What Indianapolis Colts Must Improve Most Coming out of Week 10 Bye

No matter who you are or what your record is, every team in the NFL has plenty that can be improved upon in the coming days.

With half of the season (at least) behind each team and some teams already eyeing first-round playoff byes, every area of the game becomes critical.

The Indianapolis Colts can certainly count themselves among those teams that are hardly a finished product.

From Andrew Luck to the pass rush to running the ball, every aspect can be made better. But which areas of the game do the Colts most need to improve on?

Andrew Luck's Hero Mentality

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This position here is something that concerns me.

It's one thing to believe you have the ability to make every throw and fit the regulation-sized ball into a collegiate-sized ball hole. It's quite another to blatantly disregard the fact that this is the NFL and the defenders are damn good at what they do.

The Colts have lived and died by Luck's decisions in 2014 and, consequently, sometimes that has meant death.

As great as Luck is when he's in the zone, he can make some absolutely boneheaded choices. His nine interceptions on the year tell part of the story, but that number could easily be several higher.

He regularly lofts the ball into coverage to avoid sacks, even when there is no receiver in sight. He threw a pass—literally—from the seat of his pants against the Pittsburgh Steelers, resulting in a safety.

Suffice it to say, ball security isn't always at the forefront of his mind.

And, somewhat secondarily—but still related—Luck has no fear of being physically harmed.

As grisly of a game as the NFL is, that may have come off as a compliment to his toughness. That's how backwards this sport can be at times. We applaud those who don't actively avoid getting injured.

C'mon, man.

This is not the league it once was. Indianapolis is not best served by Luck trying to dole out Walter Payton-esque damage at the end of his runs. He looks invincible right now, and to his credit, he has been, but there may come a day when Luck is seriously injured by a defender that never should've laid a hand on him.

Then he'll realize he's only a man.

Closing out Tough Games

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The Colts have not been great in pressure situations this year.

Granted, there haven't been many this season. However, when Indy has found itself in a pressure situation late in games this year, it has struggled to come out with wins.

Week 1 in Denver, a turnover on downs on a game-tying drive. Colts lose by seven.

Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles, tied at 27, Indy goes three-and-out with two minutes left in the game. Colts lose by three.

Week 6 in Houston, the Colts shut it down after leading 24-0 in the first quarter. Colts squeak by with a five-point win.

Their record doesn't necessarily reflect it, but Indianapolis has struggled late in games against quality opponents. Whether the Colts forget to let Luck run the show, Luck makes a pivotal mistake, or the whole team simply doesn't finish well, things have been interesting in the fourth quarter to this point.

If they can't figure out how to close out games more confidently, it could be a point of great pain toward the end of the year.

The Running Game Quandary

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Should we run it now?

Let's play a game called situational football.

We've got one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, who has proven he has a penchant for winning games in the fourth quarter. It's a tie game and there's just over three minutes left in the fourth. We just got the ball at our own 20. What should we do?

Pep Hamilton: Uh... should we run it twice and pass on third down?

Incorrect. (Source: Week 2 against Eagles)

Another scenario. It's the fourth quarter of a blowout victory against a division opponent. We lead by 24 with 10 minutes to play and we've dominated every phase of the game. Our starting offense remains in the game, but it's all a formality at this point. What should we do?

Hamilton: Time for another touchdown pass.

Incorrect. (Source: Week 4 against Tennessee Titans)

Hamilton seems committed to using a run-heavy, grind-it-out offense, but only when it makes no sense. Finally, in Week 9, the Colts overwhelmingly passed in the first half to jump out to a huge lead before racking up running plays and winding down the clock in the second half.

If they want to dominate the pace of play, they will need to master that concept. Controlling the clock and the scoreboard is the key to winning big games.

Protecting the Quarterback

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Luck undoubtedly is feeling the pain right now.

Indianapolis has taken its tank of a quarterback for granted. Most men would be dead by now.

In just the past two weeks, Indy has surrendered 19 hits on the young signal-caller. In Week 9, despite Luck's superb performance against the New York Giants, he was hit a freakish seven times by Robert Ayers alone.

Sure, Ayers and the G-Men recorded only one sack that evening, but Luck is still feeling some of those shots.

Go back and watch the tape. He is getting annihilated right now.

Same goes for the game against the Steelers. Luck is getting no time at all before getting rid of passes at the last possible instant and paying dearly for having waited at all. Check out the touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne last week. It's a wonder Luck even got up.

If the Colts can't protect Luck, they are doomed to the same fate of the past two seasons: an early trip home in the playoffs.