If Colts Drafted Andy Dalton, Would They Have Survived Peyton Manning Injury?

Indianapolis Colts vice chairman Bill Polian made quite a confession on Tuesday, stating that the team had "very much considered" drafting quarterback Andy Dalton, now of the Cincinnati Bengals, in 2011.

Considering the kind of season the Colts have had, with just a single win among a glut of depressing losses, they would have been well off drafting him or any other quarterback in 2011. But just how well off?

In the early weeks of the season, it seemed that Indianapolis' problems lied solely with the fact that it was likely without legendary starting quarterback Peyton Manning for the entire year.

With Kerry Collins under center for three games, the team scored just two touchdowns; with Curtis Painter starting for eight games, the Colts scored just six more passing touchdowns to nine interceptions, and now, with Dan Orlovsky at quarterback, they've managed four touchdowns in the air and two more picks.

While the quarterback situation was a major liability for the team this year, so was the defense. Once one of the league's most hard-hitting and fearsome squads, they've given 24 or more points in 11 games thus far.

With the Colts offense struggling to gain meaningful yardage, let alone score points, their defense managed to do them few favors. That's why Dalton may not have been successful in Indianapolis this year should the team have drafted him in 2011.

Dalton's been one of the most accomplished offensive rookies this season. While fellow rookie, wideout A.J. Green, has been integral to that success, it's also been the Bengals defense—now ranked in the middle of the pack, but was solidly in the top eight squads in the league for most of the season—that has helped prevent Dalton from making mistakes by not forcing him to play from behind all that often.

The Bengals defense has held opponents to 20 or fewer points in 10 of the team's 14 games, allowing Dalton to take fewer risks and focus more on setting up the running game. That's why Dalton can have just a 59 percent completion rate and still throw for over 3,000 yards, 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and that's why his team is 8-6 instead of 1-13.

Dalton would have definitely been an upgrade over Collins, Painter and Orlovsky, and the Colts would have likely had more success in the passing game if they had drafted and started him.

However, the fact that the Colts have had so many glaring deficiencies in other facets of the game makes me think that Indianapolis would still be well under .500 even if Dalton were their starter.