Sports Then and Now

Like a soap opera, the Dallas Cowboys are the most drama filled team in the National Football League. So much that even the smallest issue can dominate the news like wildfire. Whether it is incidents with players in their personal lives, relationships among players, coaches, and staff, rumors generated on players’ podcasts, or the ongoing saga of contract negotiations, Dallas is always generating drama in a way that commands public attention with an abundance of questions. The Cowboys’ 2024 offseason has been dominated by questions so far and have involved many of the team’s star players as well as coaches

Is quarterback Dak Prescott going to get a contract extension to remain in Dallas beyond the 2024 season? Will head coach Mike McCarthy be around after this next season? What is edge rusher Micah Parsons saying lately on his podcasts and is he using this platform in the right or wrong way? Are the contract negotiations of wide receiver CeDee Lamb and Parsons moving forward? Will cornerback Trevon Diggs regain his all-pro form following last season’s torn ACL that lead him to miss all but two games? How does Mike Zimmer look in his return to the Cowboys as the new defensive coodinator? Why has Dallas signed just two free agents this offseason while losing seven key starters from last season and other important players?

While all 32 NFL teams are facing similar questions like these, they always mean more in Big D based on the history of this iconic franchise and its’ quest to return to the Super Bowl for the first time in 29 years.

If the Cowboys are to reach the Super Bowl in the immediate or near future, they will have to make a big splash in this week’s NFL Draft. Dallas and 31 other NFL teams will be looking for their future stars, starters, and complimentary players while hoping to secure some depth for their rosters this week. The draft will take place from April 25-27 at Campus Martius Park, Hart Plaza in Detroit, MI starting this Thursday. It will be televised on ESPN Thursday and Saturday with Friday’s coverage airing on ESPN2. The NFL Network, ABC, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN Radio will also provide coverage.

Three straight 12-5 regular seasons and a pair of NFC East division titles have proven that the Cowboys are an above average team in recent years. However they are 1-3 in the playoffs during this time which does not sit well with team owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones or the fan base of this proud franchise. Dallas has many needs, none bigger than the front seven on defense to shut down opposing rushers. The Cowboys allowed 112.4 rushing yards per game and gave up 4.2 yards per carry in 2023, both of which ranked 16th in the league leaving Dallas as a middle of the pack team against the run. Green Bay had its’ way running the ball in its’ 48-32 playoff upset vctory over the Cowboys back in January. Aaron Jones – who has owned Dallas – ran 21 times for 118 yards and three touchdowns in the one-sided win. The Packers rushed for 143 yards on the day and made their drives count.

With a solid offense and a top level defense that has produced back-to-back 12-5 playoff seasons and one NFC East Division Championship, the Dallas Cowboys have been a better than average team each of the last two seasons. Getting to the NFC Championship game and winning the Super Bowl, both of which they have not done since the 1995 season, is the burning issue for Dallas owner Jerry Jones and his franchise. So what do the Cowboys need to do to bolster their team to make either of those things happen? While the answer to that question won’t fully reveal itself until we reach training camp and the start of the 2023 regular season, a big resource for it is this week’s NFL Draft. The annual event will help determine in large part their hopes and expectations for the upcoming season. The draft will take place from April 27-29 in Kansas City, MO in the Plaza outside of Union Station. A prime time start of 8 pm EST is slated for the opening night on Thursday April 27 when only the first round will be conducted. The second and third rounds will be held on Friday April 28 starting at 7 pm EST. The draft will conclude on Saturday April 29 with rounds 4-7 starting at Noon EST.

Dallas is clearly at a crossroads with its’ current team. The nucleous of Dak Prescott, CeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, Demarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch, and Jayron Kearse gives the Cowboys veteran players with experience, many of who have prime years ahead of them. Adding some quality pieces for youth, speed, and depth could turn Dallas into a Super Bowl contender.

The waroom at THE STAR – the Cowboys’ headquarters in Frisco, TX – will no doubt be busy this week. Both the offense and defense need help with the offense a little more of a pressing need to create better efficiency and protection for Prescott, their franchise quarterback who has two years left on his four-year $160 million contract that he signed in the 2021 offseason. Prescott has taken much criticism from media members for throwing too many interceptions, many of which have turned the tide in the team’s losses whether they have come late in close games or just been poor decisions. Including his two playoff starts last season, Prescott tied for the league high with 17 interceptions while starting 14 of 19 games. To avoid these mistakes the team has to protect Prescott better and add to his supporting cast with a prime running back, wide receiver, or tight end. Retooling the offensive line would help as well. Although injuries have limited the availability of perennial pro bowlers in Smith and Martin over recent years, both have been mainstays on the line for most of the last decade. While both Smith and Martin can still play, getting younger on the offensive line would help and provide depth.

