(Photo by Bob Carr / sbreport.net, @BobCarrNFL )

How does a rookie quarterback with a 76.5 QB rating get to the Pro Bowl?  By being awesome, of course (and winning 11 games on a “rebuilding” team).  Now, without further ado, The Notebook (sorry, not the one with Ryan Gosling, just a nice quarterback with a neck beard).  All quotes are courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts PR Department, unless otherwise noted. 

Never Been to Hawaii

When Andrew Luck was named an alternate for the 2013 Pro Bowl, it seemed likely he would be called upon to play in the NFL’s all-star game because of the three names ahead of him; one would surely be a Super Bowl participant.  As Matt Schaub, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady each lost in the playoffs, Luck’s chances diminished somewhat.  That is, until Brady bowed out of the Pro Bowl with an undisclosed injury. 

Thus, Andrew Luck, a young man whose skill and value go well beyond his raw numbers (numbers that are only expected to improve), boarded a flight to Hawaii.  “I figured that it was a good possibility so I didn’t want to fly all the way from Indianapolis if it happened,” Luck said. “I flew off to the West Coast and hung out there at Stanford until I got the call.” 

Two years later, drafting Anthony Castonzo still seems like the smart move in the 2011 NFL draft.

Desperately needing to fill holes after a disappointing 2010 season, the Colts' biggest need was agreed to be (by most) left tackle. Charlie Johnson simply wasn't cutting it, and the Colts allowed him to sign with Minnesota that summer (which, we knew then and we know now, was a bad idea for Minny, Johnson simply isn't a left tackle). 

When it came to the 22nd pick, the Colts had several options to choose from, including several potential left tackles. Castonzo was the pick, and has started at left tackle for the past two years. He's been much more reliable than Gabe Carimi, Derek Sherrod, or James Carpenter, the next three tackles taken and his competition for the Colts' pick. You could argue that Muhammed Wilkerson would have been a better pick, especially in hindsight after the Colts switched to the 3-4, but that's the only realistic greivance. 

On Tonight's Episode of Colts Authority Radio, Greg, Laura, and Rohan have a Pep Talk live at 8pm ET!  Topics on tonight's show - Arians to Arizona, Hamilton, Revis, Brady, NFL, Playoffs, etccccccccc!  Join us!

Heading into this week, I had already planned on writing about Bruce Arians on Monday and the man who replaced him, Pep Hamilton, on Thursday. My decision was validated by the response to that Monday article. Reading through the various comments, I was amazed at just how interested and passionate fans were in the position - and a little surprised that very few people seem even a little disappointed that Arians is leaving.

So today, let's have a Pep talk. Who is Mr. Hamilton, what does his hiring mean for the Colts, and what in the name of Blue the Mascot is the West Coast offense? I have the answers to NONE of those questions, but we'll fake it together after the jump.

Join Colts Authority Radio as Scott Kacsmar and Kyle Rodriguez discuss the conference championship games and look forward to the Super Bowl.

Each Sunday, I find myself in a state of confusion. A perfect hit will be delivered in the defensive backfield, and for a second all will be well. Then, the inevitable. A cascade of yellow fabric, and 15 yards for the offense. It's become ever more frequent with the increased focus on player safety from the NFL, with their increased drive towards concussion prevention something I wholeheartedly support. As Colts fans, we saw the Austin Collie storyline progress through the last couple of years. The image of Collie unconscious before hitting the ground - much as with Stevan Ridley on Sunday - isn't something i'm likely to forget quickly.

As such, it's a great thing that the NFL has decided to prioritise player safety in the wake of ex-player suicides and issues with mental illness. No-one wants to see players unconscious on the field, or suffering outside of it. The stories involving Dave Duerson and Junior Seau are harrowing to say the least - two men wrought by physical and mental torment, ultimately driven to suicide.

