Luck is back, but aches for victory

INDIANAPOLIS >> Andrew Luck waited impatiently in the Indianapolis Colts locker room Sunday.

As the former Stanford star contemplated his first regular-season start in more than 20 months, Luck reflected on his excruciatingly long journey back from shoulder surgery, the things he wanted to show in the opener and, of course, leading his team to victory.

Then realty hit. Indy’s first scoring chance ended when Luck’s first official pass was picked off.

He threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns, but his chance to rally the Colts to a victory ended when the Bengals returned a fumble 83 yards for a touchdown in the final minute.

“It hurts that we didn’t win, it hurts that we didn’t win at home,” Luck said following a 34-23 loss to the Bengals. “It crushes all of us. But what are we going to do? We’re going to get back to work.”

The next chapter comes on the road where the Colts visit Washington and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia over the next two weeks.

If Luck continues to perform as he did Sunday and continues to improve as he did throughout the preseason, the Colts know they will be in good hands.

By most measures, Luck quickly returned to his preinjury form following the interception. He threw only four more errant passes in the first half while finishing 39 of 53 with 319 yards and two touchdowns. He staked the Colts to a 23-10 lead midway through the third quarter and nearly rallied them in the final four minutes with a 50-yard drive.

The rave reviews came from all corners — players, coaches, even opponents who didn’t need to review the game tape before making an assessment.

“You’re back,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he told Luck after the game.

But for Luck, this was not just another game.

“Certain things felt normal,” he said. “And then some emotions crept up and sort of hit me before we went out to play. I’m so grateful and appreciative to be here.”