Size of the heart (TCY/FOF2004)

EagleFan · 04-09-2004, 01:46 AM

Talented quarterbacks come in all shapes and sizes in the college and high school ranks. Some are built like defensive linemen and others look more like shortstops. What stands out first to pro scouts is size. A quarterback who is not even 6 feet tall is given little shot and gets blanketed with the label of “too short to see over the defense”.

Size is something that is just as inherent as talent. There is nothing that a player can do about being 5’10”, as is the case with Luke Vanderkellen. Luke is a 5’10”, 189 pound senior who is the starting quarterback for Livingston High School in Livingston, New Jersey. Luke has the talent to be one of the most sought after college recruits in the nation but he knows that he has a glass ceiling because of his height. He will have to prove to everyone, himself included, that he can make it big after college.

Our story begins in the fall of 2009 as Luke enters his senior year of high school. He is a bright kid with a 3.56 GPA and scored a solid, but not spectacular, 1179 on his college entrance exam. Through 4 games he is averaging over 400 yards passing per game and has thrown 8 touchdown passes. His quickness has earned him 5 touchdowns by way of the ground as well. He is well on his way to all-state and may make all-American.

Life for Luke is all about football and all about getting to the next level. He has a level of competitiveness that drives him on and off the field to be the best player that he can be. His toughest decisions and challenges lie ahead over the next few years as he tries to work his way onto an NFL team.

Can a quarerback under 6 feet tall make a career out of football? Go ask a certain quarterback from Boston College, who's picture Luke has taped to his mirror as a reminder.

EagleFan · 04-09-2004, 01:48 AM

The first two schools that Luke heard from were Maryland and Georgia. Both have invited him to visit and offered him a scholarship. Georgia has a much better Geology program, his selected area of study and one of the most important things that he is looking for in a college. Georgia’s football program is much more prestigious as well, another factor that he rates highly.

Through most of his senior season, he has still only heard from Maryland and Georgia, a surprise to him and the experts who had him rated as one of the top quarterbacks in the land. Through 7 games, he has thrown for 3039 yards with 12 touchdowns and has run for another 8 touchdowns.

He decided to visit Georgia near the end of his season, during an off week for his team. He likes the campus and everything they showed him about their Geology program. He also got to take in a game as the #2 ranked Bulldogs beat LSU 42-7 to remain unbeaten.

When he arrived home he was contacted by both UCLA and Tulsa. They both invited him to visit and offered him a scholarship. Tulsa has a better Geology program but their football program is not rated very high at all. UCLA is sloe to Georgia in terms of football but their Geology program is significantly worse.

The following week, Oklahoma and Pittsburgh contacted him. He was offered a scholarship by Oklahoma and both invited him to visit. During that week he scheduled time to visit UCLA, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Maryland over the next couple weeks. He was impressed by all of the schools and has started making the decision too difficult for himself by over-thinking the situation.

When he arrived back home from those trips he was offered a scholarship by Pittsburgh and scheduled a visit. He has now declined Georgia as they have received a commitment from the top rated quarterback recruit in the nation, he wants to go where he can have a better than average chance to play and prove his talent on the field.

Next, he heard from Ohio State, the #1 team in the nation. He was invited to visit and offered a scholarship. They have one of the best Geology programs in the nation as well as a highly ranked football team. The combination was too much for him to pass up as he chose to commit to Ohio State.

As the season would finish, Ohio State would end up #2 in the nation with an 11-1 record. Georgia would go unbeaten and end up #1. In 9 games Luke would throw for 3963 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also ran for 622 yards and 9 touchdowns. He would be named to all-state but not make the all-American team. Luike would feel robbed as the all-American quarterback would throw for 800 fewer yards, 3 fewer touchdowns and 7 fewer rushing touchdowns.

EagleFan · 04-10-2004, 12:07 AM

Entering his freshman season Luke has been told that he will be red-shirted. This is no real surprise as returning senior Antonio Hutchins is coming off a 2nd team all-conference season and has started every game for the past two years. This would give him a good opportunity to focus on learning the system and hopefully earn some playing time next season.

Ohio State would enter the season as the preseason number one. With 5 home games to open the season, it looked like they should remain at the top for easily the first month of the season before they get tested.

Their first game of the season would be against Alabama-Birmingham and they would be tested very little. Ohio State would roll to a 38-3 win thanks to an efficient offense and a dominating defensive effort.

Iowa State and #25 UCLA would be their next two victims, both games ended 38-13 with Ohio State winning easily. The wins put them at 3-0 heading into an off week and kept them as the top ranked team in the nation. The defense was again the star of the team in both wins with 2 defensive scores in each.

Illinois would come to town following the off week for their first conference game. The game would be over at the half as they would roll to 4-0 with a 49-20 win. They would retain the momentum hading into the next week’s game against Minnesota with a big 51-10 win as they sweep their 5 home games to open the season and sit at 5-0. They have not looked overwhelming offensively but are winning with their defense. They are 1st in the nation in rushing defense and yards per carry allowed (just over 1 yard per carry). They also lead the nation in 3rd down conversions allowed and in points allowed.

The next week they travel to Michigan State in what would be their toughest test of the season thus far. Though they would never trail, they would also never get farther ahead than 7 points on the way to a 17-14 win in which they would intercept a pass at their own 30 to end Michigan State’s final drive. The win keeps them at number one with a 6-0 record.

Next up they travel to Purdue for an easier 34-14 win to improve to 7-0 heading into a home game against unbeaten Penn State, who is number 2 in the nation. Penn State would score first with a field goal but the Ohio State defense would shut them down for most of the game on the way to a 24-10 win to improve to 8-0 and show that they are for real.

Their next two games would be home against Iowa and at number eighteen Wisconsin. They would shut out both teams, 34-0 and 1-0 respectively. In each game, they would hold their opponents to under 150 yards of total offense as they would improve to 10-0 for the season.

Their final game of the season would be at Michigan. This would prove to be their toughest game of the season as they would get behind 15-7 with under two minutes to play. They would drive 74 yards for a touchdown with just 23 second left and line up for a two point conversion to attempt to tie the game. The coach would call a draw that the back would apparently get in but the refs would call him down at the 1 foot line leading to their first loss of the season 15-13. The loss would drop them to number two, behind unbeaten Georgia.

They would still get to play for the championship against Georgia and their defense would stop the Bulldogs’ running game and allow them just 7 points in a 16-7 win to end the season 11-1 and with the national championship.

For the season Ohio State would end up 1st in the nation allowing just 485 yards rushing, 1st allowing just 1.29 yards per carry, 1st allowing just 119 completions, 3rd allowing just 1580 passing yards, 1st allowing an 18.8 third down conversion percentage and 1st allowing just 9.9 points per game.

Luke would love being on the national championship team, though not playing. This experience would be the best year of his life, so far. Academically he would do okay, but knows that he could do better s he would have a 2.72 GPA for the year.

Grid Iron · 04-10-2004, 11:44 AM

Very nice read with an interesting story. I'm really enjoying it. Good, quick pace without getting bogged down with stats.

Keep it up!

BTW, I assume Ohio State played Georgia in the 2009 Nat'l Championship game. What was the score?

EagleFan · 04-10-2004, 11:49 PM

Heading into his sophomore season Luke would to told that he would be given a chance to earn some playing time. He mad the most of the preseason practice in an attempt to impress the coaches. With no legitimate returning threat, he would look to have a very good chance at being named the starter. The team’s defense would lose quite a few starters and could take quite a bit of a hit this season. Offensively they have returning senior running backs Jay Thornton and Floyd Rickman who both started 6 games last season and ran for 877 and 673 yards respectively.

Luke would not be given the nod as the starter but would be the backup as the season would begin with a home game against Missouri. Ohio State would see just how much they missed their graduating seniors from last season as Missouri would control the game on the way to a 23-14 upset of Ohio State. The loss would knock them from being preseason number 1 as they begin the season 0-1. Luke would see no action in the game.

Following a week off, they would host San Diego State and would get back on track with a 27-3 win in which Thornton would rush for 144 yards. Starting quarterback Billy Granados would have a much better game and not get picked off this week. Luke would see no action as the team improves to 1-1.

The win would move them back into the top 25 at they would be number 20 heading into their next game at UCLA (1-1). They would score early and often on their way to a 38-0 route of UCLA to improve to 2-1. Luke would see a little action going 4 of 5 for 38 yards with 1 interception. He also ran 3 times for -4 yards, including 1 sack.

They would move up the charts all the way to number 5 following the win as they head to Purdue (1-1) to open their conference schedule. Both Thornton and Rickman would rush for over 100 yards on their way to a 38-7 win to improve to 3-1. Luke would not see any playing time in the win.

They would move up to number four heading into their next game, a home game against Indiana (0-4) in which they are favored by 31. They would not cover, but win 48-20 to improve to 4-1. Both Rickman and Thornton would again rush for over 100 yards. Luke would not see any playing time in the win.

They would move up to number two, behind only unbeaten Georgia, as they host Evanston (2-3) for their next game. Evanston would put up little resistance as they would roll 40-6 to improve to 5-1. Thornton would rush for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns in being named the player of the game. Rickman would add 71 yards of his own. Luke would start to get a little frustrated as he would again see no action in the blowout.

A week off would see them drop to number three in the nation heading into a big game at number ten Michigan State (6-0). The game would live up to the hype and be a defensive struggle as Ohio State would take a 19-6 lead with just over 6 minutes to go and would have the ball deep in Michigan State territory with under 3 to go but defensive back Wally Maupin would step in front of a Granados pass and return it 93 yards for what would be the winning score as Michigan State wins 13-10 to ruin Ohio State’s hopes of repeating as National Champions as they fall to 5-2. Granados would be picked 3 times in the game and complete just 10 of 23 passes. Luke would see no playing time in the game.

They are now at number ten as they host number twelve Penn State (5-2). The game would be a shootout with Ohio State winning 33-24 to improve to 6-2. Penn State would get 14 of their points on a kickoff return and an interception return as the Ohio State defense would play them tough in the red zone. Thornton would be the star of the game, with 227 yards on the ground. Luke would see no playing time again.

They would move to number nine heading into next week’s game, hosting number eleven Wisconsin (7-1). They would never trail in the game as they would go on to win 28-21. Thornton would shine with 155 yards in the win. Luke would watch from the sidelines again as the team would improve to 7-2.

They would have another tough game coming up as they travel to number twenty Iowa (9-1). Ohio State would be ranked number six going into the game. After falling behind 10-3 early in the second, they would defensively take over the game on their way to a 27-10 win with 24 unanswered points to improve to 8-2. Luke would get to watch from the sidelines again.

They would be 8-2 and ranked number five in the nation heading into their final game of the season, at Michigan (6-4). Ohio State would take all of their frustrations out on Michigan with a 31-5 win to end the regular season at 9-2. Luke would see no playing time.

Ohio State would be ranked number 4 and would play in the Angelica Bowl against number seven Virginia Tech (10-1). Ohio State would take the lead early and never look back on their way to a 38-7 win to end the season at 10-2. Luke would not play in the game.

Nationally, Georgia would end the season at 13-0 and be the National Champions with a 40-38 overtime win against Miami of Ohio in the Solecismic Bowl.

Ohio State would again do it with defense this season. They would be 2nd in rushing defense allowing just 669 yards, 2nd in yards per attempt allowed at just 1.92 and 2nd in points per game at 11.5. Thornton would end the season with 1445 yards rushing.

Luke would play just 1 game and go 4 of 5 (80.0%) for 38 yards with 1 interception for a 103.8 rating. He ran 3 times for -4 yards, including 1 sack. He would be given 2 stokes for the season. He would improve his grades some as his GPA would be 2.83 by the end of the year. He still lacks any popularity but is trying to keep a positive outlook for next season.

EagleFan · 04-10-2004, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grid Iron

BTW, I assume Ohio State played Georgia in the 2009 Nat'l Championship game. What was the score?

Actually Georgia beat Stanford 55-13 that season.

EagleFan · 04-11-2004, 10:58 PM

Heading into his junior season he is looking at being the number two as Grenados returned for his final season of eligibility. Ohio State would be the preseason number one as they would also have running back Jay Thornton returning for his last season. Thornton is one of the preseason favorites for player of the year.

They open the season at home against Idaho as 17 point favorites. They would dominate on their way to a 48-0 route of Idaho. The defense would allow just 42 yards of total offense and 3 first downs. Luke would see a little action but would not have any stats for the game. Grenados would throw 3 interceptions in the game and the third string quarterback would get more playing time that Luke.

After an off-week, number twenty UCLA (1-0) would come to town. Ohio State would be a one touchdown favorite in the game. The game would be an early season classic that would see the lead change several times and Ohio State would win it with a field goal late in the 4th quarter by a 27-24 score to improve to 2-0. Grenados would again struggle with 3 picks and the defense would be what would win the game for them. Luke would watch from the sidelines and not get any playing time.

Next up they travel to San Diego State (2-0) and are 2 point favorites on the road. Ohio State would never trail but could never get ahead by more than 10 points on heir way to a 31-24 win to improve to 3-0. Thornton would have a breakout game with 219 yards rushing. Luke would see no action.

Time to open up their conference schedule as Purdue (2-1) comes to town. Ohio State is an 18 point favorite in the game. The defense would again impress with their second shutout of the season, 37-0. They would hold Purdue to 86 yards of total offense. They would be solid, but not spectacular offensively. Luke would not get into the game.

Number one ranked Ohio State would then travel to Indiana (1-3) where they were again big favorites. Thornton would run for 153 yards on their way to a 51-20 win to improve to 5-0. Luke would not see any action and Grenados would be solid.

The following week they head to Evanston (2-3). They are 23 point favorites in the game. The game would be a cake walk as they would roll 41-7. Thornton would run for `73 yards and Grenados would throw for a pair of scores in the route. Luke would get his usual seat on the bench to watch the game, at least he doesn’t have to pay for his seat.

After a week off, they have a very big game as number eleven Michigan State (6-0) comes to play them. Ohio State is a three point favorite going into the game. The game would be a defensive struggle throughout but the big play would work against Ohio State as Michigan State would pull out a 17-10 win. The stats would all favor Ohio State but they could do nothing once they reached the red zone, where Michigan State took advantage of their opportunities. Luke would not see any action as the team fell to 6-1 and will drop from number one.

Sitting at 6-1, they are now ranked number three in the nation and will host number five Penn State (6-1). Penn State also is coming off their first loss of the season as both teams are looking to get back on track. The Ohio State defense came up huge and Thornton ran for 148 as Ohio State would destroy Penn State 38-3 to improve to 7-1. Luke would watch from the sidelines again.

