The Indianapolis Colts won again with Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback and the team is now 4-0 with Hasselbeck starting in place of Andrew Luck this season. Luck is expected to return at some point in December, but he still will be out for at least two more games, meaning Hasselbeck will remain under center if he stays healthy.
The Colts improved to 6-5 this season and they are now 4-0 with Hasselbeck starting after the quarterback led the team to a 25-12 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hasselbeck had 315 yards and two touchdowns in the game and the Colts remain in first place in the AFC South despite having the same record as the Texans, as the team beat Houston earlier in the season. Luck is dealing with a lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle and could be out into the middle of December.
The Colts have now won three straight games and the matchup coming against the Houston Texans in a few weeks will be huge for the division and the AFC playoff picture. The Texans have stormed back into contention after a tough start to the season and that game between Indy and Houston could decide the AFC South division. Hasselbeck has been very solid in the games he has started for Luck through the season and on Sunday he completed 26 of 42 passes and had a rating of 100.8 for Indianapolis.
The Colts have Andrew Luck on the mend from his injuries and reports have Luck coming back around mid-December for Indianapolis. According to Ian Rapoport at NFL.com, Luck is expected to be back 4-to-6 weeks after his injury after his initial diagnosis was that he could return 2-to-6 weeks after being injured. If the Colts make the playoffs, Luck should be able to play if he remains healthy/
TY Hilton and Donte Moncrief performed well for Hasselbeck, combining for 14 catches in the game. Hilton had six catches for 95 yards and made an impact with two touchdowns, while Moncrief led with eight catches for 114 yards. The team will have to continue relying on Hasselbeck and the passing game, as Ahmad Bradshaw will be out for the rest of the season with an injury. According to Pro Football Talk, the team announced that Bradshaw has been placed on season ending IR with a wrist injury.
Bradshaw played in six games with the Colts this season and put up 85 rushing yards while making 10 catches for 64 yards and three touchdowns. Frank Gore and Dan Herron now will be the two main backs for Hasselbeck and the team also added Zurlon Tipton to the roster. Bradshaw has dealt with injuries over the past three seasons for the Colts and now Gore will get the chance to step up again for Indy after rushing for 24 yards against the Buccaneers on Sunday.