DENVER - Andrew Luck has his signature NFL win, and it came

Chiro Rambo Geregistreerd op: 09 Apr 2019 Berichten: 240

DENVER - Andrew Luck has his signature NFL win, and it came against his predecessor, of all people. Ryan Johansen Jersey .Hardly pressured all afternoon, Luck threw two touchdown passes and outplayed Peyton Manning in leading the Indianapolis Colts past the Denver Broncos 24-13 Sunday.The Colts (13-5) advanced to the AFC championship game at New England (13-4), where they lost 42-20 on Nov. 16.Id like to think I am a better quarterback and would like to think were a better team now, Luck said. We are well equipped to handle the unknown, the unforeseen.They sure were Sunday night in the Rockies, where Denver had gone 8-0 this season and averaged 35 points a game.I think were playing good team ball, said Luck, who improved to 3-2 in the playoffs with his first road win. Were feeding off each other. Offensively were making enough plays to put some points on the board. Great night. So proud to be a part of the Colts in this victory.The Broncos (12-5) are left to deal with the hangover of yet another playoff debacle — and, more importantly, questions about Mannings future.After saying on Christmas Eve that he planned on coming back for an 18th season, the five-time MVP wasnt so certain after his latest playoff fiasco.Asked point blank if he planned on playing next season, Manning said, Uh, yeah, I guess I just cant give that simple answer, Im processing it. So, I cant say that. I could not say that.It was the first time Manning had been ambiguous about his future since spinal fusion surgery on his neck cost him all of the 2011 season and led Colts owner Jim Irsay to release him in 2012 so he could use the top pick to draft Luck.I knew it was the right thing to do for the Colts, Irsay said outside his jubilant locker room. I saw Archie (Manning) last night. We had a nice conversation. Happened to be at Elways Restaurant at the Ritz Carlton. It was a decision that it was the right move to make. Peyton and I had talked about it. He said it best in the press conference, I didnt decide. He didnt decide. The football gods laid the cards out. We both knew it as best for him and us.Theres sure to be questions about John Foxs future, as well. Hes won four straight AFC West titles, but keeps coming up short in what he calls the real season.Im the head coach, the buck stops here, Fox said.The Broncos were the AFCs only unbeaten team at home and the only team in the NFL with a top-five offence and a top-five defence.We picked a bad day to have a bad game, said Terrance Knighton, who had guaranteed these Broncos, with an NFL-high nine Pro Bowlers, would hoist the Lombardi Trophy next month.Manning has gone one-and-done in the playoffs a record nine times in his otherwise stellar career. That includes twice in Denver, where hes 38-10 in the regular season but just 2-3 in the playoffs.Overall, hes 11-13 in the post-season and this was one of his worst playoff performances ever. He never found a rhythm, constantly overthrew his receivers and finished 26 of 46 for 111 yards, one TD and no interceptions.Its just disappointing. Everyone would like to win their last game of the season, Manning said after guiding Denver to a TD on its opening possession and just two field goals on his final 11 drives.Each of his three seasons in Denver has ended in humbling losses, to the Ravens and Colts at home after first-round byes, and to Seattle in last years Super Bowl.These Broncos were better balanced with a grinding ground game and star-studded defence bolstered by John Elways signings of Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward to a guaranteed $60 million in free agency.But none of them came up big Sunday and the Broncos were left to deal with yet another wrenching playoff loss.Luck completed 27 of 43 passes for 265 yards with two TDs and two interceptions that were the equivalent of punts and no sacks.We needed to win the game for us. It wasnt about Peyton or Andrew or anything like that, Irsay said. It was about just us trying to beat the Broncos. Again, this was the Colts vs. the Broncos, even though the quarterbacks mean so much.The Colts stretched a four-point halftime lead to 21-10 when Luck drove the Colts 72 yards in 11 plays, hitting Hakeem Nicks from 15 yards midway through the third quarter.On fourth-and-1 from the Colts 36, C.J. Anderson eluded three tacklers in the backfield and gained 7 yards. But once again, the Broncos stalled and had to settle for Connor Barths 41-yard field goal that made it 21-13 with 13:50 remaining.Luck then drove the Colts 54 yards in 13 plays, chewing up more than 8 minutes before Adam Vinatieris 30-yard field goal made it 24-13 with four minutes remaining in the half-empty Sports Authority Field.Denvers only lead was 7-0 on Mannings 1-yard fade pass to Demaryius Thomas on the Broncos first drive. Daniel Herrons 6-yard TD run tied it.After a Manning fumble, Luck hit tight end Dwayne Allen with a 3-yard strike to put the Colts ahead for good 14-7.It was an unbelievable performance by the guys on the road, Irsay said. Onward we go. We know the trails even get tougher.Notes: There were no significant injuries. ... Luck improved to 5-1 in temperatures 40 or below. ... Manning fell to 2-4 following a divisional bye. ... The Colts were 0-4 against Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo and Tom Brady in the regular season.