Luck, RG3, Weeden, Tannehil, and Wilson

[stat2883]

((long post follows -- This is a process and I'll keep updating this post as I finish looking at the games - for now I sat down and looked at Luck's first game against Chicago and gave my thoughts below as well as some graphic aids. I would like to be able to look at all of the rookie QBs every game, but lets see how I'm doing on time Feel free to post your thoughts, comments, or any discussion - you guys know your team better than I do. )) For those of you in the TL;DR crowd, the last paragraph is a quick summary.

Andrew Luck

(week 1 vs Bears)

Drive 1: 1^st pass was well designed play-action. Pre-snap, a shift followed by motion across the formation by #46 ended in the formation you see below. With Indy only having 1 WR (#11) out in formation, the Bears load the box with 9 defenders. By using pre-snap movement, Luck now knows that the Bears are playing cover 1 man under. His primary read becomes the outside WR.

Below is the sideline view of the play as well as the three routes which will be involved. #11 will take the CB down the sideline. The TE (#80) on the left side of the formation will show run before releasing into his route. #46 on the right side will do the same.

The colts catch Chicago over-playing the run as you see below. If you notice the colts offensive line, you will see a trend that is becoming more and more prevalent in the NFL. When teams used to use play action, because the lineman can’t fire out on a pass play, they can’t effectively sell the run fake. Defenders used to read the OL to quickly diagnose run or pass. You’re starting to see more and more over recent years pulling guards in play-action, as you see below. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the pass rusher, teams are now starting to give a stretch look and sell it with the pulling guard. The Bears get sucked in and Luck goes to his first read.

Luck’s first read was well covered by the CB, so he moved on to his 2^nd read, #80 going over the middle. However, the play-action worked so well that it pulled Lance Briggs into the passing lane. Luck tried to give #80 time to shake free, but his internal clock was ticking down and he had to check down to #46 in the flat. This play was good in the fact that Luck didn’t try to force the throw into his WR even though it was single coverage. Then he went through his progressions and made the smart decision to check it down.

This drive ended shortly after when Luck overthrew Wayne with pressure in his face, which caused him to throw off his back foot, affecting his release point and the ball sailed. Luck was good on this drive.

The 2^nd drive, Luck hit his first pass, missed his 2^nd while taking a hit. His next attempt he had to tuck and run due to coverage and pressure, but he was able to get a first down. He hit a quick WR screen, then overthrew another one as he was getting hit and unable to step into the throw. Luck was good here, having to deal again with shaky protection.

On the 3^rd play of the 3^rd drive, Peppers hit luck and caused a fumble, which Luck was able to recover. The last play of the drive was a short pass to an open Brown….which Brown promptly dropped. Luck took a fraction of a second too long before he decided to tuck the ball back into his body and Peppers was able to knock it out.

1^st drive of the 2^nd quarter, Luck fires a 17 yard pass to Wayne on a skinny post beyond the defender’s reach – great pass and catch. On the next play, Luck went deep off play action and had single-coverage on the outside with #11. Luck made the right read, but the pass was underthrown slightly and Jennings made a great play and came up with the INT. Luck made the right decisions, had one good throw and one not-so-good throw. Luck was ok here only showed that he’s still getting his timing down with his WRs. Nothing wrong with that.

Next drive in the 2^nd quarter – first play was an intermediate shot to Wayne who had his man beat. The pass was almost perfect – Wayne had to lay out a little bit for it and made a good catch, otherwise he was running free. Luck got away with a quick out a couple plays later. His windup was a little slow and the safety Conte jumped the route but dropped the INT. The next play, Luck was flushed out of the pocket and hit Wayne on a shallow drag. The drive ends on an 18 yard TD run by Brown. Luck telegraphed the quick out just enough to give the defender the jump. Luck showed good accuracy on shorter throws and enough awareness to escape pressure and get the ball into the hands of his playmakers.

Last drive of 1^st Half starting with 39 seconds left. Pass to Fleener on a quick slant for about 7 yards. Arians spreads the Bears out and Luck hits Wayne for an 8 yard pass, however the pass was high and Wayne bailed him out with a great catch. There was no pressure on Luck that time. Next pass was another short pass over the middle, hitting Fleener in stride and able to get about 17 yards of YAC. On the next play, Luck escaped from the pocket and drew the LBs with him who were playing zone, and Luck throw back across his body and hit Fleener in the middle of the field. Last pass of the half was an endzone shot at the end of the half to Avery but was broken up. Again Luck shows good accuracy on shorter throws, but continues to be just slightly off on the intermediate and deep throws. The pass across his body to Fleener though was a nice throw under pressure – Fleener was standing still.

1^st drive of 2^nd half: 1^st pass to Fleener about 14 yards down field into a small window. Pass was just ahead of Fleener and he couldn’t get to it, but it was the only place Luck could throw it due to coverage. The next throw was on a post to Adams, but the pass was behind him and incomplete. Erratic accuracy on the only 2 throws of the drive.

Next drive (3^rd qtr, 10:02 left), throw under pressure to Fleener in a small window – good throw. Next pass was from a cluttered pocket and Luck could not step into the throw and it fell incomplete. Luck showed good pocket awareness and slid up in the pocket to make the throw. Next pass, Luck read his primary receiver but then had a rusher right in his face. Luck gave a shoulder turn and went to Brown as his check down….pass was perfect but dropped. Right after the drop by Brown, Luck fires a pass to Adams who had inside position on his defender about 13 yards down field. Luck threw it on the side away from the defender where only Adams could catch it. Next pass was incomplete – pre-determined quick hitter to Avery who was facing off coverage. However the defender came up on Avery and crushed him, pass was good but incomplete due to good defense. Luck’s next pass was again sliding in the pocket away from pressure and hit Wayne over the middle in a tight window. The very next pass to Fleener was over the middle beyond the LBs and in front of the safety – fit in there perfectly for 24 yds. The last pass of the drive was forced into coverage and intercepted. Chicago had good coverage on the play and credit should go to them. Overall Luck showed some very good accuracy and footwork in the pocket – the last pass was a rookie mistake, instead of throwing it away and taking a FG.

2:37 left in the 3^rd qtr. First pass is of the drive is off play-action, but pressure gets there fast and his pass it just beyond Fleener’s reach over the middle. Next pass was fumble where Luck was hit from behind and the ball flops into Pepper’s hands. Nothing negative on Luck here IMO.

1^st drive of 4^th quarter – quick hit to Wayne who was facing off coverage – easy read and throw. Next pass was to Wayne on a deep post – perfect throw for 21 yards. Next pass again over the middle to Fleener, but was dropped – pass was a little high, but very catchable. Luck was then flushed out of the pocket. As he started to run, Avery came open in the middle, but the pass from Luck was high and incomplete. On 4^th down, clean pocket and Luck hits Adams again over the middle for 13 yards and a first down – perfect pass. Next pass was quick hitter to Wayne on the sideline. Luck did a good job on this play to get it over a jumping defensive end and into Wayne’s hands before the CB could break on it. Next play is a quick slant to Avery vs off coverage – pass was a little behind but not bad. 1^st attempt into endzone was to Wayne over the middle with tight coverage – just out of Wayne’s reach and incomplete, but only place he could put it. Then Luck throws a TD on the next play, a quick slant to Avery who had a defender draped over him – good pass and good effort by Avery to get into the endzone. Luck had a very good drive and showed some good poise under pressure a couple times. His accuracy was on display even though a couple were just out of reach, it was where you would want it given the coverage at the time.

Let’s take a closer look at the 4^th down play to Adams. Below you see Luck in the shotgun and the colts in a trips right formation. The Bears are playing a cover 2 defense and Luck knows that the soft spots of the cover 2 are the sidelines past the CBs and the middle of the field between the LBs and Safeties. Below you see the routes the receivers are going to run. Luck’s first read is the the far right WR who is running the corner route to the 10 yard line.

After the snap, you see the movement of the defense below. With no one threatening the flats on the right side, the CB bails out and cuts off Luck’s first read. With the right side deep safety responsible for the deep post and the inside receiver dragging the LBs across the field with him, the soft spot in the cover 2 opens up in front of the safety on the left. The Bears played this alright, but due to solid protection and play design, it was an uphill battle for them and Luck connected with Adams for the first down.

You can get a different view of how this window opened up from the endzone angle. The shallow drag route which drew 2 underneath LBs, the deep post which took care of one deep safety, then Adams cutting across the field under the other safety and across the grain which the LBs were underneath.

2^nd to last drive of the game – first attempt is a shallow cross to Wayne that is incomplete – tight coverage on Wayne. 2^nd pass of the drive was again Luck being flushed out and he throws low and inside to a WR with coverage to his outside – where the pass needed to be. Luck then attempted a pass to Wayne on a skinny post with underneath coverage and the defender batted it down – with playing from behind, Luck is starting to try and force plays. Next pass is batted at the line after the defense got some push up the middle. Next play is a sack…Luck had about 3 seconds tops and couldn’t step up in the pocket.

Last drive of the game: Quick out to Fleener against off man coverage – correct read, pass was slightly behind but not bad. Next attempt to Fleener was while being flushed out, was a check-down after a few seconds – downfield coverage by the bears was good. Pressure right up the middle on the first play and Luck has to eat the ball. First pass after the 2:00 warning was a thing of beauty. Luck looked off the safeties, then came back across the field to find Avery on the left sideline in the soft spot beyond the CB and out of reach of the safety Luck had just looked off. Last pass of the day for Luck was another underthrown interception to Jennings – it was a good play by Jennings to make the catch too.

Overall, I would probably give Luck about a B+ on the day. He was faced with a bit of pressure throughout the day and was forced to scramble out of the pocket and try to make throws on the run, which for the most part he did well. His accuracy was a little bit erratic on the intermediate throws. He had some drops by his receivers too (I’m looking at your Brown! ), but on the other hand, Wayne bailed him out a couple times on throws that were a bit off. Luck showed poise and good footwork in the pocket and went through his progressions well. I think Arians did a good job of giving Luck some easy reads and sprinkled in some quick passes. In the end, the colts just weren’t talented enough to compete with Chicago once they quit getting pressure on Cutler and the Bears’ offense.

[SLILLINGTON10]

no kidding a long post

[stat2883]

hehe...yeah this type of post definitely isn't for everybody. Well hey if it doesn't spark much conversation then we let it fade away. No biggie to me

[GoDeep]

Soooo, Luck is good, right?

I look forward to the updates!

[ruksak]

Could we please stop referring to Robert Griffin as RG3?

Good breakdown though. Lots of effort in compiling all that. Good job Stat.

I would add to this conversation that I feel Luck would benefit from better play-calling. Toward the end of the game, I'm seeing too many play-calls that insist he stand in a pocket, and the result has been undesirable. Quick screens (middle/bubble etc), any call that gets the ball out of his hands quickly would serve Luck far better than these calls that require him to hold the ball for 3-4 beats.

[Mouthfire]

Oh, yeah... definitely a TLDR for most people. This is great stuff, though. I'll have to actually read it today with a nice cup o java.

[SteelCityColt]

You weren't joking about going through the games in depth this weekend!

I'm on my phone now but will certainly give it a proper read later but from the TLDR I think I mostly agree with your assessment. Certainly I feel we have got good if not great potential at QB.

[stat2883]

Could we please stop referring to Robert Griffin as RG3?

Good breakdown though. Lots of effort in compiling all that. Good job Stat.

I would add to this conversation that I feel Luck would benefit from better play-calling. Toward the end of the game, I'm seeing too many play-calls that insist he stand in a pocket, and the result has been undesirable. Quick screens (middle/bubble etc), any call that gets the ball out of his hands quickly would serve Luck far better than these calls that require him to hold the ball for 3-4 beats.

