Andrew Luck may be a rookie, but he runs a two-minute drill like a veteran.
Heck, he runs a two-minute drill like a Hall of Famer.
Luck led the Colts on a stunning comeback on Sunday in Detroit, taking a game that the Lions appeared to have in the bag and turning it into an amazing 35-33 come-from-behind win. Although the Lions’ defensive line was drilling Luck all day, and the Lions appeared to have the game in hand when they took a 33-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Luck was simply amazing at the end of the game, and on the final play of the fourth quarter, he scrambled out of the pocket to avoid a sack and found Donnie Avery for a 14-yard touchdown.
Overall, Luck was 24-of-54 for 391 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions. For most of the game the Lions’ defense played well against Luck (Ndamukong Suh was particularly tough, providing constant pressure), but in the end Luck showed his mettle.
It’s a near-certainty that the 8-4 Colts will earn one of the AFC’s two wild card berths. And if the 4-8 Lions had any playoff hopes remaining, those hopes can now be erased.
For the Lions, it’s disappointing to lose a game in which wide receiver Calvin Johnson had a career-high 13 catches, and his 171 yards put him on pace to break the NFL’s all-time single-season receiving yardage record, set by Jerry Rice in 1995. But that’s the kind of team the Lions have been this season: They have talented players, but that talent hasn’t added up to being a good team.
The Colts, on the other hand, are a playoff team. Everyone said Luck was the most NFL-ready passer to enter the NFL since his Indianapolis predecessor, Peyton Manning. It turns out that Luck is even better than advertised.