INDIANAPOLIS -- Colin Kaepernick isn't coming to rescue the Indianapolis Colts. The same can be said about any other free-agent quarterback at the moment. The Colts feel confident that Andrew Luck will be back at some point, but there's also a chance he may not be playing in the first couple of weeks of the regular season.

The Colts are sticking with Scott Tolzien as their starter, and evidently they're fine with that despite his performance so far in training camp and in Sunday's 24-10 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions.

"I thought he did OK," coach Chuck Pagano said about Tolzien's play in three series Sunday. "I think collectively as a unit, we've obviously got to be better and we have a long way to go. ... We'll look at their play and evaluate it and we keep moving on."

If there's one thing general manager Chris Ballard has shown that's different from the previous regime, it's that he has patience. He constantly looks at the big picture instead of having shortsighted vision. That's why Ballard and the Colts aren't deviating from their plans in Luck's return. They're willing to take any lumps that come along the way until their franchise quarterback is fully healthy from his right shoulder surgery seven months ago.

You can never shut the door on the Colts adding another quarterback, but the time to do so is running out because that player would have to get up to speed with the offense, learn all the different languages used with the offense and get familiar with his teammates, all within a few weeks. That's why it's understandable the Colts have decided to stay put at quarterback at the moment.

Is Indianapolis good enough to win without Luck?

"I think we are," owner Jim Irsay said. "Obviously after coming off a tough preseason game like [Sunday] you can make a lot of comments and say, 'How can that be?' and 'Where you going to be?' We think we can win. We believe we can win going into every game. Do we think we can have a better chance of winning with Andrew? Yes, that's certainly the case."

Scott Tolzien is not Andrew Luck. Everybody knows that. What Tolzien has to do is keep the offense afloat for the time being. What he can't do, though, is be inconsistent, and unfortunately that's happened way too often.

Tolzien played only 11 snaps where the offense gained a total of 21 yards. They picked up just one first down on the three series.

"It was sloppy, for sure," Tolzien said. "We've got to clean it up. We've got to get better. It's early, but that's not an excuse."

Injuries to guard Joe Haeg (burner) and center Ryan Kelly (foot) left the Colts without starters on the offensive line. Receivers Donte Moncrief (shoulder) and Phillip Dorsett (hamstring) and veteran running back Frank Gore not playing left the Colts and Tolzien without their full cupboard of offensive players.

"It's supposed to be hard," Tolzien said. "There's supposed to be obstacles and you've got to learn from your mistakes."