They would remain at number three as they travel to play number four Wisconsin (7-0) in another big game. They would be the underdog for the first time all season. The game would be a tight defensive battle that would see Wisconsin take a 14-7 lead early in the fourth and hang on for the 14-7 win as Ohio State would twice see drives stall inside the Wisconsin 40 in the final five minutes of the game. Luke would see no action in the game as the team drops to 7-2 and lose all hope for a national title game appearance.

Iowa (5-4) comes to town the next week as Ohio State looks to unload their frustrations. They do just that with a 38-3 win in heavy rain. Thornton ran for 128 yards and 2 scores while Grenados threw three other touchdowns. Luke saw no action in the game.

The final regular season game is at Michigan (6-4) for their big rivalry game. They are one touchdown favorites entering the game but that means nothing in these games. Ohio State ends their regular season on a very positive note with a 40-0 route of their rivals, Michigan. Luke got into the game and was 3 of 3 for 29 yards. He also ran two times for -1 yards, including a sack.

Ohio State earned a birth in the Edible Fruit Bowl against Texas (10-2). Thornton would run for 159 yards in the game as they would beat Texas 38-20 to end the season at 10-2. Grenados would have an okay game in his last game for Ohio State. Luke would not see any playing time.

Nationally, Wisconsin would beat Michigan State 34-14 to win the national championship as their conference would boast four top ten teams, with Ohio State and Penn State finishing top ten as well.

Luke’s stats: 2 games, 3 of 3 (100.0%) for 29 yards for a 191.1 rating, 2 carried for -1 yard, including 1 sack. He earned 1 stoke this season. Academically he had his best year yet as his GPA has jumped to 3.02.

Luke’s career: 3 games, 7 of 8 (87.5%) for 67 yards with 1 interception for a 132.8 rating, 5 carries for-5 yards (including 2 sacks for 13 yards), 1 tackle and 3 stokes earned.

EagleFan · 04-24-2004, 07:52 PM

Heading into his senior season he was mentally preparing himself to take over as the starter but had a setback when the coaches thought that senior Gerald Tatum had shown better decision making in practice and they turned the starting spot over to Tatum. This made Luke rather upset as he knows that he has more talent than Tatum and has considered quitting the team. The only thing that keeps him on the team is the hope that he will be the opening game starter next season, in his last season of eligibility.

Ohio State was ranked number four in the nation heading into the season. Their opening game would be at home against Eastern Michigan. Ohio State would jump to a 41-0 lead after three quarters behind a strong running game and coast to a 41-3 win to open the season at 1-0. Luke would see action late in the game and would go 2 for 2 for 39 yards.

The win would catapult them to the top spot in the polls as they travel to play at UCLA (1-0). They enter the game as a field goal favorite. The defense would rise to the occasion as they would shut out UCLA by a 31-0 score to improve to 2-0. Luke would not get into the game.

Next, number eighteen Army (1-0) comes to play them. Ohio State would be a 6 point favorite in the game. They would allow more points in a game than they have so far, but only 13 as they would go on to win 27-13 behind a strong running attack. Luke would not get into the game.

Minnesota (0-3) would come to town next as they open their conference schedule as 30 point favorites. The game would be the most one sided game that Luke has seen while at Ohio State as they would win 76-0. Luke would see some action and be 2 of 3 for 21 yards and he would have 2 carries for -6 yards (including a sack). They are now 4-0 and have allowed an average of 4 points per game.

The next game is a big game as they travel to number fifteen Illinois (4-0). Their running attack would carry them to a 45-24 win as they would run for 408 yards in the game. Two backs would rush for over 100 yards, with Rickman getting over 200. Luke would not see any action in the game.

The next game is against another tough conference opponent as number two Wisconsin (4-0) come to town to play them. Ohio State would score first on a field goal midway through the first to make it 3-0. Wisconsin would score a touchdown on the last play of the first quarter to make it 7-3. Ohio State would narrow the gap with a field goal midway through the second but Wisconsin would return the kickoff for a touchdown to make it 14-6. Ohio State would score a touchdown on their next possession to make it 14-13 at the half. Wisconsin would add two field goals to make it 20-13 in the fourth.Ohio State’s final three drives would start at their own 19, 1 and 6 and they could not generate any offense as they would lose 20-13 to drop to 5-1 and get knocked out of the top spot. Luke would not play in the game.

The loss dropped then to number two as they travel to Evanston (2-3) in a game they are favored by 17. Their defense would smother Evanston in a 41-3 win in which they allowed just 86 yards of total offense. Luke would get in the game but his only stats would be 1 carry for -7 yards as he was sacked.

After a week off they regain the number one spot in the nation as Wisconsin would lose to Michigan. They will host Indiana (1-7) and be 26 point favorites in the game. They would jump on Indiana early and not look back on the way to a 51-7 win to improve to 7-1. Luke would see some action and be 3 of 4 for 45 yards.

Next they travel to number twenty four Penn State (5-3). They enter the game as a 4 point favorite. The game would never be close as they coast to a 38-10 win thanks to big plays that ld to Tatum throwing for over 400 yards, though only completing 21 passes and being picked a couple times. Luke would not see any action.

With just two games left in the regular season they travel to Michigan State (5-4). They are 9 point favorites in the game. They would take a 9-3 lead into the 4th quarter in a game they were dominating defensively but Michigan State would find the momentum and the big play in the 4th as they would score 21 unanswered points to upset Ohio State 24-9. The loss drops them to 8-2 and pretty much out of the title hunt.

They drop to number four following the loss as they prepare to host number fifteen Michigan (9-1). Tatum would be picked off three times on the way to a 27-0 loss to drop them to 8-3 as they have now been outscored 48-0 in their last five quarters of football. Luke would see some action but be 0 of 1 with 1 interception.

Ohio State will be playing Texas (7-5) in the Edible Fruit Bowl. Ohio State would win 37-24 in a game that wasn’t even that close as 14 of Texas’ points came off a punt return and a fumble recovery. Luke would not see any action in the game. Ohio State would end the season at 9-3.

Nationally Wisconsin would win their second consecutive National Championship as they would beat Miami of Ohio 24-14 in the championship game.

Luke’s stats: 5 games, 7 of 10 (70.0%) for 105 yards with 1 interception for a 138.2 rating, 3 carries for -13 yards (including 2 sacks for 13yards), 1 tackle, 1 fumble and 2 stokes. He struggles a little with his grades as his GPA has dipped o 2.91.

Luke’s career: 8 games, 14 of 18 (77.8%) for 172 yards with 2 interceptions for a 135.7 rating, 8 carries for -18 yards (including 4 sacks for 26 yards), 2 tackles, 1 fumble and 5 stokes.

EagleFan · 04-25-2004, 01:06 AM

Luke enters his final season of eligibility and will be the starting quarterback, finally something that he has been working hard for and dreaming of his whole life. He has entered the season in the best shape of his life and is guilt like a spark plug as his 5’10” frame now supports 217 pounds.

They begin the season at home against Eastern Michigan as 13 point favorites. They out gain Eastern Michigan 512-75 on their way to a 51-3 win for Luke’s first start of his career. Luke was 14 of 20 for 237 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran 2 times for -13 yards, both sacks. He picked up 3 stokes for the game. He is riding an emotional high with his first win and first touchdown passes of his career.

The win bumped them up to number one in the country as they host UCLA (0-1 for their next game. UCLA jumped out to a 7-0 lead on their first drive but it was all Ohio State afterwards as they went on to win 37-7. Luke was named the player of the game for his efforts. He was 17 of 26 for 285 yards with 4 touchdowns. He had 6 carries for -6 yards, including 3 sacks. He earned 5 stokes for the game.

They have another home game as Alabama-Birmingham (1-1) come to town next. They are 8 point favorites in this one. UAB wishes it was that close as it’s all Ohio State, 65-0. Ohio State out gained them 412-24 and allowed just 1 first down. Luke played in just one half and was a perfect 10 of 10 for 158 yards with 2 touchdowns. He carried 2 times for 7 yards and also earned 4 stokes. The win puts them at 3-0 and looking dominating as they prepare for their conference schedule. After three games, Luke is the highest rated quarterback in the nation at 228.2.

Their first conference game is on the road, at Illinois (2-1). They are one touchdown favorites as they head into the game. They would fall behind 17-3 after the 3rd quarter but Luke would leaf them to two touchdowns, the last one with just over a minute left. The kicker would miss the last extra point and it would cost them the game 17-16 as they fall to 3-1. Luke would be 12 of 19 for 222 yards with 2 touchdowns. He carried 10 times for -40 yards, including 7 sacks. He earned 4 stokes in the loss.

The loss dropped them to number two as they head to Minnesota (2-1). They would be 6 point favorites heading into the game. After falling behind 10-0 after the 1st quarter, Luke would lead them back with a couple of touchdown passes as they would win 21-13. Luke would be 14 of 22 for 203 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 4 times for -6 yards, including 1 sack. He earned 3 stokes in the win.

Number twenty two Michigan State (4-1) comes to town to play them next in a what promises to be a tough game. Michigan State would open the game with a kickoff return for a score to take a 7-0 lead. Ohio State would come back and go up 28-13 early in the 4th but the Ohio State defense would collapse and allow Michigan State to score 16 4th quarter points to take a 29-28 lead with 24 seconds left. Luke would lead the team into Michigan territory but would run out of time before getting close enough for a field goal as they drop to 4-2 with a 29-28 loss, their second one point loss of the season. Luke would go 12 of 19 for 191 yards with 1 interception. He ran 3 times for 7 yards, including 1 sack. He also had 1 tackle and earned 1 stoke in the loss.

The loss dropped them to number ten as Purdue (3-2) comes to visit. They are 6 point favorites in the game. Purdue would go ahead 10-0 midway through the 3rd quarter when Luke would turn the game around with a couple of touchdowns on the way to a 28-13 win. Luke would be 15 of 23 for 208 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 6 times for 4 yards, including 1 sack. He also earned 1 stoke in the win as they improve to 5-2.

After a week off, they move up to number eight and will be hosting number twenty one Penn State (5-3). They are 8 point favorites in the game. The running game would carry them to a 31-10 win. Luke would go 7 of 12 for 103 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The win makes them 6-2. After 8 games, Luke is 3rd in the nation with a 186.7 quarterback rating.

The win moves them up to number five in the nation as they travel to play at Iowa (7-2). They are 5 point favorites on the road. It would be all Ohio State defense as they go on to win 44-14. The defense would score 3 touchdowns for them. Luke would be 18 of 29 for 243 yards with 1 interception. He had 2 carries for -14 yards, both sacks. He earned 1 stoke in the win as they improve to 7-2.

They improve to number four in the nation as they prepare to host number one Wisconsin (8-1). Their season rests on this game as they attempt to keep Wisconsin from having a chance at their third straight national championship. Early in the 2nd, Wisconsin scores first with a field goal to make it 3-0. A 1 yard touchdown run on the following drive for Ohio State gives them a 7-3 halftime lead. A 41 yard touchdown pass from Luke makes it 14-3 in the 3rd. With under 6 minutes to go Wisconsin scores on a 6 yard touchdown pass and makes the two point conversion to make it 14-11. With just 4 second left, the Wisconsin kicker hit’s a 54 yard field goal to tie it and send it to overtime. After Wisconsin hit a field goal on their possession to make it 17-14, Luke rolled out on a play action pass on 3rd and goal and found his fullback in the end zone for the game winner as they win 20-17 and improve to 8-2. Luke was 9 of 18 for 170 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for -11 yards, both sacks. He also had 1 tackle and earned 3 stokes.

The win moved them up to number three in the nation as they travel to number eleven Michigan (9-1) for their last game of the season. The game would be an instant classic as Ohio State would tie the game at 20 on a defensive touchdown midway through the 4th and it would go to overtime tied at 20. Ohio State would score on a run in the first overtime but Michigan would tie. After holding Michigan to a missed field goal in the second overtime, Ohio State would fail to score as well to send it to a third overtime. Luke would throw a touchdown pass to start the third overtime and they would miss the two point conversion as the runner would be brought down at the one to make the score 33-27. A 21 yard touchdown run on Michigan’s second play of the third overtime would tie it. A great play to deflect the pass on the two point conversion would keep the game tied at 33. A 39 yard field goal by Michigan in the 4th overtime would give them a 36-33 lead. A 3 yard touchdown run on 2nd and goal would win the game for Ohio State, 39-36. Luke would complete 11 of 21 for 177 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 6 times for -13 yards, including 4 sacks. He also had 2 tackles and earned 2 stokes.

They would make the Sinclair Lewis Bowl against North Carolina (8-3). Luke would throw a pair of touchdowns on the way to a 28-11 win to end the season at 10-2. Luke was 13 of 21 for 207 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also had 4 carries for -14 yards, with 3 sacks. He recovered 1 fumble and earned 2 stokes.

Nationally North Texas beat Stanford 17-14 in the Solecismic Bowl to win the National Championship as Wisconsin’s string of titles is officially over.

Luke’s stats: 12 games, 12 starts, 152 of 240 (63.3%) for 2404 yards with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 170.7 rating (8th in the nation), 47 carries for -99 yards (including 26 sacks for 168 yards), 4 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 4 late game heroics and 30 stokes. He also earned 2nd team all-conference. His GPA dropped to 2.88.

Luke’s career: 20 games, 12 starts, 166 of 258 (64.3%) for 2576 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a 168.2 rating, 55 carries for -117 yards (including 30 sacks for 194 yards), 6 tackles, 1 fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 4 late game heroics and 35 stokes.

Grid Iron · 04-25-2004, 01:58 AM

Glad to see this dynasty back.

Looking forward to the NFL draft. . .

Is he willing to play for San Diego?

EagleFan · 04-25-2004, 02:25 PM

Heading into the pro draft, a lot has been made of Luke’s accuracy and the ‘draft experts’ have listed him as the top quarterback in the draft. This has been a lot of sudden attention for him and he has been a little swept up in all of the publicity that he has received. He has signed an agent and decided to attend the NFL draft, with there being a very good chance of him going high in the first round.

His nerves began to get the best of him the night before the draft as his dreams of being picked for an NFL team were about to come true. He spend an entire sleepless night, made even worse by the countless hours of predraft speculation. He was being slotted somewhere between 15 and 25 with a lot depending on moves being made by the teams themselves.