The offense will look different in 2023 behind new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer who replaces Kellen Moore. Schottenheimer will look to retool an offense that lost two key starters in veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott and tight end Dalton Schultz. Elliott had four 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was a three-time pro bowl selection during his seven seasons in Dallas. Although his production slipped over the last three seasons, Elliott will be missed for his veteran leadership in the locker room and his steady short-yardage and goal line scoring ability. The Cowboys will need Pollard to replace some of Elliott’s production. The same will be needed at tight end as Schultz was a top target of Prescott, totaling no less than 57 catches each of the last three seasons during which he accumulated 17 touchdown catches.

With these holes on offense, Dallas could draft one of the top tight ends with their first round pick at No. 26 overall such as Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Georgia’s Darnell Washington, or Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave. Mayer is highly rated as a very polished player and could provide both receiving and blocking at 6-4 and 249 pounds. Mayer piled up 2,099 yards and scored 18 touchdowns in his college career. Pass catchers could also be available at wide receiver who the Cowboys might look to select as well. Although Dallas signed nine-year veteran Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans to upgrade the spot, receivers like Zay Flowers of Boston College, Quentin Johnston of TCU, or either one of the Tennessee products in Jaylin Hyatt or Cedric Tillman could be available when the Cowboys pick in the first round. Tillman is a big target at 6-3, 215 pounds and caught 109 passes for 1,622 yards and 17 touchdowns during his college career. Hyatt was the Biletnikoff Award Winner in 2022 when he was a cosensus first team All-American by the Associated Press. Hyatt was also a first team All-SEC selection in 2022 when he set a school record with five touchdown catches in a wild 52-49 home win over Alabama which also tied for the SEC record.

As for running back, Dallas will be looking to Pollard to fill the void left by Elliott. Pollard will be coming off a lower leg fracture he suffered in the playoff loss at San Francisco last season. To help offset that, the Cowboys signed former Kansas City Chief Ronald Jones, a five-year veteran runner who helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV following the 2020 season. While it is not a top year for running backs, keep an eye on Bijan Robinson of Texas, who won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back last season. Robinson was a unanimous first team All-Big 12 selection last season when he piled up 1,580 yards rushing to go with 18 scoring runs en route to receiving first team All-American honors by the Associated Press. While Philadelphia, New England, Detroit, Buffalo, and the Los Angeles Chargers are other teams interested in Robinson, if he is still on the board by the middle of the first round Dallas could look to trade up to take him. Jones has been known for orchestrating draft day trades and he could pull off another one in pursuit of the draft’s top back.

If not, Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs could be an option. In just one year at Alabama, Gibbs had a 6.6 yards-per-carry average on 96 carries for 632 yards. If the Cowboys look in the later rounds for a running back keep an eye on Deuce Vaughn from Kansas State. Although Vaughn is undersized at 5-6 and 176 pounds, he is elusive and can make people miss in the open field. Vaughn might be best suited for gadget plays and is a threat as a receiver where he runs excellent routes and has great hands for catching the ball.

While these skill position players could add splash on offense, Dallas also could retool their offensive line to help fortify the running game and protect Prescott. Options for this include Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence, tackle Broderick Jones from back-to-back defending national champion Georgia, Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright, or Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

A top guard prospect, Torrence was a consensus All-American at Florida a year ago receiving first-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News, and the Associated Press. He was also a Walter Camp first team All-American and was a first team all conference performer in the Southeastern Conference, his first in the league after transferring from Louisiana where he was a first team All-Sun Belt Conference performer in 2021. Broderick Jones stands 6-4 and checks in at 310 pounds. He was an AP first team All-SEC selection in 2022 when he started at left tackle in all 15 games for Georgia. Wright is a durable tackle who started all 13 games for the Volunteers each of the last two seasons. At 6-6 and 335 pounds, Wright has size and strength to make an impact which he did as a freshman at Tennessee when he was named to the freshman All-SEC Team in 2019. Wright was selected to play in the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl and was a first team All-SEC selection by the AP, Coaches, and USA Today in 2022. Johnson Jr. was a second team All-Big Ten Selection in 2021 and was also a Rotary Lombardi Award semifinalist in 2022 which goes to the nations most outstanding lineman annually. The former Buckeye adds value as he started all 13 games at guard in 2021 before moving to right tackle last fall.