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Roman Josi Jersey .com) - The Toronto Blue Jays will look to snap a three-game skid Friday night when they continue their road trip in the opener of a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Custom Nashville Predators Jerseys . -- The Sacramento Kings have signed first-round pick Nik Stauskas to his rookie contract. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Colton-sissons-predators-jersey/ . The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament.WASHINGTON -- The Nationals began Sunday with a ceremony honouring manager Davey Johnson. By the end of the night, their playoff hopes were just about dashed. Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich homered to lift the Miami Marlins to a 4-2 win in the opener of Sundays day-night doubleheader, a result that clinched playoff berths for the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. Washington gained a split by winning the nightcap 5-4 when Wilson Ramos ninth-inning grounder bounced off the leg of third baseman Chris Coghlan for a game-ending error that allowed pinch-runner Eury Perez to score. The Nationals trail NL wild-card co-leaders Cincinnati and Pittsburgh by five games with six to play. "We arent finished. I take nothing for granted," Johnson said. "I still think we got a good shot. We need to win them all. We do. Hey, Ive been one strike, two runs down, one strike away, and weve come back. So dont lose the faith." Rafael Soriano (3-3) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to win Washingtons regular-season home finale, and Denard Span drove in three runs. Jayson Werth doubled off Sam Dyson (0-2) leading off the ninth, and Perez pinch ran and stole third with one out. Coming back from right forearm tightness that had kept him off the mound since Sept. 8, Stephen Strasburg allowed three runs and six hits in six innings and left with a 4-3 lead. "He was actually awful," Johnson said. "He was. Every pitch he threw was up. Hes got such great stuff, but everything was belt high." Strasburg said: "I went out there and competed and thats all I can do." Stanton hit a tying double off Tyler Clippard in the eighth. With Washington trailing 3-2 in the sixth and runners on second and third, Span hit a smash past a diving Ed Lucas at first to make it 4-3. Miami had been 0-8 at Nationals Park this season coming in and starter Tom Koehler (4-10) had been 0-4 in eight starts since Aug. 1. Koehler allowed two runs and three hits in six innings of the opener, and Steve Cishek pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save in 34 chances, completing a four-hitter and a scoreless afternooon for the Marlins bullpen. Juuse Saros Jersey. "You cant score six, seven runs every game," Washingtons Ryan Zimmerman said. "(Koehler) pitched well and theyve got some good arms in the back of their bullpen." Cishek has converted 27 consecutive save chances, tying Todd Jones 2005 mark for the longest streak in club history. "You know its crazy. Out there I had a little more adrenaline pumping. It felt like a playoff atmosphere," Cishek said. "The fans are really into it and those guys are digging in there and every at-bat was huge for them. It felt good to come out and win a game like that." Dan Haren (9-14) lost to Miami for the third time this year, giving up three runs and eight hits in six innings. Stantons 24th homer, a two-run drive after Yelich doubled, put the Marlins ahead in the first. Yelich added a solo shot in the third. Koehler, who shut out the Mets for eight innings while earning a no-decision in his last start, limited Washington to two singles over the first five innings. Zimmerman homered in the sixth, his 26th of the season and 11th of September. "Like I said before, Im not very good at math, but Im good enough to figure out that losing makes it tougher," Zimmerman said between games. "But weve just got to keep playing and see what happens." Washington grounded into three double plays. Donovan Solano drove in Miamis final run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. NOTES: Ian Desmonds two stolen bases in the night game gave him his second straight season with at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases. ... Strasburg is the third fastest pitcher (426.1 IP) since 1900 to get to 500 strikeouts behind Kerry Wood (404.2) and Mark Prior (421.2). ... The Nationals won the season series 14-5. ... The ceremony honouring Johnson included a pair of video tributes and the presentation of an engraved Tiffany crystal keepsake. ... Stanton has hit safely in 23 of 29 games at Nationals Park with 13 home runs. ... Ian Desmonds two stolen bases in the night game gave him his second straight season with at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases. ' ' '