Luck insists shoulder is healthy despite lack of deep throws
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck insisted Wednesday his shoulder is healthy and not to blame for his alarming number of short passes early in the season.
"I know I'm at a level where I can make all the throws, and I feel confident I'm going out there with my full arsenal," Luck told Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star. "I don't think there's anything physically holding me back."
Luck was sidelined for the entire 2017 season amid a laborious recovery from shoulder surgery that included multiple setbacks. After an encouraging preseason, he's seen his numbers tail off in the regular season. He's yet to complete a pass longer than 29 yards, and his spirals appeared to lack zip in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
| Week | Yards Per Attempt |
|---|---|
| 1 | 6.02 |
| 2 | 5.77 |
| 3 | 4.10 |
"The (deep passing game) can get better," Luck said. "It can definitely get better. We could probably look back and say if we had a couple more chunks in the first few games, maybe that would swing the tide in a way. But that's probably the truth of looking back at any game. Hindsight is 20-20. So we'll work on it. I'll work on it. Guys up front, too. Wideouts will make sure when those opportunities do present themselves, that we're making the plays."
Related: Luck's struggles in Week 3 raise questions about arm strength
Although Luck has completed a career-high 68.5 percent of his passes this year, his 5.34 yards-per-attempt figure is drastically lower than his career mark of 7.11.
All right, so here it is. Every "deep" ball that Luck has thrown in the regular season in chronological order. Some of these are not on the stat sheet because of various penalties. The link is to highlights of his 2016 season, judge for yourself. #Colts https://t.co/ECjTCWfNVv pic.twitter.com/PWMnIiI2Pj
- Josh Boeke (@JoshBoeke) September 25, 2018
Luck was also lifted for a last-second Hail Mary attempt at the end of the game against Philadelphia, as Jacoby Brissett was summoned to launch the deep ball.
However, Colts head coach Frank Reich brushed off any concerns about his quarterback after the Eagles game, saying he's "happy" with Luck's play through three weeks.
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