If the Cowboys do not get one of these offensive line prospects in the first round, there are value picks in the later rounds such as interior offensive lineman Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin, TCU’s Steve Avila, or Michigan’s Olu Oluwatimi. Other offensive tackles such as Matthew Bergeron of Syracuse, Nick Saldiveri of small school Old Dominion, or Alabama’s Tyler Steen could be options. Bergeron was a second-team All-ACC selection and a Senior Bowl selection while serving as a team captain last season at Syracuse. Bergeron was also recognized with the Ben Schwartzwalder award in recognition of his leadership and on-field production that reflect the hard-nosed style of the program. Saldiveri stands 6-6 and weighs in at 316. He was named a second team All-Sun Belt conference performer and was selected to play in the 2023 Reese’s Senor Bowl after starting 11 games in 2022, one at right guard and 10 and right tackle. Tippmann was an Honorable Mention All-Big 10 selection in 2022 for the Badgers were he made 12 starts at center. Avila brings a burly presence at guard at 330 pounds in his 6-4 frame. He helped power a physical running game that led TCU to the college football national championship game last season. A first team All-Big 12 Selection, Avila did not allow a sack for the second straight season in 2022 and was also selected to the 2023 Reece’s Senior Bowl. Oluwatimi could be a late round find for Dallas. A consensus All American with first team honors by four of five organizations, Oluwatimi won both the Outland Trophy and Rimington Award in 2022. Playing for perennial power Alabama, Steen earned second team All-SEC recognition in 2022 when he started all 13 games at left tackle for the Crimson Tide. Steen helped an offensive front open holes for an average of 5.5 yards per carry, good for fourth nationally. Most impressive, Steen allowed only 4.5 sacks, 12 pressures, 8 quarterback hits and committed just 4 penalties on the season. Prescott could benefit from a pass protector like this.

That same quality in the trenches is what Dallas could use on defense to improve its’ rush defense which was leaky at times late last season. The Cowboys ranked 22nd in the NFL in rushing defense last season, yielding 124.4 yards per game. Although Dallas re-signed defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins this offseason, more help is needed in the middle of the defensive line. Young defensive tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna need to tighten up their play and more is needed from rotational players in fourth-year defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and third-year defensive end Chauncey Golston. The Cowboys did sign six-year veteran linebacker Takk McKinley who starred at UCLA and played for the Rams last season. McKinley brings athleticism and has totaled 98 tackles and 20 sacks thus far in his career. McKinley should team nicely with Vander Esch, the middle linebacker who Dallas resigned in the offseason.
Defensive players of interest for the Cowboys on the line are Lukas Van Ness of Iowa, Mazi Smith of Michigan, the Clemson duo of Myles Murphy or Bryan Bresee, and Calijah Kancey of Pittsburgh. A sleeper pick in the later rounds could be K.J. Henry of Clemson as the Tigers continue to roll out prime NFL prospects.

Van Ness is a very versatile player who spent most of the 2022 spring practice season converting from defensive tackle to defensive end. At 6-5 and 240 pounds, he possesses good size and athleticism to make an impact inside or outside and could give Dallas a lethal combination with Micah Parsons to provide a one-two punch. Van Ness was a second team All-Big Ten selection last season and has the smarts to go with it with his two straight Academic All-Big Ten accolades. Van Ness has totaled 71 total tackles, 13.5 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for a loss over the last two seasons. Smith brings power and leverage to play nose tackle with his 6-3 337-pound frame. He garnered first team All-Big 10 accolades in 2022 when he was also named Defensive Player-of-the-Year by the team.

Bresee, Murphy, and Henry are all top players coming out of Clemson which has been an elite program for the last decade. Bresee was a second team All-ACC selection last season when he had 15 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. Murphy garnered first team All-ACC recognition last season when he had 40 tackles (22 solo) and 6.5 sacks. Over his three year college career, Murphy totaled 119 total tackles, 17.5 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles. At 6-4 and 255 pounds, Henry can cause problems for offenses with his size and strength. A third team All-American selection by Pro Football Focus in 2022, Henry was also voted by his teammates as the team captain, a reflection of his leadership qualities. Henry started all 14 games in 2022 during which he had 59 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 6 pass breakups. He also led Clemson with 24 quarterback pressures, the most by a Tigers’ player since Clelin Ferrell’s 24 in 2016.

