2:03 pm | September 16, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
LANDOVER, Md. — Andrew Luck’s first victory in more than 20 months didn’t come easily.
In fact, the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday were in danger of continuing a trend of not holding on to leads in the second half. The Colts’ offense, which was impressive early on, got stuck in cement, which gave the unimpressive Washington Redskins some hope.
That’s when Luck, playing just his second regular-season game since Jan. 1, 2017, orchestrated a drive to put the Colts in position to ice the game.
Luck threw, scrambled for yards and even ran a quarterback sneak to extend a drive to help the Colts get just their fifth win in that 20-month span, a 21-9 victory over the Redskins.
For so long during Luck’s career, the Colts’ fate has rested on the right arm of their franchise quarterback. But on this afternoon, Luck didn’t have to do all the work.
He had plenty of help.
The Colts’ defense, which finished 30th in the NFL last season, bailed out Luck to ensure the Colts didn’t fall to 0-2 for the fifth straight year.
Luck threw two interceptions on the Colts’ side of the field only to have the defense, led by rookie linebacker Darius Leonard, hold the Redskins to two field goals when momentum easily could have swung in Washington’s favor.
After the Colts had four straight three-and-out possessions — not counting a knee at the end of the first half — and gained just 5 yards in the third quarter, vintage Andrew Luck showed up on the next drive. He orchestrated a third 75-yard drive that ended with a touchdown when he went 6-of-7 for 62 yards. He also tested his surgically repaired right shoulder on a run up the middle on a quarterback sneak, extending a drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton to give them a 21-9 lead.
Leonard, who was selected in the second round out of South Carolina State, a Football Championship Subdivision school, sealed Frank Reich’s first victory as coach of the Colts when he forced a Jordan Reed fumble.
Luck finished 21-of-31 for 179 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and was sacked only once. The defense gave up 334 yards to Washington, but defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ bend-but-don’t-break philosophy paid off because his unit allowed only three field goals.
The last time the Colts won a game in which Luck had this much help on defense was in their 34-6 victory over Minnesota on Dec. 18, 2016. The improved defense should allow Luck not have to shoulder as much by throwing the ball, which in turn should keep Luck from taking as many hits.
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