Five Statistics That Show How Much Pressure Is On Andrew Luck Being Peyton Manning’s Successor For Indianapolis Colts
The 2012 NFL Draft is officially less than one week away and with the No. 1 pick–Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts have already indicated their plans to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Of course, this means that Luck will not only have to deal with handling the pressure of finding success as the top pick, but the Stanford star now has to deal with the all of the pressure of succeeding one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Peyton Manning–who is now a member of the Denver Broncos. Obviously, this task won’t be easy for Luck and there’s a good chance he may never even come close considering the type of career Manning’s had in the NFL.
Take a look at these statistics and see how much pressure is on Luck when it comes to taking over Manning’s duties as the leader of the Colts.
54,848 Passing Yards and 399 Career Touchdowns in 13 Seasons
Manning could retire today and he would already be able to punch his ticket into Canton–that’s a fact. In 13 seasons with the Colts, the type of numbers Manning’s displayed have been nothing short of amazing as he never missed a single start prior to last season and has thrown for 54,848 yards to go along with 399 touchdowns.
What’s even more amazing is Manning has not only managed to throw for less than 4,000 yards in two of those 13 seasons, but he’s thrown at least 26 touchdowns each year. Take that into consideration with a 64.9 completion percentage for his career–it won’t be easy for Luck to live up to Manning from a statistic standpoint.
11 Pro Bowl Appearances
The only two times Manning failed to make the Pro Bowl in his first 13 seasons was during his rookie year and the 2001 season–a year the Colts would like to forget as they finished with a 6-10 record. Just like other players such as Drew Brees, Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers, Manning has always been one of those players that seems like a lock when it comes to making the Pro Bowl and if he return to his old dominant self as a member of the Broncos–don’t be surprised if the future Hall of Famer records his 12th Pro Bowl next season.
Nine-Straight Playoff Appearances; 11 in 13 Seasons
Despite having problems on defense and special teams as well, last season was the perfect example as to how bad the Colts could be without Manning in the lineup and they will do everything in their power to make sure that doesn’t happen again. ast season was the perfect example as to oing back to the Pro Bowl gigs, the Colts reaching the playoffs almost seemed to be a guarantee each season with a healthy Manning in the lineup.
It’s one thing to reach the playoffs each season, but to continue playing in January year after year for nine seasons in a row? That’s almost unheard of in most sports and quite an accomplishment for Indianapolis as a franchise.
Four MVP Awards
Tom Brady has done it twice. Brett Favre, Jim Brown, and Johnny Unitas each done it three times.
However, Manning sits alone on the top of NFL history when it comes to being the only player to take home MVP honors four times. Considering how many talented players there are in the NFL and the fact that the award seems to go to a different player year after year, it will be very difficult for any player to accomplish what Manning has when it comes to taking home MVP honors.
Good luck with that one Andrew.
Two AFC Championships and One Super Bowl (including Super Bowl MVP)
Up until the 2006 season, the argument can be made that nobody in the NFL received as much criticism for not winning a Super Bowl than Manning–mainly because he always seemed to be in the shadows of his biggest rival in Mr. Brady. Despite their 48-16 record from 2002-05, Indianapolis could never seem to get over the hump in the playoffs to get to the big game–until the 2006 season that is.
Even when all hope seemed lost in the 2007 AFC Championship against the Patriots when they trailed 21-6 at halftime, the Colts managed to come back and finally reached their first Super Bowl during the Manning era. With all of the hype surrounding Luck when it comes to how successful he can be in the NFL, there’s a good chance the expected No. 1 pick will have the same monkey on his back that Manning did until he wins his first Super Bowl–that is if he ever gets the chance to.
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