Andrew Luck, the Colts of Indianapolis embrace in a bright future

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"It was a game as complete as you can play," said Colts coach Frank Reich, after his team defeated the Titans 397-263, won 2-0 and made a comeback of punt monster in touch. "The three phases of football."

And all of this against a Tennessee team that beat Dallas and New England by a combined score of 62-24 over the previous two weeks. It was a Tennessee team that had lost quarterback Marcus Mariota (elbow) at the last minute of the second quarter, but the Colts were now 24-0.

Marcus Mariota was not the problem of Tennessee.

The Colts were the problem of Tennessee.

Before, you had to squint to see the future of the Colts. Stretch your eyes, fill in the gaps with the most positive spackle possible, and you could see that the Colts may be on something. May be. It's like that once, I say. Earlier this season.

Nothing may be about that. No need to squint, force, guess. Open your eyes, you know? The Colts have something special to prepare, and if their 1-5 debut makes this season unmarketable, so be it. This season has never been the litmus test for the Colts (5-5), who remain at two games of the Houston Texans (7-3) in South AFC.

What we wanted to see – what you wanted to see, fans of Colts – was a reason to believe it. You wanted to see Andrew Luck regain form after missing 2017 with a shoulder operation. You wanted to see an improvement on the offensive line, on the defensive line, on the backswing. You wanted the defense to develop a playmaker for the first time since Robert Mathis, around 2013.

You have a beautiful Sunday, is not it?

The chance earned him three touchdown passes, which earned him seven assists with at least three TD passes, tied for the third longest streak of all time. He is behind Tom Brady (10 in 2010) and Peyton Manning (eight in 2004). He is tied with Dan Marino. Pretty good list, could you say.

While you're there, you could also say this: Luck is so good, so fast, it's almost shocking. Reich smiled from the post-match podium when asked to say how lucky luck has been since arriving in February. Reich brought us back a few months ago, when luck did not even kick a football.

"He was throwing … I do not know what they were," said Reich. "Weighted balls. I did not have a single point. "

The bottom line is that it's shocking, as I said, that luck is better than ever. And it could well be, considering not only his return to health, but his placement in Reich's offensive aimed at hitting quickly and thoroughly, which optimizes Luck's skills while minimizing its risks. And it operates behind an offensive line that was historically bad – no NFL quarterback was hit or sacked more than Luck's 2012-16 – and now, one way or another, is historically good . On Sunday, the Colts' offensive line was just the fifth group in NFL history to record a fifth consecutive game without allowing a dismissal.

Remained not only standing but intact – the Titans never hit him – Luck got 23-for-29 for 297 yards and three touchdowns, which earned him the second highest pass mark (143.8) in 81 games. His oldest weapon was his comrade recruited in 2012, T.Y., the oldest and most familiar. Hilton, who abused the 2017 first round pick Adored 'Jackson for nine catches, 155 yards and two touchdowns.

Luck, Hilton and Co. did that to a Tennessee defense that was ranked sixth in the NFL against the pass (228.2 yards allowed per game) and first in defense scoring (16.8 points per game). At a more micro level, the most sophisticated statistics of the red zone defense, the Titans were the first to play in the NFL, allowing a touchdown on only 34.8% of the assets having pierced their twenty.

The Colts went 4-by-5 ​​in the red zone. That's 80%.

It's on the verge of madness, the Colts offensive – seriously, Andrew Luck is better than ever, and the Colts offensive line is a team force? – and that coincides nicely with the resumption of a defense that can now return the quarterback (five sacks of Sunday) thanks to a fast speed brew.

Defensive end Kemoko Turay recorded his fourth bag of the season, in third place among NFL rookies, one behind his teammate and the best Colts defensive player since Mathis: Darius Leonard. Leonard collected his fifth sack Sunday in a shocking but typical match: seven tackles, a sack, an interception.

Leonard also forced his fourth fumble of the season, placing him in first place in the NFL with Houston's J.J. Watt, Denver's Von Miller, Chicago's Khalil Mack and Kansas City's Dee Ford. It's a group that has combined three awards into the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, nine All-Pro selections and 13 appearances in the Pro Bowl, this type of award in Leonard's future.

If no one has said it yet, let's do it here: the Colts have an absolute star as Chris Ballard's General Manager. Was it perfect? Well, no, of course not. In 2017, he scored two defeats at offensive tackle Zach Banner and defender Tarell Basham. These are the only two known shortcomings of his 19 selections in 2017 and "18. Of the 17 others, the jury consists of two people who have not played yet. Receivers were selected in 2018 (Deon Cain is injured, receiver Daurice Fountain is a member of the training team).

But all the other Ballard players played well and did well, including Leonard, Turay and the offensive, Quenton Nelson, but also the half-back trio he selected (Marlon Mack in 2017, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins in 18). Linebacker Anthony Walker (17), injured safety Malik Hooker (17) and defensive tackle Tyquan Lewis (18), who made his NFL debut last week and was excellent on Sunday, scoring his first tackle in career.

Oh, and Braden Smith, Auburn Ballard's guard has chosen for some reason in the second round this year, one lap after taking another guard (Nelson) sixth overall – a pair of choices that does not have much meaning, in some circles. – filled the Colts' eternal hole at the right tackle.

Most of Ballard's free agents have also paid off, especially Eric Ebron (2018 free agents category), who leads the tight round with nine touchdowns, and defensive linemen Margus Hunt (& # 39). ; 17), Jabaal Sheard (& 17) and Denico Autry (# 18). Mid-season acquisition Dontrelle Inman solidified the Colts receiver corps, scoring four more passes on Sunday, including a touchdown.

This is not a fluke, it is the goal. It's a young, deep and talented lineup, which has won four straight games and its best game of the season Sunday – with Peyton, Reggie and the best Colts yesterday, to attend a franchise that sprints to the depths – quickly tomorrow.