ANDERSON, Ind. – These are good times, indeed, for the Indianapolis Colts. Apparently, that is even more true for their fans.
We know this last part not because of eight consecutive playoff appearances, or six AFC South titles in seven years. Not because they have flirted with unbeaten seasons two of the past five seasons, and not because they have played in Super Bowls in two of the last four.
We know this because in recent days it has become clear the over-riding, pressing, sky-is-falling-issue is the quarterback position, and not the starting quarterback position.
The backup quarterback position.
Curtis Painter, a sixth-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft from Purdue University, had the good fortune to ascend to the backup quarterback position of one of the NFL's elite franchises this past off-season, and the misfortune to do so in era of quick, rush-to-judgment assessment.
In recent days, Colts fans have made that assessment:
They don't like Painter as the backup.
And they very much want someone else – anyone else – in the position.
Media members, Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star most notably, agree.
“He was 12 kinds of awful Sunday,” Kravitz wrote Monday, “and if there's not some kind of battle with Tom Brandstater to back up Peyton Manning at quarterback, then the fix is in.”
Kravitz wrote this following a three-interception game in the Colts' 37-17 loss to San Francisco in the preseason opener, and his thoughts echoed fans and bloggers on the Coltsphere who have spent the last 36 hours one-upping one another in new, clever ways to Painter bash.
Here's an important thing to remember amid the outcry – no, make that, here's THE important thing to remember.
So far, there's no indication the Colts are among those crying out, and there's no indication they're doing much fretting, either. Colts Head Jim Caldwell, asked on Monday about Painter's status as the No. 2 quarterback, was was expectedly matter of fact.
“The status hasn't changed,” Caldwell said. “You have to take it all into consideration – how well they do, how much material they know and understand, how they can regurgitate it. You have to look at everything. You all don't get a chance to see who was supposed to be where on what route and what was supposed to happen in this situation.
“There are a lot of factors that go into it – dropped passes and things of that nature. Sometimes people can get a little ahead of themselves and not give an individual a fair shake.”
He added, “He's still our second-team quarterback. We believe in him. He's going to develop. It's going to take time. It's not an easy position to play.”
Colts President Bill Polian said the same thing when interviewed shortly after the game, that Painter got little help on Sunday.
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