...ok...he will be Bob Griffin from now on

Yeah Luck was extremely accurate and got the ball out in good time on the short quick stuff. I think that actually suits guys like Avery better too. Agaist a team like Chicago its sometimes harder to maintain a drive doing just that since they tend to do pretty well at keeping plays in front of them and tackling. Against a cover 2 defense you've got to hit the soft spots behind the LBs and CBs, so I'm good with how Arians called this particular game with a good number of seam routes. When Luck wasn't being harassed he was hitting those on the money. Calling plays with roll-outs and a moving pocket would have given him better passing lanes than what he was getting in the pocket most of the day, so I think you're right about that too. Also, Brown showed me some good speed and shiftiness in the open field when he was able to break free and I think if he would cease the drops, he could be a pretty good weapon out of the backfield. Have only seen this one game so far though too.

[stat2883]

You weren't joking about going through the games in depth this weekend!

I'm on my phone now but will certainly give it a proper read later but from the TLDR I think I mostly agree with your assessment. Certainly I feel we have got good if not great potential at QB.

hehe...yeah I'm a bit of a football geek/strategist/nut. I didn't realize how long it was getting until I copy/pasted it up here from the word doc I was using, but at that point it was late and I was going to bed. I'll shorten them up considerably and focus on breaking down a few plays in each game and give an overall view. I would assume the breakdowns would be the most interesting to the most people anyway.

pictures could be bigger too....for some reason they got shrunk down when I put them up here and you have to click each one for the full size

[TKnight24]

I think you just Boosted my IQ

*Guy from that Pizza Commercial Voice*

[ruksak]

...ok...he will be Bob Griffin from now on

lol....yeah I was calling him Bob Griffin some time ago. I'm just really concerned about the immaturity of certain players becoming commonplace, or even exacerbated by media sensationalism. The moniker of "RG3" is bad, but with it also comes silly uniform decisions that red-flag to me a profound immaturity. The ridiculous Micheal Jackson glove and the sleeve he wears only for looks.....these things have no place in football.

Of course nicknames and hip outfits aren't the end-all to determine immaturity. Griffin and Newton both strike me as children with incredible athletic talent, goofy antic ridden kids. They will not respond well to adversity, I assure you. What bothers me is that the media eats it up and even encourages it, a trend I'd like not to see get worse.

Cam is appearing to be a problem already, Griffin will follow suite, I guarantee it.

"Steve Smith said after the game. “I told him (Cam), ‘You can get some mental reps or you can sit on that bench and sulk.’”

“Smith, a team captain, said he used some ‘unchoice words’ with Newton, who was criticized last year for putting a towel over his head and sitting on the bench at the end of losses.

“This is the second time in as many seasons the Panthers’ captains have talked to Newton about his demeanor. Offensive linemen Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil took Newton aside last year and said he needed to bring more positive energy to the huddle.”

"The same player who will go to nauseating lengths to draw attention to himself after a touchdown goes into a hole when things aren’t going his witty, bitty way."

Take the towel off your head. What are you doing you man-child. It doesn't look cool. You look like a 6'5 baby.

Back on topic;

Dink-n-dunk comes to mind, in respect to helping Luck adjust to the speed of the game without the risk of tethering his success to the O-line's capabilities, which has fallen well short of our hopes. Luck has been very good while mobile. I believe this is because it plays to his strengths, giving him the control that the porous O-line has robbed from him.

Thankfully, our franchise QB exudes a high level of maturity and doesn't seem so distracted with image. His image will be crafted through results rather than unconventional wardrobe choices and high school-era nicknames.

[stat2883]

Thankfully, our franchise QB exudes a high level of maturity and doesn't seem so distracted with image. His image will be crafted through results rather than unconventional wardrobe choices and high school-era nicknames.

That's a fair assessment. My own personal opinion is that while Griff does have his fashion based choices, I haven't seen the level of immaturity I have from Cam even coming out of college. I can't envision seeing Griff pout at the podium the way Cam did last week. Griff is kind of a dork and a big kid I'll agree with that. But...until he faces real adversity, there's nothing we can do but just sit back and wait and see.

I think Luck was definitely the safest pick and the most pro-ready, but that was no secret to anybody who watches football. He is mobile enough to utilize those concepts such as moving pockets and roll-outs and his mechanics are already solid, so he'll be consistent and accurate in his throws (unless he's getting heavy pressure obviously). I don't foresee any attitude or immaturity problems with Luck either - he's just going to go about his job and perform on the field.

[ruksak]

That's a fair assessment. My own personal opinion is that while Griff does have his fashion based choices, I haven't seen the level of immaturity I have from Cam even coming out of college. I can't envision seeing Griff pout at the podium the way Cam did last week. Griff is kind of a dork and a big kid I'll agree with that. But...until he faces real adversity, there's nothing we can do but just sit back and wait and see.

I think Luck was definitely the safest pick and the most pro-ready, but that was no secret to anybody who watches football. He is mobile enough to utilize those concepts such as moving pockets and roll-outs and his mechanics are already solid, so he'll be consistent and accurate in his throws (unless he's getting heavy pressure obviously). I don't foresee any attitude or immaturity problems with Luck either - he's just going to go about his job and perform on the field.

I'll agree that Griffin shows a potential for actually being able to grow up, and likely will. His demeanor hasn't yet shifted toward sulking. Once we see that alarms should ring loud.

Cam.....check back with him when he's 50 and I bet he's still acting like a man-child.

[TKnight24]

Thankfully, our franchise QB exudes a high level of maturity and doesn't seem so distracted with image. His image will be crafted through results rather than unconventional wardrobe choices and high school-era nicknames.

Yeah cause when Luck throws a Pick & goes to the Sidelines, he becomes the Coach. LOVE his Leadership. Just waiting for the entire team to follow his footsteps so we can close out games

[stat2883]

Once we see that alarms should ring loud.

completely in agreement here

[oldunclemark]

Newton isnt acting like a pro quarterback....He's smacks of Vince Young...

adversity isnt boosting the level of character in Cam..

Its revealing it...

[ruksak]

Newton isnt acting like a pro quarterback....He's smacks of Vince Young...

