Has Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck failed to live up to expectations?
Back in the 2012 NFL Draft, Luck was revered as one of the greatest prospects in more than a decade. Regarded as a near perfect specimen by some pundits, he was often compared to other great quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and John Elway. Some speculated that he would eventually become the next great NFL quarterback, and those are high expectations for a young quarterback that had yet to play a down in the NFL.
With so much hype surrounding him, it was almost certain that Luck would have an immediate impact in the NFL. And that was true, for the most part. Luck began his career well enough, joining a rebuilding Colts franchise as a rookie and throwing for more
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than 4,000 yards with 28 total touchdowns. Year by year, Luck’s game has improved, but he hasn’t quite reached the pinnacle expected of him. Granted, he’s still young and suffered a season-ending injury in 2015 that continued to plague him well into the 2016; but he has yet to become the quarterback he was promised to be. This isn’t to say that Luck isn’t a good quarterback, or that he can’t be one of the greatest in the game.
When evaluating his regular season stats, we can see that Luck has proven he’s a good quarterback.
In that first season with the Colts, Luck threw for 4,374 yards and 23 touchdowns with 18 interceptions (76.5 passer rating). The following season, Luck performed at a higher level, throwing for 3,822 yards and 23 touchdowns with just nine interceptions (87.0 passer rating). 2014 was arguably Luck’s best season, throwing for 4,761 yards, 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions with a 96.5 passer rating. Last season, Luck threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns with 13 interceptions (96.4 passer rating).
Those numbers are great, but they’re not enough. When we’re told a quarterback will be the next Manning or Elway, it’s not enough to just win in the regular season — postseason play is far more important. The postseason is the best way of determining which quarterbacks are truly in the top tier. When it’s do or die time in the playoffs, teams have to know that their leader is capable of helping them reach the ultimate goal, a Super
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Bowl. That doesn’t mean a quarterback has to make it to a Super Bowl every year. But elite quarterbacks make their teams title contenders, simply because of they’re presence. If a team has a down year, they should be able to bounce back, so long as they have their man behind center. NFL quarterbacks who are considered elite undoubtedly include Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. What do all of these players have in common? They find a way to reach the postseason almost every year, performing well once they get there and most importantly, finding ways to win. Luck’s good, great even, but his postseason record leaves something to be desired. In his career, Luck has a 3-3 playoff record, passing for nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Not great. This is where it all really matters. Performing well in the regular season is one thing, but postseason games are when it really counts. The playoffs is when the best teams in the league square off, moments that determine if the man behind center can be counted on to find a way to win. In his first playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens during his rookie year, Luck and the Colts lost 24-9, during which he threw for 288 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. To be fair, it was an impressive feat for him to even carry the Colts to a playoff berth, especially considering their horrendous season the year prior. Luck looked a little better in the 2013 playoffs, when his Cots defeated the Chiefs 45-44 in a hard-fought battle. However, Indianapolis lost the following week, 43-22, against Brady and the New England Patriots. Without a doubt, 2014 was Luck’s best postseason showing, making it all the way to the AFC Championship game.
Unfortunately, his Colts proceeded to get blown out 45-7, once again by Brady and the Pats.
Perhaps it’s not fair to be too critical of Luck. He’s only been in the league for five seasons and during two of them, he dealt with injury problems. But the truth is, for a quarterback that was expected to be one of the greatest to ever play the game, he isn’t even the best in his draft class.
Third-round pick Russel Wilson has had a far for successful career than his first-round (No. 1 overall) counterpart. Wilson has already made two Super Bowl appearances, winning one and coming a play short of a second. He holds an 8-4 postseason record, and has helped transform the Seattle Seahawks into a consistent top team in the NFC. Seattle also consistently finds itself as a Super Bowl favorite, what an elite quarterback is supposed to command.
Every year, Luck and the Colts have to compete against the Patriots and Steelers for a Super Bowl berth, but the path hasn’t exactly been easy for Wilson and the Seahawks either. Though it may sound like this is saying that Wilson is a better quarterback than Luck, that isn’t the case. It’s a simple matter of comparing the impact that both these players have had on their
teams. Some may not consider Wilson an elite quarterback in the league — but he helps his team win and makes them contenders — and that’s the most important aspect in evaluating whether a quarterback is truly elite. It’s too soon to make a decision on what kind of quarterback Luck will be. He has shown promise, but if injuries continue to impede his game, we may never see the Andrew Luck we were promised. Will he become another Manning or Elway? Or will he become another Dan Marino? Only time will tell.
Lewis not worrying about a thing gets ready to play in what might be his last game in the NFL. Even now Friends and Family members still can‘t forgive the horrible slaying that Ray Lewis has done and the fact that he pretty much got away with it.
read this book. I chose Brett Favre because he is a great quarterback and role model to
Instructed by the NFL not to use his career to publicize his personal, religious beliefs, Tim Tebow didn't throw a fit. Instead, he became physically involved and active in his cause and community. He's been criticized time and time again, however, he has continued his efforts towards his cause. Others don't agree with him, yet he's not acting out, offending large groups, to try to get his point across. He's putting in hard work to be the change he wants to see.