Some other intriguing players that could help the Cowboys are linebackers such as Arkansas’s Drew Sanders, Clemson’s Trenton Simpson, Iowa’s Jack Campbell, or DeMarvion Overshown of Texas. Sanders, who played his first two years at Alabama, was a unanimous All-America selection last season at Arkansas receiving first-team recognition from the Associated Press and second team honors from the American Football Coaches Association, the Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. A first team All-SEC selection in 2022, Sanders was also one of three finalists – and the school’s first – for the prestigious Butkus Award given to the nation’s outstanding linebacker. Sanders started all 12 games he played in a season ago and lead the team with 103 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, and 9.5 sacks. Jones has a strong connection to Arkansas having been a co-captain on the school’s 1964 national championship team making Sanders an intriguing prospect for the Cowboys. Simpson was a third team All-ACC selection at Clemson in 2022 when he had 72 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Iowa’s Campbell had a productive college career at Iowa where he totaled 305 total tackles (140 solo) and five interceptions over his four-year career. The recipient of the 2022 Butkus Award, Campbell was also recognized as a first team All-American by Walter Camp, The Sporting News, the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, the American Football Coaches Association, and Phil Steele. Campbell was also named the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player-of-the-Year a season ago. A first team All-Big Ten selection as a senior, Campbell was also named the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year last season. Campbell could be a good late round addition to the Dallas defense. If not, the Cowboys could look to Overshown. At 6-4 and 220 pounds. Overshown relies on speed over size to chase down ball carriers which would go well with Parsons and the newly acquired McKinley. Named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award each of the last two seasons, Overshown also was recognized as a first team All-Big 12 selection in 2022. An active player with his 6-4 frame, Overshown set career highs last fall when he had 96 total tackles (49 solo), 10 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, and 5 passes defensed.

While the Dallas defensive front seven could get a major boost from any of these lineman or linebackers, the defensive secondary could also use some help. The Cowboys have some flexibility here because they traded for veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore in the offseason by sending their fifth round pick in this year’s draft to the Indianapolis Colts. A five-time pro bowler, Gilmore has also been named All-Pro twice and was the NFL Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 2019 when he starred for the New England Patriots. Gilmore gives Dallas an experienced cornerback with a Super Bowl ring to his credit having been on the Patriots Super Bowl LIII championship team. Gilmore will team with the ballhawking Diggs giving the Cowboys two of the top corners in the league. With it unknown if Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis will return from their season-ending injuries a year ago, Gilmore is insurance to fill this spot. If Dallas still wants to pick a defensive back they could have a few options pending how the draft unfolds and who other teams pick.

Emmanuel Forbes of Mississippi State and Deonte Banks of Maryland could be options at cornerback in the late first round or early second round. Jakorian Bennett, also of Maryland, could help or safety Jordan Battle of Alabama could be a nice addition for the Cowboys. DJ Turner II out of Michigan is another possibility at cornerback. Forbes tied for the third best time in the 40-yard dash at 4.35 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in March. At 6-0 and 180, Forbes relies on his speed and technique to excel in coverage. He appeared in and started 12 of the Bulldogs 13 games in 2022 on his way to earning second team AP All-American honors. His six interceptions, which included three pick-sixes, last season led the SEC and placed him third in the nation. Forbes also led the team with 10 pass breakups. What is most impressive about Forbes is that his play impacts games. During the 2022 season he became the FBS record-holder with six pick-sixes in his career. He also ran his career interception total to 14 during last season making him the active leader in the FBS at the time.

Bennett’s 40 time of 4.30 seconds was the second best time at the scouting combine. The most valuable player of the 2022 Dukes Mayo Bowl, Bennett recorded 69 total tackles (55 solo), 29 passes defensed, and 4 interceptions over his three years with the Terrapins. Battle brings playmaking ability at safety where he excelled for Alabama. Named a third team All-American by the Associated Press in 2022, Battle recorded 71 total tackles (34 solo) en-route to receiving first team All-SEC recognition by the league’s coaches. If none of these defensive backs are available, Dallas might look to Turner II who ran the top time in the 40 at the combine at 4.26 seconds. Turner is a two-time All-Big Ten selection and finished with 69 total tackles (53 solo), 3 interceptions, and 20 passes defensed during his time at Michigan which all came over the last two seasons.

With so many good and versatile players in this draft, the Cowboys could go a handful of different ways with their picks. Plenty of other prospects lie in the draft as some 200-plus players are set to be drafted out of 350 or more prospects. Like so many other teams, Dallas is hoping to get who they want based on the countless hours of research and scouting that their front office staff has done headed up by Jones. Significant input from the likes of Cowboys’ Chief Executive Officer Stephen Jones, Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay, and head coach Mike McCarthy along with the assistant coaches has all been part of the work. Time will tell if Dallas lands an impact player. Hope is in the air and Americas Team is soon to be on the clock. All of Cowboys Nation is holding their breath in anticipation of a bright light to be shinning at the end of the tunnel.

Much like 2021, which is mysteriously now a quarter over, the 2021 NFL Draft seems to have snuck up out of nowhere to suddenly be upon us.

Perhaps because there was no NFL Combine in February and because other sports including basketball, baseball and hockey are all back in full swing at the college and pro levels, there doesn’t seem to have been quite as much pre-draft fanfare this year.

Sure, Mel Kiper, Jr. and the many other NFL Draft “experts” have been regularly updating their “draft boards”, but unlike last year where the NFL Draft was the only thing remotely related to sports that happened between mid-March and July, this year the attention of the country is not solely on the draft.

That being said, the NFL Draft usually signals the start of the frenzied NFL year. The 2021 schedule, which will include 17 games for the first time ever, will be announced just a few days after the draft. Though the players and union are trying to minimize the amount of structured off-season work for the players (an action that has been very evident on the field in recent years), there will also be some preseason camps between now and the end of July.

Unlike last year when Roger Goodell hosted the draft from his basement and we were treated to home cameras showing dogs, kids and family celebrations, Goodell and some of the players and team personnel will be together in-person in Cleveland for the draft. So, expect a hybrid event where there will be some of the hugging and celebrating we are used to be seeing at the draft mixed with some family celebrations and at-home coaches.

Looking at the draft itself, we have known for nearly two years that Trevor Lawrence from Clemson would be the first pick in the 2021 draft. Though the hiring of Urban Meyer as the new coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars created some discussion about whether he would prefer Ohio State product Justin Fields, it still appears inevitable that Lawrence’s name will be called first this year.

DeShaun Watson has already proven that he belongs on the field with the Houston Texans.

Sometimes the decisions made by teams in the NFL Draft can be very strange. Generally, the NFL is a performance-based league, however, when it comes to draft picks, and most especially quarterbacks, choices are often made based on projected ability, instead of how someone has actually performed on the football field.

That was certainly the case in the 2017 NFL Draft when two quarterbacks with relatively average college pedigrees were chosen ahead of one of the most successful quarterbacks in recent college football history. Something that can be confusing and frustrating for those who follow US Sportsbooks.

While DeShaun Watson was leading the Clemson Tigers to back-to-back National Championship Games following the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Mitch Trubisky at the University of North Carolina and Pat Mahaomes at Texas Tech were playing on mediocre teams.

Trubisky spent two seasons as a backup quarterback at UNC before he finally earned the starting spot for the 2016 season. Though he was a solid quarterback in his 13 stats, his performance on an 8-5 team hardly give the impression he was the next great NFL player.

While Trubisky tossed 30 touchdowns on the season with only six interceptions, in the five UNC losses, he threw only eight touchdowns while suffering all six of his interceptions. His worst performance of the season was against Virginia Tech when he completed only 39.4% of his passes for 58 yards and two interceptions.

Yet, the Chicago Bears thought enough of Trubisky to trade up to pick him with the second pick in the 2017 Draft.

The son of a former Major League Baseball pitcher, Mahomes had significantly more experience than Trubisky during his three college seasons.

Playing on a Texas Tech team that had only one winning year in his three seasons, Mahomes saw significant action as a freshman before starting the last two seasons.

The Red Raiders posted a 12-13 record during those two years while making one bowl appearance. Mahomes racked up huge numbers over the last two seasons tossing 77 touchdowns with 25 interception and compiling over 9,700 yards through the air. For his career, Mahomes completed 63.5% of his passes for 11,252 yards, 93 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. Read the rest of this entry →

Bringing the NFL back to Los Angeles has been a big part of the NFL’s off-season discussions.

In an effort to weed out truth from gossip, this article explores the NFL’s rumor mill…..

There have been many rumors about upcoming changes in the NFL, and Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that fans can look forward to the league evolving in the next couple years. Goodell does have an exceptional reputation for making decisions that improve the league’s brand, so it’s exciting to see what’s in store.

Are new stadiums being built? Is the National Football League interested in establishing new expansion teams? These are questions fans are asking right now, but the people in charge are keeping mum, except for few details.

All About the Benjamins
Goodell has a solid reputation for helping owners maximize their annual earnings, and most (if not all) the upcoming changes are geared toward more profits. The NFL hasn’t experienced any problems generating impressive revenue each season, but that isn’t going to stop expansion from happening.

