In his third season with the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning led the NFL in completions, passing yards and touchdowns passes.
Andrew Luck is on pace to do the same in his third season with the same franchise. The Colts are currently leading the NFL in points per game, yards per game, passing yards per game and time of possession.
Is Luck better now than Manning was at a similar stage in his career?
"Let me tell you something," NFL Media's Charley Casserly said on Friday's edition of NFL AM. "I started in this league in 1977. (Luck) is the best young quarterback I have ever seen. Hall of Fame."
Casserly cited Luck's ability to see the whole field, his arm strength and accuracy at all levels and his athleticism and escapability in the pocket.
That latter quality is the best I have seen in a quarterback, young or old. The MMQB film analyst Andy Benoit noted that Luck was not the primary culpable offender for a single sack he took during the 2013 season. Gregg Rosenthal half-jokingly referred to Luck's pocket movement as the "eighth wonder of the world."
Unlike most inexperienced quarterbacks, Luck runs a full NFL offense with the requisite responsibilities at the line of scrimmage. He's willing to pull the trigger on passes other quarterbacks won't even attempt. He's been the NFL's most effective quarterback coming from behind as well as in close-and-late situationssince he entered the league.
Perhaps most importantly, Luck is the rare young quarterback with the demonstrated capability of putting the team on his back.
After one season, NFL Films guru Greg Cosell deemed Luck arguably the most gifted quarterback in the league. Without a hint of hyperbole, Colts general manager Ryan Grigson firmly believes his quarterback has Michael Jordan traits with the game on the line. Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin is on record as saying Luck can become the best quarterback in NFL history.
We have no problem with Casserly's assessment that Luck is now more advanced than Manning was as a young quarterback. Our only qualm is that he's selling the1984-86 version of Dan Marino short due to a bout with recency bias.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps the Colts' win over the Texans and previews every other Week 6 game. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL Now.
