No surprise here. The long-awaited return of the former No. 1 overall pick has been the biggest uncertainty in the league the past 24 months. Andrew Luck last threw a football in an NFL game nearly two years ago.
Since then, the Colts have been, for lack of a more politically correct term, a dumpster fire of a franchise. Save for the somewhat surprising breakout of Jacoby Brissett, the shortcomings in terms of talent have become even more evident without Luck. Despite a few solid skill players for Indianapolis, the defense and the offensive line provided little resistance, making the Colts a scheduled win for most of the league.
Luck is back, and some have big questions about if he is the same player. Talent never goes away, and Luck has more of that than maybe anyone else to break a huddle. He’s always been a premiere athlete, and he’s intelligent enough to not let his previous headstrong playing style resurface.
Prior to the shoulder injury, Luck was putting up another landmark season for a young quarterback, totaling 31 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, with more than 4,000 yards at 7.8 yards per attempt, numbers that closely resemble Tom Brady’s 2017 MVP campaign. And Luck did this while being sacked 41 times.
The Colts have tried to improve up front, and if they have even a little bit, Luck should return the Colts to the top of the league in terms of offense.