Is the Colts Andrew Luck Really Captain Clutch?
The Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck is already considered one of the best clutch quarterbacks in the NFL. At 25 years old, the Colts star young quarterback already has nine 4th quarter comebacks in his career. He’s electrified Colts fans with his seemingly heart-stopping winning plays late in games.
However, Horseshoe Heroes did some further investigation to see whether his clutch persona actually met the perceived hype. What we discovered is that Andrew Luck’s 4th quarter performances did in fact rival the NFL’s highly regarded “elite quarterbacks” in the 2014 regular season:
When comparing Luck to other deemed elite NFL quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, and Drew Brees, the Indianapolis Colts young superstar quarterback holds his own. His 87.4 overall passer rating in the 4th quarter was respectable, as was his 4th quarter performance within 7 points of 79.3.
Jan 4, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrates on the field after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 45-44 to win the 2013 AFC wild card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Still like any other young quarterback, Luck still has some work to do. He’s not quite in the upper echelon of the elite quarterbacks in their 4th quarter performance, as both Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady were better in both their 4th quarter performance and 4th quarter performance within 7 points respectively.
Nevertheless, what Luck has been able to do in his 3-year NFL career is nothing short of brilliant. Along with the Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson, he’s one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL because of it.
This was accomplished too this past season with largely just T.Y. Hilton, no running game, and a banged up offensive line. If the Colts can successfully address at least 2 of the 3 aforementioned deficiency areas, as well as taking into account Luck’s own individual improvement of course, and it’s possible that Luck could make the jump to the most clutch quarterback in the NFL in time.
The 25-year old has so far showed ice in his veins, when it’s mattered the most. With his exceptional ability to both pass and run, he has to strike fear into opposing defenses late in games.
However, he only has room to improve, which is a scary thought indeed.
Dec 7, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) and Indianapolis Colts center Khaled Holmes (62) celebrate a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Colts beat the Browns 25-24. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports