The Indianapolis Colts are expected to start Andrew Luck Sunday night against the undefeated New England Patriots, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
On Friday Luck was reported as questionable Friday, as he was still recovering from his shoulder injury. It seems as though the Colts franchise quarterback will make his fourth start of the season and will face last year's Super Bowl Champions in the New England Patriots.
It's a rematch of the AFC Championship, and it's almost fitting for Luck to return Sunday night. Luck has struggled this season, and has had the worst three-game start in his career. Luck has thrown for 753 yards with five touchdowns but has seven interceptions and a lost fumble. Even as a rookie, Luck started the season better with five touchdowns to four interceptions in his first three games.
Luck will try to return to his 2014 form Sunday night against New England, but that will not be an easy task. Luck has struggled against the Patriots, and has a record of 0-4 against them including two playoff games. The Colts will need to have their offense clicking, as the Patriots have the top offense in all of the NFL and are averaging over 400 yards of offense a game.
There are people out there that think that Luck should sit tonight and make sure he is a 100 percent for the rest of the season. It makes sense, as the Colts are in one of the weakest divisions in football in the AFC South and likely have the easiest road to the playoffs. "If I'm Indy, I'm going to seriously consider, right here, making sure I sit and not play Andrew Luck and leave (Matt) Hasselbeck in right now," said former Cowboys star receiver Michael Irvin, via nfl.com. "First of all, Hasselbeck just won two games and I want to give us an opportunity where (if) we meet again, we have a chance. When they beat this team down Sunday - and they will beat this team down Sunday - it was with Hasselbeck. So in the playoffs, I can always have in my pocket, 'We were not at full strength.'"
It's an interesting thought to sit Luck to have a mental edge in the postseason, but the reality is that there is no guarantee that they will make the playoffs. Also, if Indianapolis makes the playoffs, there is no telling who they could face, or if they will even play the Patriots again, even though they seem to be on course for another deep playoff run.
The Colts are expecting Luck to play tonight, and it will be interesting to see how he performs against a dominant Patriots team that just held the Cowboys to six points. Luck is winless against the Patriots but will look to change that Sunday night.
