Clayton: One of the contenders in the AFC appears to be in trouble
Aug 3, 2021, 3:08 PM
While everyone in Denver is looking to see the close competition between Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock at quarterback, it’s interesting to see how the rest of the AFC is doing.
When camps started last week, I thought there were as many as 11 teams in the AFC with a chance to make the playoffs. The AFC North has Cleveland, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The AFC East has Buffalo and Miami, but I’m not yet ready to jump on the New England bandwagon. The AFC South has Tennessee and Indianapolis. The AFC West has Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers and the Broncos.
But things may be changing in Indianapolis. What was considered to be a formidable offense is in deep trouble.
Last Thursday, quarterback Carson Wentz felt a pop in his foot, a foot that had a break when he was in high school. After resting and rehabbing a couple days, Wentz underwent foot surgery and will be out from five to 12 weeks.
That’s a big blow because Colts might have to start last year’s fourth-round choice, Jacob Eason. They signed veteran Brett Hundley to give then a veteran option.
On Tuesday, Quenton Nelson, considered the best guard and maybe the best offensive lineman in the league, suffered a similar foot injury. He was scheduled for surgery Tuesday. He’s expected to miss five to 12 weeks.
Now there seems to be the thought that left tackle Eric Fisher might not be ready to play the first month of the season. He blew out his Achilles in the AFC Championship Game. With Anthony Castonzo retiring, the Colts had to gamble to fix the most important position on the offensive line. Not having Fisher would be a major setback.
The Colts open the season against five teams that won 10 or more games last year – Seattle, the Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee and Miami. In other words, Indianapolis could start off 0-5 and be in trouble.
