Should the Colts shut down Andrew Luck?

Andrew Luck has yet to go through a full week of practice this season. The Colts’ franchise quarterback has taken a pounding under center. His 37 sacks this season are tied for the second most this season. That includes missing a game earlier this year due to a concussion.

Simply put, Luck has taken a beating all year.

As a result the Colts have struggled to find consistency on offense. That accumulated over last week when the Luck drove the Colts down inside the five yards line. Down just 6 at the time, Luck was sacked and fumbled. That play might go down as the main reason they miss out on the playoffs.

Ok, HERE is Dwayne Allen's worst five seconds — soul crushed by Clowney and then casual attempt to scoop ball in clutter. Turnover. Bye. pic.twitter.com/oPWzcTuNOb

— Sean Pendergast (@SeanTPendergast) December 12, 2016

That play is tough to watch. No matter how much you watch it.

The Colts have failed to protect Luck his entire career. And now, with the playoff hopes riding off into the sunset, his best offensive lineman (Jack Mewhort) has been placed on IR.

So here is what Luck gets to deal with this Sunday when the Colts take on the Vikings. Anthony Castonzo at left tackle, Jonnothan Harrison at left guard, Ryan Kelly at center, Joe Haeg at right guard and La’Raven Clark at right tackle.

Yes, that means three rookies will be protecting the highest paid player in the league. Not to mention Clark, who has been inactive for 8 games this season, will get his first ever start. Throw that in with Harrison making his first ever start at guard. That spells a whole lot of trouble for the Colts.

The Vikings defense currently ranks third in sacks and second in overall defense.

Factor that in with the amount of enexperience up front for the Colts, and Luck could be in for a long day.

If that makes you feel queasy, the following week the Colts travel to Oakland. That Raiders team boasts top tier pass rushers in Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. So basically another beating waiting to happen.

Follow that up with a home game against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Forget their record, this same team sacked Luck six times already earlier this year. Not a good sign.

Now, you never want to shut down your best player for the season for the hell of it. However, the problem here is that Luck has battled injuries all season. If you truly believe that the playoffs are out of sight, which the Colts do not, then you should consider this. Yes, I know what I just said, but they have just a 6 percent chance of making the playoffs right now.

It is an unlikely scenario that Pagano and the staff shut him down, but they do need to weigh their options here.

The post Should the Colts shut down Andrew Luck? appeared first on Cover32.