.
"He said, 'Hey, I just want you to know you don't have to do this. If you feel like you can't … we'll find a way. You don't have to do this,'" Hasselbeck recalled. "… I felt like 'Hey, I'm here for one reason. Everyone hopes it never happens, and it probably never will, but if Andrew [Luck] is not able to go, I gotta be able to go.' Here it was, and I'm sick."
You're not supposed to build a franchise with pieces like this. You're most certainly not supposed to win by counting on them. But here we are, with the Andrew Luck-less Colts suddenly on a two-game winning streak without their young superstar quarterback. And coming out of Thursday boasting a gritty 27-20 win over the Houston Texans, in which every single point was scored by four guys: Hasselbeck, Johnson, Gore and 42-year old kicker Adam Vinatieri. The average age of that quartet? A spry 37.
Don't look now, but something happened on the way to the early bird special. The Colts started leaning on their graying pieces, and it has brought them unexpected life (and a perch on top of the AFC South, too).
"Fountain of youth," Colts coach Chuck Pagano joked. "[Gore and Johnson] are from Miami, so I guess you go down there and find Ponce de Leon and find the fountain of youth. I spent six years down there sipping out of that thing myself."
That's great, so long as Pagano and the rest of the team haven't shared the cup with Hasselbeck, who has been struggling with a bacterial infection that devastated his hydration since last Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hasselbeck became ill just before halftime of that game, then had to be taken to the hospital this week after being unable to keep himself hydrated.
A lot of stuff coming out of the attic, and then after that, a lot of stuff coming out of the basement," Hasselbeck said, in what simultaneously managed to be the most and least obscene descriptor of his illness. "I really lost it after the [Jaguars] game."
Hasselbeck's condition remained so poor that prior to Thursday's game, he grabbed the earliest bus he could to the stadium to start taking fluids and work with the training staff on keeping himself hydrated right up to kickoff. But the trip over came after a day when coaches and friends became concerned over his continued exhaustion. So much so that Colts quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen called Hasselbeck on the bus and offered him the chance to stand down.
"He said, 'Hey, I just want you to know you don't have to do this. If you feel like you can't … we'll find a way. You don't have to do this,'" Hasselbeck recalled. "… I felt like 'Hey, I'm here for one reason. Everyone hopes it never happens, and it probably never will, but if Andrew [Luck] is not able to go, I gotta be able to go.' Here it was, and I'm sick."
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment