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INDIANAPOLIS -- Chuck Pagano has been through an 0-2 start before during his tenure as Indianapolis Colts head coach. The Colts also began the two previous seasons with no wins through the first two weeks of the regular season. Indianapolis finished the 2014 season with an 11-5 record and managed to win the AFC South crown.
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Last year, however, the Colts ended up at 8-8 and barely missed making the post-season field.
Pagano says that despite his team's 0-2 record, he won't allow himself or his team to get bogged down in reaction to yet another slow start.
"You have to know me well enough by now," Pagano said. "You can't. The way the media is now and social media, I think what we do if you are 2-0 right now. They are going to talk about you and make you into something that you probably aren't.
"If you are 0-2, they are going to say enough negative things about you to make you into something that you are probably not. Somewhere right in the middle is where reality lies whether you are 2-0 or 0-2. That is just how it is. We try really hard. And we talk about it all the time, to not focus on that. You can't. You have to focus on what you can control and doing your job and doing it better. All of us do."
Indianapolis will be looking for its first win on Sunday when San Diego visits Lucas Oil Stadium.
"You can control what you can control. If a couple plays go a little bit different in each of those (first two) games, you are sitting at 2-0. But that is not the case. That has never been the case," Pagano said. "It is what it is.
"We are going to continue to work, continue to prepare, do everything that we have to do to give ourselves a chance to get (win), No. 1. Nothing else matters, but the next game and getting a win and trying to find a way to get that first win."
It won't be easy against the Chargers (1-1), especially with quarterback Phillip Rivers off to a another good start this season.
"He is very, very smart," Pagano said. "He does as good a job as anybody pre-snap of gathering information. When you go through and you look at the play clock and do the cadence study, there are a lot of times where there are one or two seconds left on the play clock before he snaps it. Especially on third down.
"And he does a great job of getting the defense to show their hand. You try to do as good a job as you can to try to hide what you are doing. There is nothing that he has not seen. He keeps his eyes down the field, his arm strength is still there and his arm talent is still there. He can make all the throws. He is a competitive guy and he spreads it around. He knows where to go with the football, period. Nine out of 10 times, he is usually right on with what he thinks you are in."
And it's only not Rivers. Pagano has been impressed with the Chargers as a whole.
"We have a huge challenge as we know (against) a really good San Diego team coming in here," he said. "Offensively, for our defense, we know it's going to be a huge challenge. (They are) putting a ton of points on the board.
"Philip Rivers shows no signs of slowing down. They are running the ball extremely well and he is spreading the ball. We have a lot of work to do between now and game time."
SERIES HISTORY: 26th regular season meeting. Chargers lead series, 16-9. San Diego also leads in post-season meetings, 2-1. Indianapolis has lost its last three games against the Chargers, including playoffs, and have dropped six of their last seven overall with San Diego. The Colts' last win in the series came on Nov. 23, 2008, a 23-20 road decision. Indianapolis is 3-11 against the Chargers in home games and 6-5 on the road. The Colts' last regular-season home-field victory over San Diego occurred on Dec. 26, 2004, when Indianapolis registered a 34-31 victory. San Diego won the last meeting on Oct. 14, 2013, 19-9. The Chargers also posted a 36-14 win on Nov. 14, 2010, in the last game played in Indianapolis. San Diego is 1-0 at Lucas Oil Stadium and 9-3 in games played at the Hoosier/RCA Dome.
--Second-year WR Phillip Dorsett thinks the Colts' receiving corps will step up with the loss of WR Donte Moncrief for several weeks because of a shoulder injury,
"We're a pretty good receiving corps," Dorsett said. "Everybody knows that at our position. Other guys (have to) come up and step up, whether it be me or Chester (Rogers) or Quan (Bray). Like I said, we've got to step up and I think we will."
--Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said that it hasn't been easy managing the roster during games because of the mounting injury issues.
"Obviously we've had to do that and more than you would like," Pagano said. "But it's part of the game. Injuries are going to happen. You have to adapt. If you don't adapt you die. It's adapt or die mentality.
"Again, whoever is up and whoever is available, whoever gets back, we will prepare them, they will prepare, they will put the time in and they will go out and play their tails off on Sunday. It is what it is. It doesn't make the job any easier, but nobody really cares."
NOTES: San Diego defensive coordinator John Pagano is the younger brother of Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. ... Chargers general manager Tom Telesco spent 15 seasons in Indianapolis' front office. Telesco started out as an area and pro scout for the Colts from 1998-2003. He was director of pro scouting in 2004 and director of player personnel from 2006-11. Telesco was the Vice President of football operations in 2012 before taking over in San Diego a year later. ... Jimmy Raye III, the vice President of football operations for Indianapolis, spent 17 years with the Chargers. He was the director of player personnel from 2008-12. ... Indianapolis assistant coaches Rob Chudzinski, Greg Williams and Brian Schottenheimer all spent time on the Chargers' coaching staff. Schottenheimer's father, Marty, was San Diego's head coach from 2002-06. ... WR Donte Moncrief (left shoulder) is expected to be sidelined 4-to-6 weeks because of to a fractured scapula. As for now, Moncrief is not slated to undergo a surgical procedure. He was prescribed rest to help heal the injury. Moncrief underwent an MRI exam on Monday. ... QB Andrew Luck (right shoulder) did not take part in Wednesday's workout. Luck experienced "general soreness" in his throwing shoulder after the Denver game. He was held out of practice and spent time in the Colts' training room. Luck said that he expects to practice Thursday and that he will start Sunday against San Diego. ... RB Frank Gore (rest) did not practice Wednesday. Gore should be good to go and will start Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium against San Diego. ... CB Vontae Davis (foot/ankle) had limited work in Wednesday's practice. Davis has not played in the Colts' first two games. His status for the San Diego game won't be determined until after Friday's workout. ... CB Patrick Robinson (concussion) saw limited practice time Wednesday. Robinson has been cleared to practice but must wear a red non-contact jersey during the workouts. His status for the San Diego game won't be decided until the end of the week. T Joe Reitz (calf/neck) sat out Wednesday's practice session. Reitz had been bothered by back issues during preseason. He started the first two games and is expected to be in the starting lineup against San Diego on Sunday. ... CB Antonio Cromartie (ribs) had limited participation in Wednesday's practice. Cromartie was hurt in the first half of the Denver game last week, was sidelined and then later returned. He should be okay to play this week when San Diego visits Lucas Oil Stadium.