Ouch......that's not a ringing endorsement...lol

I believe some of these guys let the hype go to their heads and they accept this mindset that it's all about them. I know people think I'm silly when I mention such things as uniform alterations (the glove/sleeve thing). But the reason why this strikes me so profoundly is because it suggests that a player whom goes to such lengths to stand out, is exerting effort to stand out and away from his team i.e. Everyone look at me I'm special.

When Cam struggles we see him sit alone on the end of the bench, towel draped over his head. This is another manifestation of believing he is apart from the rest of the team.

When Manning struggles we see him intensively engaging his teammates and coaches in discussion of whatever may have gone wrong and whatever may fix it, studying pics of the last series etc. That's professionalism.

The only time I EVER, in 12 years, ever saw Peyton sitting alone was when he was waiting for the defense to do it's job in the last minute and shut down Brady in the AFCCG 2006 to send his team to the SB.

[BOTT]

TL;DR

[ColtStrong]

Could we please stop referring to Robert Griffin as RG3?

What's your problem? Everyone calls him that. People don't mean it as disrespect.

[lollygagger8]

Since Luck is so good at the two minute drill, why don't we run it once every (or every other) series? That also seems to be the only time we can establish the run as well....when the D is gassed from being unable to make substitutions. Worst case scenario you make the other team use up their timeouts.

[ruksak]

What's your problem? Everyone calls him that. People don't mean it as disrespect.

Because if he was a real man he'd be requesting that people call him Robert or Griffin or Robert Griffin. Again, this is a trend that I think is overall bad for the game. T-sizzle, Shady McCoy, Megatron.....would you people grow up please. We're relegating football players to the status of rap stars. Which might explain why some football stars sell drugs, beat their wives and are forced to revive their careers post-incarceration. But go on thinking it's just for fun when what we're really doing is dumbing down the standard for pro athletes.

Don't mind me.....this issue is merely a personal pet peeve.

[ruksak]

Since Luck is so good at the two minute drill, why don't we run it once every (or every other) series? That also seems to be the only time we can establish the run as well....when the D is gassed from being unable to make substitutions. Worst case scenario you make the other team use up their timeouts.

someone needs to forward this to Denver. When running "their" offense, Peyton struggles to get them moving. As soon as time becomes a factor, dude is leaving a vapor trail in his wake they're scoring so fast.

[SteelCityColt]

Having had chance to read through in depth now a very good and fair breakdown, I appreciate the time and thought you've put into this. It's encouraging I think to see that the flaws Luck did display should be fixable with coaching and experience. That and building familiarity with the receiving core to get those timing throws nailed.

Linking into the later posts in the thread I think the most encouraging thing I've seen from him is the mental understanding of the game and the mature way he has conducted himself on the field. He already looks like he has the respect of his teammates and even at gs early stage he looks like he can be a leader too. Love too what I've seen of the coverage of his behaviour on the sidelines, interacting with coaches and teammates and even when has thrown a pick he doesn't hide. Did show his frustration after the one against the Jags but got over it.

Let me say again great OP, and I look forward to the Vikes edition.

[stat2883]

It's encouraging I think to see that the flaws Luck did display should be fixable with coaching and experience. That and building familiarity with the receiving core to get those timing throws nailed.

Let me say again great OP, and I look forward to the Vikes edition.

Thanks -- I may not go quite as long on the Vikings game as this one, but will break down several plays. I watched the game this morning before heading out the door, but will dive into it further tonight and have something then. First impressions though were very good.

And yes everything I saw is easily fixable with a little time and coaching - get that chemistry down with his WRs. He's going to be a great one I feel. Just need to keep him healthy - and that's really just a general statement and not an indictment of the OL or anything.

question for anyone - who do you guys feel is most likely to step up once Wayne hangs them up? Someone on the roster, draft, free agent? I like what little I saw from Avery and he's still fairly young. Adams is intriguing to me as well. And of course TY Hilton...I liked him coming out of college.

[Esquire59]

Really enjoyed this informative read and photographic breakdown. Salute.

[GoColts8818]

Could we please stop referring to Robert Griffin as RG3?

okay I'll call him RGIII

In all seriousness it's a nick name frankly it's shorter to type RG3 than his name so people are going to do it.

[stat2883]

Andrew Luck

(Minnesota Vikings)

-- for the TL;DR crowd, just look at the last paragraph in the post after this one -- apparently there's a limit to how many pictures you can put in a single post.

This game was a nice little chess match that took place during the week leading up to the game. The colts fashioned their game plan to focus on quick passes, opting to get the ball out of Luck's hand quickly in order to neutralize the Viking's pass rush. The Vikings obviously expected this. They rarely blitzed knowing that they could rush 4 and still contain the run and pressure Luck - and they were right. Most of Minnesota's defensive calls were aimed at taking away the short passing game by dropping everyone into cover, daring Luck to make tight throws. The colts responded by using a good mix of play-action, bootlegs, and misdirection to take advantage of an aggressive Viking LB group.

When Luck wasn't getting pressured, he made good reads and was more consistent in his accuracy than he was in the opener against the Bears. He still threw some passes off his back foot and got away with a couple while feeling some heat and trying to escape the pocket, but you put that on the protection as much as anything. There was only a couple instances where Luck was late on some throws or his mechanics and release point were a little off causing the ball to drift a little off target.

I thought Arians called a good game for the most part. I don't fault him for going conservative for a drive in the 4th quarter. They had a good lead and could have killed more clock if not for Essex getting called for a penalty that killed a drive. The defense gave up two straight TD drives also. For the record, Ponder was my favorite QB coming out of that class, but I didn't think any of them were worthy of a real high draft pick.

So....a deeper look at some of the plays during the game that illustrate some of the points and highlight some good and bad points.

1st Quarter - 41 yard pass to Avery

The Vikings are shown in a man defense with one deep safety who is shaded to Wayne's side, an obvious read for Luck.

