Will Luck Force Manning To Pass The Torch?
The Andrew Luck-led Indianapolis Colts taking on Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos in a divisional round playoff game is a big of a dream match up that will take place in real life this afternoon, at 4:40 p.m. ET on CBS to be specific.
The narrative is that the Colts released Manning a few years ago in favor of Andrew Luck. Luck has proven to be a great quarterback. He is putting up numbers in his first few seasons not seen, well, since Peyton Manning.
Manning has gone on to do just fine for himself, leading the Broncos to playoff appearances since he has been there and even going to the Super Bowel. However, he still has garnered the reputation as getting a little too old for this stuff.
Where or not it is true is irrelevant. The fact is that Manning and the Broncos are in the playoffs and Manning has no plans to retire and pass the torch to the next generation of great quarterbacks anytime soon. That is why Luck will look to take it from him with a win today.
This is the third time that Manning has met Indy since being sent away. All three games have been at home and all three saw the Broncos on top. The Colts put up a heck of a fight in all those games, though, covering the spread.
Luck is coming off a game against the Cincinnati Bengals where he threw 376 passing yards. That stat gives him more passing yards in his first four playoff games than any other quarterback in NFL history.
Manning ended his season with a sputter. He posted a passer rating of 76.8 over his last four game with only three touchdowns to six interceptions. Instead the Broncos relied on the run to get them here. For any other team, it would not be an afterthought, but with Manning at the helm many are beginning speculate that Manning has “lost his arm.”
Like most talking-head-like comments, whether or not that is true is irrelevant. If Broncos march in and win, regardless of how the win, then Manning and his team are going to the AFC Championship game. If the Colts win, then Luck moves onto a new chapter in his legacy.
Dramatics aside, the Broncos are the 8-point favorites. It is a familiar line for the Colts. Indianapolis lost to the Broncos as 8-point underdogs to open the season 31-24, covering the spread. The Colts picked up two late-game touchdowns in route to a comeback but came up short.
The total is set at 54 points today. Similar to the 54-point total form their meeting at the beginning of the season. In that game the OVER cashed in.