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Jerry Rice in the first round. It was a really up and down season for Jerry but he slowly gained momentum throughout the year. In his second year he teamed up with a Football veteran Joe Montana. He caught 86 catches, with 15 touchdowns, and 1,570 receiving yards. Jerry Rice was really famous for his fitness level. Jerry Rice went on to play for 20
In his three preseason games with the Cowboys, he is 39/50 with 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 454 yards. Even without Tony Romo, the Cowboys don’t look like a complete disasters with Prescott taking over as QB. If Prescott can continue his brilliant rookie form, he can really take over the starting job for the Cowboys and give them some stability and life. If Prescott can play in the regular season like his playing now, with assets like Ezekiel Elliot and Dez Bryant, the Cowboys might be able to turn some heads this season without Tony Romo. Prescott was originally seen as a #3, but now he is #1 and former backup QB, Kellen Moore has taken Prescott’s old role. The Cowboys might also share the starting role between Prescott and Moore if neither can perform in the regular season, until Romo
Sports fans look up to athletes and inspire to resemble their favorite athlete. Peyton Manning inspired fans, by revolutionizing the quarterback position. Likewise, Tim Duncan entertained fans, by playing at a consistent level of greatness night in and night out. In addition, Joe Montana was the master of the comeback, leading his team for game-winning touchdowns under the most pressure. All of these amazing Hall of Fame players´ only possess a few of Tom Brady's traits that made him the greatest football player of all time. Thus Brady inspires many people to compete and be the best they can be, he also brought hope to sports fans which made Tom Brady a hero.
In 1972, he had a Passer Rating of 157.5 in a game. A rare perfect rating would be 158.3. In 1973, he had an amazing season where he brought the Broncos to their first ever winning season. That season he earned a First Team All-AFC, led the AFC in touchdown passes, and earned the Broncos offensive MVP. In 1974, he led the NFL in yards per pass attempt with 8.1 yards. In 1975, he played his final season and retired. He became the Broncos quarterback coach for the 1976 season, then retired from that right after. In 1977, the Broncos went to their first super bowl, the year after Charley Johnson retired. He ranks 7th in most touchdowns by a Broncos quarterback, and 9th in most yards. In 1986, Charley Johnson was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame.
Brett Favre grew up idolizing a pair of Southern quarterbacks, the Saints' Archie Manning and the Cowboys' Staubach. He grew up in Kiln, Mississippi and went to high school in there. His high school, Hancock North Central, honored him this past May by re-naming the field, 'Brett Favre Field,' and unveiling a life-sized statue of the quarterback at the stadium's entrance. The school previously had retired his jersey, Number 10, in 1993. He stayed in the south to go to college where he went to Southern Miss. He became the starter at Southern Miss in his third game of his freshman season. Favre majored in special education. He led his Southern Mississippi team to 29 victories, including two bowl victories, during his four varsity seasons, 1987-90, and climaxed his collegiate career by earning a MVP award in the East-West Shrine game featuring the nation's best seniors. Favre set school records for passing yards (8,193), pass attempts (1,234), completions (656), completion percentage (53.2), touchdowns (55), and with only 35 interceptions. His production included five 300-yard passing games and five 3-TD performances, while his 7,695 regular-season passing yards ranked him among the top 30 of all-time NCAA passers. His 1.57 interception ratio in 1988 was the lowest among the 50 top-ranked passers in the nation, and his 2.9 interception rate for his four-year career also ranks as one of the best in NCAA history. Also he was the MVP of the All-American Bowl at the conclusion of his senior year. All those records and stats and that was only in college!!!
In 1992 he was drafted to the Green Bay Packers. His first year into the Packers he threw
An athlete’s college career is something seldom used when determining the best players at each position to play professional football. To seriously distinguish between whether Manning or Brady is the best quarterback of their generation their college careers must be carefully examined. Manning, a farm-boy, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 24, 1976 ("Peyton Manning Career Biography and Statistics | SportHaven.com"). His father attended Ole Miss, where he is very well known, but Peyton, when making his decision chose to attend the hated University of Tennessee. As a Tennessee Vol, Peyton Manning, not only set records, but also posted astronomical numbers. He won his first start as quarterback, 10-9 against Washington State, and lead the team t...
He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1985 (Jerry Rice Biography). Though he started the season on a slow note, he soon gained momentum and finished the season with a record of 49 catches for 927 yards, averaging 18.9 yards per catch (Jerry Rice Biography). The following season brought forth a legacy that lasted for the next six seasons. He caught 86 passes for a league-leading 1,570 yards and 15 touchdowns, achieving the breakthrough that he deserved (Jerry Rice Biography). He led the 49ers to three Super Bowl rings and an AFC Championship with the Oakland Raiders (Jerry Rice). He went to 13 Pro Bowls in his lifetime (Jerry Rice). "I don't think I’m such a natural, I think what I'm doing is very hard work,” (Jerry Rice). In 2006, to honor his valuable contribution to the San Francisco 49ers, he signed a one day contract with the team to officially retire as a 49er (Jerry Rice Biography). Jerry retired as one of the greatest wide receivers of all
Many think Tom Brady is a great quarterback. He has great statistics and has won many Super Bowls.
The quarterback (QB) is the undisputed on-field leader of a football team. As such, it is the QB that the team and the fans turn to with the game on the line. Some QB’s embrace the challenge and excel, others falter and fall on their faces. Joe Montana was a QB who embraced those moments and not only excelled, but excelled above all others.
...y would argue that no other quarterback will be able to ever match his level of success. Even though he was interested in other sports as a young boy, it is crystal clear that he was supposed to play football. At six feet five inches and 230 pounds, we can assume that he would be a formidable opponent in any sport; but looks don't count. Actions are what count, and Peyton has certainly delivered in that department.
What truly is amazing is the person Tim Tebow represents off the field. He is a devout Christian who works to spread his religion and give hope to those in need. Tebow has been involved with controversy that started in his days in high school, due to a law in Florida that allowed him to pick his high school. Tebow is possibly the only player to be under national scrutiny from his high school playing days through his career in the NFL both on and off the field. Most of this controversy is because of his faith and how he displayed it on field. The best way to describe him is to say that he is a polarizing person and player in the sense that people either love or hate him. Tim Tebow is, indeed, a great person and role model on the playing field as well as off of it.