Andrew Luck is Back, Drew Brees is Perfect, but Colts and Saints In Trouble
Let’s start with the good news. Andrew Luck is back.
In last year’s opener, Luck was pummeled by the Buffalo Bills, averaged less than 5 yards per attempt, and threw two interceptions. It was a sign of things to come in 2015. Luck would miss games with a shoulder injury, then try to come back and suffer a rib cartilage injury that ended his year with 7 games played.
Luck signed his big contract extension in the offseason, and showed that he is ready to put 2015’s nightmare behind him with the opener. Luck threw for almost 400 yards and 4 touchdowns with no turnovers, numbers more reminiscent of what he did before last season, when he led the league in TDs in 2014. He also made play after play after a slow start, when Indianapolis fell behind 21-3 in the first half. Luck took the Colts on a cool two-minute drive to score a touchdown with 5 seconds remaining to give the team hope. He then rolled in the second half, and appeared to lead yet another game-winning drive in the 4th quarter, only to see Detroit and Matt Stafford get the Lions back into field goal range for the game winner.
Do you know how many quarterbacks had thrown for at least 4 touchdowns with zero interceptions in the season opener, and lost?
Now, there are two, because misery loves company.
Drew Brees had numbers that slightly exceeded Luck’s, with 423 yards on 42 passes, and those four touchdowns. Unlike the Colts, the Saints were playing from ahead, leading 24-13 in the third quarter at home. We’ve seen plenty of big comebacks in recent years, but most have required the offense that is leading to stop picking up first downs, or turn the ball over. The Saints were still moving the ball, but gave up 25 points on the last four Oakland possessions, had a missed field goal by rookie Wil Lutz, and ran out of time and had to try another desperation long field goal to win as time expired.
Things could be worse (having a bad offense), but it has to be disheartening to have two quarterbacks at home having the games that Luck and Brees did, and losing. This is doubly true because they weren’t playing Super Bowl favorites. Of the teams that have lost in shootouts in the past in week 1, doing so to one of the best teams in the league has not been a poor indicator. The Giants, for example, lost in a shootout to Dallas, on the road, back in 2007, and avenged that in the playoffs.
But Oakland and Detroit are more playoff hopeful than league favorite. These are the kind of games the Colts and Saints have to win at home if they want to collectively exorcise the recent past.