Colts can still salvage a failed season with move to start Sam Ehlinger over Matt Ryan

If you want to know what desperation looks like, look no further than Indianapolis where the Colts are making the move to bench prized offseason acquisition Matt Ryan and replace him with second-year pro Sam Ehlinger.

Ryan is apparently dealing with a shoulder injury, but head coach Frank Reich said Monday his intention is to start Ehlinger for the rest of the season.

This isn’t just Reich replacing an injured starter. This is a coach attempting to salvage what’s been a disappointing season and potentially his own job. Reich stopped short of blaming Ryan for all of the team’s bad offense, but he did lay out reasons why the former MVP is accountable for a large chunk of it.

Hear from head coach Frank Reich on today's QB announcement: pic.twitter.com/zdkqmQcnbt

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 24, 2022

 

“We all know at the quarterback position that our poor production on offense is not on one person,” Reich said. “It’s not on Matt Ryan. But we also know, as head coach and quarterback, it doesn’t matter. I’m judged on wins and losses. Quarterbacks are judged on points and turnovers.”

It’s not hard to read between the lines. The Colts have the fifth-fewest points scored in the NFL this year, and they have the third most turnovers — Ryan leads the league with nine interceptions and also has a league-high 11 fumbles. He’s washed.

Even if other players (and coaches) deserve a portion of blame — which they do — Reich wouldn’t make this switch if he (or someone else in the organization) didn’t think another quarterback could squeeze more juice out of what’s there.

Despite their offensive struggles, the Colts are still 3-3-1, just 1.5 games behind the Tennessee Titans for first place in the AFC South. Their odds to win the division at BetMGM are +225, a close second to Tennessee at -155.

No doubt, it’s been a disappointing start considering they were supposed to dominate the division and contend among some of the better teams in the AFC. And Sunday’s loss — their second to the Titans — dropped them to just 1-3-1 in the division. But Indy’s defense continues to rank in the top half of the league in both points and yards allowed, keeping the team in games it has no business being in.

If only an offense with more than enough talent at running back and receiver can muster some production, the Colts can start winning some of those closer games. They’re favored by three points over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

If Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick out of Texas, can provide even just a slight upgrade over Ryan, they might not reach the heights expected before the season, but the Colts can still push for a division title and make something out of this season.