In the next 2 images, you can see the clean pocket afforded Luck by the LBs attacking the play-action. Brown is on the ground behind the guard. Luck looks to Wayne, drawing the safety in and giving Avery a clean run towards the end zone. You can see in the 2nd image here how the safety was sucked in. Avery ran an excellent route against Winfield who was playing inside technique. When Winfield opened up his hips, Avery cut across his face and Winfield had to slow and turn, giving Avery separation. Luck's pass was on the money. Given that the safety was shaded over Wayne and Winfield was playing inside, I'm inclined to think that the plan was to double team Wayne from the start and leave Winfield one-on-one with Avery. Whether Luck actually looked the safety off or if he was covering Wayne regardless - I'm not sure. Either way, the correct read and throw was to Avery, which Luck did perfectly.

2nd Quarter - play-action to Wayne for 5 yards

This is a simple play but illustrates a key component of the Colts' gameplan. The Vikings had been playing close to the line and keying on the RB and movement of the OL, pursuing heavily to the point of attack. The Vikings gave a zone look which they had done for much of the afternoon. The colts action flowed to the left while Wayne ran a drag against traffic, leaving the LBs in pursuit. Before the snap, Wayne motioned across the formation to further give tip the defense towards the run. After the snap, Wayne ran back across the field where Luck was rolling out. The short pass was open due to the aggressive reaction of the LBs to the run fake. Luck's first read was Wayne, which was open. However Fleener was also wide open in the next level over the middle shown below. I don't put that on Luck really though since his first read was actually open. The LBs over pursued hard and left a couple easy options for Luck.

2nd Quarter - incomplete pass due to pressure (was also a penalty on the defense for offsides)

Let's ignore the penalty for a moment and look at how just one person getting beat can ruin a whole play. The colts lined 2 WRs on the left side and ran them both deep, putting pressure on the safety on that side of the field. The other safety was closer to the line and covering the TE. Before the snap, Avery shifted behind the inside receiver. He then got behind the LBs and was wide open for the touchdown. However, Ballard whiffed on his block and Luck was forced to sidestep away from the rush and attempted the pass off his back foot and it came up short and incomplete - fortunately it wasn't intercepted. If Ballard is able to cut the rusher, or at least adequately redirect him, Luck steps into his throw and Avery has an easy TD.

----continued in next post due to limitations in allowed number of images per post

[stat2883]

--- continued from previous post

2nd Quarter - 10 yard pass to Avery

This is another play where the colts flowed one direction on play-action, then rolled Luck the opposite direction against the flow of the defense. The Vikings are again in zone and again pursue hard with the flow.

Luck executed the play-action well and had a wide open window to make the throw to Avery who had gotten out ahead of the coverage.

However, Luck hesitated, lost his footwork, and delivered an awkward pass that was behind the receiver, though still caught. Had he delivered it on time, Avery would have had a better opportunity to gain some YAC, but as it turned out, he caught it in the middle of 3 defenders because Luck took a second too long to throw and inadvertently brought the safety into the play.

2nd Quarter - 30 yard TD pass to Wayne with 14 seconds left.

Here is an example of Luck taking advantage of a lapse in the Viking secondary. First, the vikings were again playing zone defense which they had been doing the majority of the day. They were playing the deep pass trying to avoid the touchdown at the end of the half.

What happened after the snap sealed the Vikings' fate. The left corner (top side of the image) attempted to bump the WR but missed. This left the outside WR running free towards the front corner of the endzone. and the deep safety was forced to run to cover. When this happened, the slot receiver only had to beat the MLB to the endzone. Luck recognized the safety bailing out towards the sideline and the decision was made.

Luck's pass was perfectly timed and in the right place, just beyond the reach of the LB and arriving right before the other safety could get over.

Overall, Luck showed good command of the offense and exceptional poise especially during the last drive to win the game. He took what was given, only once or twice trying to force a dangerous throw, but fortunately nothing bad happened. With only a couple minor hiccups in mechanics, I think his performance was better than his first game and shows more of the potential that got him drafted #1 overall. For this game, I'd give Luck an A-.

[stat2883]

Forgot to add and now can't edit - there were a couple instances where Luck telegraphed his throw and allowed a defender to get a jump and force an incompletion. Nothing major though and not uncommon at all for a rookie QB.

[ruksak]

Forgot to add and now can't edit - there were a couple instances where Luck telegraphed his throw and allowed a defender to get a jump and force an incompletion. Nothing major though and not uncommon at all for a rookie QB.

Yeah, a few of us were discussing this matter in another thread. The speed of the game, the failure of the O-line and the unimpressive running game aren't helping him with this. Crossing/timing patterns seem to be the issue in this regard. A lack of deep balls is something else I've noted.

[stat2883]

Yeah, a few of us were discussing this matter in another thread. The speed of the game, the failure of the O-line and the unimpressive running game aren't helping him with this. Crossing/timing patterns seem to be the issue in this regard. A lack of deep balls is something else I've noted.

The couple plays I noticed it on in the vikings game were the designed quick slants. There was also a WR screen where his footwork and release were just a tiny bit slow and allowed the defender to get a small head start and minimize the gain. These are all coachable though, so I'm not worried at all being only 3 games in.

The OL is out-matched, especially in the power run game - and of course against the better pass rushers and penetrating DTs. They do ok (not great) in the stretch runs and zone blocking, but still sometimes have trouble getting out ahead of their guy and sealing the edge. After the first two games I saw, I don't put much of the running problems on Brown, as I've seen debated on here recently. There are some things he could do better for his part - doesn't always hit the holes fast, but he hasn't had a lot to work with. Getting this going would help Luck get to the next level quicker.

As for the lack of deep balls, right now I'm pinning that mainly on play-calling being centered around compensating for his lack of protection - quicker throws. When he has had a good clean pocket, he's made a few attempts down field and hit some.

Going to check out the Jags game sometime today too - I believe there was a lot of issues with conservative play calling here on that one.

[dgambill]

Because if he was a real man he'd be requesting that people call him Robert or Griffin or Robert Griffin. Again, this is a trend that I think is overall bad for the game. T-sizzle, Shady McCoy, Megatron.....would you people grow up please. We're relegating football players to the status of rap stars. Which might explain why some football stars sell drugs, beat their wives and are forced to revive their careers post-incarceration. But go on thinking it's just for fun when what we're really doing is dumbing down the standard for pro athletes.

