Saturday, November 7, 2015

Andrew Luck, the Runner

Normally on this blog I try to keep my posts objective. Through statistics I attempt to provide evidence for my arguments.  For today's topic I am going to abandon that style and instead focus on the good old fashion eye test. I will throw in a few stats here and there, but definitely less than I often do. Basically what I am trying to say is I dont have any hard proof that Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is a good runner, but after watching him on Monday Night against the Panthers I am convinced he is.

Andrew Luck has made his name from his passing abilities. Coming out of college he was heralded as one of the most complete and NFL ready quarterbacks in years. Before he even threw an NFL pass, people were comparing him to Rodgers and Manning. Once he started actually playing in the league the results didn't disappoint those singing his praises. Behind Andrew Luck the Colts made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons (2012, 2013, 2014). With his gaudy numbers and his team racking up the wins, analysts primarily focused on this throwing abilities.

However, in 2015 Andrew Luck has struggled with his on field play. He is missing reads and throwing bad interceptions. Generally it has appeared that Mr. Luck has regressed in his skill level. However, in one key and often overlooked area the Colts QB is still among the best at his position, that is running the football.

In his career Luck is only averaging 19.8 rushing yards per game. For comparisons sake lets take a look at the 2014 QB rushing leaders. Russell Wilson led QB by rushing for 53.1 yards per game. As many fans know Russell is kind of an anomaly among NFL QBs. He has a crazy good ability to turn what appears to be a 5 yard sack into a 15 yard gain with his feet. But just because Andrew Luck's running stats dont line up well with DangeRuss doesn't mean Andrew Luck isn't a good runner. So let's look at a few other QB stats.

In 2014, among quarterbacks, Andrew Luck had the ninth most rushing yards per game.  The quarterback right above Luck on the leader board was Case Keenum.The one right below was Geno Smith. Not bad company to be around, but definitely not proof of a talented runner, but the stats don't tell the whole story.

The real proof of Andrew Luck's running ability comes from watching him play. He has an ability to successfully identify when he should tuck the ball and run. This routinely helps his team by extending drives with his legs and picking up first downs.

When he does choose to run Luck is actually surprisingly fast. He can get into gear and pull away from pursuing linemen. He is also a big man. He is listed at 6'4" and 240 lbs, which is only 5 lbs less than Cam Newton, another giant who is praised for his size. At that size Luck isn't an easy guy to tackle so he can pick up tough yards.

During the fourth quarter of the 11/2 Monday Night Football game, Luck brought his Colts back and forced overtime. The Colts ended up losing in overtime, but a lot of this almost come back was because of Luck's ability to run. He only had 35 yards rushing, but they were key yards. Luck was able to take off running towards the side lines, avoid or out run Panther defenders, and step out of bounds for a gain. The key was he kept gaining yards and stopping the clock.

Luck's running on that Monday Night impressed me, but it wasn't the first time I had seen him carry his team with his legs. As I have mentioned he routinely does this. I know they dont want to risk injuring him, but the Colts should consider designing a few runs for Luck. He has the speed and size to pick up yards. The threat of the run would help open up the passing game so Luck could take advantage of his traditional strength. Andrew Luck is a surprisingly good running quarterback.



Sources: Yahoo Sports, Wikipedia, Pro Football Reference


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