The Indianapolis Colts hit the lottery that many NFL teams dream of. It just so happened that the year Peyton Manning missed after multiple neck surgeries was the year the best quarterback prospect in many years was coming out of Stanford.
The Colts got the No. 1 pick, cut Manning and drafted Andrew Luck. And now they’re going to the AFC championship game at New England after a 24-13 win over the Denver Broncos and Manning on Sunday.
If there was even a small faction of Manning loyalists remaining in Indiana who thought the Colts should have kept Manning and traded the Luck pick, that was erased on Sunday evening. The Colts had the better quarterback in this game, and it wasn’t close. Manning looked all of 38 years old in another disappointing playoff loss. He didn't crack 200 yards until the final play of the game. He finished 26-of-46 for 211 yards. Manning looked good on Denver’s first drive, which resulted in a touchdown, but struggled after that. The Broncos couldn’t get anything going downfield. They’d throw short and hope their receivers would break free. The Colts were too good on defense for that to happen.
Some franchises go decades looking for QB stability, but the Colts went from Manning to Luck, one Hall of Famer to someone who looks like he's headed in that direction. Luck did whatever he wanted against the Broncos. He was great in the pocket, and the Colts' offensive line did a good job erasing Denver’s pass rush. It was a fantastic performance by Luck and Indianapolis’ offense. He spread the ball around to multiple receivers, figured out early that the Broncos were making a mistake shadowing T.Y. Hilton with Aqib Talib and exploited that matchup, and was in absolute control of the game.
The Colts are far from a complete team, but they keep making strides and can continue to build around their phenomenal young quarterback. The Broncos, built to win now, seem to be headed the other way, especially with Manning looking like he’s on a severe decline.
Indianapolis will be significant underdogs at New England next week, and rightfully so. But the Colts have Luck, and he gives them a chance in any game they play.
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