Don't mind me.....this issue is merely a personal pet peeve.

Not to start a fight but we called Peyton the Sheriff and Jim Harbaugh Captain Comback and so many other sports stars by nicknames. I think you are taking it a bit serious. Also I find it interesting the two players you point out are black qbs that you have complaints about. Pointing out Cam and RG3. We've seen many other people white included do the same thing. I remember Peyton sulking a few times too. I don't like all the show boating and things much either but let's face it....these guys represent millions of people in america and I'm not going to hate on someone for having ability that few have and breaking barriers and molds of the nfl qb. Everyone is an individual....let them be who they are. Nicknames in sports have existed since the start.....baseball, football, basketball, etc....Babe Ruth to Michael Jordan and so on. I appreciate your opinion but I think you are in the minority.

[Gavin]

((long post follows -- This is a process and I'll keep updating this post as I finish looking at the games - for now I sat down and looked at Luck's first game against Chicago and gave my thoughts below as well as some graphic aids. I would like to be able to look at all of the rookie QBs every game, but lets see how I'm doing on time Feel free to post your thoughts, comments, or any discussion - you guys know your team better than I do. )) For those of you in the TL;DR crowd, the last paragraph is a quick summary.

Andrew Luck

(week 1 vs Bears)

Drive 1: 1^st pass was well designed play-action. Pre-snap, a shift followed by motion across the formation by #46 ended in the formation you see below. With Indy only having 1 WR (#11) out in formation, the Bears load the box with 9 defenders. By using pre-snap movement, Luck now knows that the Bears are playing cover 1 man under. His primary read becomes the outside WR.

Below is the sideline view of the play as well as the three routes which will be involved. #11 will take the CB down the sideline. The TE (#80) on the left side of the formation will show run before releasing into his route. #46 on the right side will do the same.

The colts catch Chicago over-playing the run as you see below. If you notice the colts offensive line, you will see a trend that is becoming more and more prevalent in the NFL. When teams used to use play action, because the lineman can’t fire out on a pass play, they can’t effectively sell the run fake. Defenders used to read the OL to quickly diagnose run or pass. You’re starting to see more and more over recent years pulling guards in play-action, as you see below. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the pass rusher, teams are now starting to give a stretch look and sell it with the pulling guard. The Bears get sucked in and Luck goes to his first read.

Luck’s first read was well covered by the CB, so he moved on to his 2^nd read, #80 going over the middle. However, the play-action worked so well that it pulled Lance Briggs into the passing lane. Luck tried to give #80 time to shake free, but his internal clock was ticking down and he had to check down to #46 in the flat. This play was good in the fact that Luck didn’t try to force the throw into his WR even though it was single coverage. Then he went through his progressions and made the smart decision to check it down.

This drive ended shortly after when Luck overthrew Wayne with pressure in his face, which caused him to throw off his back foot, affecting his release point and the ball sailed. Luck was good on this drive.

The 2^nd drive, Luck hit his first pass, missed his 2^nd while taking a hit. His next attempt he had to tuck and run due to coverage and pressure, but he was able to get a first down. He hit a quick WR screen, then overthrew another one as he was getting hit and unable to step into the throw. Luck was good here, having to deal again with shaky protection.

On the 3^rd play of the 3^rd drive, Peppers hit luck and caused a fumble, which Luck was able to recover. The last play of the drive was a short pass to an open Brown….which Brown promptly dropped. Luck took a fraction of a second too long before he decided to tuck the ball back into his body and Peppers was able to knock it out.

1^st drive of the 2^nd quarter, Luck fires a 17 yard pass to Wayne on a skinny post beyond the defender’s reach – great pass and catch. On the next play, Luck went deep off play action and had single-coverage on the outside with #11. Luck made the right read, but the pass was underthrown slightly and Jennings made a great play and came up with the INT. Luck made the right decisions, had one good throw and one not-so-good throw. Luck was ok here only showed that he’s still getting his timing down with his WRs. Nothing wrong with that.

Next drive in the 2^nd quarter – first play was an intermediate shot to Wayne who had his man beat. The pass was almost perfect – Wayne had to lay out a little bit for it and made a good catch, otherwise he was running free. Luck got away with a quick out a couple plays later. His windup was a little slow and the safety Conte jumped the route but dropped the INT. The next play, Luck was flushed out of the pocket and hit Wayne on a shallow drag. The drive ends on an 18 yard TD run by Brown. Luck telegraphed the quick out just enough to give the defender the jump. Luck showed good accuracy on shorter throws and enough awareness to escape pressure and get the ball into the hands of his playmakers.

Last drive of 1^st Half starting with 39 seconds left. Pass to Fleener on a quick slant for about 7 yards. Arians spreads the Bears out and Luck hits Wayne for an 8 yard pass, however the pass was high and Wayne bailed him out with a great catch. There was no pressure on Luck that time. Next pass was another short pass over the middle, hitting Fleener in stride and able to get about 17 yards of YAC. On the next play, Luck escaped from the pocket and drew the LBs with him who were playing zone, and Luck throw back across his body and hit Fleener in the middle of the field. Last pass of the half was an endzone shot at the end of the half to Avery but was broken up. Again Luck shows good accuracy on shorter throws, but continues to be just slightly off on the intermediate and deep throws. The pass across his body to Fleener though was a nice throw under pressure – Fleener was standing still.

1^st drive of 2^nd half: 1^st pass to Fleener about 14 yards down field into a small window. Pass was just ahead of Fleener and he couldn’t get to it, but it was the only place Luck could throw it due to coverage. The next throw was on a post to Adams, but the pass was behind him and incomplete. Erratic accuracy on the only 2 throws of the drive.