The draft started with few surprises, Cleveland and Chicago picking defensive players. As the tenth pick was taken he began to get even more nervous as it was getting closer to his 'slotted' range. He was hearing murmers through the crowd about a team looknig to move up int eh draft and possibly take him. This is truly the most exciting day of his life, to date.

Finally as the 17th selection cam and the Houston GM stood on the podium and read his name he felt a joy like he never had before. His moment in the sun was here and he stood up and proudly made his way to the stage. Unfortunately he was so caught up in the moment, he didn’t notice that purse sticking out from under the chair near the aisle and he took a header on national television. Al that was hurt was his pride as he jumped to his feet like nothing had happened and finished his stroll to the podium amid a slight wave of laughter.

After the draft, he was rushed into the media circus that stood before him. Countless interviews and press shots left his head spinning by the time the dust had settled and he could really begin to appreciate how his life may have just changed.

Now it's time to focus on getting ready for the season and allowing his agent to handle the minor details of getting him signed.

EagleFan · 04-25-2004, 09:09 PM

Houston could be a perfect fit for him as the team’s current starter, Ellsworth Toohey, is a 14 year vet who is in the final year(s) of his career. Luke quickly packed up and moved to Houston once his agent negotiated a good deal for him, a 4 year / 15.79 million dollar deal that includes a 7.4 million dollar signing bonus.

Luke saw plenty of action in the team’s first preseason game, a 42-14 loss to St. Louis. He was only 8 of 24 for 94 yards with 2 interceptions. He was also sacked 6 times and fumbled 2 times, recovering 1, in what was a rather tough start to his pro career. Ellsworth pulled him aside and let him know about some of his early growing pains, tying to keep him from getting down on himself.

The next preseason game was his first home game, against Minnesota. With his team down 21-16 he drove his team 80 yards in the final two minutes for the winning score and completed a 2 point conversion for the 24-21 win. He was named player of the game for his efforts and was 20 of 37 for 241 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran 2 times for 7 yards and was also sacked 3 times.

Their next game was a 24-16 loss at home to San Francisco. Luke would see a little action but would get a little banged up and came out of the game. He was just 2 of 6 for 34 yards in the loss.

The diagnosis would be a strained calf muscle and he will miss the last preseason game, a 24-19 win at Chicago. The injury might keep him out of the lineup for the opener but he will be the backup if he is healthy. It looks like he has a great chance of being the heir apparent for the Texans.

Luke would be the second string quarterback heading into the season and will be the holder.

The team would start out 4-1 and be looking strong when they would go into the tank for the season. with the team at 5-3 and getting blown out by Miami, Luke would see his first regular season action as he would go 2 of 4 for 26 yards.

The very next week he would see second half action as his team was getting blown out at Jacksonville. He would go 5 of 11 for 66 yards with 1 interception.

Week 15 he would get in for one play and get sacked that play. He would also see a little time in the last game of the season and go 2 of 4 for 10 yards.

The season was a disappointment as the team went 6-10 and finished well out of the playoffs. This would be after starting the season 5-2 and losing 8 of their last 9 games.

Luke’s stats: 16 games, 0 starts, 9 of 19 (47.3%) for 102 yards with 1 interception for a rating of 41.9.

EagleFan · 04-26-2004, 09:27 PM

Ellsworth Toohey would be a free agent but would get resigned by the Texans which would relegate Luke to second string again, it would appear. Ellsworth has been a great teacher for Luke and the team seems to want another season for Luke to mature before throwing him into the fire.

The first preseason game would be a thriller that would go late into overtime before the Texans would fall at home to Seattle, 34-31. Luke would see some action and would be 6 of 10 for 69 yards with 1 interception. He would have 1 carry for 4 yards as well. Other than the interception, he would also be sacked 2 times as it would not be a stellar performance by the second year player.

Luke would see plenty of action in the second preseason game, though their defense would crumble like a house of cards in a 45-13 loss at Detroit. Luke would have a solid performances, going 16 of 23 for 211 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would also have 1 carry for 8 yards. His best play of the game would be an 86 yard touchdown pass to speedster Anthony Cortez. He would get sacked 1 time and fumble the ball on that play.

Luke would get the start the next game as Toohey would be nursing an injury that he suffered last week and the team did not want to take any chances. IT would be a tough 13-6 loss in overtime to St. Louis at home in a game where an early missed extra point would ultimately lead to the Texans downfall. Luke would have a solid game with a few setbacks as he would be 14 of 21 for 158 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, as well as 2 sacks.

Luke would have the worse game of his short pro career in their final preseason game, a 30-7 loss at Minnesota. He would be only 4 of 18 for 70 yards with 1 interception and 1 sack. He ran 1 time for 2 yards as well. He would be under pressure the entire time he was ni there as he was hurried 7 times and could not get comfortable in the pocket.

Houston’s season would take a turn for the worse in their opening game of the season. Early in the second quarter, Toohey would go down with a hyper-extended knee and Luke would enter the game. He would start out okay with an early touchdown pass after entering the game but his season would be in question when he would get sacked early in the 4th quarter and would be left on the field writhing in pain. He would come out of the game and later be diagnosed with a broken clavicle. His might miss 2 months of the season with the injury. Houston would go on to win 26-20 in overtime to open the season at 1-0 but it would be a costly win as they lost their top two quarterbacks in the opening game of the season. Luke would be 6 of 11 for 61 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran 1 time for 4 yards.

With the team at 3-1, Luke would be cleared by the doctor to return to the playing field. He would be given the start as Toohey is still not 100 percent as they travel to Oakland. He would look very solid through the early part of the game but be very slow getting up following the final of his 3 sacks and get taken out of the game late in the 3rd. Oakland would win the game 26-21 to drop Houston to 3-2. Luke would have a solid game going 15 of 23 for 163 yards with 1 touchdown.

Toohey would return the following week in a 31-21 loss to Kansas City that would drop them to 3-3. The team is now beginning to question their own ability again as it is looking like last year’s collapse is starting early.

Toohey would settle the team down and lead them to three straight wins to get them to 6-3. He would be helped by the running of 4th year back Scott Duncan who would rush for over 500 yards in those three games, including a 206 yard performance. Luke would not see any action in those games but is enjoying being on a winning team.

The following week could be a defining moment for them as they would be the underdogs against Jacksonville who enters the game at 7-2. They would crush the Jaguars 31-7. Luke would be a holder again and would actually get credited for a 4 yard carry when a bad snap on a field goal attempt would force him to pick it up and run with it.

After their run would get them to 10-3, Jacksonville would have their revenge in a 30-6 win. The game could be costly as Toohey sprained his ankle late. Luke saw some action late but was 0 of 4. Toohey is questionable for the next few weeks and Luke might get some very tense playing time coming up with a playoff spot in the balance over the final two weeks of the season.

Toohey would start the next week at Minnesota (11-3) but would leave the game midway through the 3rd with the team trailing. Toohey would later be diagnosed as needing surgery to repair his ACL and will miss the rest of the season, and maybe most of next if he returns. Luke would be unable to being them all the way back in a 38-27 loss that dropped them to 10-5 in a game that a win would have guaranteed them a playoff spot. Luke was 8 of 16 for 70 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

Luke would get the start in the final game, at Tennessee and the team would look awful, as would he. They would get spanked 31-3 by a team that has lost 10 games. Luke would be 17 of 38 for 187 yards with 2 interceptions. He also carried the ball 2 times for 5 yards. To go along with his 2 picks were 2 sacks and a fumble. They would back into a wild card spot as the end the season with 3 straight losses.

Luke would get his first career playoff start at the Jets (10-6). Luke would lead the team on a drive for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead as the first quarter ended. After allowing a touchdown early in the second, a fumble would give the Jets great field position that would lead to another score to make it 14-3. Luke would hit receiver Anthony Cortez for a 13 yard score with under 2 minutes left in the half to make it 14-10 at the half. An interception would give the Jets good field position early in the 3rd and it would lead to another touchdown to make it 21-10. After Luke would lead the team on a touchdown drive to make it 21-17, the Jets would answer with a field goal to make it 24-17 through three quarters of play. The Jets would score with under 6 to go in the game to make it 31-17. Luke would lead the team on a drive for his third touchdown pass of the game with under 2 minutes to go to make it 31-24 but they would not recover the onside kick and the Jets would run out the clock for the 31-24 win. Luke would have a good game in his first ever playoff game as he would go 33 of 43 for 343 yards with 3 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran 3 times for 3 yards and fumbled the ball 1 time.

The Jets would go on to blank San Francisco in the Super Bowl, 21-0, to win the title.

Luke’s regular season stats: 6 games, 2 starts, 46 of 92 (50.0%) for 481 yards with 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions for a rating of 58.2, sacked 5 times, 4 carries for 13 yards, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

Luke’s career stats: 22 games, 2 starts, 55 of 111 (40.5%) for 583 yards with 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions for a rating of 55.4, sacked 6 times, 4 carries for 13 yards, 1 fumble. 0-2 regular season record.

Luke’s playoff stats: 1 game, 1 start, 33 of 43 for 343 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 3 carries for 3 yards, 1 fumble. 0-1 record.

Alf · 04-27-2004, 04:18 AM

Nice playoff stat game for Luke. Finally, he might be a full time starter next season with Toohey injury at his age.

EagleFan · 04-27-2004, 06:42 AM

Heading into his third season as a pro, he received a call from Ellsworth the morning that the team was to report to their first mini camp. He told Luke that he was going to announce his retirement today and wished Luke a long and successful career with the Texans. Ellsworth will be retiring as the all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, these would be mighty big shoes Luke would have to fill.

Luke’s life may be changing with one phone call as he is now a starting quarterback in the NFL. It took a little while to sink in but when he got a call from his coach telling him the news and that he would go into the preseason as the number one quarterback and it would be his job to lose.

Their first preseason game would be a home game against Dallas. Luke would be entering new territory now, for the first time in his career he would be the number one going into camp, and not the guy looking to unseat the starter. Of course, he would now be the target that the backups would be aiming for. He would show some nerves early in the game and have just an okay outing in a 27-17 loss. He would be 12 of 23 for 171 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would also carry the ball 3 times for 17 yards. Unfortunately he would be sacked 3 times and fumble the ball 1 time. He definitely left room for the backups to outshine him, but his backup was just 3 of 9.

The next week they would travel to New Orleans and lose a shootout, 31-27. He would see jkust a little time early in the game and would do okay, going 8 of 13 for 111 yards. His backup would not look very good, getting picked a couple times and one being returned for a touchdown.

Their third preseason game would be at the New York Giants. They would win a tight one 23-20 for their first preseason win of the season. Luke would look okay at times as he was 13 of 25 for 201 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He ran 3 times for 9 yards. He was also sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle. His backup would lead them to a late victory and look decent against the Giants’ backups.

They return home for their final preseason game of the season as they host Carolina. Luke would go 5 of 11 for 57 yards. He ran 1 time for 3 yards. He was sacked 1 time. When he was sacked, he broke a finger on his non throwing hand and left the game. He was later listed as questionable for the team’s season opener. They would go on to beat Carolina 20-16 to end the preseason at 2-2.

Luke would start the season opener, a game at Jacksonville. He would have a very tough game as he would end up getting picked 5 times in a close 27-24 loss. Fans would begin to question him as their starter already. He was 19 of 32 for 221 yards with 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 9 yards. He was sacked 2 times to go along with his 5 picks. A conflict within the team would look evident as guard Trent Delrio would come out and question Luke’s heart following the game. Delrio is the leader of the offensive line, not good for a quarterback to have a problem with him.

Week 2 they travel to Seattle (0-1). The game would be an offensive shootout as Luke would lead the team on a drive to tie the game at 31 with just over 2 minutes left but Seattle would drive for a game winning field goal on the final play of the game as a 34-31 loss would drop the Texans to 0-2. Luke would have a very good game as he would go 21 of 30 for 311 yards with 1 touchdown. He would be sacked just 1 time in the game. Running back Kelly Gomez would be the shining star with 191 yards rushing as the two teams would combine for over 900 yards of offense, over 500 by Houston.

Week 3 they come home for their first home game of the season as they host Oakland (1-1). Houston would be up 16-13 until Oakland would tie the game with under a minute to go. On their first play, Luke would get picked and that would lead to Oakland’s game winning field goal as the Texans lose 19-16 to drop to 0-3 with all three losses by just a field goal. Luke would be 21 of 32 for 209 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He would be sacked just 1 time in the game.

With the team at 0-3 and in need of a win, they go back on the road to play at Pittsburgh (0-3) as one of those teams will get their first win of the season. Midway through the first, Luke would get picked and it would be returned for a touchdown but he would not let that get to him as he led the team on a touchdown drive the very next possession and on to a 30-23 win to improve to 1-3. He would be 24 of 39 for 297 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 3 times for -1 yard. HE would also be sacked 1 time and have 1 tackle. He would be named player of the game.

After a bye week, they return home to host Cleveland (2-3). Midway through the game, Luke would be slow getting up in what would later be diagnosed as a strained calf muscle. He would attempt to stay in but be ineffective and eventually come out. He might be out for up to a month. He was just 11 of 24 for 149 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for 9 yards and was also sacked 1 time. They would go on to lose the game 23-20 in their 4th 3 point loss of the season as they are now 1-4.

They would split the next two games as Luke would be out . He would return with them in last place in their division at 2-5. His replacement would feed off a winless Tennessee team but struggle in a loss to a 3-4 Cincinnati team.

Luke would return the next week as they travel to Baltimore (4-4). They would fall behind 20-10 with under a minute left in the 3rd quarter but Luke would lead the team to score 17 unanswered points for a 27-20 win. He would be 18 of 28 for 299 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He would run 3 times for 5 yards. He would have some trouble as he would be sacked 4 times and fumble the ball 2 times. He would also get credit for 1 tackle. The win would improve their mark to 3-5 and keep their slim hopes of a post season birth alive.

They would travel to Indianapolis (4-4) for their next game. Luke would start the game out very well but would re-aggravate his injury and may miss a month now. He was 5 of 7 for 81 yards and 1 touchdown. They would ride a quick start to a 28-17 win to improve to 4-5.

His backup, Oliver, would lead the team to a win in their next game against Jacksonville to improve the team’s record to 5-5.

Their next game would be hosting San Francisco (6-4) and Luke would make a return to the field. Luke would score on a quarterback sneak in the second quarter to tie the game at 14 for his first rushing touchdown of his career. They would end up trailing 21-17 at the half but Luke would lead the team to the only scoring drive of the second half in the early part of the 4th quarter for a 24-21 win to improve to 6-5 as they have won 4 straight. Luke would be named the player of the game with his effort, though there were other more deserving players. He would be 23 of 35 for 272 yards with 2 interceptions. He ran 4 times for 9 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked just 1 time in the win.

