FOXBORO -- This weekend at Gillette Stadium we will see a Patriots-Colts matchup unlike any other in the last decade at least: Tom Brady versus The Rookie.
It was strange enough seeing Brady v. Not-Manning last year when Indianapolis' quarterback of 13 years was sidelined by injury. This season, the weight of one of the NFL's most storied rivalries falls on the shoulders of a 23-year old.
Or does it?
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"I didnt view it like that," Andrew Luck said of taking the helm in Indy. "Obviously as an athlete, I try and put a fair amount of pressure on myself to go out and succeed, but I realized if I got caught up in trying to fill Peytons shoes and compare myself to him every day Id probably go crazy. I feel its unattainable, so I try not to be like that."
He respects the history as a fan of the game.
"As a young quarterback growing up, I took the opportunity to watch the sort of benchmarks of quarterback play. There were some great playoff games at both stadiums. I think Gillette had grass a while back so it got fairly muddy sometimes late in the year watching them play," Luck laughed. "Those are always fun for a lot of people, including me."
But Luck doesn't view Sunday's matchup as even a new chapter in that well-worn, treasured tale -- he's starting his own series. And that's about respect to the Brady-Manning rivalry as much as anything else.
"I definitely dont deserve to be in that sentence or breath as those two," the rookie said humbly. "If someday I can play at a level that Peyton and Tom play at, then thatd be a quarterbacks dream come true."