Next drive (3^rd qtr, 10:02 left), throw under pressure to Fleener in a small window – good throw. Next pass was from a cluttered pocket and Luck could not step into the throw and it fell incomplete. Luck showed good pocket awareness and slid up in the pocket to make the throw. Next pass, Luck read his primary receiver but then had a rusher right in his face. Luck gave a shoulder turn and went to Brown as his check down….pass was perfect but dropped. Right after the drop by Brown, Luck fires a pass to Adams who had inside position on his defender about 13 yards down field. Luck threw it on the side away from the defender where only Adams could catch it. Next pass was incomplete – pre-determined quick hitter to Avery who was facing off coverage. However the defender came up on Avery and crushed him, pass was good but incomplete due to good defense. Luck’s next pass was again sliding in the pocket away from pressure and hit Wayne over the middle in a tight window. The very next pass to Fleener was over the middle beyond the LBs and in front of the safety – fit in there perfectly for 24 yds. The last pass of the drive was forced into coverage and intercepted. Chicago had good coverage on the play and credit should go to them. Overall Luck showed some very good accuracy and footwork in the pocket – the last pass was a rookie mistake, instead of throwing it away and taking a FG.

2:37 left in the 3^rd qtr. First pass is of the drive is off play-action, but pressure gets there fast and his pass it just beyond Fleener’s reach over the middle. Next pass was fumble where Luck was hit from behind and the ball flops into Pepper’s hands. Nothing negative on Luck here IMO.

1^st drive of 4^th quarter – quick hit to Wayne who was facing off coverage – easy read and throw. Next pass was to Wayne on a deep post – perfect throw for 21 yards. Next pass again over the middle to Fleener, but was dropped – pass was a little high, but very catchable. Luck was then flushed out of the pocket. As he started to run, Avery came open in the middle, but the pass from Luck was high and incomplete. On 4^th down, clean pocket and Luck hits Adams again over the middle for 13 yards and a first down – perfect pass. Next pass was quick hitter to Wayne on the sideline. Luck did a good job on this play to get it over a jumping defensive end and into Wayne’s hands before the CB could break on it. Next play is a quick slant to Avery vs off coverage – pass was a little behind but not bad. 1^st attempt into endzone was to Wayne over the middle with tight coverage – just out of Wayne’s reach and incomplete, but only place he could put it. Then Luck throws a TD on the next play, a quick slant to Avery who had a defender draped over him – good pass and good effort by Avery to get into the endzone. Luck had a very good drive and showed some good poise under pressure a couple times. His accuracy was on display even though a couple were just out of reach, it was where you would want it given the coverage at the time.

Let’s take a closer look at the 4^th down play to Adams. Below you see Luck in the shotgun and the colts in a trips right formation. The Bears are playing a cover 2 defense and Luck knows that the soft spots of the cover 2 are the sidelines past the CBs and the middle of the field between the LBs and Safeties. Below you see the routes the receivers are going to run. Luck’s first read is the the far right WR who is running the corner route to the 10 yard line.

After the snap, you see the movement of the defense below. With no one threatening the flats on the right side, the CB bails out and cuts off Luck’s first read. With the right side deep safety responsible for the deep post and the inside receiver dragging the LBs across the field with him, the soft spot in the cover 2 opens up in front of the safety on the left. The Bears played this alright, but due to solid protection and play design, it was an uphill battle for them and Luck connected with Adams for the first down.

You can get a different view of how this window opened up from the endzone angle. The shallow drag route which drew 2 underneath LBs, the deep post which took care of one deep safety, then Adams cutting across the field under the other safety and across the grain which the LBs were underneath.

2^nd to last drive of the game – first attempt is a shallow cross to Wayne that is incomplete – tight coverage on Wayne. 2^nd pass of the drive was again Luck being flushed out and he throws low and inside to a WR with coverage to his outside – where the pass needed to be. Luck then attempted a pass to Wayne on a skinny post with underneath coverage and the defender batted it down – with playing from behind, Luck is starting to try and force plays. Next pass is batted at the line after the defense got some push up the middle. Next play is a sack…Luck had about 3 seconds tops and couldn’t step up in the pocket.

Last drive of the game: Quick out to Fleener against off man coverage – correct read, pass was slightly behind but not bad. Next attempt to Fleener was while being flushed out, was a check-down after a few seconds – downfield coverage by the bears was good. Pressure right up the middle on the first play and Luck has to eat the ball. First pass after the 2:00 warning was a thing of beauty. Luck looked off the safeties, then came back across the field to find Avery on the left sideline in the soft spot beyond the CB and out of reach of the safety Luck had just looked off. Last pass of the day for Luck was another underthrown interception to Jennings – it was a good play by Jennings to make the catch too.

Overall, I would probably give Luck about a B+ on the day. He was faced with a bit of pressure throughout the day and was forced to scramble out of the pocket and try to make throws on the run, which for the most part he did well. His accuracy was a little bit erratic on the intermediate throws. He had some drops by his receivers too (I’m looking at your Brown! ), but on the other hand, Wayne bailed him out a couple times on throws that were a bit off. Luck showed poise and good footwork in the pocket and went through his progressions well. I think Arians did a good job of giving Luck some easy reads and sprinkled in some quick passes. In the end, the colts just weren’t talented enough to compete with Chicago once they quit getting pressure on Cutler and the Bears’ offense.

Great work, it makes some of us really pay attention to the ins and outs of why plays worked and why some dont, excellent breakdown

[ruksak]

Not to start a fight but we called Peyton the Sheriff and Jim Harbaugh Captain Comback and so many other sports stars by nicknames. I think you are taking it a bit serious.

"We" didn't call them that. You may have, but not I. I think it's silly. Though I admit, the Captain Comeback thing was fun for the era. I just don't like the trend. It's as if we're trying to make these guys into something more than men.

I think you are taking it a bit serious.

You're correct. I feel we're getting carried away with the idolization of mere men, but that's a personal hang-up of mine. I know.....I'm a wet blanket etc etc. During Thursday Night Football broadcast the other night they must've referred to Terrell Suggs as T-Sizzle a dozen times, as if that was his real name. It's that kinda thing I'd like to see curbed. But I do appreciate that I'm in the curmudgeon minority here, I'll give ya that.

Also I find it interesting the two players you point out are black qbs that you have complaints about. Pointing out Cam and RG3. We've seen many other people white included do the same thing.

