Jim Irsay issued a State of the Union address Tuesday, speaking to Indianapolis media for nearly 30 minutes about the Colts’ upcoming AFC divisional playoff game in Denver, and about his former quarterback, Peyton Manning.
But this time, there was no . No talk of Tom Brady’s three Super Bowl titles, in comparison to Manning’s one. No talk of “Star Wars numbers” or the seven one-and-outs in the postseason.
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There were no or “ungrateful” comments.
Yes, the man who may forever be known as the owner who pushed Manning out of Indianapolis, has changed his tune. He’s ready for a new comparison for his young quarterback.
“He just decides in a split second, and he has the athletic and the physical skills to do that with his arm strength, with his feet,” Irsay said of Luck on Tuesday. “So really the sky is the limit. You hate to bring up comparisons with John (Elway) being there running their program and stuff, but John was that way of course at Denver.”
Luck was selected by the Colts with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, forever placing a label on his forehead as The Manning Replacement.
But in his three seasons in the NFL, Luck has transformed into much more — more than Irsay ever imagined he would and, possibly, more than anyone imagined a 20-something would be in taking over for a surefire Hall of Famer.
Two divisional titles. Three postseasons, for a 2-2 record. An NFL record 1,438 passing yards in his first four postseason games. The league’s third-most prolific passer in the 2014 regular season with 4,761 yards, a single-season franchise record. The leader of the league’s top passing offense (305.9 yards per game). All by the age of 25.
“I think it’s the players’ team,” Luck told Denver media Wednesday. “I don’t think one player is necessarily bigger than the other, and I will say the folks of Indianapolis have embraced me and I definitely call it home.”
Now, as Manning’s numbers slip a bit and Luck’s prominence continues to rise, he’s seen as having an edge on his Indy predecessor in Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff game at Sports Authority Field. Heck, he’s already been and some even think of all time.
In the Colts’ AFC wild-card game in Cincinnati last weekend, Luck completed 31 of 44 passes for 376 yards, one touchdown and a 104.0 passer rating, his third consecutive game with 300 or more passing yards — the second-longest streak in NFL history.
Luck and the Colts have faced Manning twice since the 2012 divorce, first for a 39-33 victory in Indianapolis, and then for a 31-24 loss in Denver in this season’s opener. But they return this weekend to face a much different Broncos team than the one they saw in Week 1.
“I expect a ball-hawking group,” Luck said of the Broncos’ defense. “I think they understand football; they know what they’re doing and they do it well. … Obviously with the front four and the linebackers and (DeMarcus) and Von Miller on the edge, it’s a tough, tough matchup, but I think one that we’re excited to go against.”
The stakes are higher this time, but the storyline may always remain the same with Luck and Manning. But neither are interested in joining the conversation. Despite all the comparisons, all the differences, all the talk, they’ll tell you the same thing.
“It’s good to be in the playoffs,” Luck said.
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickijhabvala
