1/2 way through the year. Can we talk about Andrew Luck yet?

[kalibane]

Cause he has been terrible....

[burrrton]

"I don't know, Kal- my Eye Test™ says he's doing great." -Futureite in a few minutes

[burrrton]

I haven't watched him at all- any idea what's making him play so poorly this year?

I'm one of those who likes Luck a lot as a player (not romantically), so I'm surprised his stats are so bad.

[kalibane]

It's not just his stats. He is making very poor decisions every week. Forcing throws, not making proper reads. You name it.

He's not getting a lot of help from the running game right now but he never really has and it's not like he's being put in a position where he has to make tough throws because teams aren't respecting the run. He's just missing open guys and throwing poor balls.

Let's put it this way. Currently he's below Blake Bortles and Nick Foles on NFL.com's QB index. lol

[Hawktawk]

There is talk his arm isn't right, the mysterious shoulder issue. The thing was, He was standing on the sidelines pumping his fists in the air repeatedly as a deathly ill Hasslebeck was leading his team to victory. Hell give him a skirt and pompoms and we could have called him Caitlin.

I've seen bad decisions and a lack of ball security as his biggest issues. He has 10 of the 15 colt turnovers this season. I think really he isn't much different than he has always been. Tons of attempts, more turnovers than ideal, and furious comebacks to try to atone for his mistakes, much like the Saints game. The past few years he has won those types of games enhancing his "clutch" reputation but this year it isn't happening.The garbage time stats enhance his fantasy value but right now he's a hack, the incredible shrinking man.

He's always been OVERRATED.

[Hawktawk]

It's not just his stats. He is making very poor decisions every week. Forcing throws, not making proper reads. You name it.

He's not getting a lot of help from the running game right now but he never really has and it's not like he's being put in a position where he has to make tough throws because teams aren't respecting the run. He's just missing open guys and throwing poor balls.

Let's put it this way. Currently he's below Blake Bortles and Nick Foles on NFL.com's QB index. lol

Gore hasn't actually been terrible with just under 500 yards rushing on a 4.6 YPC average, much better than previous years in Indy. He has had a couple of critical turnovers. Then there's Andre Johnson who Hasslebeck made look like the receiver he is. There is no real excuse except Lucks regression and overall franchise turmoil as a result.

[NorthHawk]

At the NFL level, Luck's strong suit has never been making good decisions.
He said prior to this year that he needed to make better decisions and limit turnovers so what I think we see is how efficient their Offense looked with Hass and how out of sync they look with Luck.
He has all the tools, and their OL hasn't helped him either, but if he was as astute as people say he would have looked at the film when Hass played and learned how to make the safe play instead of trying to make the big play.
For a couple of years some posters on this forum (and the PI before that) have said he digs himself into a hole early and then comes back, or at least tries to.
Those comebacks look impressive on paper, but if he limited the mistakes early in games, he would be more successful this year.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Agreed that Hasselbeck looking good in relief duty is telling. He has the same supporting cast, yet the results are very much different. Hasselbeck didn't have to play the Bills or the Jets, but Luck should have done much better against a Saints defense that is vulnerable. It will be interesting to see if he can turn it around before the end of the season.

[burrrton]

Haven't read this yet, and it's Prisco so don't click if you want to deny him the clickthrough, but thought it was worth linking for others to read:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pet ... an-improve

[RiverDog]

Haven't read this yet, and it's Prisco so don't click if you want to deny him the clickthrough, but thought it was worth linking for others to read:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pet ... an-improve

I didn't buy those excuses when the subject was Russell Wilson and I'm sure as hell not going to buy them when the subject is Andrew Luck.

But I will say that our good 'ole future ROH member is making Luck look even worse as it's pretty easy to draw a contrast.

[NorthHawk]

A comment at the end caught my attention:

"While watching the Vikings tape, I also came away impressed with rookie right tackle T.J. Clemmings. He took over as the starter when Phil Loadholt went down in the preseason, and he's getting better by the week. He had some rough moments earlier this season, but he played well against the Lions. He is athletic and can move for a big man. He just needs to get a little stronger and he could develop into a high-level starter."
Drafted 110th overall and he was at one time thought to be a late 1st round pick...

[Hawktawk]

I didn't buy those excuses when the subject was Russell Wilson and I'm sure as hell not going to buy them when the subject is Andrew Luck.

But I will say that our good 'ole future ROH member is making Luck look even worse as it's pretty easy to draw a contrast.

It brings a smile to my face to see Hass doing well and it definitely makes Luck look bad in the process.

One thing is clear. At the 3.5 year mark Russel Wilson is the cream of the crop of the 2012 QB class. They keep dropping like flies.

Like Knox said many years ago "potential will get you beat". So many measurables but so little bling .

[RiverDog]

It brings a smile to my face to see Hass doing well and it definitely makes Luck look bad in the process.

One thing is clear. At the 3.5 year mark Russel Wilson is the cream of the crop of the 2012 QB class. They keep dropping like flies.

Like Knox said many years ago "potential will get you beat". So many measurables but so little bling .

Luck is having a bad year, but that doesn't mean his career is over and he's certainly not having the same degree of trouble RG3 has had. Andrew Luck is going to be around for a long time.