With the team at 6-5 and fighting for a wild card spot, they travel to Buffalo (5-6), who is also fighting for that wild card spot. They would take a 17-10 lead into the 4th quarter but would allow 2 touchdowns on their way to a 24-20 loss that would drop them to 6-6. Luke would have a solid game, but not spectacular by any means, going 14 of 24 for 125 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 7 yards. He would be sacked 1 time in the loss.

With 4 games left, they travel home to host St. Louis (5-7). The game would be an offensive battle that Luke would lead his team for the final score of the game in a 35-28 win that he would be named player of the game. He would have a very good game, going 24 of 28 for 272 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 3 times for 6 yards and would be sacked just 1 time in the game. The win puts them at 7-6 with 3 games left to play and they are the leading team for the second wild card spot.

They travel to Tennessee (5-8) for their next game. After falling behind 10-3 early in the second, it would be all Houston on their way to a 29-17 win to improve to 8-6. Luke would be 18 of 28 for 174 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He would run 1 time for 3 yards and be sacked just 1 time in the win. With 2 games left they are 8-6 and hold the second wild card spot all by themselves. They have now won 6 of their last 7.

With just 2 games left, the travel to Arizona (8-6). Luke would get off to a fast start and then cool down but would be named player of the game in their 24-6 win. He would be 17 of 36 for 189 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He would be sacked 2 times in the win. They are now 9-6 with just one game left and can clinch a playoff spot with a win or tie in their last game.

The final game of the season is a home game against Indianapolis (8-7). Luke would struggle in the game and find the team down 24-4 after the 3rd quarter. He would lead the team to a late touchdown but they would fall 24-21 and Kansas City would win to clinch the final playoff spot, sending the Texans home for the season. Luke would be just 18 of 41 for 285 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interception. He would run 1 time for 3 yards. He would also be sacked 5 times, fumble the ball 1 time and would pick up 1 tackle. They would finish the season at 9-7.

Tampa Bay would go on to beat the Jets in the Super Bowl.

Luke’s stats: 13 games, 13 starts, 233 of 384 (60.6%) for 2884 yards with 19 touchdowns and 21 interceptions for a 77.6 rating, sacked 21 times, 20 carries for 50 yards and 1 touchdown, 3 tackles, 3 fumbles. 7-6 record.

Luke’s career: 35 games, 15 starts, 288 of 495 (58.1%) for 3467 yards with 22 touchdowns and 26 interceptions for a 72.6 rating, 27 sacks, 24 carries for 63 yards and 1 touchdown, 3 tackles and 4 fumbles. 7-9 record with 2 4th quarter heroics (0-1 playoffs)

EagleFan · 04-30-2004, 10:42 PM

Luke would enter his 4th season with a lot of expectations placed on him as the team’s starter. He would begin preseason with a somewhat shaky performance, completing 19 of 29 for 200 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also carried 1 time for 3 yards in a 26-14 loss to Washington.

Houston’s second preseason game would be a big time win, 47-17 over New Orleans. Luke would fare much better, going 16 of 19 for 168 yards and 1 touchdown. Houston would dominate the game with a very solid running attack, though it is too soon to judge how much of it was the fact that the backups on New Orleans suck.

Luke would be injured during practice the following week and would not play in the team’s 20-17 loss in overtime to Dallas the next week. His backup, Irv Buckner, would look solid but not flashy.

Luke would see very little action in the final game of the preseason, a 34-17 loss to Atlanta. He would be 3 of 4 for 44 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran 1 time for 3 yards.

After falling behind 14-3 early in the second quarter in the season opener at home against Tennessee, Houston would turn it up a notch by scoring 27 straight points to take a 30-14 lead on their way to a 30-28 final (as they would stop a 2 point conversion attempt with 22 second left to hold on) to start the season 1-0. Luke would supply the offense by going 23 of 34 for 307 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. His efforts would earn him player of the game honors.

The second week of the season, they travel to Washington (0-1). The defenses would play a bend but not break kind of game as Luke would lead the team to a 4th quarter touchdown to tie the game and send it to overtime. Unfortunately Washington would score in overtime to hand Houston a 16-10 loss and drop them to 1-1. Luke would put up fine numbers, going 24 of 39 for 339 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 7 yards and was sacked 3 times. He would fumble the ball 1 time, on one of the sacks.

They would return home the next week to host Kansas City (1-1). The Houston defense would step up and allow just 180 total yards in a 28-9 win to improve to 2-1. Luke would be solid, but not great, as he was 18 of 24 for 191 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for -1 yard. He would still walk away with player of the game honors.

A tough game at Indianapolis (2-1) would follow, this could set the tone for the team this season. Unfortunately the tone it set was a 22-13 loss in which Luke struggled. He was 14 of 30 for 243 yards with 1 interception. He would be sacked 3 times in the game as the defense pressured him all game long.

The New York Jets (3-1) come to town next. Houston would come away with a hard fought 17-10 win to improve to 3-2. Luke would be okay in the game, but far from great, as he was 19 of 29 for 153 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 2 times.

The team travels to Buffalo (3-2) for their next game, glad to have the game early enough in the season as it’s only 42 there now, as opposed to 12 and snowing. The teams would combine for over 800 yards of offense as the Bills would tin 36-27 to drop Houston to 3-3. Luke was 23 of 36 for 318 yardw with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 3 times for 10 yards, was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

They travel to New England (2-3) next. Luke would earn another player of the game recognition as he would lead them to a 34-24 win to improve to 4-3. He was 20 of 29 for 225 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 3 times.

They end the first half of their season traveling to Tennessee (4-3) in a rematch of the season opener. Houston would play a solid team game in a 37-14 win to improve to 5-3. Luke would be player of the game, but not put up big numbers. He was 16 of 24 for 173 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 1 time.

At the midway point of the season, Luke is among the NFL leaders with a rating of 92.5, a completion percentage of 64.0%, 1940 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. He has been having the best season of his short NFL career and looks promising.

After a bye week, they return home to host Miami (5-3). The game would be all about the ground game as Houston would build a 24-0 lead and held off the Dolphins for a 24-19 win. Luke was 13 of 24 for 169 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 3 times, fumbled the ball 1 time and made 1 tackle.

After improving their record to 6-3, they get to travel to Jacksonville (2-7) for what has the look of a let down game. It turned out to be just that as they would fall 28-23 to drop to 6-4. In the loss, Luke was 15 of 27 for 225 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Next up, they return home to host the New York Giants (1-9). The Giants defense would step up to the plate for this game and stifle the Houston offense on their way to handing them a 23-7 loss. Luke was 13 of 26 for 132 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would be sacked 7 times and fumble the ball 2 times.

As a reward for a 2 game losing streak, they get to travel to AFC North leading Baltimore (6-5). A near 200 yard rushing performance would give them a 28-13 win to get them back on track. Luke was 19 of 25 for 244 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time in the game.

They get to travel to yet another division leader, Philadelphia (10-2 and leading the NFC East) next. After getting off to a quick 10-0 lead, they would see the Eagles score 24 of the next 30 points on their way to a 24-16 loss to drop to 7-6. Luke was 20 of 35 for 353 yards with 1 touchdown but also 3 interceptions. He ran 2 times for 6 yards, was sacked 4 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Sitting at 7-6 and currently not in a playoff position, they come home to host Indianapolis (7-6) in what is currently their most important game of the season. Luke would be injured on the first play from scrimmage and would miss the rest of the game, what would be a great game for Houston. After trailing 24-0 at the half, his backup would lead them to 27 unanswered points, including the game winning field goal as time expired for a 27-24 win to improve to 8-6 and remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. Luke would have no stats in the game.

Luke would be out for the next game, a home game against Dallas (7-7). Despite having a 17-3 lead in the 4th quarter, they would need overtime to pull off a 23-17 win to improve to 9-6. They are now tied with Tennessee for the division lead and have the tie breaker advantage.

Jacksonville (6-9) would come to town for the last game of the regular season. Luke would come back what the doctors felt was a week too soon and his performance would suffer in a 27-17 loss to drop to 9-7. He would be 16 of 31 for 153 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked 2 times. The loss was costly as it knocked them from the playoffs.

Buffalo would end up beating Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

Luke’s stats: 15 games, 15 starts, 253 of 413 (61.2%) for 3216 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for a rating of 86.5, sacked 33 times, 14 carries for 24 yards, 1 tackle and 7 fumbles. 8-7 record

Luke’s career: 50 games, 30 starts, 541 of 908 (59.5%) for 6683 yards with 42 touchdowns and 41 interceptions for a 79.0 rating, sacked 60 times, 38 carries for 87 yards with 1 touchdown, 4 tackles and 11 fumbles, a 15-16 record (0-1 playoffs) with 2 4th quarter heroics.

EagleFan · 05-02-2004, 10:09 AM

This off season was his busiest as he was at the end of his contract and was not able to work out a deal with Houston. He ended up signing a 4 year / 40.25 million dollar deal with Cincinnati. He will step in and be the starter as the Bengals released their starter from this past season.

Luke made a good impression on his new team in the first preseason game, a 24-21 home win against the Vikings. He was named player of the game. In the game he was 17 of 25 for 206 yards with 2 touchdowns in one half of play. He was sacked 2 times in the game.

He played a little less the next week, a 20-17 win at St. Louis. The coach wanted to give the backups a little more time to see what they could do in that game. Luke was 8 of 10 for 100 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards and was sacked 1 time. He also had 1 tackle, after the interception (and was promptly reamed out by his coach for taking the risk in a preseason game).

Their third game, a 21-19 win over the Lions, would be his worst game, but he would also play very little. He was 3 of 6 for 60 yards with 1 interception. He would also run the ball 1 time for 2 yards.

Seattle would ruin their chance at a perfect preseason by a 19017 score. Luke would see plenty of time in the game and would be 16 of 25 for 160 yards with 1 touchdown. He would be sacked 2 times and fumble the ball both times, recovering one of them himself.

The season would open with the Bengals being a 2 point home underdog to Pittsburgh. With 13 minutes left in the second, the Bengals would take a 10-7 lead on a touchdown pass by Luke. They would never trail again on their way to a 20-17 opening day win. Luke would be named player of the game as he would be 22 of 32 for 208 yards with 1 touchdown. He would run 1 time for -1 yards, a kneel down. Most importantly to him, he would be very well received by the fans of Cincinnati. The negative would be that the team would lose tight end Larry Bradford (a 13 year vet in his first year with the team), the player that he felt the most comfortable with in the preseason.

Week 2 sees them going on the road to Seattle (1-0) as a 2 point favorite. In the second quarter, Luke would get sacked and feel a rush of pain. He would not get up and be later diagnosed with a broken clavicle and will most likely miss the next 6 weeks. Cincinnati would take a 15-10 lead early in the 4th, only to see the Seahawks score 11 straight to win 21-15. Luke was 6 of 9 for 77 yards. He also ran 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked that 1 time.

Luke would miss 4 games, in which the team would go 1-3. He would return to a team that was 2-4 and in need of getting jump started. The first game back would be at home against Baltimore (3-3). With the game tied at 10, Luke would lead his team on a late 3rd quarter touchdown drive to take a 17-010 lead, on the way to a 17-13 final. Luke would be named player of the game, amid a standing ovation from the Bengals’ fans. He was 22 of 34 for 213 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 3 times.

They travel to Buffalo (3-5) as 1 point favorites as the look to get back to .500. They would be up 17-7 midway through the 3rd but their defense would let them down by allowing 2 touchdowns on the way to a 21-17 loss. Luke put up big numbers as he was 26 of 40 for 386 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 2 times and also had 2 tackles.

Pittsburgh (3-5) is where they head to next in a must win division contest in which they are favored by 1 point. Luke would get player of the game for the 3rd time in a 20-14 win to improve to 4-5. He would be 23 of 31 for 225 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 3 times.

They head home now to host Cleveland (4-5). This game is for first place in their division. Luke toasted the Browns’ defense in a 37-7 route. He would get player of the game honors for the 4th time this season as they would improve to 5-5 and take over 1st place in their division. The team is now 4-1 when he starts and plays the whole game. Luke was 24 of 35 for 276 yards with 3 touchdowns. After the game he would get his non-throwing hand checked as he fell awkwardly on it during the game and would find that he had a broken finger.

Next they head to Arizona (5-5). Luke would have a rough game with pressure in his face all day long as they would fall 16-13 to the Cardinals. He was 18 of 36 for 226 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for 13 yards and was sacked 3 times.

Kansas City (4-7) comes to town next as Cincinnati looks to get back to .500. The Bengals, and Luke, would play their worst game of the year and lost 25-13. Luke was 11 of 23 for 130 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for 20 yards and was sacked 4 times. The loss drops them to 5-7, tied with Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Baltimore is 6-6 and in first currently.

San Francisco (5-7) comes to town for a must win game for the Bengals. The Bengals would not be able to move the ball consistently and would lose 12-9 on a field goal with 30 seconds left. Luke was 15 of 26 for 162 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 2 times. They are now 5-8 and 2 games behind Baltimore (7-6).

Next, they travel to Cleveland (5-8) as the loser of this game is out of the playoff chase. The game would be low scoring and tight but the Bengals would pull it out 13-9. Luke would be player of the game, though not really dominate. He was 21 of 38 for 229 yards. He ran 2 times for 3 yards, was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. They are now 6-8 and almost out of the playoffs as the Ravens won and improved to 8-6.

They host St. Louis (1-13) next, in a week that has promise for the Bengals. Baltimore will be playing at Seattle (11-3). They would trail 17-3 early in the 3rd and look like their season was over before Luke would carry the team back to a 20-17 win to earn player of the game honors. He was 22 of 35 for 291 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 3 times and had 1 tackle. Baltimore would win, eliminating the Bengals from the division hunt. They would be tied with New England, Denver, Oakland and Pittsburgh for the last wild card spot though.

Their final game would be at Baltimore (9-6), this would have been a huge game if Baltimore had lost last week. Their defense would let them down in a 34-18 loss to knock them out of playoff contention. Luke was 17 of 34 for 295 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would be sacked 4 times in the game.

Jacksonville would beat Carolina in the Super Bowl.

Luke’s stats: 12 games, 12 starts, 227 of 373 (60.8%) for 2716 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions for a rating of 86.0 (10th in the NFL), sacked 27 times, 12 carries for 45 yards, 3 tackles and 1 fumble. 6-6 record with 1 4th quarter heroic.

