Best of Luck, Giants: Stopping Indy QB has been no easy task this season

Andrew Luck isn't used to being sacked. But every time it happens, he gets up with a smile.

"He shakes it off and congratulates the dude who hit him -- 'Good hit,' " Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton said. "And then he goes back to the huddle and makes a big play. That's the kind of guy he is."

Hilton calls Luck's demeanor "competitiveness." Former Giant and current Colt Hakeem Nicks calls it "laid-back confidence."

Whatever it is, Luck's leadership -- and, of course, his passing arm -- has made the Colts' offense one of the most dangerous in the NFL heading into Monday night's game against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

On paper, Luck is in an elite class. He currently leads the league in passing yards (2,731) and the AFC South-leading Colts (5-3) have averaged an NFL-best 452.2 offensive yards per game.

Luck's statistics this season continue to draw comparisons with those of his predecessor in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning. Luck has passed for more than 300 yards in the last six games, the longest streak in Colts history. Luck and the Broncos' Manning are tied for the league lead in touchdown passes (22).

That number is even more impressive for Luck, given that his eight-game total already is almost a season best for him. He finished with 23 touchdown passes in 16 games in each of his first two seasons.

In Luck's third year in the NFL and second with offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, it's clear the Colts' offense has found its rhythm.

"I think the game has slowed down a lot for Andrew," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "You're going to see a few new things every week, but I don't think there are too many things that catch him off guard anymore."

Luck quickly countered Pagano's comment.

"There are still things that surprise me -- I just try to act like they don't," he joked. "I do think I've definitely improved on understanding protection adjustments and how sophisticated defenses attack."

Luck's attention to studying the ins and outs of opposing defenses is no surprise, given his reputation as a student on and off the field.

The quarterback who loves to read world news and books in his spare time is set on mastering what he calls the "mental gymnastics" of football, a tendency that has been evident since his days at Stanford.

"He's always been naturally extremely talented, had all the physical tools and been a very smart player," former Stanford teammate and current Colts wide receiver Griff Whalen said. "He understands the game really well and is just a step ahead of most of his peers mentally."

But even as Luck continues to analyze opposing defenses and put up impressive numbers, one weakness the Giants' defense will try to exploit is his propensity for turnovers. Luck already has matched his interception total from last season with nine. He threw two of those interceptions in a 51-34 loss to the Steelers last Sunday.

Luck, who threw for 400 yards and three touchdowns in that game, also had what he called a "bonehead play" when, after tripping in the end zone, he tried to throw a pass from the seat of his pants. He was called for intentional grounding and Pittsburgh was awarded a safety.

The Giants' defense, second in the league in interceptions (11), will provide no relief.

"On that back end in New York, those guys are playmakers," Pagano said. "They're ballhawks. We're well aware of that. We work every day on ball security, and we know we can't go into a hostile environment and turn the ball over."

In Luck's three years in Indy, the Colts have lost back-to-back games only one time, in Weeks 1 and 2 of this season. They then won five in a row.

In practice this past week, the Colts have focused on getting back to basics and reducing penalties and turnovers. With history on their side and the excitement of playing on Monday night, they are coming into MetLife Stadium with little worry of a hangover from the Steelers game.

"These guys are bound and determined to make amends for last week," Pagano said. "And [Monday Night Football] is the biggest stage every week. If you can't get excited for Monday Night Football, I don't know what you got running through you, but you better check your pulse and see if you're alive."