INDIANAPOLIS -- head coach Chuck Pagano said all the right things on Wednesday afternoon. , the third-string quarterback who might be playing in De'Andre Hunter Jersey the biggest game of the ' season did the same. It felt as if they were following the typical script that embattled teams stick to when their odds of succe s become bleaker by the minute. We still like our chances, the seemed to be saying. We still believe this can end well.The problem the have is that it's increasingly harder to buy into such thinking. This team was in disarray when this season kicked off so it's fitting that chaos surrounds it as the playoff race winds down. The are about to play a huge AFC South game against the this week that will be critical to determining which of those squads wins the division. Indianapolis will go into that contest with a quarterback situation bordering on disastrous.Pagano said Luck's lacerated kidney -- the same injury that has sidelined the quarterback for six games -- hasn't healed enough to allow the star to play this week. Second-string quarterback is nursing a rib and neck injury that might limit him as well. That left Whitehurst preparing on Wednesday as if he could be Sunday's starter."We know what we have to do," said running back . "We have to rally together and play as one. We have to make plays when they're there. Everybody has to go out there and get the job done."The are doing what every team does in these situations. They're convincing themselves that circumstances really aren't as bad as they appear. They remember what life was like when they opened the season with an 0-2 record. Indianapolis bounced back from that disappointing start because it po se sed the pride that came with winning two consecutive AFC South titles and making three straight playoff appearances.This situation, however, will require far more than simple mental toughne s. The have been careening down a perilous path for months, one that is all the more surprising because they were a trendy pick to reach this year's . They haven't been able to protect Luck. They haven't been able to quash rumors about a tumultuous relationship between Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson (one that may ultimately end with at least Pagano losing his job). Worst of all, they haven't been able to rise up at a time when they need to be thriving.The are currently tied with Houston for -- both po se s 6-7 records -- but Indianapolis has lost two straight by a Danilo Gallinari Jersey combined score of 96-26. The ' most recent defeat was a at Jacksonville, which said plenty about how quickly things are changing in arguably the worst division in football. The had won 15 straight games against AFC South opponents. Now, with Houston coming to town this week and Tenne see still on the schedule, it looks like all these teams are eager to exact their own respective pound of flesh.The meeting with Houston became all the more interesting when Pagano announced that Luck won't play. The most the quarterback could do on Wednesday was participate in individual drills while Ha selbeck needed a day off before his scheduled return to practice on Thursday."I feel very fortunate that we've got ," Pagano said. "We need to keep him healthy. Need to keep him upright. Got to protect him, do a better job of that. It wasn't just a couple weeks ago (that the headlines were) '4-0 at 40' or '40 and 4-0' (a reference to the 40-year-old winning his first four starts), so he's won games. He can play at a winning level, and he will play again at a winning level. He's just a little banged up right now."It is true to say that Ha selbeck did a masterful job of leading the in an emergency situation. It's also accurate to note that his play was declining even before his own Rajon Rondo Jersey health became an i sue. The simply have too many flaws, particularly within their offensive line and defense, to keep winning consistently. The problems at quarterback are reaching a point where it's hard to see how they stay alive in this playoff race.Whitehurst -- whom the claimed off waivers on Nov. 12 -- took all the practice reps with the first team on Wednesday. The upside for him is that he's been trustworthy enough as a backup that he's lasted 10 seasons in the league and that Luck and Ha selbeck have been getting him up to speed."How I deal with it is you just do it," said Whitehurst, who has completed 195 career pa ses during a career that includes stints in San Diego, Seattle and Tenne see. "You don't have a choice. If you go out there and you play well and you win, then you were part of something pretty cool. So, that's how I approach it."If there is good news in this, the are facing a team that has never won in Indianapolis. Even when Indianapolis finished 2-14 in 2011, one of those victories came Dikembe Mutombo Jersey against a Houston squad that won the AFC South that year. That's 13 straight lo ses the have endured in this town. To make matters worse for Houston, they have their own quarterback i sues: Backup will be filling in for injured starter .Normally, that would be reason enough to worry about Houston's chances. The did lose a critical game in Buffalo two weeks ago and their offense has struggled without a consistent running game. They're the epitome of a team trying to grind out Evan Turner Jersey wins any way po sible. That approach has been good enough to bring them back from a 2-5 start.Of course, Yates has helped the win two games this season. Houston also has a defense led by defensive end . The odds of Whitehurst playing against that unit and playing well aren't encouraging. If anything, that scenario might lead to a repeat of what happened in Jacksonville.This is where the find themselves in a season that has left many people shaking their heads at the state of this franchise. This was once a team that was brimming with potential, as they had the dual ble sings of young talent and weak competition within their division. Indianapolis had never mi sed the postseason during Luck's time in the NFL. In fact, a lo s to New England in last year's AFC title game left many people believing this would be the year the returned to the .That feels like premature thinking today. The were good enough to excite us but not strong enough to overcome the types of problems that can derail most teams. Their flaws and their misfortune have plagued them throughout most of this season. On Sunday, with a shot at controlling their own destiny, those two factors may be enough to end whatever hope they have left.Follow Jeffri Chadiha on Twitter .