Luke’s career: 62 games, 42 starts, 768 of 1281 (59.9%) for 9399 yards with 54 touchdowns and 48 interceptions for a 81.0 rating, sacked 87 times, 50 carries for 132 yards with 1 touchdown, 7 tackles and 12 fumbles, a 21-22 record (0-1 playoffs) with 3 4th quarter heroics.

Grid Iron · 05-02-2004, 11:25 AM

Great reading!

Keep up the good work!

EagleFan · 05-02-2004, 01:05 PM

Thanks for the good words. Glad to know there are some that are following it. I hope to have at least another season online in a ilttle while.

EagleFan · 05-02-2004, 01:32 PM

Entering his 6th season, Luke is not too hopeful about the team’s chances as they are now suffering the penalty for bad cap management. They still have not been able to come to terms with their first round draft pick and it looks like it’s up to Luke to make something happen if they want any success this season.

They lost their first preseason game to the Lions, 17-13. Luke would have an awful game, going 10 of 29 for 126 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He also ran 1 time for 5 yards and was sacked 1 time. The fans are complaining big time about the coach not pulling him from a preseason game and risking injury, but there are also fans worried about his potential performance.

Seattle came to town for the next preseason game and jumped to a 23-0 lead on the way to a 23-18 win. Luke would again play the whole game, to much criticism. He was 18 of 31 for 253 yards withj 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 5 times behind the depleted offensive line.

Luke would have a better performance the next week, a 24-13 loss at Chicago. He would only play half of the game and go 8 of 9 for 85 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked 1 time.

Their final preseason game would be a 28-25 overtime loss to Arizona. Luke played the entire game yet again and was 16 of 30 for 240 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 1 time.

Luke would enter the regular season healthy and ready for their opener at Cleveland. The Browns would jump to a 14-3 lead midway through the 2nd quarter but Luke would lead the team to a touchdown in each of the last 3 quarters for a 24-14 win to open the season 1-0. He would earn player of the game honors as he was 19 of 28 for 192 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Next week is their home opener against Philadelphia (0-1). The Eagles would play a bend but don’t break defense and Luke would look awful in the game as they would lose 20-3. He was 13 of 30 for 159 yards with 2 interceptions. He also ran the ball 2 times for 9 yards. Luke would suffer an injury that would be diagnosed as a bruised heal. He is not expected to miss any time.

Denver (1-1) comes to town in week 3. The game would be painful to watch as there would be just 2 field goals scored in the game, a 6-0 win for the Broncos. Luke would have yet another bad game, prompting some discussion about his value to the team. He was 13 of 31 for 94 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time.

With the team sitting at 1-2 and not having scored a touchdown since week 1, they head to Jacksonville (0-3). With Jacksonville just taking a 16-13 lead and 3:53 to play, Luke would lead them on a 10 play, 77 yard drive that would result in the winning touchdown for a 20-16 win. Luke would be the supporting cast as running back Emmitt Yohn would rush for 162 yards and the winning score. He was 16 of 32 for 171 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 2 times for 1 yard.

With the team at 2-2 after 4 games, they are 1 game behind Cleveland (3-1) in the division. Luke has an awful 59.7 rating so far, just 5 quarterbacks have a worse rating at this point in the season. He is also near the bottom in the NFL in passing yards and completion percentage. This season is not starting out as he had hoped.

Week 5, they are at Baltimore (2-2). Despite taking a 13-7 lead, they would allow Baltimore to score 10 2nd half points to win 17-13. Luke would be 23 of 37 for 228 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times. They are now 2-3 and some fans are starting to question the team’s logic behind not grabbing a good veteran backup as they are now stuck with Luke for the season.

Pittsburgh (2-3) come to town for week 6 as the Bengals hope to even their record. Their defense would step up and Luke would have a solid game in a 16-7 win. Luke was 18 of 31 for 225 yards. He ran 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. The win evened their record at 3-3.

Indianapolis (5-1) would travel to Cincinnati in week 7 in what should be a very tough match up for them. They would play a tight game, but fall 13-10. Luke would be 23 of 38 for 219 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 1 time.

Week 8 they travel to Houston (3-3) as Luke would face his old team for the first time. He would not receive a warm welcome as the fans see him as a traitor who worships the almighty dollar for leaving to go to Cincinnati. With his team trailing 21-17 with 1:03 to play in the game, Luke would put together a quick 3 play, 80 yard touchdown drive to win the game 24-21. This win felt great, though his numbers were not. He was 14 of 30 for 284 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 2 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle.

The team is now 4-4 at their midway point of the season. They are just 1 game behind Baltimore (5-3) but are also tied with Cleveland and Pittsburgh, who are also 4-4. Luke’s rating has improved to 69.3 and he’s not as close to the bottom now. He is still near the bottom in completion percentage though, at just 54.0.

After a bye week, they host Tennessee (3-5) in week 10. Yohn would rush for 161 yards as Luke would be very efficient in a 17-9 win. Luke was 15 of 18 for 124 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 4 times for 14 yards and was sacked 1 time. While not flashy, it was a hard fought victory.

Week 11, they host Cleveland (5-4) in another big division game. They would turn it up a notch in a 31-13 win. Yohn would rush for 140 and earn player of the game honors. Luke was 19 of 30 for 190 yards with 1 touchdown. He was also sacked 2 times. The win improves their record to 6-4.

Week 12, they host Washington (3-7). After trailing 14-10 at the half, Luke would lead the team to two second half touchdowns and a 24-14 win to improve to 7-4. Yohn would rush for 184 and earn player of the game honors. Luke was 22 of 30 for 227 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 3 times for 2 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Week 13 they travel to New England (4-7). With the game tied at 10, the New England kicker would hit a 47 yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots a 13-10 win and drop the Bengals to 7-5. Luke was 21 of 33 for 229 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards, was sacked 2 times and recovered 1 fumble.

After 12 games, they are 7-5 and tied with Baltimore for the division lead. Pittsburgh is 6-6 and Cleveland is 5-7 as it is still anyone’s division to win. Luke’s rating is now 70.0 as he ins now in the middle of the pack. He has raised his completion percentage considerably, to 58.6 and has thrown for 2342 yards. Most importantly to him, he has not thrown an interception in several games and now has more touchdowns than interception. Emmitt Yohn leads the NFL with 1488 yards rushing.

Week 14, they travel to Dallas (6-6). They let Dallas jump out to a 21-0 lead on their way to a 21-7 final to drop to 7-6. Luke was 17 of 39 for 211 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 9 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. Baltimore would also lose and Pittsburgh would win, causing a 3 way tie at 7-6. Cleveland won to improve to 6-7 and be one game out of the mess at the top.

Week 15, a big game as they host Baltimore (7-6). Yohn would run for 163 yards on the way to a 17-6 win. Luke would play a small role, going 18 of 29 for 113 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards. Pittsburgh would beat Cleveland to keep pace with the Bengals.

Week 16, at the New York Giants (9-5) for a tough game. The Giants would hold Yohn in check and would win a close one by a 23-17 score. Luke was 21 of 37 for 259 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was also sacked 3 times. Pittsburgh would lose and Baltimore would win, causing a 3 way tie at 8-7 heading into the final week.

They head to play at Pittsburgh for the division title in the last week of the season. If they win, they clinch the division due to the tie breaker. The Steelers would take over in the 4th quarter, going up 27-17 with just a couple minutes left. Luke would guide the Bengals to a touchdown to make it 27-24 but that would be the final, knocking the Bengals out of the post season. Luke was 16 of 25 for 198 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 3 times.

Indianapolis would beat Seattle in the Super Bowl. Yohn would lead the NFL with 1909 yards rushing as he would follow up his offensive rookie of the year season with getting offensive player of the year, 1st team all-pro and MVP in his second season.

Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 288 of 498 (57.8%) for 3123 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a rating of 79.9, sacked 28 times, 22 carries for 63 yards, 1 tackle and 3 fumbles. 8-8 record with 2 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career: 78 games, 58 starts, 1059 of 1779 (59.3%) for 12522 yards with 73 touchdowns and 59 interceptions for a 80.6 rating, sacked 115 times, 72 carries for 195 yards with 1 touchdown, 8 tackles and 15 fumbles, a 29-30 record (0-1 playoffs) with 5 4th quarter heroics.

EagleFan · 05-06-2004, 10:44 PM

The Bengals would make a strong wave in the free agent market in the off season, upgrading their receiving corps, offensive line and defensive line. The would also add the best tight end available to their roster, giving the fans hope for an exciting season ahead.

The only place they would not upgrade would be their backups to Luke. This would come into play during the first preseason game, a 31-22 loss to Carolina. Early in the game, Luke would go down and be diagnosed with a broken rib. He would miss the rest of the preseason and would be listed as doubtful for their opener, hosting Baltimore. The team would split their 4 preseason games and his backups would be given enough time to see who can step up in his place, but the main part of the game plan would be to hand the ball to Yohn.

Luke would defy doctor’s orders and attempt to play in the opener against Baltimore. He would have the worst game of his career through a lot of pain, though the team would ride Emmitt Yohn to victory, 28-17. Luke would be 9 of 22 for 122 yards with 4 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards, was sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle. Yohn scored 3 touchdowns on the ground to earn player of the game.

It wouldn’t get any easier for him as they head to Green Bay (1-0) in week 2. At least it’s not the middle of December. Luke would leave the game early after getting sacked, and taking quite a hit on the play. Green Bay would go on to win 34-10. Luke was 6 of 8 for 98 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked that 1 time. They would be leading 10-3 when he left the game, only to do nothing for the rest of the game.

Luke would return in week 5 as they would host Pittsburgh. They would be coming off back to back wins in which Kerry Harris, his replacement, would play two very good games. Luke would leave the game in the 4th quarter with his team trailing 16-7. Harris would lead the team to 10 points in the final 4 and a half minutes for a 17-16 victory as the quarterback controversy would begin. Luke was 13 of 24 for 153 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Luke would again return too early, after sitting out for two losses. In week 9 they would host Denver and Luke would start. He would look okay early but get hit and taken out in the 1st quarter. They would go on to lost 24-21. He was 3 of 4 for 104 yards and they would be up 7-0 when he would leave.

In week 14, with the team 4-8, Luke would return as they play at Chicago. Luke would play a solid game and lead the team to a go ahead field foal with 3 minutes left but Chicago would drive and tie the game with seconds left. Chicago would get the kickoff and drive the length of the field for the game winning touchdown, to win 33-27. Luke was 27 of 42 for 287 yards with 2 touchdowns.

Week 15 they are at division leading Pittsburgh. The Steelers would dominate and frustrate Luke in a 31-10 one sided affair. Luke was 11 of 28 for 182 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interception. He was sacked 4 times in the game but withstood the punishment without further injury. The loss would drop them to 4-10 and ruin any fading hope they had of slipping into the playoffs, not like anyone was actually thinking that.

They would return home the next week to play Detroit (3-11). Luke would play a very good game and get player of the game honors in a 26-0 win. He was 22 of 36 for 189 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle.

Their final game of the season would be an exciting 30-24 overtime loss to Cleveland. Luke would play an okay game as he was 12 of 36 for 233 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 11 yards and was sacked 2 times. They would end the season at 5-11 and will have the number 6 pick nio the draft.

The New York Jets would go on to beat Green Bay in the Super Bowl. Yohn would be 1st team all-pro, offensive player of the year and MVP for the second season in a row. He ran for 1577 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 68 receptions and 4 receiving touchdowns.

Luke’s stats: 9 games, 8 starts, 112 of 198 (56.5%) for 1368 yards with 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions for a rating of 72.5, sacked 12 times, 6 carries for 19 yards and 2 tackles. 3-5 record with 1 4th quarter heroic.

Luke’s career: 87 games, 66 starts, 1168 of 1977 (59.0%) for 13890 yards with 81 touchdowns and 68 interceptions for a 79.8 rating, sacked 127 times, 78 carries for 214 yards with 1 touchdown, 10 tackles and 15 fumbles, a 32-35 record (0-1 playoffs) with 6 4th quarter heroics.

EagleFan · 05-08-2004, 03:52 PM

Luke would begin his final year under contract with the Bengals on a good note, with a 38-13 win over Carolina in the first preseason game. He would be named player of the game after going 13 of 18 for 177 yards with 2 touchdowns.. He also ran the ball 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked 3 times.

Luke would look like an entirely different player in their 38-24 loss to the Giants in the following week. He was just 6 of 16 for 65 yards with 2 interceptions.

He would not be able to right the ship the following week in a 14-6 loss to the Titans. He was just 2 of 4 for 8 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time and was injured on the play. His injury would not be viewed as serious.

They would lose to Dallas 30-24 the last week of preseason without Luke as but he will return for the opening of the season, though not at 100 percent.

They would open the season at Pittsburgh in what would be a back and forth game that would see the Steelers score with just over 4 minutes left to win the game 20-17. Luke had a decent game, going 15 of 23 for 186 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards, was sacked 5 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. The team’s offensive line looked awful, between not giving Luke time to run and not opening up any holes for Yohn, it was a dreadful performance.

Week 2, they host Carolina and Luke plays an outstanding game, up until one play late in the 4th that would leave him in serious pain. They would win 26-14 with Luke getting player of the game, but he would be getting X-rayed when that would be announced as he would re-injure his elbow and will now miss at least a month. He was 16 of 29 for 242 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times, the last one costly.

They would lose 2 out of 3 games during his absence and he would return following a bye week in a game at New England. Returning would be a bad choice as he would injure his arm throwing the ball early in the game and would come out. They would lose the game 22-10. He was just 2 of 3 for 15 yards in the game.

After 2 losses and a tie, Luke would return to a team that was 2-6-1 and in bad shape. He is playing for his future now and wants to put on a good show for the GM’s of the league. They would play at Cleveland (5-4) in his first game back. Luke would play an outstanding game and earn player of the game honors as he led them to a 34-27 win. He was 28 of 37 for 323 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 1 time.

Week 12, they head to Tampa Bay (3-7). Their offense would explode in a 30-17 win to improve to 4-6-1. Yohn would run for over 200 yards and get player of the game. Luke was 21 of 32 for 278 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for -3 yards, was sacked 3 times and had 1 tackle.

