With new information coming out every day about Andrew Luck’s ankle and calf injury, the Indianapolis Colts’ starter has yet to be named ready for Week 1.

Luck has been out all of training camp, which has led to new opportunities for backups Jacoby Brissett, Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly. Brissett has been handling the first-team reps and will be the one to start Week 1 if Luck is not ready to go.

Brissett started 15 games for the Colts in 2017 finishing the year at 4-12. While his record and touchdown to interception ratio (13:7) may not jump off the page, his arm strength and versatility were featured, showing at times he was capable of being an everyday starter in the NFL.

There wasn’t a whole lot to be excited about in 2017 with Brissett under center, but there are significant reasons why he has a chance to find more success in 2019 should he step in for Luck.

First, this team is coming off an AFC divisional round berth after finishing 10-6 on the season. In 2016 the Colts fell just short of the playoffs at 8-8. The overall talent, coaching, and personnel of the team now is night and day to what Brissett came into in 2017.

The run game was led by Frank Gore and Robert Turbin with a young rookie Marlon Mack sitting on the bench for most of the season. Now, Mack has emerged as a formidable threat in the backfield and many believe he is poised for a breakout season.

The receiving corps stayed mostly the same and added lots of talent from when Brissett was the starting quarterback. T.Y. Hilton has only gotten better at getting down the field and guys like Chester Rodgers and Jack Doyle, who Brissett relied on heavily in 2017, have also developed more. With the additions of Eric Ebron, Devin Funchess and Paris Campbell, this 2019 receiving corps seems like it could make any quarterback successful.

Probably the most glaring difference between the 2017 Colts and the 2019 Colts is the offensive line. In 2017, Indy’s O-line ranked 25th in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. They used 18 different combinations up-front and had 10 different linemen playing over 140 snaps each. Last year, PFF ranked the Colts offensive line third-best in the league with impressive rookie campaigns from Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith.

Brissett would certainly be better protected with more time to move in and outside of the pocket, giving the young quarterback a better window to succeed versus 2017.

Let’s not forget about the other side of the ball as well. In 2017 the Colts defense ranked 30th in the NFL for team defense by Pro Football Reference. After last year, the Colts’ team defense ranking jumped up to 10. By giving the offense better field position and more time with the ball, Brissett would be sure to thrive if he were to be QB1.

Just about every major facet of the Colts seems like it dramatically improved from 2017-2019. This team is certainly on the cusp of something special but injuries continue to be this team’s Achilles heel.

If Brissett were to get the start Week 1, with the improved roster and coaching, he would have a much better chance to be successful and win games before Luck returns. The reps he is getting now in the preseason will only make him better going into the regular season.

Frank Reich and Chris Ballard have said after the third preseason game, the team hopefully know who the starter for the opener will be.

It is near impossible to replace the production and leadership that Luck brings to the field, but Brissett is set up nicely to have much more success than the last time he was the starter.