Andrew Luck won’t play in a pivotal Thanksgiving showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers after being placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Luck suffered the injury late in last week’s victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Andrew Luck has been ruled OUT for #PITvsIND.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 23, 2016
Injury Report powered by @ATIPT: pic.twitter.com/CwOSpADAL7
Indianapolis had prepared to start backup Scott Tolzien during practices this week after learning about Luck’s condition.
I believe this is the play that led to Luck's concussion. Watch his head hit the turf. pic.twitter.com/h1bW4n8DlV
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) November 21, 2016
Tolzien, however, hasn’t done much in his career as a quarterback to inspire confidence. The former Wisconsin Badger is 0-1-1 as an NFL starter and has a quarterback rating of just 67.1 — a figure even lower than Ryan Fitzpatrick’s passer rating this fall.
The Colts will turn their hopes to Tolzien as his team tries to chase down Houston for the AFC South crown. The Texans have only a one-game lead over the division after falling to Oakland on Monday night. Indianapolis has shaken off a 2-4 start to pull into Houston’s rear-view mirror, but has struggled to capitalize on opportunities this fall. The Colts have yet to hold a winning record in 2016.
The Steelers are in a similar position. Pittsburgh is looking up at Baltimore in the AFC North standings and needs a win on Thursday to solidify its playoff bid. The Steelers snapped a four-game losing streak by dispatching the Browns on Sunday, but they don’t have a great track record against the NFL’s better franchises; Pittsburgh is just 2-5 against teams with non-losing records this fall.
The Colts also activated quarterback Stephen Morris from the team’s practice squad to serve as Tolzien’s backup.