Second thoughts

Indy's QB talks, plays a nice game

Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck has proved he is a pretty good quarterback, but he’s just as good at handing out compliments to defenders who get a good hit on him.
Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck has proved he is a pretty good quarterback, but he’s just as good at handing out compliments to defenders who get a good hit on him.

Andrew Luck has developed a pretty good reputation just three seasons into his NFL career.

His 12,688 yards are more than any other NFL quarterback in his first three seasons, he's thrown 82 touchdowns compared to 22 interceptions, and the Indianapolis Colts are 32-14 with two playoff appearances -- and another coming up this season -- since drafting Luck No. 1 overall in 2012.

One thing Luck needs to work on, though, is his trash talk. At least that's what some of his peers told Kevin Clark of The Wall Street Journal.

Clark reported that Luck makes a habit of asking opponents to hit him hard, then congratulates them after sacks or even when he gets hit after throwing a pass.

"In all the years I've played football, I have never heard anything like it," Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan told Clark. "Nothing even close."

New England Patriots lineman Rob Ninkovich was once so confused about the congratulations that he was forced to return the politeness.

"Thanks for ... uh ... accepting that hit?" he said.

Eagles defensive back Nolan Carroll once received a "Great job, Nolan!" as he was heading back to the huddle. Nolan told Clark he was confused when he realized it was Luck, and not one of his teammates, who said it.

"I'm like, 'What's going on? Aren't you supposed to be mad?' " Carroll said. "So then I'm the one who gets ticked off because an upbeat attitude isn't something you see."

Of course, some players think his kindness is a form of gamesmanship.

"You know if you hear a quarterback get mad, you are in his head," Carroll said. "With Luck, you thought you hurt the guy, you hear 'good job' and you just say 'aw, man.' "

Not a fan

The Cleveland Browns have made the playoffs twice in the 20 years since Bernie Kosar took his last snap as their quarterback in 1993.

If you ask Kosar, who led the Browns to five consecutive playoff appearances (1985-1989), they aren't anywhere close to returning.

In an interview with a Cleveland radio station Monday, Kosar blamed an "uneducated" front office for the team's 30-0 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, one in which rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel made his first start.

"It makes me want to throw up," he said. "That's the results you get when you do that stuff."

Kosar said he doesn't blame players or Coach Mike Pettine, but rather the system.

"You can't put these kids in these spots," Kosar said. "It's almost abuse.'"

Back to what?

West Virginia beat Marshall 69-66 on Sunday at a neutral-site arena in Charleston, W.V.

Marshall Coach Dan D'Antoni thinks the two in-state schools should play twice each season, with one game in Charleston and the other game rotating between campus sites.

"If they back out now they're afraid of us," said D'Antoni, who is in his first season as coach. "We're coming back."

West Virginia Coach Bob Huggins laughed off that notion, citing his lengthy resume in a rebuttal on his weekly radio show.

"The thing that's most laughable, and I'll get in trouble for saying it I know, but I'm to the point in my life where I really don't care," said Huggins, who is in his 33rd season as a head coach. "How about this? We're back? That was their sixth loss [to West Virginia] in a row. We're back?

"We're back, alright. Honestly, it's laughable."

Sports Quiz

Q. Name the quarterback who previously held the NFL record for most passing yards through his first three seasons.

A. Peyton Manning, who passed for 12,287 yards in 1998-2000 with the Indianapolis Colts.

Sports on 12/17/2014

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