The Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning Comparison (Through 19 Games)

[BlueShoe]

I like to examine the results from Andrew and compare them to where Peyton was at the same point in his career. It is rather interesting to me. The only leading statistic that Peyton has consistently been ahead of Luck is with completion percentage; however, that gap is quickly closing.

 

I have followed Andrews’s stats vs. Peyton’s stats from day one. I have a spreadsheet set up to keep track of everything, and I am feeling generous, so I will share my findings. 

 

Below is a compilation of 19 games.

 

Team Offensive Points Forced:

Andrew 425

Peyton 396

 

Team Defense Points Allowed:

Andrew 435

Peyton 509

 

Team Wins:

Andrew 13

Peyton 5

 

Completions:

Andrew 400

Peyton 394

 

Passing Attempts:

Andrew 720

Peyton 692

 

Passing Yards:

Andrew 5,037

Peyton 4,650

 

Completion Percentage:

Andrew 55.6%

Peyton 56.9%

 

Yards Per Attempt:

Andrew 7.00

Peyton 6.72

 

Longest Pass:

Andrew 70

Peyton 78

 

Passing Touchdowns:

Andrew 26

Peyton 33

 

Passing Interceptions:

Andrew 19

Peyton 33

 

Quarterback Rating:

Andrew 78.6

Peyton 73.6

 

Rushing Attempts:

Andrew 76

Peyton 23

 

Rushing Yards:

Andrew 355

Peyton 76

 

Rushing Average:

Andrew 4.7

Peyton 3.3

 

Longest Run:

Andrew 19

Peyton 15

 

Rushing Touchdowns:

Andrew 7

Peyton 1

 

Combined Passing and Rushing Touchdowns:

Andrew 33

Peyton 34

 

[SteelCityColt]

Some good work there, I appreciate anyone who takes time to track stats  

 

Taking out the old "it's a different league" argument, which I do think is somewhat valid it's an interesting comparison none the less. I'm in no way ready to crown Luck yet and he has a way to go but the foundation are looking very very good. I'm amazed though that Manning had a 15 yard run once, that's some long distance happy feet  

 

When you look at the teams who've been in the Franchise QB wilderness for years it really makes you appreciate how fortunate we were to be in the position to move from Manning to Luck despite it being a painful transition. 

[sreylas937]

Some good stats, But that's all they are... Luck is not Manning, Luck is awesome. But it isn't fair to compare him to probably the best QB in the league History. We have a bright future with him that's for sure

[braveheartcolt]

You missed out one key stat:

 

Commercials:

 

Andrew: 2

Peyton: 415

 

Priceless.

[BlueShoe]

Some good stats, But that's all they are... Luck is not Manning, Luck is awesome. But it isn't fair to compare him to probably the best QB in the league History. We have a bright future with him that's for sure

 

Thank you.

 

Why do you feel it is not fair to compare Andrew to Peyton? 

 

I compared Peyton to Marino when he started in this league too. There is nothing wrong with looking at parallels. 

 

Realistically, the only obstacles that can stop Andrew from reaching every record Peyton sets are future offensive schemes and health. Pure skill; Andrew is better than Peyton. I would also argue that there has never been a player in the league who has or had the "IT" factor more than Andrew. He is already ahead of Peyton in several areas. If we project what has happened over the first 19 games, Andrew is going to have a better career than Peyton. It is a lot of time and we are talking about Andrew playing until 2026 at a high level so longevity is also a key factor. That said; Andrew Luck has earned the right to be considered as a possible future great and when given that consideration, he is also compared to the greats. Get used to this, because it is not going away any time soon.

[Stephen]

interesting hopefully luck catches up on passing tds as we pile on wins.

[jvan1973]

I like to examine the results from Andrew and compare them to where Peyton was at the same point in his career. It is rather interesting to me. The only leading statistic that Peyton has consistently been ahead of Luck is with completion percentage; however, that gap is quickly closing.