Their slim playoff hopes remain alive week 13 as they head to San Diego (3-8). Luke would start the game 5 of 10 for 53 yards but one play would end his season as he scrambled to avoid the rush and was taken down for a sack. HE would grab his leg and not be able to get up. He had a torn hamstring. They would go on to win the game 21-14 but he looked to be out for 3 months, meaning his season was over.

They would lose 3 of their final 4 to finish at 6-9-1 and out of the playoffs. Indianapolis would go on to beat Atlanta in the Super Bowl. Yohn would be 2nd team all-pro this season and his MVP streak would end.

Luke’s stats: 6 games, 6 starts, 87 of 134 (64.9%) for 1097 yards with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions for a rating of 100.8, sacked 13 times, 4 carries for -1 yard, 1 tackle and 1 fumble. 4-2 record.

Luke’s career: 93 games, 72 starts, 1255 of 2111 (59.4%) for 14987 yards with 89 touchdowns and 71 interceptions for a 81.1 rating, sacked 140 times, 82 carries for 213 yards with 1 touchdown, 11 tackles and 16 fumbles, a 36-37 record (0-1 playoffs) with 6 4th quarter heroics.

Grid Iron · 05-08-2004, 04:09 PM

Ouch. It's too bad he's so injury prone. Maybe it's the offensive line.

Hopefully, he can catch on with a better team. He's definitely got the potential.

EagleFan · 05-09-2004, 04:54 AM

The next 12 months would have the potential to be the cross-roads of his career as he enters the free agent market after his contract with the Bengals has expired. No team would offer him a contract during the free agent period. He would have to start marketing himself to teams to be able to get a “try-out” with a team as most teams seem very uneasy about his injury troubles.

Kansas City would give him a chance to work out for them and they would offer him a 1 year contract for 1.49 million, not quite what Luke had become used to in terms of a paycheck. With no other prospects, he would sign the deal. The coaching staff promised him a fair chance at winning the starter’s job and that is all he wants, a chance to prove himself.

Luke would see a little playing time in the team’s first preseason game, a 42-16 win over Washington. He would have solid numbers, for the little playing time that he had, going 4 of 5 for 51 yards with 1 touchdown.

Coaches would like enough of what they saw to give him some more playing time in their next game, a 34-31 win at New Orleans. He would go 14 of 19 for 167 yards but would throw 2 interceptions. He also ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards.

In their next game, a 17-13 win at Philadelphia, Luke would split the time at quarterback, playing a half. He was 6 of 10 for 91 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. So far there is no clear cut choice for starter as the other quarterbacks on the team have not looked very promising.

Their final preseason game would be a 21-10 loss to Carolina. Luke would throw for a good percentage but would get picked a couple times. He was 11 of 18 for 144 yards with 2 interceptions. He was sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle.

Luke would win over the fans in the preseason with a combination of some flash on the field and a very good disposition off the field. He had become very outgoing towards the fans and seem to win them over with his personality during interviews and in person while signing autographs. More importantly, he has won the starting job.

Luke would begin to shine in week 1, a 33-3 win over San Diego. He would win player of the game honors in his first regular season game as a Chief. He was 18 of 26 for 206 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked 1 time. He would not play the whole game as the coach would send in the second string quarterback with the game getting out of hand.

Luke would come crashing back down to earth in week 2, a 34-7 loss at Green Bay. His numbers would be enough to make the coach question who would start next week as he was 10 of 25 for 170 yards with 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions. He ran 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 2 times.

He would get the start in week 3 as they would win 27-13 at Jacksonville and he would be player of the game for the second time of the season. He was 13 of 25 for 153 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 4 times for 5 yards and was sacked 2 times. His winning the player of the game would be a questionable selection, but he’ll take it.

Week 4 they host the Jets. Luke would lead his team to 17 4th quarter points to tie the game at 24, after trailing 24-7 through 3 quarters. The overtime would be a defensive battle that would see the Jets kick a 48 yards field goal with just 14 seconds remaining to win 27-24. Luke would be 19 of 35 for 281 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 5 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle. They are now 2-2.

Week 5 would be a 21-7 win at Oakland to improve their record to 3-2. Luke would be player of the game again. He was 17 of 22 for 237 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

After a bye week, it’s on to New England where they would be handed a tough 24-17 loss to even their record at 3-3. Luke would put up big numbers in the loss as he was 27 of 35 for 278 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 4 times. So far, he is having one of his best seasons.

Week 8 would be a 30-17 loss at Miami, dropping them to 3-4 and below .500 for the first time this season. Luke was 16 of 29 for 178 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Week 9 they host division leading Denver. Luke would come up with a player of the game again and would lead them to a 38-28 win to improve to 4-4. He was 21 of 28 for 245 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 3 times for 10 yards and was sacked 3 times.

Luke would put the team on his shoulders in week 10, a 28-21 win over Buffalo. He would win player of the game in the win. He was 21 of 25 for 324 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Next week, they are on the road at San Diego. Luke would help lead them to a 24-10 win and put them right in the hunt for the division as they improve to 6-4. Luke was 14 of 27 for 191 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 1 time.

Their winning streak would be on the line next week at they trail Detroit with under 2 minutes left but Luke would lead the team on a touchdown drive, scoring on the last play of the game to win 25-22 and to improve to 7-4. Luke was 16 of 29 for 224 with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards. He has quickly become a fan favorite in Kansas City and is starting to receive national attention as his story is becoming one of those feel good stories of the year.

He would get to host his old team, the Bangals, in week 13. He would seem to revert back to some of his error-prone ways of the past in a 24-21 loss. He was 22 of 34 for 253 yards with 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 3 times. It looked like his old coach had gotten into his head with several comments aimed at him the week prior to the game.

Week 14 would be important to Luke, as his season could blow up if he lets last week’s performance get into his head. They would beat Chicago 24-14 and he would have a solid game. He was 21 of 35 for 218 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 6 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Week 15 is at Denver as they attempt to get a little distance between themselves and Denver. The game would be close, but they would fall 27-20 to drop to 8-6. Luke was 15 of 27 for 223 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He wan the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 1 time.

Week 16 would be a wind one at Minnesota. With his team down 31-24, Luke would lead the team on a game tying drive with about 5 minutes to go. The game would go to overtime and the Chiefs would win with a little over 9 minutes to go on a field goal. The 34-31 win would make them 9-6 and in control of their destiny. A win next week, or Denver loss, gives them the division. Luke was player of the game with a great performance. He was 29 of 46 for 330 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 5 yards and was sacked 2 times.

The final week of the season would see them blow a 28-14 lead in the 4th quarter to have Oakland tie it at 28 with a little over 2 minutes to go. Luke would lead the team down field for the game winning field goal with under a minute left and the 31-28 win would wrap up the division for the Chiefs as they finish at 10-6. Luke was player of the game. He was 22 of 26 for 257 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times. He now gets to wrap up a career year with a playoff birth.

They would host Miami in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. 3 early turnovers would lead to 3 Dolphin touchdowns and make it 21-0 early in the second quarter. The Chiefs would add 2 field goals to make it 21-6 at the half. The Chiefs would get the ball first and go on a long drive that would lead to a 5 yard touchdown pass to make it 21-13. After neither team doing much, the Chiefs would get close enough to add a field goal with just over 9 to go in the game and make it 21-16. After forcing a punt, the chiefs would drive into Dolphin territory but not get close enough for a field goal so they would punt. A great punt return helped the Dolphins get into field goal range but they would miss the field goal with under 2 minutes to play. The Chiefs would drive to the Dolphin 35 with seconds left but a desperation pass would get tipped and picked off at the 1 yard line to end the game and knock the Chiefs from the playoffs.

Luke had a rough start to the game but would have decent number (other than the interception total). He was 28 of 49 for 298 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 6 times as his protection broke down most of the day.

Luke’s first team, Houston, would go on to beat Carolina in the Super Bowl.

Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 301 of 474 (63.5% - 6th in the NFL) for 3768 yards (9th in the NFL, 6th all-time for a Chief in a season) with 30 touchdowns (1st in the NFL, 3rd all-time for a Chief in a season) and 15 interceptions for a rating of 95.9 (5th in the NFL, 4th all-time for a Chief in a season), sacked 32 times, 22 carries for 56 yard, 1 tackle and 3 fumbles. 10-6 record with 2 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career: 109 games, 88 starts, 1556 of 2585 (60.1%) for 18755 yards with 119 touchdowns and 86 interceptions for a 83.9 rating, sacked 172 times, 104 carries for 269 yards with 1 touchdown, 12 tackles and 19 fumbles, a 46-44 record (0-2 playoffs) with 8 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

Grid Iron · 05-09-2004, 08:16 AM

Awesome season! I can't believe he didn't win an award! Definitely MVP material.

He should be getting a HUGE raise in the offseason.

Alf · 05-09-2004, 09:37 AM

See how the Bengals will always be the bengals. Letting Luke go before he has his best season so far !

EagleFan · 05-10-2004, 10:21 PM

Kansas City would not renegotiate his contract, surprisingly based on his season that he is coming off. They would try to low-ball him in free agency but he would receive an offer from Denver that he could not turn down. He would sign a 4 year / 74.16 million dollar deal. He would be their new starting quarterback as they look to make themselves better by hurting a direct rival.

They would beat Washington 36-17 at home in their first preseason game. Luke was 11 of 17 for 154 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 1 time for -2 yards, was sacked 2 times, had 1 tackle and fumbled the ball 1 time.

They would lose at Atlanta 26-20 in overtime in their second game. Luke saw less action, going 6 of 11 for 49 yards.

Luke would play almost the entire game in a 19-14 win at home against the Giants in their third preseason game. He was 23 of 39 for 220 yards with 2 interceptions. He was sacked 2 times.

Their final preseason game would be a 20-17 overtime win at Tampa. Luke was 14 of 20 for 249 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 3 times for 0 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

There would be little time for hype as they would host Kansas City in week 1. Luke would torch his old team 30-13 and be named player of the game. He was 20 of 31 for 272 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards. He would not take long to become a fan favorite by helping them beat the hated Chiefs.

Week 2, they play at Carolina (0-1). After falling behind 6-0 early, they would score 21 straight points on their way to a 21-13 win to improve to 2-0. Luke was 15 of 24 for 159 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 4 times.

Week 3 would see a battle of the 2-0 teams as they travel to Indianapolis. They would fail to capitalize on their chances and fall 27-15 to drop to 1-2. Luke was 25 of 40 for 305 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

After a bye week, they head to Cleveland (2-1) for week 5. Luke would play a solid, but far from spectacular game in a 27-14 win that helped them improve to 3-1. He was 12 of 24 for 102 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard.

Through 4 games, the Broncos are now 3-1 and tied with San Diego for their division lead. Luke has completed over 60 percent of his passes and is 9th in the NFL with a rating of 87.4. Denver is 6th in the NFL in rushing offense and 1st in rushing defense.

Denver hosts Pittsburgh (2-3) in week 6. Pittsburgh would dominate on their way to a 31-13 win. Luke had a poor game, going 15 of 36 for 275 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He was also sacked 1 time in the game. He loss drops them to 3-2 for the season.

It doesn’t get any easier in week 7 as Baltimore (4-2) comes to town. Luke would step up and carry his team to a huge 38-10 win and he would earn player of the game honors. He was 20 of 27 for 260 yards with 4 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. The win gets them back on track and lifts them to 4-2.

Division leading San Diego (5-1) come to town in week 8. Denver would trail 10-3 late in the 3rd before a touchdown pass would tie it at 10 as the quarter wound down. San Diego would kick a field goal with just over 5 to play to take a 13-10 lead. Luke would lead the team to a touchdown with 2:05 to go to take a 17-13 lead. Unfortunately the Chargers would score a touchdown with 20 seconds left to win 20-17 and drop the Broncos to 4-3. Luke was 20 of 25 for 300 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards.

Week 9 they travel to Cincinnati (2-5) as he gets to play another team from his past. Luke was heckled badly in a 27-13 loss that dropped the Broncos to 4-4. He was 18 of 28 for 215 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was also sacked 1 time.

After half of their games, the Broncos are now 4-4 and are 3 games behind San Diego (7-1) in their division. They sit one game out of a wild card spot at this time. Luke is 8th in the NFL with a rating of 92.3. He is 10th with 1889 yards passing. His 15 touchdown passes have him tied for 3rd.

They start the second half of their season at Kansas City (3-5). The fans do not treat him too badly as they see Kansas City at fault for not offering him a better contract to stay. He has a nightmare of a game ni a 38-13 loss. He was 10 of 17 for 104 yards with 2 interceptions. He was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. He would dislocate his elbow early in the 3rd and would miss the rest of the game and may be out for over a month.

They would go 3-3 in his absence and he would return to play in the final game of the season against Oakland. He would lead them to a 23-9 win to even their record at 8-8 and he would be player of the game. He was 16 of 25 for 145 yards with 1 touchdown. He was also sacked 2 times.

San Diego would go on to destroy Atlanta in the Super Bowl.

Luke’s stats: 10 games, 10 starts, 171 of 277 (61.7%) for 2138 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a rating of 88.3, sacked 13 times, 6 carries for 7 yards and 3 fumbles. 5-5 record.

Luke’s career: 119 games, 98 starts, 1727 of 2862 (60.3%) for 20893 yards with 135 touchdowns and 97 interceptions for a 84.4 rating, sacked 185 times, 110 carries for 276 yards with 1 touchdown, 12 tackles and 22 fumbles, a 51-49 record (0-2 playoffs) with 8 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

EagleFan · 05-12-2004, 05:55 PM

Luke’s 11th season would start with a 27-3 preseason win over St. Louis. Luke would look solid, going 18 of 26 for 163 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 4 times for 10 yards. It would be a good start to the season, a season that he hopes to remain healthy for.

They would lose 20-17 to Minnesota in the their second preseason game. Luke would play a little less and be 9 of 16 for 141 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He did not run the ball and was sacked just 1 time. The coach pulled him a little earlier, wanting to keep him healthy for the season.

The third week of preseason; they would lose a tight one to San Francisco, 17-10. Luke was just 5 of 9 for 53 yards in the little playing time he received.

They ended the preseason getting spanked by Detroit, 37-10. Luke would get rushed hard and would absorb a lot of punishment. He was 13 of 18 for 143 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 10 yards and was sacked 4 times.

Luke would enter the season healthy as they open up against the defending champions, San Diego. With less then 4 minutes in the game, they would be trailing 27-10 and Luke would lead the team to 2 scores in 2 minutes to bring them to within 3 points at 27-24. Their defense would allow the Chargers to get a first down and run the clock out as he would not get another shot at pulling the game out and they would start out 0-1. Luke’s numbers would be awful in the loss. He was 10 of 30 for 216 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was also sacked 1 time in the loss.

