INDIANAPOLIS – Looking back on 2016, it's hard to believe Andrew Luck's season had the individual statistical improvements that made it one of the better years of his career.
-Playing in a new offense for the third time in five years, Luck was a full participant in just half of the team's regular season practices. Injuries in 2016 for Luck included his right shoulder, right elbow, right thumb, left ankle and a concussion that forced him to miss a game.
-Luck was the NFL's most pressured quarterback in 2016. Not to be forgotten, Luck's pass catchers had the fifth most drops of any team in the league.
Despite the lack of practice time, playing through injuries, being under immense duress and fighting through an abundance of drops, Luck still finished the season with a career-high in completion percentage (63.5) and yards per attempt (7.8).
Luck's improvement in efficiency also included just a 2.4 interception rate and a 96.4 quarterback rating, both the second best marks of his career.
"I think (Luck) has played great," offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski said of his quarterback in late December. "I've seen a ton of improvement. You look at his decision-making, I think statistically in terms of some of the production and his efficiency, his accuracy, his fundamentals, his footwork, all those things have improved. You look at his leadership as well, this is his team and it has become his team obviously over time. I can't be more pleased. I can't imagine there is another guy in this league that is as valuable to their team as Andrew.
"All those that we are talking about, the completion percentage, interception percentage and the things that go with that on tape in terms of decision-making. And it hasn't been perfect and there is always going to be room for growth and there is in this case. Certainly at times when Andrew presses and tries to make a play and has such trust in guys that they will make plays for him, occasionally there are mistakes in that way. I look at his first few years and you look at those times that he was making those decisions and those were cut drastically this season. Again, I am really pleased with the job he has done overall in all the things that we have asked him to focus on."
Luck finished the year 346-of-545 for 4,240 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Always his harshest critic, Luck spoke on Monday to the one area he must play a bigger part in next season.
"Win more games, it's really simple," Luck said.
"I think that's the metric for any teammate or player on a team, win more games."
Going into the 2016 offseason, Luck had questions surrounding a new contract, his recovery from a kidney injury and a new offensive system.
The contract has been signed, Luck says fans shouldn't worry about his various ailments in 2016 and his progression in the new system saw the needed improvements.
On Monday, as the Colts packed their belongings for the offseason, Luck was looking big picture though at the unacceptable nature of how the season ended.
"No one in this locker room ever accepts losing as the norm or as the okay," Luck said.
"That's absolutely not the fact here and nor will it ever be with the Irsay family running this organization. I feel like I could have done better and maybe have helped this team end with a different record, but the reality is we didn't. Close the chapter on this season, this year of the Colts and hopefully we can start a new one in better fashion."