I have followed Andrews’s stats vs. Peyton’s stats from day one. I have a spreadsheet set up to keep track of everything, and I am feeling generous, so I will share my findings.

Below is a compilation of 19 games.

Team Offensive Points Forced:

Andrew 425

Peyton 396

Team Defense Points Allowed:

Andrew 435

Peyton 509

Team Wins:

Andrew 13

Peyton 5

Completions:

Andrew 400

Peyton 394

Passing Attempts:

Andrew 720

Peyton 692

Passing Yards:

Andrew 5,037

Peyton 4,650

Completion Percentage:

Andrew 55.6%

Peyton 56.9%

Yards Per Attempt:

Andrew 7.00

Peyton 6.72

Longest Pass:

Andrew 70

Peyton 78

Passing Touchdowns:

Andrew 26

Peyton 33

Passing Interceptions:

Andrew 19

Peyton 33

Quarterback Rating:

Andrew 78.6

Peyton 73.6

Rushing Attempts:

Andrew 76

Peyton 23

Rushing Yards:

Andrew 355

Peyton 76

Rushing Average:

Andrew 4.7

Peyton 3.3

Longest Run:

Andrew 19

Peyton 15

Rushing Touchdowns:

Andrew 7

Peyton 1

Combined Passing and Rushing Touchdowns:

Andrew 33

Peyton 34

I'm pretty sure Andrew has a run longer than 19 yards

[AllYouNeedIsLuck]

Thank you.

 

Why do you feel it is not fair to compare Andrew to Peyton? 

 

I compared Peyton to Marino when he started in this league too. There is nothing wrong with looking at parallels. 

 

Realistically, the only obstacles that can stop Andrew from reaching every record Peyton sets are future offensive schemes and health. Pure skill; Andrew is better than Peyton. I would also argue that there has never been a player in the league who has or had the "IT" factor more than Andrew. He is already ahead of Peyton in several areas. If we project what has happened over the first 19 games, Andrew is going to have a better career than Peyton. It is a lot of time and we are talking about Andrew playing until 2026 at a high level so longevity is also a key factor. That said; Andrew Luck has earned the right to be considered as a possible future great and when given that consideration, he is also compared to the greats. Get used to this, because it is not going away any time soon.

Calm down there skippy. Luck's great, but pure skill wise Peyton's still better. I do think Luck will have a better career; not stats wise but wins and playoff success. But were not to that point where we can say Luck is better at anything yet, Except well, running lol. Even Peyton would agree with that. 

[GoodLuck]

Its way too easy for qbs to get stats now. Peyton played before all of the rule changes.

Peyton is way more accurate with a quicker release. Andrew needs to run more.

[jvan1973]

Its way too easy for qbs to get stats now. Peyton played before all of the rule changes.

Peyton is way more accurate with a quicker release. Andrew needs to run more.

wins are wins. And right now Andrew leads that stat

[GoodLuck]

wins are wins. And right now Andrew leads that stat

Sure, he maybe be more comparable to Flacco or Eli Manning. I dont think his stats will be elite play under Pagano, but he may enjoys lots of team success with postseason wins. I dont see the legendary impact Peyton had. Luck's arm is a little overrated IMO

[jvan1973]

Sure, he maybe be more comparable to Flacco or Eli Manning. I dont think his stats will be elite play under Pagano, but he may enjoys lots of team success with postseason wins. I dont see the legendary impact Peyton had. Luck's arm is a little overrated IMO

after your "expert analysis" this past week, your opinion holds very little water

[SteelCityColt]

Its way too easy for qbs to get stats now. Peyton played before all of the rule changes.

Peyton is way more accurate with a quicker release. Andrew needs to run more.

 

I knew I should have made my Inb4rulechagemoan clearer in my previous post  

[jwilli69]

Thank you for putting this together. A couple of my thoughts and response from the other replies as well.