Statistics show that the NFL has consistently increased its profits each year, and the overall revenue is over $9 billion. The commissioner, league officials, and team owners are going to continue to push for additional revenue, which is why expansion rumors should be believed. Expanding their market is a surefire way to earn teams more money. It’s the right time to establish a new team in a big city. Read the rest of this entry →

Through the first eight games of his NFL career, Colts quarterback, Andrew Luck, has thrown for 2,404 yards and helped his team win five games.

There was a lot of pressure on the Colts coming into the year. I mean a lot. For starters, they won just two games last season and were winless through their first twelve. On top of that, they parted ways with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time to move on to their quarterback of the future.

As a rookie quarterback in the NFL, No. 1 draft pick and successor to Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck has been forced into learning a little bit about living up to the hype. After leading Stanford to a 30-8 record in three seasons and racking up two second place Heisman Trophy finishes, Luck is rolling with the big boys now – even though he already was one in college.

Luck passed up the No. 1 overall pick in 2011 to return to Stanford for his senior season and develop even more skills as well as get his degree. When his college career was finally over, he had thrown for 9,430 yards and 82 touchdowns in just three seasons.

Then, on  Thursday, April 26, 2012, Luck began the next phase of his football career. He was officially drafted first overall by the Indianapolis Colts to be their immediate starting quarterback and replace one of the icons of professional football, Peyton Manning.

As a rookie, he has completely bought in to the Colts’ way. His leadership and work ethic are both already much further along than they should be at the young age of 23, which he turned just three days after the start of the season. If that wasn’t enough, he even recently shaved his head in support of coach, Chuck Pagano, who has been battling cancer for much of the season.

His first test as a pro came against the Chicago Bears and their crazy good as well as experienced defense. Luck looked all right, but his performance against what would turn into the top defense in the league in 2012 reflected that of a rookie. He threw three interceptions and just one late touchdown when the game was already out of reach in his team’s 41-21 loss on opening day.

The team went 2-3 through the first six weeks of the season with losses to the Jaguars and a 35-9 demolishing to the struggling Jets. They did, however, beat a couple of playoff contenders in the Vikings and the Packers. Luck did throw for 1,208 yards in the first five games (241.6 ypg). It was just a matter of really finding some consistency.

With the Jets game behind them, the Colts would be staring at some favorable match-ups in the coming weeks. A Week 7 game against the Browns with fellow rookie quarterback, Brandon Weeden, and Week 8 at Tennessee provided the Colts with a chance to turn things around. And Luck did just that.

With his team trailing late in both games, Luck engineered back-to-back game saving drives that ended up resulting in wins. His game-winning touchdown pass in Week 8 beat the Titans, got Indy to .500 in the division and pushed them over .500 overall for the first time since Manning had left.

Week 9 was more of the same as the Colts grinded out a 23-20 win over the hot Dolphins. Luck threw for a rookie record 433 yards in the win and mixed in two touchdowns with no interceptions. Through eight games, Luck has thrown 10 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. Through eight games, Luck has thrown for 2,404 yards which is exactly what Manning had through his first eight games and tied for the most ever. Most importantly, through eight games, Luck has the Colts sitting at 5-3 and in 2nd place to the tough Texans in the AFC South at the season’s midway point. If the season ended today, the Colts would be in the playoffs as a wild card team. They have also already more than doubled their win total from last season.

Luck has become the second rookie in NFL history with four 300-yard passing games in his first year. The other was his predecessor, Manning. He also has four 4^thquarter or overtime game-winning drives through eight games.  The four other rookie QB’s have combined for four among them. Of course, it helps to have a world class talent like Reggie Wayne at his disposal. Wayne has 61 catches for 835 yards and three touchdowns on the year and more importantly, has given Luck that go-to receiver that all young quarterbacks need.

Compared with the second overall pick of this year’s draft, Robert Griffin III, Luck has 2,404 passing yards to Griffin’s 1,993 and has two more touchdown passes. More importantly, Luck has two more wins than the electrifying Griffin, whose Redskins sit at 3-6 through nine games.

The hype, the preperation and the execution all have the Colts in position to return to the playoffs this year. As Luck prepares to face the Jaguars tonight, he can help his team take a giant step towards that goal. A win would improve the team to 6-3 and more importantly, to 2-1 in the division.

The Colts travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jags at 8:20 pm.

Follow me on Twitter @RealAndyLarmand.