Coming into training camp healthy and with the best supporting cast he’s had, Andrew Luck should be able to take the Indianapolis Colts to the next level.
The Indianapolis Colts will kick off their training camp on July 25. They are coming into this season in a much different position than last year. After surprising the league with a 10-6 record after a 1-5 start in 2018, the Colts are now looked at as one of the teams who could represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIV. Those are pretty big expectations for a young Indianapolis team and their championship aspirations live and die with their quarterback Andrew Luck.
Luck is coming off a stellar season where he earned the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Luck is also coming off one of his healthiest offseasons in a while and is ready to take this Colts team to the next level.
The Colts front office has done a marvelous job putting pieces around Luck this past offseason, both offensively and defensively. This year, there are no excuses for Luck, as he has everything he needs to propel Indy to a championship.
Healthy Luck = Happy Indy
Luck’s health has been one of the major things to hold him back in his career. Everyone remembers the shoulder injury that caused him to miss the entire 2017 season. Complications and cautious rehab played a part in him missing that season, which affected him going into training camp last year.
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This offseason, Luck has stayed healthy for the most part and was able to work on his game more than he did the previous offseason. Yes, the Colts did keep him out of many of the spring workouts due to a calf strain, but it was precautionary and the Colts deemed that injury to be “minor”.
Nevertheless, reports say that Luck is good to go for camp, meaning that he is fully healthy. With a healthy No. 12 coming into the camp season, this allows him to shake off some rust (if he has any at all). It took him the first couple weeks of the 2018 season to do that which, in hindsight, might’ve cost the Colts a couple of games.
Now that he’ll have training camp and the preseason (who knows if he’ll actually play, though) Luck has more than enough time to get back into the swing of things. This offseason gave him another year to master the offensive playbook under second-year coach Frank Reich as well.
It’s safe to say that the health of Luck goes hand-in-hand with the Colts chances of success this upcoming year. Jacoby Brissett isn’t a slouch at backup, but the dropoff between him and Luck is more than noticeable. If Luck gets banged up and misses games, the Colts season could go up in flames.
Luck most likely knows this and will do his best to keep himself from being injured during the season. Keeping Luck clean should be much easier due to the much-improved offensive line as well. From the O-line to the skill positions on both sides, this Indianapolis Colts team has to be the best one Luck has ever been a part of.
Superb Supporting Cast
The Colts over the past couple of years have been known for two things around the NFL: having a below-average offensive line and having a below-average defense. Those two things had an effect on Luck, as he was under pressure almost constantly and always felt like he needed to score at least 30 points to have a chance at winning games.
In 2018, that completely changed as Indy’s O-line and defense were one of the best in the league. Draft picks Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard were key pieces in changing that trend, both receiving All-Pro nods as rookies. The Colts also added key pieces in the offseason to bolster their squad around Luck in the 2019 offseason.
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Devin Funchess, a tall possession receiver, was signed to the team to give No. 12 a big target. Spencer Ware was also signed and his abilities both running and catching the ball make him a key piece in what seems to be a running back by committee for the Colts. The also drafted Parris Campbell from Ohio State, who could play in the slot or at running back interchangeably.
These additions join an offense that already has Eric Ebron, T.Y. Hilton and Marlon Mack. Indianapolis’ offense now has some variety, which allows Luck to spread the ball around. Luck hasn’t had an offense with this much firepower in his NFL career. He will need to take advantage of this and let it rip when the season starts.
On the defensive side, the Colts are young and fast, also something Luck couldn’t say in seasons prior. Leonard has shown he is a “Maniac” on the field and Kenny Moore has established himself as one of the best slot corners in the game.
They also signed pass rusher Justin Houston in free agency. That adds a formidable pass-rusher to the defense. Not to mention, Indy used seven of their draft picks on defensive players. The defense has been a priority for Chris Ballard, and he is making sure Luck doesn’t have to throw his arm off to keep the Colts in games.
The supporting cast around Luck is rich with talent. He now has a solid offensive line, talented skill players and a defense that is primed and ready to shut down opponents this year. With all this talent surrounding him, there should be no reason Luck and the Colts don’t have a lot of success this season.
No Excuses
Andrew Luck will be the center of attention from training camp until the end of the season for the Indianapolis Colts. After last season, many expect him to do even more now that he had an offseason to recover and prep, along with the additions his team made around him.
Luck had the luxury of being bailed out by a porous offensive line or a bad defense in the past. Not this year.
He is fully healthy and finally has all the pieces that he has lacked for many seasons. Luck (and the Colts) have zero excuses this year, as they have a team that can be one of the best in the NFL. The Colts are hoping that the Luck they have on their team can bring more than good fortune, but a championship as well.