No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck won't win the Day 1 comparison against No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III. That surely will be dissected ad nauseam this week. Simply put, it was an up-and-down Sunday for the Indianapolis Colts franchise quarterback. Something like (gasp) a rookie might have ...
Luck was 23-of-45 passing (51 percent). That's a rate that needs to, and will, rise. A few of his deep balls seemed to hang a bit and allow a Chicago Bears defender to make a play on the ball.
Luck threw for 309 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions. The score was a bang-bang 5-yard slant to Donnie Avery. Good strong throw. One of the picks just stayed in the air too long and allowed Tim Jennings to make a leaping catch. Jennings tipped a throw in the end zone, and Chris Conte was in the right place at the right time for the interception. A slightly dangerous throw in the end zone when you want to be especially careful with the ball. The other came when protection broke down and Luck took a shot.
They weren't horrendous throws where he just never saw the corner.
Colts coach Chuck Pagano showed how much trust he has in his signal-caller late in the second quarter. The Colts got the ball back with 44 seconds left in the half, and instead of running out the clock, Luck ran the two-minute drill cleanly to set up a 37-yard Adam Vinatieri field-goal attempt. Which Vinatieri missed ...
Luck stayed calm throughout the day and didn't get happy feet despite a persistent Bears rush. He was sacked three times, but it could have been more.
Overall, it was a roller-coaster day for Luck, who had plenty to be proud of, with plenty of lessons still to be learned.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
