By John Sarianides

The Indianapolis Colts will open the season without star quarterback Andrew Luck but even without Luck, the Colts still have a talented roster and as long as back up quarterback Scott Tolzien can manage the offense, they will compete.

Here are three keys for the 2017 Colts.

1. Weather the Storm: The Colts will have to weather the storm until Luck comes back. They will need to win in all three phases of the game in order to do that. Tolzien is a capable game manager but they cannot expect him to win them games while Luck is out. 

2. Attitude on Defense: The Colts have not been very good defensively in the Chuck Pagano era which is surprising considering he came from Baltimore. There is some good, young talent on this side of the ball but their attitude needs to change and they must believe they can be an elite defense.

3. Get off to a Good Start: The Colts got off to a bad start last season and they sank fast. It will be tough to get off to a good start without Luck this season but Indy needs to keep its head above water until he gets back. If they can go 2-1 or even 2-2 in the first four, they will be fine.

In the End: The Colts are the Colts. They will manage to stay competitive without Luck but the sooner he gets back, the better their chances are at making the playoffs.