If the Indianapolis Colts want any chance at making Super Bowl 51, quarterback Andrew Luck is going to have to remain healthy. But the question looming as the Colts begin OTAs is whether or not Luck should change the way he approaches the game.
Should Change
Andrew Luck suffered a season-ending lacerated kidney in week 9 of the NFL’s regular season, a game which saw the Colts defeat the undefeated and eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.
The Colts offensive line was, let’s just say, less than desirable in 2015, and one would be tempted to blame Luck’s injury riddled campaign on this. However, the injury that ended up shelving Luck for the remainder of the season wasn’t sustained in the pocket; rather, a scramble.
In the 2nd half, Luck scrambled and was hit by two Broncos defenders, folding the QB into a nasty hit. No offensive linemen. No pocket breakdown. This scramble was for a first down, a run that Luck chose to make, resulting in an injury.
Although admirable, Luck’s drive to get the first down at all costs did not help when it came to injuries. Learning when and how to properly slide could benefit the quarterback.
Devil’s Advocate
But what about all of those gutsy comebacks? Those games won, those 4th-quarter drives that were revived by a scrambling Luck’s motivation to reach the marker?
True, Luck’s motivation to put the team on his back is far and large why the Colts have had success in the quarterback’s first 3.5 seasons (we’re not going to count the second half of last year). Luck has already broken Colts records for QB rushing touchdowns and yards, and his ability to move when needed is incredibly valuable to the Colts offense.
Bottom line, there is a mixture of the two that must occur. While Luck doesn’t need to entirely become a docile, fragile quarterback who takes a sack falling down, he also will need to modify his game to learn when to step out of bounds or take a slide.
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