Colts: Andrew Luck by the numbers vs. Redskins

There was a lot of hype heading in to last Saturday's preseason game between the Washington Redskins and Indianapolis Colts. It pitted the No. 1 overall pick against the second pick of the draft, after all.

By Evan Hilbert

Aug 28, 2012 at 10:53 am ET • 4 min read

Andrew Luck made veteran receiver Reggie Wayne a priority for the second straight game, targeting him six times in a half of play. (US Presswire)

Still, Andrew Luck was again steady, despite a poor showing from his offensive line. Luck was pressured all game, and he didn't get much help from his running backs, as the Indianapolis rushing attack was reduced to rubble. The Colts rushed for just 53 yards on 27 carries, putting the onus on Luck to move the ball.

One major positive was how often he looked to Donnie Avery, who was playing in his first preseason game since becoming a Colt. Avery was targeted seven times by Luck, and finished the game with six catches for 38 yards. Conversely, Luck wasn't able to get his rookie tight ends in the act, as Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen were each targeted just once.

Here's how Luck's day went:

Passing: 14 of 23, 151 yards, 1 touchdown

Rushing: 2 carries, 8 yards

Targets: Avery (7), Reggie Wayne (6), T.Y. Hilton (5), Kris Adams (2), Donald Brown (1), Fleener (1), Allen (1)

Scores: 31-yard pass to Hilton

Turnovers: none

Pass-by-pass

First Drive (0-0, IND 10: 9 plays, 25 yards, punt)

Third-and-8: Complete, Avery, 9 yards -- Just a simple crossing route pass to Avery, who made a nice run after the catch to pick up the first down.
First-and-10: Complete, Avery, no gain -- Quick screen to Avery, but he has no room.
Second-and-10: Complete, Hilton, 9 yards -- Quick pass to Hilton, who does the rest. This seems to be what the Colts were determined to get going: short passes to Hilton and Avery, preferebly in space, where the dynamic athletes can make a play.
First-and-25: Incomplete (Allen) -- Luck did well to avoid the rush, but he couldn't hit Allen on first and very long.
Second-and-25: Incomplete (Fleener) -- The Colts were just trying to get some sure yards to get to third-and-manageable, but Luck missed Fleener on a short screen.

Second Drive (0-0, IND 8: 6 plays, 11 yards, punt)

First-and-10: Incomplete (Avery) -- Luck threw high on a slant to Avery, and Avery paid for it.
Third-and-6: Complete, Wayne, 14 yards -- Good play by Luck here. Deep in his own territory, oncoming rush, and he steps up and hits Wayne over the middle.
Second-and-17: Complete, Hilton, 6 yards -- After getting blasted by London Fletcher on a blitz, Luck goes short to Hilton for a short gain. Luck was sacked again on third and long.

Third Drive (0-7, IND 20: 11 plays, 75 yards, touchdown)

Second-and-10: Complete, Wayne, 21 yards -- Luck is flushed but finds Wayne for a good gain.
Second-and-3: Incomplete (Wayne) -- Bad throw by Luck on an out pass, behind Wayne, who nearly reaches back and grabs it one-handed.
Third-and-3: Complete, Avery, 7 yards -- Luck gets plenty of time and hits Avery on a short crossing route to pick up the first down.
First-and-10: Complete, Hilton, 8 yards -- Simple flare screen to Hilton who picks up a solid gain on first down. Again, the Colts seem perfectly content throwing short and letting Hilton or Avery make a play.
First-and-10: Incomplete (Wayne) -- Luck as hit as he throws, comes up short for Wayne. Luck was hit plenty more against Washington than he was in either of the first two preseason games.
Third-and-7: Complete, Hilton, 31 yards, touchdown -- Luck was given time and, after stepping up in the pocket, found Hilton streaking down the sideline for a score. Perfect pass.

Fourth Drive (7-14, IND 20: 7 plays, 37 yards, halftime)

First-and-10: Complete, Wayne, 6 yards -- Quick hit to Wayne on a stop route.
Second-and-4: Complete, Avery, 7 yards -- Another quick pass to Avery for the first down.
Second-and-4: Complete, Adams, 18 yards -- After scrambling for six, Luck gets good protection and hits Adams deep over the middle to get across midfield.
First-and-10: Incomplete (Hilton) -- Either Hilton ran a bad route, or there was some sort of miscommunication. Either way, the ball went somewhere Hilton did not go.
Second-and-10: Incomplete (Wayne) -- Luck hit again as he throws, and the pass falls incomplete.
Third-and-10: Incomplete (Adams) -- A lot happened on the last play of the half. Luck chucked a prayer that Adams almost answered (until Adams got his head taken off). Wayne was also shaken up on the play, but turned out fine.

Fifth Drive (7-14, IND 21: 6 plays, 9 yards, punt)

First-and-10: Complete, Avery, 9 yards -- Play-action from the Colts leads to a good pass and catch from Luck to Avery.
Third-and-7: Incomplete (Brown) -- Luck throws high to Brown out of the backfield, ending his day on a sour note.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Colts blogger Evan Hilbert, follow @CBSSportsNFLIND.