I am shocked that manning had a run of 15 yards too was my first jaw drop

To the ones who question the it's easier to pass now league, Peyton had air it out Tom Moore, we have a more run first mentality coach so that should balance that argument out IMO.

Luck has the more physical skillset I think most can agree. He certainly can run it better, he is bigger than Peyton was at this same stage (thicker), Peyton probably holds an edge to cerebralness to the game but I'm pretty sure that Andrew spends his fair share of time studying the game and he seems to enjoy it more because he is not sooooo intense about every detail of the game. This is what seems to separate the two IMO. This may end up being a benefit in the long run to luck.

Arm strength. Remember the knock on Peyton coming out was his weaker arm strength. Could he make all the throws at an elite status, well luck has a better arm now than when manning came out and there is no reason that with nfl training and conditioning, he too will get even stronger. Question will be can he drop in a 40 yard pass like manning has done over his career?

Manning had a better Oline in his first fee years but made some bad decisions or held on longer than he should have. Took a lot of sacks or threw bad balls that got picked. Luck seems to have that issue under control, as far as throwing bad balls, and his Oline has been way shaky.

I think it is fair to compare the two and also compare him with other great qb's. we feel like we have a special guy in the making and he was a first round pick tabbed to replace the arguably GOAT at the position. He understands who he is, where he is at and who he replaced as well as the lofty expectations that is on him. He has handled everything really well. You don't see him throwing his hands up and head down on every turnover or missed opportunity and I like that. He has a long way to go to prove he is on par with Manning but the early returns show he is at Mannings curve or above. That's good news. We all also know, it was the year 4-5 that Mannings career really took off at an amazing pace so while its ok to compare now it will also be interesting to compare as he learns like manning did over time. Wins are the only thing that matters at the end of the day and if we win 2 SB's under luck and his career turns out avg, I'm accepting of that as well.

[chad72]

Grigson takes chances in free agency and trades to offset the fact that we will have a higher starting draft position. Vontae Davis, Trent Richardson are just 2 trades to get started. That could end up being the singular fact why we can remain a winning franchise and get better as a team not mainly relying on the draft like Polian did and overpaying for home grown talent.

 

Plus, our defense is not built to preserve a lead, it is built to STOP THE OTHER TEAM, PERIOD!!! All these factors are showing up in the most important column, WIN TOTAL!!!

 

We learnt what not to do from the Peyton years. That is a huge advantage for Grigson and Irsay while spending money!!!

[Happy2BeHere]

Let's compare luck to Dan Orlovsky

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

Let's compare luck to Dan Orlovsky

How about Tebow?

[GoodLuck]

Under Pagano,

Luck will be a game manager like Alex Smith.

[Coffeedrinker]

That's a lot of work and it's appreciated.  May I make a request?  You have yards per attempt, can you add yards per completion to your list of stats?  IMO yards per completion is a very telling stat and is a better indicator of a QBs abilities than QB rating.

 

I would imagine Luck's is pretty high from last year because they got a lot of big plays in the passing game, although I think it will be quite a bit lower for the three games this year.

[Guest TeamLoloJones]

Under Pagano,

Luck will be a game manager like Alex Smith.

And that's perfectly fine with me...games managers don't get hit every time they drop back to pass.  If we fall behind in a game Pep willl loosen the reins on Luck throwing the ball. He did the same thing at Stanford.

[DILLIGAFER]

SMH.. why is there a constant need by some people to justify Luck to Manning?? He's been in the league two years. Manning is a veteran and arguably the GOAT.

Just enjoy the ride and leave the stats behind.

[jwilli69]

SMH.. why is there a constant need by some people to justify Luck to Manning?? He's been in the league two years. Manning is a veteran and arguably the GOAT.

Just enjoy the ride and leave the stats behind.

I think both can be done. People compared manning to Johnny Unitas and other greats as well as paralleled manning a career with Brady. This is a discussion board and its what fans do. You compare great players to others to measure what ha happened and look to what may be. Rarely do you ever compare bad players to bad players and say he is bad but not nearly as bad as that guy.

