Indianapolis Colts franchise quarterback Andrew Luck reportedly is expected to be back on Dec. 20 against the Houston Texans, and Colts owner Jim Irsay believes that he will be back by week 15 against the Miami Dolphins at the latest, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport.
Luck has been out the past two games for Indianapolis with a lacerated kidney and a partial tear of an abdominal muscle, and he was expected to miss 2-6 weeks with the injuries. The Colts are currently tied with the Houston Texans at 6-5, and it looks like the AFC South division will be a tight race to the last week of the regular season.
Indianapolis has won three straight games, and backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been playing great football in the absence of Luck. "He's playing like a 22-year-old in terms of his excitement and passion to play," said Colts offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski about Hasselbeck, via the Colts' team website. " I can't say enough about him and his performance."
The Colts face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, and Hasselbeck looks to lead the Colts to his fifth win as their starting quarterback this season. Hasselbeck has thrown for 1,023 yards with seven touchdowns to two interceptions. Despite Hasselbeck's incredible play this season, head coach Chuck Pagano has made it clear that Luck will remain the starter when healthy.
The Colts still have three divisional games left on their schedule, and Luck could return for Indianapolis' final three games of the season. It will be interesting to watch what happens in the Colts' next two games, as Hasselbeck is undefeated starting for Indianapolis and will look to hand the starting position back to Luck with the Colts in first place in the AFC South. The Colts Texans matchup on Dec. 20 looks to be a crucial game, and the winner of that could end up taking the division this year.
