The Indianapolis Colts Must Be Cautious with Andrew Luck's Shoulder Injury

Disaster hasn't quite struck the Indianapolis Colts just yet, but her blows are getting ever closer. 

The Colts and their fans thought that starting 0-2, looking disjointed and poorly coached doing so, was about as bad as it could be. Only by going 0-3 with a loss in Tennessee could things get any worse. 

How naive of us. 

The Colts defeated the Titans in a thrilling 35-33 come-from-behind victory, as Luck piloted his offense to three consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. It was Luck's largest-ever comeback, per Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders, and the 10th fourth-quarter comeback of his career (13th game-winning drive). 

There were rumors of a potential Luck injury during the game, as you could see him wincing oddly at a Matt Hasselbeck pat on the chest. 

The drive prior to the wince, Luck had thrown a 35-yard touchdown to Phillip Dorsett, however. And he led two more consecutive touchdown drives on the ensuing possessions to get the win, including a gorgeous 11-yard touchdown throw to Donte Moncrief for the go-ahead score. 

He certainly didn't look injured on the field, at least not in the plays after the alleged injury would have occurred. 

On Monday, Luck seemed to brush off any ideas of him being injured. 

But on Wednesday, Luck was limited in practice, participating in team activities but avoiding throwing the football. On Thursday, Luck threw behind closed doors, but he was limited in practice once again, and is questionable for Sunday's game, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. 

Based on the tone coming from the coaches and Luck this week, it doesn't seem likely that there is any structural damage, although Luck wouldn't tell reporters whether or not he had an MRI this week, according to the Indianapolis Star's Zak Keefer. Some kind of contusion to the shoulder or pectoral muscles doesn't seem out of the question. 

If there was any kind of structural damage, or even increased threat for structural damage, the Colts should not hesitate to sit Luck for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Out of all of their games this season, this might be the most winnable one, being at home against what looks like the most talent-deficient team in the division. 

On the other hand, sitting Luck against the Jaguars would almost certainly be a nod toward the Colts' Thursday night game against the Houston Texans next week. Going to Houston to play against a physical front that includes defensive end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney isn't a particularly inviting matchup either, but the Colts will certainly need Luck in order to compete in that one. 

And really, that's the point of all of this: The Colts desperately need Andrew Luck. 

They need him enough that it would be worth it to go without him for a short time to preserve him for the long run. 

Without Luck, the Colts roster is simply not talented enough to win the AFC South and make the playoffs. It's just not. The team has a strong core of young receivers, a few other veteran skill players, a pair of promising defensive linemen and a whole lot of question marks. 

Sure, Luck has been bad to start 2015, but the potential for Luck to bounce back to his old self is rather high, and Luck at his best gives his team a chance to be a contender in the AFC. Without Luck, the Colts don't have a chance. 

But let's assume Luck's injury doesn't include any structural damages to his right shoulder. Let's assume that his shoulder is not quite as sore on Sunday and he ends up playing against the Jaguars. What can the Colts do to give him a bit better protection from excessive hits, to ensure that he makes it to Thursday night without another issue? 

To start, the Colts can continue to ride running back Frank Gore. 

Gore has been stellar in Indianapolis, outside of his freak fumble at the goal line against the Jets. His vision and patience have been key missing components of Colts running backs in recent years, and it was on full display against the Titans as Gore ran for over six yards per carry and scored twice.

The Colts don't have the offensive line to line up in power formations and grind the game out, but slowing down, using the whole play clock and getting Gore touches out of the backfield (the draw has worked well) could keep some of the load off of Luck's back. 

But the Colts will have to throw the ball. When they do, they must minimize the high-risk situations the team puts Luck in, at least until he's fully healthy again. More three-step drops and route combinations designed for quick releases.

Tight ends have torched Jacksonville so far this season, as the team is 29th in DVOA vs tight ends, according to Football Outsiders. Therefore Coby Fleener and/or Dwayne Allen could eat up space underneath. They haven't fared well against No. 2 receivers either, ranking 28th, so if there is ever a time for Andre Johnson to show up on a few quick passes, it is now. 

Most of all, however, the Colts must be ready to pick up blitzes. The team's offensive line and running backs have had too many miscues through the first three weeks that have allowed free rushers to get shots on Luck, and that can't happen if the team is trying to protect a weakened body. 

Winning is the goal, of course. But a win won't matter if Luck gets a serious injury. Most injuries are random and not necessarily preventable, but when a player as critical as Luck is already hurting, more serious measures must be taken.