–Tight end Eric Ebron, who leads all NFL tight ends with 12 touchdown receptions, admitted he’s exceeded his expectations in his first season with the Colts and being named to the Pro Bowl for the first time.
“I didn’t know it would be this good,” he said, “but I have always believed in it. Our coaches just gave me an opportunity. They gave me a chance. They believed in me, my abilities, my talents and I can’t say enough about them, this team and (quarterback) Andrew (Luck). I wouldn’t be here without Andrew, the constant communication with him and everything – a whole lot to commend about my teammates.”
–Linebacker Darius Leonard was joined as a Pro Bowl alternate by Luck, center Ryan Kelly, defensive tackle Denico Autry and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.
“I am biased, but guys like Darius and Andrew, I think those guys think they are playing as good as anybody at their position,” head coach Frank Reich said. “But we understand how this (Pro Bowl) thing goes and I think the players understand it as well. You just keep going out there and going your thing.”
–Luck was unaware that the Ravens play Saturday night at the L.A. Chargers. He learned a long time ago not to get too caught up in playoff scenarios and what other contenders are doing. “You can’t scoreboard watch,” he said. “It doesn’t do you any good. The only thing you can do is try and take care of your own business. That is the most important thing. I’ve been a part of teams where you sit and – ‘We need this to happen with this.’ It doesn’t work like that. … So this locker room understands that and we are all about the process and getting better.”
–Defensive end coordinator Matt Eberflus didn’t mince words when asked why rookie defensive end Kemoko Turay, who has four sacks in 12 games, didn’t play on Sunday against the Cowboys. “Guys will play in the games based on what they show in practice,” Eberflus said of the second-round pick. “If you hustle in practice and you hit the ball in practice and you rush the way you were supposed to rush, run the games the way we are supposed to run the games, execute and have production in practice, we are obviously going to play those guys in the game. … He is aware of that and he is going to get in there and work his tail off this week to execute in practice and play to our standard.”
–Guard Quenton Nelson, the sixth overall selection in April, is the first Colts rookie offensive lineman to receive a Pro Bowl nod since Chris Hinton in 1983. The only other Colts rookie offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl in his first season was Dick Szymanski in 1955. Nelson credited those around him for the honor. “It doesn’t happen without them and all the guys on the offensive line and Andrew, (line) coach ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo), (assistant line) coach Bobby (Johnson), coach Reich and everyone,” said Nelson, who hasn’t missed a snap this season. “I am really thankful to have them all, be a Colt and be on this team with those players.”
–Luck has taken just 16 sacks, tied with New Orleans for fewest in the league. He praised Nelson for being a key part of keeping him clean. “Quenton has done an awesome job,” Luck said. “He plays with a little bit of nastiness and a little bit of a mean streak. He has done a great job up front – that whole O-line, that whole unit is doing an amazing job. We are certainly all very proud of Eric and Quenton for being recognized. It’s awesome and both are well deserved.”
–He’s always been close to the Manning family, from when his father, Oliver Luck, played with Archie Manning in the NFL to when Andrew Luck participated in Peyton’s offseason passing academy for youngsters, so sharing the field on Sunday with Eli Manning has extra meaning. “I’ve always enjoyed watching him as a kid,” Luck said of Eli, a two-time Super Bowl MVP. “I remember watching him at Ole Miss when I was probably in middle school. Early on in the NFL – ‘Man, I get to play the Giants. Eli Manning is on that team. Or the Patriots with Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers.’ Eli has certainly carried the torch for quarterbacks for many, many years and I very much admire and respect how he handles his business both on and off the field.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 15 – Total tackles needed in the season’s final two regular-season games for Darius Leonard to set a new franchise record. Jeff Herrod set the record of 160 in 1991, according to Stats Pass. Leonard, who leads the league in tackles despite missing one game due to injury, has had double-digit tackles in seven of his 13 starts including in each of the past two weeks. He needs 13 on Sunday to pass Mike Peterson (158, 2000) for second place on the franchise list.
