Andrew Luck (12) of the Indianapolis Colts warms up prior to the start of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 19, 2014 at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Kirk Irwin, Getty Images)
Spotlight on… Andrew Luck, quarterback, Colts
When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, when Luck’s 6-3 Colts host the 7-2 New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium.
What’s up: Ordinarily, the Broncos would never say Luck is the NFL’s best quarterback. But they wouldn’t mind if he is against Tom Brady and the red-hot Patriots. The Broncos and Pats have the same record, but New England has the tiebreaker for the No. 1 playoff seed.
Background: The son of former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck, Andrew lived in Washington, D.C., Frankfurt, London and Houston before he starred at Stanford. He played for coach Jim Harbaugh as a sophomore. His offensive coordinator in his junior year was Pep Hamilton, now Luck’s offensive coordinator with the Colts. The NFL’s No. 1 draft choice in 2012, Luck’s no-brainer selection by the Colts forced Peyton Manning and his surgically repaired neck to free agency, where he landed in Denver.
Klis’ take: Luck was victim of a conservative-style offense last year as he ranked 16th with 239 yards passing per game and his 23 touchdown passes tied for 15th. But he went wild in the playoffs, throwing for 443 yards and four TDs while rallying the Colts from a 38-10 deficit to beat the Chiefs 45-44 in the first round. He threw for 331 yards in a second-round loss at New England. The Colts clipped their apron strings this year, and Luck ranks No. 1 with 343 yards passing per game. His 26 touchdown passes are No. 2 to Manning’s 29. Luck is not yet the league’s best QB, not with his seven interceptions in two playoff games last year. Not with Aaron Rodgers, Manning and Brady still playing at a high level. But he is getting there.