Luke would get back on track week 2, at Philadelphia. He would win player of the game honors in a 31-15 win that evened their record at 1-1. He was 23 of 33 for 302 yards with 4 touchdowns. He was sacked 2 times and recovered 1 fumble.

Week 3, a return to Cincinnati against an ex-team. He would win player of the game honors for the second week in a row as he led them to a 34-13 win to improve to 2-1. He was 17 of 26 for 213 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 2 times, fumbled the ball 1 time and recovered that fumble.

Week 4, they host Indianapolis and Luke makes it 3 straight player of the game honors in a 27-10 win to improve to 3-1. He was 17 of 30 for 238 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 2 times.

After the bye week, they host Tennessee in week 6. Too many turnovers would doom them to a 33-23 loss, to drop to 3-2. Luke was 25 of 41 for 313 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Week 7, Luke would lead them to a 21-0 lead over Houston as they would go on to win 21-17. Luke would win player of the game honors, despite leaving the game with a rib injury. He was 18 of 21 for 157 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He had 1 tackle, and would be injured on the play.

Luke would miss a game with the injury, a loss that dropped them to 4-3 but would return to lead the team to a win over Jacksonville. Luke would be named player of the game in the 23-20 win. He was 17 of 32 for 204 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 4 times for 12 yards.

Luke would add another player of the game award the following week in a 34-20 win over Kansas City. He would leave the game near the end with a shoulder injury. He was 23 of 34 for 251 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 1 time. The win improved their record to 6-3.

Luke would return the following week and lose a tight one to Oakland, 10-7. He was 27 of 51 for 251 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 4 times, fumbled the ball 1 time and recovered that fumble.

The team would lose their second straight the following week, 20-17 to the Giants. The loss would drop them to 6-5 and now in on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Luke was 17 of 25 for 198 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 5 times for 20 yards, was sacked 1 time and recovered 1 fumble.

Needing a win, and trailing 14-3 to the Bills, Luke would bring his team back for a 15-14 win as he would earn player of the game yet again. He was 21 of 35 for 244 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 2 times. They are now 7-5 and in the middle of the fight for the wild card spot.

Luke would win player of the game again the next week as he brought the team back for a winning field goal to beat the Redskins 17-15. He was 24 of 34 for 221 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 3 times for 2 yards, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time.

After trailing 15-7 to the Raiders in the fourth quarter the next week, he would lead them back to a 16-15 lead with just under 2 minutes left. Unfortunately the Raiders would drive and kick a game winning field goal with just 2 seconds remaining in the game for the 18-16 win. He was 20 of 35 for 190 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards. The loss dropped them to 8-6.

After tailing 20-0 to the Cowboys in week 16, he would lead them back but fall just short in a 26-20 loss that dropped them to 8-7 and in need of help if they want to make the playoffs. He was 19 of 35 for 266 yards with 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards, was sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle.

In a must win situation and trailing 24-21 to Kansas City, Luke would lead the team on a 12 play, 59 yard drive that would result in the game tying field goal with 3 second left to send the game to overtime. On the team’s 3rd play from scrimmage, he would hit receiver B.J. Meadows for a 72 yard touchdown pass to win the game 30-24. He was 23 of 38 for 397 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. A 10 catch, 239 yard, 2 touchdown performance would give Meadows the player of the game honors. Unfortunately, Oakland would win their game, knocking the Broncos out of playoff contention due to the tie breaker as they both finished 9-7.

Arizona would go on to beat New England in the Super Bowl.

Luke’s stats: 15 games, 15 starts, 301 of 500 (60.2%) for 3661 yards (8th in the NFL, 8th all time ins aingle season for Denver) with 26 touchdowns (6th in the NFL, though just 1 behind the 5 that were tied with 27, 3rd all-time for Denver in a single season) and 14 interceptions for a rating of 88.4, sacked 20 times, 21 carries for 57 yards, 2 tackles, 3 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. 9-6 record with 3 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career: 134 games, 113 starts, 2028 of 3362 (60.3%) for 24554 yards with 161 touchdowns and 111 interceptions for a 84.9 rating, sacked 205 times, 131 carries for 333 yards with 1 touchdown, 14 tackles, 25 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries, a 60-55 record (0-2 playoffs) with 11 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

EagleFan · 05-19-2004, 06:21 PM

Luke's story will continue around the weekend. It's been a little too hectic lately to commit enough time to write up the next season.

EagleFan · 05-25-2004, 01:15 AM

Luke takes extra time in the off season to make sure that he heads into his 12th season in as good of condition as he possibly can. He hopes to keep himself on the field and out of the trainer’s office.

He sits out for the first two games of the preseason, hoping to keep himself a little bit healthier heading into the regular season. They lose to Arizona and Detroit in those two games.

He played a major role in their third preseason game, a 13-10 win over Seattle. He was 17 pf 24 for 182 yards. He did not get sacked or carry the ball at all, something that made the coaching staff quite happy.

He came up big in a 35-13 win over Chicago in their final preseason game and was named the player of the game. He was 17 of 27 for 288 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time but recovered that fumble.

The first week of the season is at Oakland. They would get behind 21-10 with under 3 minutes to go. Luke would lead the team to a score with under a minute left and make it 21-18 but get the ball again as they fall to 0-1. Luke was 23 of 42 for 302 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times.

Week 2 they head to Arizona for another road game as they open the season with 5 of their first 6 on the road. It would be another close game that would see Luke lead them back to within 3 points with under a minute left as they fall 20-17 to drop to 0-2. Luke was less affective as he was 14 of 30 for 148 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran 2 times for 12 yards and was sacked 5 times.

As they travel to Cleveland week 3, the team would trail by 3 midway through the 4th as Luke would guide the team to a game tying field goal. The Browns would end up hitting a 50 yard field goal as time expired to win 27-24 and drop Denver to 0-3 with 3 losses by 3 points each on the road. Luke was 19 of 27 for 291 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 1 time for 7 yards and was sacked 3 times.

After a week off, the come home to host Buffalo and it would get ugly in a 31-3 loss. Luke was 11 of 26 for 133 yards with 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 7 times (showing just how badly they need to upgrade their aging offensive line).

They head to Miami next and they found themselves down 16-10 with under a minute to go. Luke would lead the team down to the 26 yard line of Miami but they would run out of time and drop to 0-5 with a 16-10 loss. Luke was 19 of 36 for 239 yards with 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Luke would struggle again the next week as they lose 17-3 at San Diego to fall to 0-6 and the season looks bleak. He would be 15 of 30 for 152 yards with 4 interceptions. He was sacked 2 time, had 1 tackle and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Denver would be heading home to play New England next as the talk shows would be full of people talking about needing to upgrade at quarterback. Luke would play a solid game as they would earn their first win, 20-10. He was 19 of 35 for 207 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Luke would earn player of the game the following week as he would bring the Broncos back from a 20-10 deficit with under 6 to go against Kansas City (his old team) for a 24-20 win. He was named player of the game for his efforts and was 24 of 43 for 315 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for 2 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Luke would make it 2 player of the game honors in a row as he would lead the team to a 21-19 win at the Jets to bring them to 3-6 with a 3 game winning streak. He was 21 of 29 for 238 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 3 times for 11 yards and was sacked 3 times.

It would be a revenge game hosting Oakland the following week as they would pull out a 30-24 win in overtime on an interception return for a touchdown to improve to 4-6 with 4 straight wins. Luke would add another player of the game award to his resume. He would be 21 of 31 for 283 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 6 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle.

Denver would make it 5 straight with a 28-17 win over San Francisco. Luke would be named player of the game but not have outstanding numbers. He was 13 of 26 for 263 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards and was not sacked.

Houston would come to town next as Denver looked to even their record at 6-6. The Denver defense would not show up as Houston would rush for over 200 yards and combine for over 500 yards of offense in a 41-23 loss for the Broncos to drop them to 5-7. Luke was 16 of 28 for 242 yards with 2 touchdowns. Hew was sacked 1 time.

Their playoff hopes would vanish the following week at St. Louis in a 37-17 loss that dropped them to 5-8. Luke was 19 of 42 for 245 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 3 times for 17 yards and was sacked 2 times.

Next up is at Kansas City. They would trail 16-0 at the half but Luke would earn his player of the game award with one of the best games of his life, mostly just in one half. He was 21 of 32 for 358 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 1 yard and was sacked 1 time. He would lead them to a 29-19 win to improve to 6-8.

Luke would add another player of the game honor to his resume the next week as they would host Seattle. With the game tied 28-28 and 1:46 to go, he would take the team from their own 26 and lead them on a drive for the game winning field goal as time expired for a 31-28 win to improve to 7-8. He was 19 of 35 for 248 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 7 yards and was sacked 1 time.

The last game of the season would be hosting San Diego. Their lack of luck against the Chargers would continue as they would fall 21-7 to end up 7-9. Luke was 21 of 43 for 317 yards with 1 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 7 yards, was sacked 1 time, had 1 tackle and fumbled the ball 1 time.

The bright side for the Broncos this season would be that they won 7 of their last 10 games after starting out 0-6. Tennessee would go on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl. That would be their first Super Bowl win in 21 years.

Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 295 of 535 (55.1%) for 3995 yards (6th in the NFL, 2nd all-time in a single season for Denver) with 26 touchdowns (tied for 4th in the NFL, tied himself for 3rd best all-time ni a single season for Denver) and 23 interceptions for a rating of 77.4, sacked 35 times, 23 carries for 81 yards, 3 tackles and 3 fumbles 7-9 record with 2 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career: 150 games, 129 starts, 2323 of 3897 (59.6%) for 28549 yards with 187 touchdowns and 134 interceptions for a 83.9 rating, sacked 240 times, 154 carries for 414 yards with 1 touchdown, 17 tackles, 28 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries, a 67-64 record (0-2 playoffs, 9th most wins among active quarterbacks) with 13 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

EagleFan · 05-27-2004, 12:11 AM

Entering his 13th season and his final season under contract with Denver, Luke’s future is in doubt. With recent injury trouble and with the Broncos selecting a possible stud quarterback with the 10th pick overall, it looks like this might be his last hurrah.

The first exhibition game would be a 9-7 loss to the Giants in overtime, as they would lose on a safety. Luke would struggle in the first half and would end up going 8 of 18 for 107 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times in the game.

He would look a little better in a 14-11 loss to New Orleans in their second preseason game. He was 7 of 10 for 74 yards. He was sacked 1 time. in the game he would suffer an injury to his non throwing hand. It would later be diagnosed as a fractured thumb. He would not be expected to miss any time.

A 17-13 win over Dallas would get them on the winning track but Luke would still struggle to find his rhythm. He was 8 of 14 for 97 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time.

He would look much better in the final game of preseason, a 29-24 win over Atlanta to even out their preseason record at 2-2. He was 15 of 24 for 202 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He rant he ball 1 time for 9 yards and was not sacked at all.

Luke would enter the season nursing his injured thumb, but still in good enough shape to be the starter. They would open up the season at Kansas City. After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Luke would lead his team storming back to take a 31-17 lead on their way to a 31-24 final. Luke would win the player of the game honors. He was 18 of 26 for 275 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 4 yards, was sacked 3 times and had 1 tackle.

They would host Chicago next as Luke would have modest numbers but still earn player of the game in a 26-17 win to improve to 2-0, much better than last season’s 0-6 start. He was 19 of 27 for 176 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Week 3 is at New England. The Broncos would score first and always keep answering the Patriots whenever they would score on their way to a 27-17 win to improve to 3-0. Luke was 17 of 22 for 221 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for -2 yards and was sacked 1 time.

After a bye week, they host Cleveland in week 5. The Browns would jump to a 12-0 halftime lead and would ride that to a 19-14 win as they would hold off Luke’s valiant comeback attempt late. He was 14 of 26 for 172 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for 1 yard and was sacked 2 times. The loss dropped them to 3-1.

Week 6 they travel to Pittsburgh. Luke and the Broncos would jump to a 20-0 lead on their way to a 26-17 win to improve to 4-1. Luke was player of the game and went 22 of 38 for 251 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 4 times for 6 yards and was sacked 1 time.

Baltimore comes to town week 7 as their defense would shut down the Raven offense in a 20-7 win to improve to 5-1. Luke would earn player of the game by going 16 of 28 for 228 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards.

Week 8 they head to play a struggling San Diego team who is still looking for their second win of the season. The game would never be in doubt in a 24-13 win to improve to 6-1. Luke was 21 of 34 for 203 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 1 time.

Week 9 would be a match-up of two of the AFC’s top teams as they travel to Cincinnati to play the 7-0 Bengals. Cincinnati would take a 13-0 lead into the 4th quarter. Luke would lead the team on a 80 yard touchdown drive to start out the 4th quarter to pull to within 13-7 with just over 10 minutes left in the game. With the score 13-7 and just under 4 minutes left, Denver would get the ball on their own 5 yard line and Luke would work some magic taking the team 95 yards ni just 4 players to take the lead 14-13, capped by a 42 yard pass. The Bronco defense would go to work next as they would score on a 124 yard fumble return on the Bengal’s first offensive play after forcing the quarterback to fumble on a sack. That would make it 21-13. They would not be through as they would then intercept the very next offensive play by the Bengals and return it 37 yards for a touchdown for the 28-13 final.

The win improved them to 7-1 and in command of the AFC West. Luke was 15 of 31 for 256 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Week 10, the host Kansas City. This would be an easy win, 27-16, in a game that was never in doubt. Luke would be player of the game as he was 17 of 27 for 176 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards. The win improves them to 8-1.

Week 11, they host Oakland. The game would be a defensive battle that Denver would win 16-10. The biggest moment of the game would be the Broncos going on a 12 play, 5 plus minute drive with for kick the field goal that increased their lead to the final score of 16-10. That drive ate up most of what was on the clock and basically sealed the game. Luke was player fo the game, but not with great numbers. He was 18 of 29 for 248 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 1 time. They now sit at 9-1.

Week 12 they play at Green Bay. With under 6 minutes left and the team trailing 22-10, Luke would earn his money and the player of the game award. With 5:29 to go, a field goal would make the score 22-13. The defense would force a 3 and out to give the Broncos the ball with 3:42 to go. A 4 play drive would result in a touchdown pass to make the score 22-20. After another 3 and out, the Broncos would get the ball with 2:12 to go at the Packer 48. 6 plays later, they would be celebrating a 27-22 win. Luke was 21 of 40 for 272 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 5 yards and was sacked 1 time. The win improves their mark to 10-1 and gives them a 7 game winning streak.

