-Frank Reich’s quarterbacks have been among the NFL’s best on third down.
-Carson Wentz and Andrew Luck have flourished in the red zone under Reich’s guidance.
-This isn’t the first time Reich has relied on a backup QB, he won Super Bowl 52 with Nick Foles.
If anyone knows how to get the most out of a backup quarterback, it’s Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich. The second-year coach started just 20 games during his 13-year NFL career.
Perhaps most well-known for orchestrating some of the greatest comebacks in NCAA football and NFL history, it will take another herculean from Reich to save the Colts season following Andrew Luck’s retirement late Saturday night.
Jacoby Brissett was traded to the Colts right before the start of the 2017 season and started 15 games in place of Luck, who was nursing a shoulder injury. The former third-round pick was sacked a league-high 52 times in just 15 games en route to a 4-11 record.
Luckily for Brissett, he has a far greater chance of succeeding than he did two years ago. The Colts offensive line has been rebuilt by Chris Ballard and allowed just 18 sacks a year ago, the lowest total in the NFL and no coach has had more success with quarterbacks than Reich during the last two seasons.
In 2017, Reich was the offensive coordinator of the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Under his command, Carson Wentz had a breakout season, throwing 33 touchdowns in 13 games.
However, what was most impressive was Wentz’s performance in the red zone, where he posted a league-high 115 passer rating and threw 23 touchdowns with zero interceptions. Wentz also led the league in passer rating on third down (123.7) and his 47-percent conversion rate was second in the NFL behind Jimmy Garoppolo.
That success was sustained when Nick Foles replaced Wentz after his season was cut short by a torn ACL. Foles was second behind Wentz in third-down passer rating, and when it was all said and done, the pair of quarterbacks threw for a combined 31 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the red zone.
Reich moved on to Indianapolis following the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory and Philadelphia’s offense faltered in those key areas in the wake of his absence. Wentz’s third-down success rate dropped to just 37 percent and the Eagles red zone offense fell all the way to 17th in the NFL.
The Eagles loss ended being the Colts’ gain, as Luck had a resurgent season with the rookie head coach in 2018. Luck threw for a career-high 39 touchdowns and led the NFL in third-down conversion rate, all while having the most fun of his career.
Luck speaking to HC Frank Reich said he had to pinch myself last year and ask if “Am I allowed to have this much fun on the field?”
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 25, 2019
Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough fun for Luck to endure another rehab process, which brings back to Brissett, who, barring anything unforeseen, will be the Colts starting QB Week 1 in Los Angeles.
The situation may seem similar to 2017, but the circumstances in Indianapolis have changed immensely in two short years. Brissett is now surrounded by a head coach with a track record of maximizing talent at his position, an offensive line capable of protecting him and a team that has the talent to win consistently.
In fact, Brissett’s biggest struggles in 2017 fall right in line at what Reich has excelled at during his coaching career. Only Andy Dalton and Mitchell Trubisky converted third downs at a lower rate than Brissett two years ago. And in the red zone, Brissett’s passer rating of 73.5 ranked 27th in the NFL, ahead of only Deshone Kiser among quarterbacks with 40 red zone pass attempts.
If Reich can work his magic and get Brissett to be average in those categories, the Colts have a shot at remaining competitive in 2019.
No coach can prepare for the sudden departure of a player of Luck’s caliber and the Colts are no longer a favorite to be playing football late in January 2020. However, for a guy who engineered a 31-point comeback in college, a 32-point comeback in the 1993 playoffs and won a Super Bowl with Foles as his QB, nothing may be truly impossible.