[lollygagger8]

This whole QBR is so dumb it makes me wanna drink PBR

[Restored]

Under Pagano,

Luck will be a game manager like Alex Smith.

a game manager is a perfect title if it means we win playoff games and a Super Bowl.

The difference though is that Luck CAN fling it and make plays with his arm if we NEED it. That allows for more balance and a better chance at winning.

[chad72]

Under Pagano,

Luck will be a game manager like Alex Smith.

 

With a higher ceiling however, IF NEEDED.

 

The fact that we ran from 2 and 3 WR formations suggested that with 2 power backs in Richardson and Bradshaw, they are going to do away with 1 WR formations for the most part (except while maybe icing the game) and thus gives ample passing options for Luck if the other team stops the run.

[jbaron04]

I think luck is more like Brady career path than Peyton , the old pats great d good run game , don't turn ball over and pass high completion passes .....what y'all say?

[braveheartcolt]

I think some are reading too much into the 3 games we've played this season, with regard to our game play.

Comparing stats like this is harmless, interesting and a bit of fun, and too many people are getting bent out of shape. Manning Mania perhaps.

[BOTT]

after your "expert analysis" this past week, your opinion holds very little water

I don't think we needed this pass week to come to that conclusion

[BlueShoe]

I'm pretty sure Andrew has a run longer than 19 yards

 

I am pretty sure you are wrong. ;)

 

It does seem like he has a longer run though. 

[jvan1973]

Under Pagano,

Luck will be a game manager like Alex Smith.

keep making predictions. it worked flawlessly for you last week nostradomas

[jvan1973]

I am pretty sure you are wrong. ;)

It does seem like he has a longer run though.

yeah, you're right. it sure seems like he has ripped off some longer ones

[21isSuperman]

You missed out one key stat:

 

Commercials:

 

Andrew: 2

Peyton: 415

 

Priceless.

[chad72]

You missed out one key stat:

 

Commercials:

 

Andrew: 2

Peyton: 415

 

Priceless.

 

To be fair, the commercials didn't start ballooning till around year 3, if I remember right.

 

Plus, Luck compared to Peyton might have the personality of a toasted piece of bread (like the father of the bride would say about her to-be in-laws in My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie )  when it comes to commercials.

[BOTT]

To be fair, the commercials didn't start ballooning till around year 3, if I remember right.

Plus, Luck compared to Peyton might have the personality of a toasted piece of bread (like the father of the bride would say about her to-be in-laws in My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie ) when it comes to commercials.

I don't recall Peyton being Mr Charisma early in his career. Opposing fans called him a redneck goober.

[NewEra]

I think luck is more like Brady career path than Peyton , the old pats great d good run game , don't turn ball over and pass high completion passes .....what y'all say?

Would take that and love it!! Those teams were a force!! When they got away for. That is when they stopped winning Super Bowls. Sure they have been great in the regular season, like our old Colts. But they haven't won one since.

[BlueShoe]

SMH.. why is there a constant need by some people to justify Luck to Manning?? He's been in the league two years. Manning is a veteran and arguably the GOAT.

Just enjoy the ride and leave the stats behind.

 

You ride your way and I will ride my way.

 

Thanks for the unhelpful input.

[DILLIGAFER]

You ride your way and I will ride my way.

Thanks for the unhelpful input.

i note your smart mouth comment and move to raise you as that being completely ridiculous.

[Malakai432]

after your "expert analysis" this past week, your opinion holds very little water

He's like a natural born Skip Bayless.........

Probably slightly better even....

[BlueShoe]

i note your smart mouth comment and move to raise you as that being completely ridiculous.

 

I wish I could say that was good to know or remotely relevant.

 

Thanks again.

[corgi]

Under Pagano,

Luck will be a game manager like Alex Smith.

Well I'm canceling my Sunday Ticket immediately.