The Indianapolis Colts couldn’t quite get it done in Week 1 despite a 300-yard outing from quarterback Andrew Luck, but they had a much easier time dealing with the Washington offense in Week 2 to pick up their first win of the season.
Even though Andrew Luck didn’t have his best statistical performance in Week 2, the Indianapolis Colts topped Washington 21-9 with gritty defense and conversions on third down. This win is a reminder that with Luck’s leadership and talent at the quarterback position, this team poses a threat to the Jacksonville Jaguars and every other team in the AFC South.
Luck threw for fewer than 200 passing yards this week, completing 21-of-31 attempts for an average of 5.8 yards per pass. His two interceptions equaled his two touchdowns, but he did just enough to help the Colts skate by.
The story of the game was the Colts defense holding the opposition to zero touchdowns. Washington simply had no success running the football, which may have been surprising considering how well newcomer Adrian Peterson played against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1. And outside of Chris Thompson’s 13 receptions, Washington didn’t exactly have much success throwing the football either.
If the Colts defense can keep over-achieving, then they have a chance to do some damage in the AFC. Worse teams made the playoffs last year in this conference, and the Colts have an opportunity to pounce in the AFC South with the Houston Texans potentially faltering and the Tennessee Titans in injury trouble.
The Jacksonville Jaguars remain the clear favorites in the division, and the argument can be made that Houston has a much more talented roster from top to bottom than Indianapolis. All four quarterbacks in this division have talent, with Deshaun Watson looking like a future star when he is at his best.
But while those other three quarterbacks have “talent” and are “quarterbacks of the future”, Luck is a proven commodity who is a star. In his first game back from injury in Week 1, Luck attempted over 50 passes and showed that he hasn’t missed a beat.
This week, Luck had a more difficult time moving the ball, but the elite connection between him and star receiver T.Y. Hilton was still there. Furthermore, it’s hard to move the ball through the air consistently when the Colts best pass-catchers are Hilton and Eric Ebron, who blossomed in his first game with Luck under center.
While Luck waits for someone lower on the depth chart to potentially break out at the wide receiver position, he’ll keep making use of his athleticism, elite arm talent, and exceptional leadership skills to drive the Colts to victory.
After picking up their first win of the season, the Colts will want to make a statement that they are here to challenge the Jaguars for the AFC South crown in 2018, as lofty of a goal as that may be. With a healthy Luck, the Colts can have that kind of confidence, because that’s what a star quarterback can do for you.