Sorgi or Painter? A Question That Has Been Puzzling Mankind For Ages

With each passing day we inch closer and closer to the 53 man roster cuts. The question that has been racing through every Colts fan's mind is whether or not Painter will make the roster. Historically, the Colts are not known for carrying three quarterbacks on the active roster. Technically speaking, Hunter Smith was the "3rd/emergency QB" and would be the starter if both Peyton and Sorgi went down. Although, as a poster here said (and whose name eludes me at the moment), if it ever came down to Hunter Smith playing QB you can pretty much kiss the season goodbye and start looking forward to the draft.

Now that Hunter Smith is gone, this puts Coach Caldwell in an interesting predicament concerning who will be our third QB. Will he use an extra roster spot for a third QB? Will he cut either Painter or Sorgi? Or will he risk placing Painter on the practice squad where another team could get their dirty little mitts on him?

Answering these questions is no easy task, and this is something Coach Caldwell will have to be very methodical about when coming to a conclusion. If I were in Coach Caldwell's shoes, I think there is only one option that has been quite clear ever since last preseason: Sorgi needs to go.

My beef with Sorgi stems not from his work ethic or willingness to be a good quarterback; he just lacks the tools necessary for the job. The purpose of a backup quarterback in my opinion, is a quarterback who can and will fill in for the starting quarterback if he is unable to play and gives the team a great chance to win. Not just a good chance, or a coin flip, a great chance to win and Sorgi can't deliver. He had all of training camp last season to work with the starters and play in the preseason games, and he was an utter disappointment. There wasn't a single Colts fan (unless you are a blind homer) who felt good going into the season with Sorgi as the starting quarterback if Peyton wasn't healthy, not a damn soul.

A good example of the type of backup quarterback I'm talking about is Kerry Collins.

Regardless of your opinion of Kerry Collins, he is a great backup. He took the place of a "superstar in the making" (insert evil cackle here) and helped his team achieve a 12-4 record and the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs. That's no small feat by any stretch of the imagination. This question is, do you truly believe Sorgi is capable of doing that?

Naturally there will be some resistance here and I get that. Colts fans will claim that Sorgi would still have Reggie, Gonzo, and Clark to throw the ball to and Addai and Brown to run the ball. My retort to that is: Peyton Manning makes them great, not the other way around. This isn't the Patriots we're talking about here where the supporting cast around Brady makes him who he is. This is the Indianapolis Colts, or should I say, the Indianapolis Peyton Mannings. The only way the Colts would succeed throughout a given season if Peyton were to go down is if they had a competent backup who has the tools and the leadership to take over the team and continue marching on into battle, like a Kerry Collins.

The bigger question is whether or not Painter possesses everything Sorgi doesn't. And I believe the answer is yes. The basis for my assumption is not founded upon any statistic or theory, it's just my perception, it's what I feel when I see the guy play. From what I've seen of Painter in the preseason he has the potential to be a pretty good quarterback. Sorgi on the other hand is topped out in his abilities; he has hit his ceiling.

No matter the decision that is made, they all come with their drawbacks. Ultimately Caldwell needs to do what's best for the team and even if I disagree with his choice I'll just have to trust his judgment and move forward. Painter may or may not develop into a great quarterback in a few years, right now that's hard to tell. I believe he gives the Colts a fighter's chance if Peyton were to go down, but I could be wrong. However, one thing that is certain is that he can't be any worse.

Lesser of two evils, right?