I really don't want to start that conversation. It is what it is. These are the only two QB's in the league that I see acting like high school boys. I'm sorry that they happen to be black, I really didn't stop and think that the two guys I was complaining about were black.

There are plenty of black QB's that carry themselves with more maturity and professionalism. For the health of the forum, lets avoid that race angle, please.

I remember Peyton sulking a few times too.

It was nothing like what Cam does, nothing at all. Typically Peyton went right to working analyzing what went wrong.

I appreciate your opinion but I think you are in the minority.

And I yours. So long as you know that I'm aware of the fact that I'm in the minority. My friends think I'm a jerk too about this issue.

Ohhhh....and I can't believe nobody has called me out as a hypocrite yet. It was I, last season, leading the charge to call Painter Curtis "The House" Painter.

Though I only was doing so for a goof, considering our season was a wash. Maybe I should just shut up before I make a fool of myself, aye? lol.............

[RGIII]

I'm trying to figure out why this thread isn't just titled 'Luck' ;)

[stat2883]

I'm trying to figure out why this thread isn't just titled 'Luck' ;)

hahaha...give it time I have to consider the audience first

tomorrow will be going through Tanny, Weeden, and Wilson, though in not nearly as much depth - and I'll try and compare/contrast how they stack up with Luck. I'll give Griff a little more detail since he was the #2 overall pick and about the only one who matches Luck's potential.

[dgambill]

"We" didn't call them that. You may have, but not I. I think it's silly. Though I admit, the Captain Comeback thing was fun for the era. I just don't like the trend. It's as if we're trying to make these guys into something more than men.

You're correct. I feel we're getting carried away with the idolization of mere men, but that's a personal hang-up of mine. I know.....I'm a wet blanket etc etc. During Thursday Night Football broadcast the other night they must've referred to Terrell Suggs as T-Sizzle a dozen times, as if that was his real name. It's that kinda thing I'd like to see curbed. But I do appreciate that I'm in the curmudgeon minority here, I'll give ya that.

I really don't want to start that conversation. It is what it is. These are the only two QB's in the league that I see acting like high school boys. I'm sorry that they happen to be black, I really didn't stop and think that the two guys I was complaining about were black.

There are plenty of black QB's that carry themselves with more maturity and professionalism. For the health of the forum, lets avoid that race angle, please.

It was nothing like what Cam does, nothing at all. Typically Peyton went right to working analyzing what went wrong.

And I yours. So long as you know that I'm aware of the fact that I'm in the minority. My friends think I'm a jerk too about this issue.

Ohhhh....and I can't believe nobody has called me out as a hypocrite yet. It was I, last season, leading the charge to call Painter Curtis "The House" Painter.

Though I only was doing so for a goof, considering our season was a wash. Maybe I should just shut up before I make a fool of myself, aye? lol.............

Fair enough. I was just pointing it out that this has been done since the start of time. From Alexander "THE GREAT" and so on and so on. I agree I don't put these guys on pedestals or want my kids emulating them. There is only one man that I want my kids to emulate and that is Christ. That said you have an up hill battle to fight because sports "heros" are bigger now then military or civil heros. Sad as it is. Even our politicians get the nickname fad too...but its nothing new and certainly RG3 makes legitimate sense. The Cam thing I think is blown way out of proportion too. I've seen the bad side of many many athletes down through the years. The main thing is this is a YOUNG athlete and they will learn. If say this was Derek Jeter or Tom Brady acting this way then it would be much bigger news. We saw Cutler get ripped for it a week ago and also a few years ago and I remember Anderson getting grilled for laughing on the sidelines after throwing ints and losing.Tim Tebow runs around in the rain with his shirt off posing and he and Tony Romo where backwards caps during interviews. I just don't see what your getting at as far as their attitudes or demenor or style. Point is this is nothing new to happen and I just thought it was interesting you pointed out two young, popular, successful black qbs that have been getting a lot of hype to make your point but I agree to let it go. I do appreciate both Lucks and Peytons mature professionalism that we have enjoyed here through the years and first and foremost their caring and giving spirit to the community.

Anyways we do give these athletes too much credit for playing a game....they do entertain us and part of that is their individual abilities and personalities....even the most surgeon and boring ones.

[braveheartcolt]

Whilst I agree with Ruksak, it's a losing battle. And how do we know that Jesus Christ wasn't a nickname as well? JCII has a nice ring to it anyway. It is part of life and we need to get on with it, but like Ruksak said, it's Robbie Grifin for me every time....

[ruksak]

Yikes ....race and religion.....

[dgambill]

Yikes ....race and religion.....

Well I don't shy away from speaking my opinion or beliefs. I do try to not preach or force them on others. Whether you believe in Christianity or not there is arguably no better person to model ones life around then his. As for sensitive subjects. I find those that are scared to really discuss openly and with honesty are the ones that have agendas or personal issues they need to work through. (Not saying that about people here as we are here for football) I am just very at ease discussing these types of topics because I am comfortable in my beliefs and who I am as a man. I do like your pic though...that is funny! As for Jesus...yes...he has more nicknames then any other human to walk this Earth. Just look in the bible. The Great Shepard, Lamb of God, Son of David, Word, Christ (This is a nickname as it means anointed one in Greek), Savior, Rabbi/Teacher, Author of Life, Alpha and Omega, Lion of Judah, King of Kings/Lord of Lords, Word of God, Immanuel, Wonderful Advisor and many more used in the bible and by millions of Christians in reference to Jesus. Like I said people use nicknames because they have special meanings to them or find them worthy of praise or special recognition. While I agree athletes aren't on that list to me...to others they are and it probably won't change.

As for the thread I'm not going to try to hijack it anymore. Luck is a very special qb. He isn't perfect and he is young and will get tricked a few times...but he is the best I have seen in a long time reading a defense out of college and getting to the right guy. I do think we have another special one here....I just pray we get an o-line so as to not waste these special gifts. It makes me sick to see Tom Brady and others with 5-6 seconds to read a defense and a huge 5 yrd halo around them on every pass. Almost any qb in the league with that time and protection would produce as he does. Imagine if we had that sort of protection. Special indeed.