Luck saying all the right things about his coach in wake of team’s first victory

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is a consummate professional and he was saying all the right things after his team’s close win at Tennessee Sunday.

Whether Colts Coach Chuck Pagano is on the hot seat or not, Luck made it clear—again on Sunday—where he stands regarding his coach.

In his interview with 1070 The Fan immediately after the game against the Titans, the first words out of Luck’s mouth were praise for Pagano, who is in the last year of his contract and is reportedly at odds with Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson.

When asked how the Colts turned things around after an 0-2 start, Luck said the credit goes to Pagano.

"Where does the resolve on this team come from?" The Fan's Matt Taylor asked Luck following Sunday's game. "Seemingly you guys are never out of it, always able to make a come back."

"It starts with the head coach, Coach Pagano and the tone he sets," Luck said. "Shoot, we love playing for him. He's a great man."

Clearly Luck realizes a coaching controversy serves no one in the organization right now.

In the post-game press conference, Luck again made a point to credit Pagano.

When a reporter asked how the Colts rallied after giving up 27 straight points, Luck was eager to give Pagano credit for the 35-33 win.

“It starts with Coach Pagano,” Luck said. “He sets the tone and we work from there. We always focus on the next play … We made critical plays when we needed to to get the win.

“Coach Pagano has built a great environment where you love playing with each other,” Luck added.

Luck’s post-game praise of his coach comes less than a week after Pagano appeared to take a swipe at his quarterback.

“He’s got to take care of the football,” Pagano said of Luck following a humbling loss to the New York Jets on Sept. 21. “It’s not that hard. It’s not trigonometry.”

Pagano also said regarding Luck’s handling of erratic offensive line play: “[That has] been the case for three years now, hasn’t it? He should be more than comfortable dealing with it.”

Pagano backed off those statements later in the week. Now apparently Luck is ready to follow his coaches advice and “focus on the next play.”