But you're right, at this point Russell is at the top of the 2012 class.

[Zorn76]

They're gonna get whipped in Carolina, IMO, slowly but surely.

While Luck is banged up, he's also playing scared. He looks lost.
I think he (and the Colts) have allowed the pressure of being a SB pick to get to them as well.

The loss at home to the Saints was very telling. That's who Indy is this year.
They only make the postseason by playing in the wort division in the NFL, and could win the South with a 7-9 or 8-8 record.

[Hawktawk]

[quote="Zorn76"]They're gonna get whipped in Carolina, IMO, slowly but surely.

While Luck is banged up, he's also playing scared. He looks lost.
I think he (and the Colts) have allowed the pressure of being a SB pick to get to them as well.

I completely agree.And words like scared and lost ought to be concerning to Grigson and Irsay halfway through the 4th season of a supposed HOF type career. I chuckled when I saw how many of the pundits had anointed the Colts to advance to the SB and even win it. That team and Luck in particular have never responded to pressure well and I think having been saddled with undeserved front runner status has indeed become a millstone around their neck. If it continues Pagano will be shown the exit, not that I personally think he is the entire problem.

[RiverDog]

I completely agree.And words like scared and lost ought to be concerning to Grigson and Irsay halfway through the 4th season of a supposed HOF type career. I chuckled when I saw how many of the pundits had anointed the Colts to advance to the SB and even win it. That team and Luck in particular have never responded to pressure well and I think having been saddled with undeserved front runner status has indeed become a millstone around their neck. If it continues Pagano will be shown the exit, not that I personally think he is the entire problem.

Luck isn't the only thing in Indy that's lost and running scared. Their FO is in disarray as well. All they offered Pagano was a one year contract extension and he turned it down, now after every loss, the big question is whether or not they're going to fire him. There's a lot of distractions going on in Indy right now, not that any of that is an excuse for Luck's poor play.

And speaking of contracts, this is Luck's contract year, not exactly the best time to have a down year.

Yea, it's a mess in Indy. And the odd thing is that the Colt's, with all their troubles, are still leading their division.

[HumanCockroach]

I haven't noticed a huge change in Luck personally other than he holds the ball longer than seasons past. He still completes a low percentage of passes, for a low amount of yards per attempt, with hemorrhaged turnovers. He just hasn't gotten the " comeback" wins this season as he has when his mistakes have put them in a hole. Honestly, to me it looks like he is scared of turning it over, which doesn't typically lead to success in gunslinger type QBs.

[NorthHawk]

In seeing how Hass ran the Offense and how Luck does now, it seems Luck is trying to make the big play instead of the proper play. He's not taking what the Defense is giving him and it's showing up in the results.

[obiken]

Okung is done, Luck is all upside, trade Wilson and Okung for Luck?

[RiverDog]

In seeing how Hass ran the Offense and how Luck does now, it seems Luck is trying to make the big play instead of the proper play. He's not taking what the Defense is giving him and it's showing up in the results.

To a certain degree, that could be one of Russell's problems, too. I heard some discussion that was speculating that Russell's new contract may have caused him to think that he needs to carry the team more, hence he's holding onto the ball more and forgoing open receivers while looking for the big play.

Although Luck hasn't signed his big contract extension yet, a similar mentality could be one of the things that's causing him to flounder.

[Futureite]

He's an incredible QB and has already proven that. Montana had 8 TDs 9 Ints in 86' after back surgery. Elway had 10 TDs 17 Ints in 92' after winning multiple MVPs. Bad yrs can happen to any great player due to injuries, surrounding cast, etc. That's not to excuse Luck's struggles this yr, but at this point there's no question he's an elite QB.

[EmeraldBullet]

It's being reported that Luck has been playing with multiple fractured ribs. I'm not buying it. I just don't think the Colts, or any NFL team, would risk their franchise QB getting seriously hurt (ala a punctured lung) from getting hit wrong.

[RiverDog]

He's an incredible QB and has already proven that. Montana had 8 TDs 9 Ints in 86' after back surgery. Elway had 10 TDs 17 Ints in 92' after winning multiple MVPs. Bad yrs can happen to any great player due to injuries, surrounding cast, etc. That's not to excuse Luck's struggles this yr, but at this point there's no question he's an elite QB.

Elite? You have a very liberal definition of the term as it applies to NFL quarterbacks.

[burrrton]

Elite? You have a very liberal definition of the term as it applies to NFL quarterbacks.

"I have two words for you, RD: Eye Test™." -Futureite again

[burrrton]

It's being reported that Luck has been playing with multiple fractured ribs. I'm not buying it. I just don't think the Colts, or any NFL team, would risk their franchise QB getting seriously hurt (ala a punctured lung) from getting hit wrong.

Broken ribs is something they'd have had to include on an injury report, too, which they never did AFAIK (read: trouble with the league).

I'm not buying it, either.

[RiverDog]

It's being reported that Luck has been playing with multiple fractured ribs. I'm not buying it. I just don't think the Colts, or any NFL team, would risk their franchise QB getting seriously hurt (ala a punctured lung) from getting hit wrong.

Yea, me, either. Especially the way Hass has been playing, there's no way in hell they'd risk injury to a 10-15 year quarterback.