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| Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is going to be looking to get his team their first win of year on Monday up against the New York Jets after falling towards the Buffalo Bills inside their season-opener on Sept. 13. |
Twenty-two months ago, the Colts’ second-year quarterback used to be trying to learn the best way to challenge the NFL’s best defensive minds — as well as the Arizona Cardinals defensive co-ordinator gave the impression to have Luck identified.
On Monday night, Luck can get his second chance against Bowles, now New York Jets head coach. The three-time Pro Bowler doesn’t expect items to get any easier.
“You see it and look to see where they attacked you in protections, runs and exactly how they made it happen,” Luck said when asked in the event it November 2013 game can assist this week. “So there's stuff to get taken from that.”
Sure a good deal has changed since that 40-11 loss, among Luck’s most forgettable: 20 of 39 for 163 yards with one TD and something interception, plus a quarterback rating of 60.1.
Since then, he’s led the Colts (0-1) to two division titles, three playoff wins, last season’s AFC Championship Game, and emerged as considered one of the league’s newest things.
Bowles changed teams, not philosophies. He took his aggressive play calling and others tenure-defining blitzes from Arizona to New York (1-0), where he’s utilizing nine first-round draft picks, including defensive tackle Leonard Williams, the No. 6 overall selection in April.
Last week, Bowles’ defence wreaked damage to Cleveland by forcing five turnovers and converting them into 21 points.
Indy, meanwhile, had three giveaways rolling around in its season-opening loss at Buffalo, something the Colts know they can’t afford again.
So Bowles is preparing his team to manage Luck’s new and improved team.
“We’re expecting their utmost. We know they’re a playoff-calibre team. We know they won the division the final couple of years,” Bowles said. “It was only the first game. They made some mistakes. I’m sure they’re gonna correct it.”
Here a few other what you should watch Monday night:
HOLDING THE LINE: Last week, the Colts struggled to shield Luck, who had been sacked twice and hurried into short throws a lot of the day. The defence also allowed Buffalo to rush for 147 yards. Both areas were concerns heading into your season and must improve now for the Colts.
FITZ’S MILESTONE: If Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick starts, needlessly to say, he’ll become the very first NFL quarterback since 1950 to produce five consecutive road starts against one team while playing for five different teams. According to STATS, six quarterbacks have inked it 4x, including former Jets QB Vinny Testaverde, who made it happen five times — twice against Indy. Fitzpatrick has never fared well in Indy. He’s 0-4 at Lucas Oil Stadium, losing 35-3 with Cincinnati in 2008; 20-13 with Buffalo in 2012; 22-14 with Tennessee in 2013; and 17-10 with Houston last season.
INJURY LIST: The Colts initially feared Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton would miss many weeks with a left knee injury, nevertheless the MRI revealed a bruise. He’s been listed as day by day. When Jets CB Antonio Cromartie was flourished the field the other day, it appeared as if his season could possibly be over. It turned out being a sprained left knee. The offsetting injuries could force both teams to revert to Plan B.
SATURDAY’S NIGHT: Former Colts centre Jeff Saturday, a longtime fan favourite and after this an ESPN analyst, will get to be the 12th along with perhaps most unlikely person in Indy’s ring of honour at halftime. Saturday started his career as a possible undrafted free agent in Baltimore, was cut and managed an electric supply store for any year before landing in Indy as being a free agent. He ended up playing in 132 wins for that Colts (No. 3 in franchise history), made two All-Pro teams, won a Super Bowl and played in 170 games with Peyton Manning, an NFL record for the quarterback-centre combination. He also provided the lasting image to separate the 2011 NFL lockout by hugging Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
