DENVER -- The biggest win of Andrew Luck's three-year career came in what ultimately might have been his predecessor's final game.
Luck pushed aside Peyton Manning in his own house Sunday in Denver. Now he will try to pull off a rare feat: beating Manning and New England’s Tom Brady in back-to-back playoff games when the Indianapolis Colts face the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at 6:40 p.m. ET Jan. 18 at Gillette Stadium.
“Words can’t describe how special [Luck] is,” Colts receiver Hakeem Nicks said of his QB, who won for the first time on the road in the playoffs as Indianapolis beat Denver 24-13. “The belief he has in his play-making is something not many people have. He’s definitely a guy who comes around once every blue moon. He’s not your average quarterback.”
Five teams have tried to beat Manning and Brady in back-to-back playoff games, but only former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (2010) and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (2012) have done it.
For all the late-game heroics and overall success Luck has had in his career so far, the one thing he hasn’t been able to accomplish is beating Brady and the Patriots.
Luck is 0-3 against New England and has thrown eight interceptions, including four when these two teams met in the 2013 playoffs.
“I’d like to think I’m a better quarterback and we’re a better team and more well-equipped to handle the unknown and the unforeseen,” said Luck, who threw for 303 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 42-20 loss to the Patriots at home Nov. 16. “I think we’ve got a bunch of good football players, and a chance to go up to New England and play them and get another crack at it is awesome. We’ll make sure to take full advantage of it and do what we can.”
This isn’t the same Luck who turned the ball over 22 times during the regular season. He’s making the right reads and not forcing the ball down the field to his receivers. He's playing safe -- not risky. That's why running back Daniel Herron has 18 catches in two playoff games, and that's why the Broncos didn't sack Luck.
Luck did throw two interceptions against the Broncos, but they were third-down heaves that were basically punts. When he was pressured, he was 8-of-13 for 99 yards and a touchdown. Not surprising, considering Luck's seven touchdown passes under duress during the regular season were the most in the NFL.
The best way to describe Luck these days: nearly flawless.
He’ll have to continue to play that way if he expects to join Sanchez and Flacco in an exclusive club.
“Andrew does a great job of simplifying things,” tight end Dwayne Allen said. “[He] focuses on his job. He does a great job of leading us, making sure there’s no panic inside of us. It doesn’t matter if he’s throwing an interception or throwing a touchdown -- he’s so even keeled. He’s never fazed, and that’s why [GM Ryan] Grigson got him with the first pick.”
The Colts knew they had a special player when they selected Luck No. 1 overall over Robert Griffin III in 2012. What they didn’t know, though, was how quick Luck would have them on the brink of the Super Bowl for the first time since 2009.
The script, one that many inside the organization believe could have a magical ending, couldn’t have been written any better when the Colts released Manning in 2012. They called it reloading, not rebuilding.
“I knew it was the right thing to do for the Colts,” an excited Colts owner Jim Irsay said outside the locker room. “Emotionally, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do [release Manning]. In professional football, it’s about winning, and you have to be able to make the decisions that are best for the franchise.”
It took Manning six years to win his first playoff game. Not Luck, who led the Colts to a playoff appearance as a rookie and a playoff victory in his second season, and now he has the Colts in the conference championship game. He is 3-2 in the playoffs, and his 1,703 passing yards are the most through five playoff starts in NFL history.
"We’ve got a special team," receiver Reggie Wayne said. "We have everything in place."
It’s because of Luck that players want to play for Indianapolis. Nicks said Sunday he was looking for a young quarterback who had a winning mentality. Safety Mike Adams stood inside the locker room the day he signed in June and pointed at Luck’s nameplate and said, “He’s young, he’s enthusiastic, and he doesn’t rattle easy.”
“That was part of the plan of coming back,” said Wayne, who re-signed with the Colts in 2012. “I know how hard he works each week. Andrew shows week in and week out what he’s capable of doing. I’m just glad he’s my teammate. Each game, in the huddle, he commands the respect in the huddle, and he leads us down the field and does his job.”
His job won't be easy Sunday against a future Hall of Fame quarterback and a team making its fourth consecutive appearance in the AFC Championship Game.