Fighting for his job, Pagano unfazed by the storm

Chuck Pagano is not oblivious to his current circumstances.

He knows just how tenuous his job status is.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest this is true, ranging from his audacious, aggressive coaching against the New England Patriots to his increased outspokenness — and previously unseen defiance — in news conferences.

Besides, if we're being honest, how could he not know what is being said about him when some of the doubts about his future as coach of the Indianapolis Colts originated right down the hall, from his owner's corner office?

How could he be unaware of his vulnerable position when it's been plastered in huge headlines and splashed across television screens?

So, yeah, Pagano knows full well he's fighting for his job.

But to the people with whom he has the most interaction, his players, Pagano appears largely unaffected. Colts players see in their coach a man who continues to have a steady hand even while he stares down the barrel of a proverbial gun.

"He's always, always the same," cornerback Vontae Davis said. "Every team has adversity. If the job was easy, then everybody could be a head coach. I think he's the man for the job."

Pagano is so unmoved by the rumors that some in the locker room seem unaware of their very existence. Ask certain players how Pagano has been affected and you might be met with a blank stare, confirmation that Pagano hasn't uttered a word or missed a beat.

"He doesn't bring any of that in here," left tackle Anthony Castonzo said. "I actually don't even know what you're talking about."

But make no mistake. The situation is real.

With no contract beyond this season, media speculation about Pagano's possible successor has already commenced. Based on the absence of a contract extension, Pagano seems to lack the confidence of owner Jim Irsay. Irsay offered only a one-year extension at a salary nearly identical to his current deal, but Pagano — perhaps feeling underappreciated after 33 regular-season wins in three seasons — declined the offer.

Irsay has said little about Pagano's status publicly, though he did say in September, after the season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills, that Pagano was not coaching for his job.

"I don't look at it that way at all," Irsay said. "Everyone has to win. I mean, that's a given. I don't look at it like he's coaching for his job or anything like that. I don't see the dynamic being anything different than any other year in the past."

But contrast those statements with the contract offer and some of Irsay's past remarks that suggest doubt because of blowout losses to the Patriots and other clubs, and Irsay's message is contradicted.

Apart from Irsay's actions and Pagano's contract status, other issues exist. His deteriorating relationship with General Manager Ryan Grigson alone might be enough to prevent him from returning. Then there's the perceived inability to beat the NFL's elite teams, something Irsay has referenced in the past (the Colts are 19-2 versus the weak AFC South since 2012, 17-16 against all other teams). There's also the Colts' 0-2 start to this season. Throw in the fact that Pagano became the butt of a national joke after last Sunday's failed fake punt against New England, and it feels like he's been in the crosshairs for the better part of the past several months.

Through it all, Pagano has displayed a certain resolve.

"I mean, it's a game," he said this week. "It's a privilege to play and coach this game."

Pagano has managed to keep his head. But he also enjoys the unequivocal backing of his players. And that matters more than you can know.

Because, right now, that might be all Pagano has.

"I think everybody in this locker room has each other's back," quarterback Andrew Luck said. "We all buy into the plan and that's the way it is. The second-guessing is for the media and the fans to do. And that's also the beauty of sports, that everybody has an opinion. And that's great. But no second-guessing from this locker room.

"We're all in."

Said linebacker Jerrell Freeman: "Hell no. There's zero wavering. Chuck was playing to win against New England. That's what you want your coach to do."

Players tend to take on the personality of their coaches. The Colts are no different. Players repeat Pagano's clichés (and he's got tons of them). They absorb his eternal optimism, too.

"He never," Davis said, "shows defeat."

So, it is perhaps unsurprising that players also seem to possess Pagano's ability to compartmentalize.

"All the noise around him, we pay it no attention," linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said, "because he's living it. He has to deal with it. He's dealing with that stress of coaching this team and everything that's happened this season. So why should we worry?"

The Colts have had their coach's back before. During his 12-game absence in 2012, during Pagano's battle with leukemia, his players learned about real adversity. Not the sort of contrived adversity teams talk about after losing a big game, mind you. Pagano was facing a game in which the stakes were literally life and death.

"There's some real-life stuff that really, really matters," Pagano said, putting football in its proper context.

While away, he asked his players to keep working. They won. He won. Their bond grew stronger.

Now, Pagano needs his players to come through again. Because if they can win under less than ideal circumstances once more, if they can rally from their lethargic 3-3 start, Pagano could ultimately benefit.

"Shoot, we need to do our part. As players, we feel like it's on us, the fact that he's dealing with added pressures," Jackson said. "We have to do our part, plain and simple. He'll be the first one to take the blame. You take all the credit when you lose, and you give all the credit away when you win. So, we have to hold up our end of the bargain."

Ten games remain. So, much football. So much time.

So much can change.

"We have a great coaching staff, so you really want to keep that together," linebacker Erik Walden said. "So, you want to do whatever you can to make sure you're producing."

The Colts are playing for a principled man, one who is leaning more heavily on those principles as the temperature of his seat gets warmer.

"I remember a couple of years ago, in my first year here (2013), Chuck brought up something that someone had said or written (in the media) during a pep talk to us," quarterback Matt Hasselbeck recalled. "That's not usually very motivating because (players) don't really care about that. But I remember the next day — and I've never had this happen — he said, 'Hey, about yesterday… I always tell you guys to block it out because there's no value in it, good or bad. And I brought it up. My bad. I apologize. I'll never do that again.'

"It was so real and so awesome. Rarely do you see a head coach sort of call himself out like he did. And it was great. I said, 'You know, I like this guy. I like him a lot.' "

Now, with the rumor mill churning and scrutiny intensifying, it's time for Pagano to take his own advice like never before.

Follow Star reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.