The issue I have with the NFL lies in enforcement - and the complete lack of consistency on behalf of every officiating crew in the league. This year in particular has been littered with officiating mistakes, and they've affected the Colts fairly frequently. It's in the nature of any fan to consider him/herself aggrieved when their team gets flagged, and it's also natural to exaggerate numbers, frequencies and such when your team is involved. While conscious of this, I completely believe that there was a disproportionate level of officiating ineptitude in Colts games this year. Every week there seemed to be a new interpretation of the rulebook - whether concerning pass interference; unnecessary roughness and even simple defensive holding. The net effect of this ambiguity fatally skews the balance in favour of offense, given that the defender is wrought by indecision and calculations that he now has to try and make in a split second.

As if the challenge wasn't hard enough, the new attention to DPI has made covering receivers somewhat of an impossibility.  Example time - here's Vontae against the Chiefs.

If you've read this column with any regularity this year, you know that I wasn't always Bruce Arians' biggest fan. As a head coach, I questioned his lack of aggression, along with his decision making on 3rd and 4th downs, and his usage of timeouts and challenges. As an offensive coordinator, I loved his willingness to go deep, but grew frustrated with the resulting hits to his QB - I desperately wanted him to develop a short and intermediate game to go along with the vertical attack.

And as the season ended and Arians' name was thrown out there as a hot commodity in head coaching searches, I was not-so-secretly okay with him moving on. But as the season ended, as I had time to digest what I had watched, what the Colts had been able to do, I started getting mixed feelings. I really did love the vertical aspects of Arians offense, his connection with the players on the roster was undeniable, and, most importantly, I had some major fear of the unknown. There are some seriously bad OC candidates out there, and some of them have ties to Pagano, and, oh, forget it: I was afraid they would hire Cam Cameron. 

In the end, when I got down to it, the nits I was picking with Bruce Arians weren't to make him a good coordinator, they were to make him a darn near perfect one. Maybe my standards are too high.

The Colts' biggest weakness this season is an interesting, albeit sad, battle. 

On one hand, you have an abysmal offensive line in a system that was based around deep passing. That's not a good match. 

On the other hand, you had a thin, injury prone secondary in a defensive system that likes to bring the blitz. Also not a good match. 

The combination of the two helped kill the Colts at crucial times throughout the season, none bigger than the team's season ending loss in Baltimore. The offensive line allowed Luck to be pressured all game, negating the deep ball, and the defensive backs allowed Joe Flacco and Anquan Boldin to connect on rainbow throw after rainbow throw in the second half, allowing the Ravens to get two second half touchdowns. If not for a couple of Ray Rice fumbles, it could have been even worse. 

Today, I want to talk abou the latter as the Colts look towards 2013. Specifically, Cassius Vaughn and Darius Butler, two players who started for the Colts, despite having no business being starters, and who are free agents this year. Butler is an unrestricted FA, while Vaughn is restricted. But who is better for the Colts as they look forward? 

According to souces "with knowledge of the situation," Pep Hamilton has agreed to become the Indianapolis Colts' next offensive coordinator. Hamilton had been rumored to be interviewing for the University of Oregon head coaching position Friday as well, but is now expected to sign a contract with Indianapolis on Saturday. 

Hamilton is currently the "Andrew Luck Director of Offense" at Stanford University, known as offensive coordinator to most fans. The position was renamed after Luck's senior season in 2011 when an anonymous donor requested a formal name change of the title. Speaking of Luck, the Colts' rookie quarterback is excited to reunite with his former coach, and while I had no qualms about Luck picking up a new playbook, the transition will be much easier with Hamilton than it would have been with another guy. 

Last week I took a look at the receivers closely evaluating free agent Donnie Avery. Maybe I was harsh but I suggested it's time for the Colts to look for a better option at wideout.

This week we tackle a tougher scenario: Dammit Donald.

Donald Brown, much maligned by media and fans, has one year left on his rookie deal. While Vick Ballard emerged as a standout rookie talent and long-term prospect Brown's future became increasingly cloudy as his injury history piled up and he missed six games in 2012. Brown is slotted to make $1.7M in 2013--he'll count $2.2M against the cap with his bonus. With an abundance of cap space that kind of hit is considerably less valuable than a roster spot.