Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, and Russell Wilson became the first triad of rookies quarterbacks to all lead their teams to the NFL Playoffs in their first season. Wilson was the only one of the three to win a postseason game this year, but all three rookies had amazing statistics, and helped their teams improve in impressive fashion. In the end, Griffin went away with the award, but it could have easily went to either Wilson or Luck.

Andrew Luck not only took over the worst team in the league from the 2011-12 season, he was also asked to do more than the other two Rookie of the Year contending quarterbacks. Luck’s 18 interceptions were the most out of the three, but part of that was due to how much he had to throw the ball. Luck’s 4,374 passing yards were a rookie record, and his 433 yards in week 9 were also a record. His 23 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns were both rookie records for his team.

Not only did Andrew Luck help lead his team to an 11-5 record, but the nine-game win increase was one of the best single-season turnarounds in NFL history. All of the success came from Luck having to fill the shoes of Peyton Manning, as well as taking this Indianapolis franchise back to prominence. Robert Griffin III may have won the Rookie of the Year title for this season, but Andrew Luck certainly did nothing to lose it.

Luck was the third AFC quarterback to enter the game, behind Matt Schaub from the Houston Texans, and someone named Peyton Manning. Luck didn’t win the game for the AFC, but had a better rating than either of his fellow quarterbacks. Luck ended the game with two touchdowns, and 205 yards, on 12-19 passes.

The fact that Brady decided to ditch the 2013 Pro Bowl may have not seemed like like much in the short term. The fact that Brady’s resignation opened the door for Andrew Luck, could come back to bite Brady in the butt down the road. Just like Brady and Manning have been breaking records set by legends like Dan Marino and Brett Favre, this rookie class of quarterbacks may someday find themselves breaking records set by Manning and Brady.

January 27, 2013; Honolulu, HI, USA; AFC quarterback Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos (18) and AFC quarterback Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts (12) pass the ball during warm ups before the 2013 Pro Bowl against the NFC at Aloha Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Horseshoe Hero: Pro Bowl Addition

After last year’s embarrassing Pro Bowl, commissioner Roger Goodell threatened to rid the league of football’s historic All Star showcase game. But then again, Peyton Manning wasn’t in last year’s Pro Bowl. After missing the entire 2011-2012 season while recovering from a fourth next surgery, Manning returned to the NFL as a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, earning more votes than any other player in the league. But unlike his 11 other Pro Bowl appearances, this time he earned the honor in a different uniform.

We all know the story. The Colts went a shocking 2-14 without Manning under center, and the team released him, drafted Andrew Luck, and cut several other notable Colts legends. The Colts overachieved and made it to the Wild Card round of the playoffs with the rookie Luck, and the Manning-led Broncos made it to the AFC divisional round after going 13-3 and locking up the AFC’s top seed. Both Luck and Manning made the Pro Bowl. Everyone seemingly won.

All week at the Pro Bowl, Manning has been advocating the game’s importance, encouraging his AFC teammates to play hard with hopes that Goodell would be convinced to keep the game in place. Manning believes that his Pro Bowl experiences helped him learn valuable lessons from the legends who played alongside him. He wanted to show how special the game was.

Mission accomplished.

Manning provided the best moments of the Pro Bowl by reuniting with two of his former Colts teammates. He threw 2 passes to Reggie Wayne – still a Colt – and it was a special sight to see the two hook up again on the field for old times sake. Manning and Wayne could probably run routes together in their sleep.

Later in the second quarter, something even more unprecedented occurred. Jeff Saturday, Manning’s longtime center with the Colts who signed with the Green Bay Packers of the NFC last offseason, took the field on the AFC side and lined up in front of Manning. He snapped Manning the ball, the crowd cheered, and my eyes teared up. Saturday, who has played 14 years in the NFL, will retire after the Pro Bowl. It was one of his very last snaps.

Manning did throw an impressive touchdown to AJ Green of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter, but the scoring play paled in comparison to these others.

None of this would have been made possible had it not been for the Pro Bowl. These are the things that need to be kept in mind when evaluating the game’s importance in the future.