Andrew Luck Looks Sharp, Colts Defense Fizzles Against Giants

It may only be preseason, but Andrew Luck already looks to be in midseason form, according to ESPN. Luck went 12 of 18 for 89 yards and a touchdown in limited action during the Indianapolis Colts second preseason game, this one against the New York Giants in Indianapolis. Luck was without most of his weapons, including Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton, who both sat for the game. In their place, Andrew Luck connected with former Giant Hakeem Nicks five times for 53 yards as the Colts quickly built a 26-0 lead. According to ESPN, Luck led the Colts to scores on three of the four four drives.

The 26-0 lead stood until the fourth quarter when the Giants staged a furious comeback in what amounted to fourth-stringers against future practice squad players. But again, this is preseason and none of this actually matters. The key takeaway here is that Andrew Luck looked impressive for a half playing with and against first team players for both teams. In the first preseason game against the New York Jets, Luck only played one series, leading the team to a field goal before grabbing the bench for the rest of the night. Another note is how well Luck has bonded with Hakeem Nicks, who was one of Eli Manning’s most dangerous weapons in New York.

With Reggie Wayne coming off a season-ending injury let year, and T.Y. Hilton needing to prove that he too can stay healthy, giving Andrew Luck a new, veteran bullet in his gun could prove to be fatal for NFL teams this season. Hicks has already impressed the Colts coaching staff, namely head coach Chuck Pagano who, according to the Goshen News, thought that Hicks and his quarterback were well in synch.

“He was outstanding. Him (sic) and Andrew were in a rhythm. He was making plays. Obviously, we figured he’d play inspired football against a really good football team.”

Luck was also without guard Jack Mewhort and center Khaled Holmes on Saturday night, so his impressive numbers should be noted that he didn’t have his full compliment of pass protection specialists. All sitting players rested out of precaution and should be ready for the upcoming season

As is customary, the starters will play the majority of the next game as the coaches focus on the first and second teams in preparation for the season opener on September 7th. If Andrew Luck, the former number one draft pick out of Stanford looks this good, this early, defenses should be worried, very worried all season long.