Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Andrew Luck era got off to an underwhelming
start on Sunday.
Luck, the top pick in April's draft, had an inconsistent debut for the
Indianapolis Colts while Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears overcame a sluggish
start and cruised to a 41-21 victory at Soldier Field.
Cutler, who missed the final six games in 2011 with a thumb injury, was
intercepted by Jerrell Freeman for a Colts touchdown early in the first
quarter but finished with 333 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-35 passing.
Offseason acquisition Brandon Marshall, Cutler's former go-to receiver in
Denver, dominated to the tune of 119 yards and a score on nine catches.
Matt Forte ran for 80 yards and a touchdown while Michael Bush added a pair
of short scoring plunges for Chicago (1-0), which went 7-3 under Cutler last
season, then lost five of six and missed the playoffs after the signal caller
went down.
The Colts, of course, finished 2-14 in 2011 and landed the No. 1 overall pick
as a result.
They cleaned house in the aftermath, jettisoning revered quarterback Peyton
Manning, who missed the entire season with a neck injury, and bringing in
first-time head coach Chuck Pagano.
Luck, the first rookie quarterback to start for Indianapolis since Manning in
1998, went 23-for-45 with a touchdown, three interceptions and a fumble.
Donald Brown had nine carries for 48 yards and a score and Reggie Wayne had
135 receiving yards for the Colts (0-1).
The Sports Network