Andrew Luck didn’t care about expectations. The scoreboard outside his team’s locker room at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday told the story for the Indianapolis Colts quarterback: Indianapolis 24, Denver 13.
“I don’t get caught up in story lines,” Luck said.
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The score of the game said it all. The Colts, behind Luck, advanced to the AFC championship game Sunday at New England. Luck barely acknowledged the question of how he compared Sunday to Broncos veteran Peyton Manning, whom the Colts released to draft Luck three years ago. If Luck had wanted to, he could have spouted the game’s statistics, though they were misleading in terms of the huge impact he had.
Luck completed 27-of-43 passes for 265 yards and two touchdown passes. But it was his ability to avoid pressure, keep plays alive and make critical throws under pressure that separated him from Manning, who threw for 211 yards but struggled throughout.
“If you go out and prepare to win, you can earn the right to expect to win,” Luck said. “I think all three phases of our game fed off each other and did a heck of a job.”
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Luck is looking forward to playing in his first AFC championship game.
“We’ve got a great opportunity to go to a tough stadium against a great Patriots team and a great franchise and try to get a win,” Luck said. “Probably more exciting than winning tonight is the opportunity to have another week of practice and try to earn another win.”
Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who grew up in Boulder, credited his defense for limiting Manning’s receivers to minimal yardage after the catch.
“Our team tackled phenomenally,” Pagano said. “It was a huge point of emphasis, because they’ve got the ability to run the ball. Our guys did a tremendous job tackling in the open field.”
Sam Pagano, the Indianapolis coach’s dad, was on the sideline.
“To be able to sit there and win a game like that, and have your dad standing on the sideline and be able to enjoy that, and share that with my dad, and my sister, coming back home it’s pretty special,” Chuck Pagano said. “Nothing needed to be said. That’s how special it was.”
