INDIANAPOLIS – Denver pass rusher Shane Ray remembers the play vividly.
Back in Week Two of the 2016 season, Ray had his arms wrapped around the legs of Andrew Luck.
A sack, thought Ray, was just milliseconds away.
Luck had other ideas.
Add Ray to the list of defenders saying Luck is the most difficult quarterback to sack.
"I think the hardest quarterback (to bring down) is Andrew Luck," Ray says.
"That dude would not go down. I have him twisted up…and he still gets the ball off. I'm like, 'Yo, you couldn't let me have that? Come on, man.'"
Ray was busy describing the elusive nature of Luck, who was ranked No. 51 on the 2017 version of NFL Network’s Top 100 List.
One week after Luck escaped Ray, San Diego cornerback Casey Hayward fell victim to the accuracy of the Colts quarterback.
Down 22-20 with less than 90 seconds to play in Week Three of the season, Luck rifled a ball narrowly past Hayward, into the arms of T.Y. Hilton, who took off 62 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
"As a DB, it's all about inches," Hayward says as he watches the replay of Luck's TD toss to Hilton. "If the quarterback puts the ball in the right spot…that's what Luck did on this play, that's what makes those players great."
Former Colts' teammate Charles James also chimed in on what it was like seeing Luck first hand.
"The thing I can say about Andrew is he's a leader," James says after spending the 2016 season with Luck.
"Of course, he's a nice guy. But he wants you to get it right every time. With Andrew, you've got a chance."
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