Andrew Luck is anything but complacent, and despite his record pace through three seasons in the league, the quarterback has plenty he's focused on improving in 2015, starting with special situations.
"We did some really good things offensively last year, but we were dead average on third down and in the red zone," Luck told me. "And to be a great offense, you're going to have to score touchdowns in the red zone and extend drives with third-down conversions. And it's not easy, right? It's tough to score in the red zone and it's tough to convert third downs. But to be a great offense, we have to do that and do it consistently throughout the year, from September hopefully all the way through."
With a few years under his belt now, I was interested to see if Luck is thinking more about avoiding the kind of potential knockout blows he has endured with stunning regularity through the early part of his career. He said that's on his short list for improvement as well.
"I actually think I've gotten better at avoiding hits from my rookie year to my second and to the third," Luck said. "And you realize that, this sounds very self-centered, but as a quarterback you have an obligation to protect your body, because you're the guy who gets all the reps in practice. It's not like other positions, and Matt (Hasselbeck) is a great quarterback in this league and one of the best of this generation, but it's unfair to him and unfair to the team if you are putting your body in unnecessary harm, and unnecessary risk. So I've learned that. And some stuff is unavoidable -- fourth down for the game? Yeah you're going to take a hit. Big third down conversion? Yeah you're going to sit in there. But certain areas -- and it goes back to situational awareness -- you have to make sure you protect yourself."
His offensive line needs to do a much better job as well, which could be the biggest factor with this football team in 2015.
More observations from Colts practice:
Will Colts deal a tight end? The Colts are loaded at tight end and there are already several teams with big needs there. So I can't help but wonder if someone makes a play for Jack Doyle, a 6-foot-6 prospect who continues to open eyes in Indy. GM Ryan Grigson might just want to retain his supreme depth there and hold on to him, but the 49ers recently dealt a tight end and there will be continued interest in Doyle, I suspect. Also, look out for 6-5 tight end Sean McGrath. McGrath, 27, was emerging with Kansas City a few years back, but opted to retire young (a gifted artist, he was pursuing that avenue) and then in the spring took a few teams up on offers to take part in mini-camps. He has caught the Colts' attention in the past and they gave him a look-see and he's been impressive ever since. It's a really neat feel-good story, and despite having guys like Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, McGrath has a very legit shot to make the team. Again, tight-end needy teams should give GM Ryan Grigson a call.
Ballard brings the boom: You can tell that hard-nosed running back Vick Ballard means a lot to this Colts team, which has been labeled as finesse by some. Getting Ballard back in drills after missing time due to injury was a welcome sight. "He's a great teammate, he's just a warrior," Chuck Pagano said. "He's a stud," Luck said. In the first preseason game, Zurlon Tipton got the bulk of the carries, but that division of labor could change some in the coming weeks. The Colts have good depth at the position, and the battle for the fourth spot on the roster is one of the more compelling competitions on a daily basis here.