Andrew Luck: How to take the next step

Sep 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) prepares to pass in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High . Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Luck is at a vital tipping point in his career.

Luck finds himself towing the very prestigious line between, “great,” and, “elite.” He’s thrown extremely well in his first two seasons in the NFL and has invented his own style of play on the football field. Luck has developed the scrambling ability of Aaron Rodgers, the resilience of Ben Roethlisberger and the accuracy of Tom Brady. He’s trademarked the fourth-quarter comeback and can never be counted out of a football game.

However, Luck still needs to take one more step before he becomes elite.

While Luck may have the intangibles that come with solid quarterback play, he still occasionally falters on the most pivotal job that a quarterback has to perform: Decision making. Luck has struggled with his decision making skills coming into the league and it was noted as his only possible downside in the draft. He’s gotten significantly better over the years, but the decision making stigma remains with Luck. It was shown in full-color against the Broncos when Luck threw two interceptions. While one pick was the fault of a Coby Fleener tip, the other was a bad choice by Luck. He tends to have good games against better teams, but that certainly was not the case in Denver.

Taking the next step really isn’t a hard process. The interceptions need to be cut down. Luck was able to halve his interception numbers in his second year, but looks to have taken a step back as he’s already through two this year. Also, Andrew Luck doesn’t like throwing the ball away and would rather take the long bomb down-field accompanied by a prayer. His aggressive playstyle is a positive to his game, but can get a little far when he attempts to chuck the ball into double coverage.

Andrew Luck is the best young quarterback in the league. Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton and Andy Dalton don’t really compare to Luck’s dominance in a football game. The next tier up in the league is that of the elites and Luck is sitting on that line, trying to figure out a way to get over it.

Cutting down the picks, making smart throws and maintaining his intangibles could help him cross that line into the elite.