NFL 2019: Even without Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts still possess the necessary pieces to exceed expectations

Just ten days after Andrew Luck's abrupt retirement that left the NFL and the entire fanbase shocked to its core and glued to their TVs, the Colts now look toward the future with Jacoby Brissett at the helm. It's certainly not easy to just move on from a generational talent in Luck. But in order for Indy to have success going into the season, they must put his retirement in their rearview mirror.

We all can acknowledge that losing a player of Andrew Luck's caliber is a tremendous blow, especially to a team that many considered to be legit Super Bowl contenders this season. But this isn't a be-all end-all scenario for Indianapolis. And, if there's any team in the league that's equipped with the necessary pieces to handle such a loss, it's Indianapolis.

And the person who deserves the majority of the credit for acquiring these pieces, is GM Chris Ballard. He and his staff have done an extraordinary job of stacking this roster with elite, talented players over the past three offseasons. Just last season, we saw the Colts go from 'worst to first' in sacks allowed (56 in '17 and 18 in 2018). This, of course, was thanks in-part to the monstrous play of All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and second-round guard/tackle Braden Smith.

But don't let the offense that was at the top of the chain in many major categories last season overshadow the tremendous play of their young and explosive defense -- led by All-Pro linebacker and Defensive Rookie of the Year, Darius Leonard. During Indy's 9-game winning streak last season, the defense ranked #1 in points allowed per game. Denico Autry, Kenny Moore, and Pierre Desir are among the other defensive standouts from last season, too.

Add in Training Camp standout rookie Rock Ya-Sin, ball-hawking safety Malik Hooker, and elite pass rusher Justin Houston to that mix as well. And we haven't even mentioned the offense yet. Let's start with elite wideout T.Y. Hilton, who's numbers and route running abilities speak for themselves, to big-bodied receiver Devin Funchess, who's no stranger to catching the deep ball. Add in Pro Bowl tight end Eric Ebron, shifty and explosive running backs in Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines, and rookie speedster Parris Campbell.

The list goes on, and it pretty much goes without saying that Chris Ballard and company have built themselves an extremely young and talented roster, which they believe can go stride for stride with the best teams in the league. And, believe it or not, they're not wrong. This roster is stacked with virtually no holes on either side of the ball. And, with Jacoby Brissett now at the helm, he certainly has the necessary pieces around him to be successful this season. There's a reason why both Frank Reich and Ballard have praised Brissett for his leadership skills and football talents.

Don't get me wrong, Reich and Ballard aren't oblivious to the significance of having a quarterback like Luck at the helm. They know what he meant to this team, city, and fanbase. But one thing's for certain, Indy isn't going to ask Brissett to be Luck. This is an organization who believes in him quite a bit, maybe more-so than most would when you consider his 4-12 campaign in 2017. That said, let's remember that Brissett had one of the worst rosters around him in '17, which included an offensive line that surrendered a league-worst 56 sacks, a defense that was one of the oldest in football and couldn't stop a nosebleed, and a running game that was essentially non-existent all throughout the season.

Things are much different this time around, and the Colts know it. This organization still expects their team to achieve great things this season and understandably so.

"The one thing we will not do is make an excuse because Andrew Luck's not here, that we can't have success. No, we're not going to do that," Ballard said in the 'Behind the Colts: No Excuses' short film.

"The depth at each position is important. I tell our team all the time that, if you're on the 53-man roster, you're a starter," he continued.

If there's one thing to take away from all of this, it's that the Colts' faith in Brissett has never waivered. Which is why even without Luck at the helm, the Colts still possess the necessary pieces to exceed expectations in 2019.