Week 13 Indianapolis comes to town. With the Broncos up 24-6 after 3, the Colts would mount a furious 18 point rally to tie the game in the 4th and send it to overtime. The Broncos would get the ball 1st in overtime and Luke would lead them on an 8 play, 80 yard drive, capped with a 37 yard touchdown strike, to win it 30-24. He would earn player of the game by going 22 of 32 for 307 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 15 yards and was sacked 3 times. The win was their 8th straight and they improved to 11-1.

Week 14 should be an easy game at Minnesota (3-0) but they would see themselves get down bu 2 touchdowns early and never quite get all the way back in a 28-23 loss to end their winning streak and drop them to 11-2. Luke would earn player of the game honors in the loss as he was 25 of 35 for 354 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 5 times.

Week 15, they host San Diego and get back on the winning path with a 27-8 win over the struggling Chargers. Luke was player of the game as he went 26 of 32 for 281 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times. The win improved their record to 12-2 and clinched a playoff spot for them and at least a tie for the division.

They host Detroit in week 16. The Lions would score to take a 30-27 lead with 2:06 left in the game. Luke would lead the team on an 8 play 67 yard drive to for the game tying field goal, a 26 yard chip shot. After forcing Detroit to punt in overtime, the Broncos would get the ball at their own 44. On a 3rd and 10 draw play, their running back (Darrell Bopp) would break a couple tackles at the line and go 56 yards for the winning score as they win 36-30. The win improved them to 13-2 and wrap up home field advantage in the playoffs.

Luke would earn player of the game honors in week 17 at Oakland in a 28-23 win to finish the season at 14-2. The Broncos would always keep Oakland at arms length in the game and never trail. Luke was 21 of 31 for 269 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 1 yard with 1 touchdown and was sacked 2 times.

The Broncos would host Houston in the division round of the playoffs. Denver would score early and coast to a 27-13 win in the snow. Luke was player of the game as he was 20 of 29 for 212 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was not sacked. The win was Luke’s 1st playoff win and put him in a conference championship game for the first time in his career.

They host Jacksonville in the AFC championship game. Jacksonville would score first and take a 7-0 lead through the end of the first quarter. Luke would hit receiver Roger Cole for a 23 yard touchdown pass with 6:22 to go in the 2nd to tie the game at 7. Jacksonville would answer with a touchdown of their own with under 4:00 to go in the 2nd to make it 14-7. Luke would lead the team 62 yards on 5 plays, capped by a 27 yard touchdown pass to Coles, to tie the game 14-14. The defense would force a turnover on an interception and the Broncos would take the lead with a 47 yard field goal to make it 17-14 at the half.

Halfway through the 3rd, Jacksonville would tie it on a chip shot field goal. Luke would lead the team downfield to take the lead on the very next drive as they would kick a 39 yard field goal to make it 20-17. Less than 2 minutes later, a 37 yard touchdown pass for Jacksonville would give them a 24-20 lead. That would remain the score until Jacksonville would extend their lead with a field goal with 6:13 to go in the game to make it 27-20. Luke would lead the team on a 9 play, 76 yard drive, capped by a 12 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 27 with 3:32 to go in the game. After a couple 3 and outs, the Broncos would get the ball back with 45 seconds left, on their own 14. They would get the ball all the way to the 18, but time would run out as they would be out of timeouts and unable to stop the clock on their final play and the game would be headed to overtime.

Jacksonville would win the toss and chose to receive. On their 3rd play, an interception would give the Broncos great field position. Starting at the Jaguar 34, they would get down to the 14 and line up for a field goal that would send them, to the Super Bowl. Celebration would start in Denver as the ball sailed through the uprights for the 30-27 win.

Luke was 29 of 45 for 388 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 8 yards, was sacked 4 times and had 1 tackle. Receiver Coles was player of the game with 15 receptions for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns.

San Francisco would be their opponent in the Super Bowl. Luke would get the scoring started on a 1 yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown to make it 7-0 with just over 1 minute left in the 1st quarter. The 49ers would get on the board with a field goal late in the 2nd to make the score 7-3 at the half.

With 4:29 to go in the 3rd, a 47 yard field goal would give Denver a 10-3 lead and that would be the score after 3. A 51 yard field goal by San Francisco would make it 10-6 with 11:16 to go in the game. After neither team could do much, San Francisco would get the ball at their own 30 with 2:30 left in the game. A 6 play, 70 yard drive, capped by a 45 yard touchdown pass, would give the 49es the lead with just 1:29 left in the game. The Broncos would start from their own 18 and Luke would lead them on a 6 play, 49 yard drive. The drive stalled at the 49er 33 and would have the Broncos lining up for a 50 yard field goal to tie. With 11 seconds left, the ball would sail just over the cross bar and between the uprights to tie the game at 13-13. It would be headed to overtime.

The Broncos would win the toss and chose to receive. Luke would lead the team on a 13 play, 6 minute and 45 second, 77 yard drive capped by a 10 yard touchdown run to win the Super Bowl 19-13. Luke would be named MVP of the Super Bowl in what would be the biggest day of his professional career and it would have nothing to do with stats and everything to do with raising that championship trophy.

He was 20 of 36 for 257 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 4 times for 7 yards with 1 touchdown and was sacked 4 times.

Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 307 of 483 (63.5%-- 6th in the NFL) for 3890 yards (6th in the NFL, 5th all-time in a single season for Denver) with 29 touchdowns (3rd in the NFL, tied for most all-time in a single season for Denver) and 13 interceptions for a rating of 97.3 (4th in the NFL, 2nd all-time in a single season for Denver), sacked 27 times, 23 carries for 43 yards with 2 touchdowns, 1 tackle and 2 fumbles. 14-2 record with 3 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s playoff numbers: 3 games, 3 starts, 69 of 110 (62.7%) for 857 yards with 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, sacked 8 times, 6 carries for 18 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 tackle. 3-0 record with 2 4th quarter heroics. Super Bowl MVP

Luke’s career: 166 games, 145 starts, 2630 of 4380 (60.0%) for 32439 yards with 216 touchdowns (20th all-time) and 147 interceptions for a 85.4 rating, sacked 267 times, 177 carries for 457 yards with 3 touchdowns, 18 tackles, 30 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries, a 84-66 record (3-2 playoffs) with 18 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career playoff stats: 5 game, 5 starts, 130 of 202 (64.3%) for 1498 yards with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, 10 carries for 25 yards with 1 touchdown, sacked 14 times,1 tackle, 1 fumble. 3-2 record, 2 4th quarter heroics. 2027 Super Bowl MVP

Godzilla Blitz · 05-27-2004, 12:38 AM

What a storybook season! I can't believe he finally did it, after all those years of futility and injury. Amazing!

Great job with this, by the way. I just noticed it tonight and have spent the past hour reading through it. Very enjoyable.

Interested to see how his career winds up.

Grid Iron · 05-27-2004, 12:44 AM

Awesome finish to the season!

vex · 05-27-2004, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godzilla Blitz

What a storybook season! I can't believe he finally did it, after all those years of futility and injury. Amazing!

Great job with this, by the way. I just noticed it tonight and have spent the past hour reading through it. Very enjoyable.

Interested to see how his career winds up.

Same for me as well, I just saw this and was hooked for the past hour.

Wow, what an ending(so far), does it get any better than that?! I wonder if he retires on a high note...

Alf · 05-27-2004, 02:41 AM

Finally, he did it. And what a great finish ! Two overtime vicories to capture the SuperBowl MVP trophy !!!

Now, I am pretty sure Denver will let his QB go (that's the way this FOF game works, right ?)

EagleFan · 05-29-2004, 12:28 AM

I have to admit that I was pumped up for him when he won it all. Yeah, you might be a geek if you get excited abuot a randomly generated fictional player in a PC game. Oh well, I am what I am.

EagleFan · 05-29-2004, 12:31 AM

Luke’s 14th season didn’t begin as he would have liked. He was not resigned by the Broncos (team management cited a youth movement for the reason) and had to enter the Free Agent pool. He was not sough after by any team during the early free agency period and ended up waiting until well after the draft before hearing from the Giants. They offered him a one year deal to be their backup. With veteran Tyrus Andrews returning, he would most likely see little action but the team does look like they have a strong chance at contending, which is why they want an established veteran quarterback as a backup plan.

The Giants would begin their preseason at Kansas City as Luke would get a chance to play against a few old team-mates. Luke would come in with the Giants up 17-7 in the second quarter and they would coast to a 27-10 win to open their preseason. Luke was 11 of 14 for 102 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 3 time.

Their defense would step up for them in their second preseason game, a 16-6 win over Buffalo. Luke would have an awful night, going 2 of 12 for 23 yards with 1 interception.

Luke would return to Denver for their third preseason game. The coach would put him in to replace Tyrus early in the game and he would enter the game to a standing ovation from the Denver fans. He would have a very good outing and would lead the team to 2 4th quarter touchdowns but it wouldn’t be enough as they would fall 28-21 after getting in too deep of a hole early. Luke was 22 of 34 for 316 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time.

Luke would get to show off some of his late magic in their final preseason game. With under 2 minutes left in the game and the Giants trailing the Jets 17-16, he would lead them on a 6 play, 64 yard touchdown drive to win the game 22-17. He was 15 of 25 for 257 yards. He was sacked 4 times.

Luke would start the season as the team’s second string quarterback and the holder. They would open the season with a 21-19 loss to Philadelphia. They would miss a game tying 2 point conversion with under a minute left to lose the game.

Week 3, Tyrus would lead the team back from a 17-0 deficit to beat Pittsburgh 23-20 on a last second field goal and to improve to 1-1.

Tyrus would injure his leg in week 3, but would finish the game. They would beat Tampa Bay 20-17 in overtime after trailing 17-10 with under a minute left in the game. The win improved them to 2-1.

After a bye week, the doctor would not clear Tyrus, giving Luke the start in week 5 against Dallas. Luke would play a solid game and earn player of the game honors. He was 19 of 33 for 202 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 1 time. The win improved their record to 3-1.

Luke would get a second start in week 6 as they would play at Detroit. The game would be an offensive affair in which the Giants would lead throughout. Luke would earn another player of the game award. He was 19 of 32 for 289 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for -2 yards, was sacked 2 times and recovered 1 fumble. They are now 4-1 and sitting at the top of the NFC East.

Tyrus would return the next week and lead the Giants back from a 24-14 deficit to win the game 27-24 on a field goal with under 3 minutes to play. They improve to 5-1 with the win.

Week 8, they host Chicago. The Giants would get out to a 14-0 second quarter lead but Chicago would begin chipping away at the lead and go on to kick a game winning field goal with under 2 minutes left in the game for the 16-14 win. The loss drops the Giants to 5-2.

Week 9 they get back on the winning track with a 19-14 win over Minnesota. They would trail the game 14-10 early in the third quarter but go on to kick 3 unanswered field goals for the win.

Week 10 would be all about defense as they would get shut out at Philadelphia 10-0. The loss dropped them to 6-3. Luke would still only get holder duties.

Week 11 would be all New York in a 23-7 win over division rival Washington. They now regain the division lead at 7-3.

Week 12 would be at Baltimore. They would trail the game 12-10 late in the 4th before Tyrus would lead the team on a 56 yard drive to set up the game winning field goal as they pull it out 13-12 to improve to 8-3.

Week 13 they host San Francisco and win 20-12 for their thirds straight victory. The win would improve their record to 9-3.

Week 14 would be an easy 30-17 win over Cleveland in their final home game of the season. They now sit at 10-3 and need just a win or Philadelphia loss to clinch the division.

Week 15 they play at Washington for the first of their final three games on the road. They would trail 13-3 early nit eh second quarter but would take over and go on to win 25-13 for their 5th straight and to improve to 11-3, clinching their division and a playoff spot.

Week 16 they are going for 6 straight as they head to Cincinnati, another one of Luke’s old teams. The Giants defense would keep the Bengals in check in a 20-10 win to improve to 12-3.

After watching a 17-7 4th quarter lead vanish in Dallas as the game would head to overtime. Tyrus would lead the team on the game winning drive in overtime as they would pull it out 20-17 for their seventh straight victory. They finish at 13-3 and have the home field advantage in the NFC.

They would host Arizona in the division round of the playoffs. Luke would watch from the sidelines as the Giants would never trail in a 22-20 win to advance to the NFC championship game. The game would not even be that close as Arizona would score on the last play of the game and hithe extra point just to get it to a 2 point game.

The Giant defense would will them to the Super Bowl in the NFC championship game against Green Bay. They would beat the Packers 16-7 in a game that was all about shutting down the Packer offense as the defense held the Packers to under 200 yards of total offense.

Luke would get to see another ex-team as the Giants would face Houston in the Super Bowl. Luke would watch from the sidelines except to hold. The Giants would score first on a 2 yard touchdown run in the first quarter to make it 7-0. A 76 yard interception return for a touchdown for Houston would tie the game at 7 early in the second quarter. Tyrus would throw a 6 yard touchdown pass with just over 3 minutes left in the first half to make it 14-7. Houston would add a field goal as the first half ended to make it 14-10 at the half.

The Giants would return the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown to make it 21-10 and that would allow their defense to take over. Each team would only manage another field goal as the Giants would win the Super Bowl 24-13 to give Luke his second ring in 2 seasons, one from each conference. Tyrus would be named the Super Bowl MVP.

Luke’s stats: 16 games, 2 starts, 38 of 65 (58.4%) for 491 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a rating of 89.9, sacked 3 times, 3 carries for -4 yards and 1 fumble recovery. 2-0 record.

Luke’s career: 182 games, 147 starts, 2668 of 4445 (60.0%) for 32930 yards with 220 touchdowns and 149 interceptions for a 85.4 rating, sacked 270 times, 180 carries for 453 yards with 3 touchdowns, 18 tackles, 30 fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries, a 86-66 record (3-2 playoffs) with 18 4th quarter heroics.

Luke’s career playoff stats: 5 game, 5 starts, 130 of 202 (64.3%) for 1498 yards with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, 10 carries for 25 yards with 1 touchdown, sacked 14 times,1 tackle, 1 fumble. 3-2 record, 2 4th quarter heroics. 2027 Super Bowl MVP

EagleFan · 05-29-2004, 12:33 AM

Not sure if I can be happy for him, I maen with the Giants winning the Super Bowl that is.

Grid Iron · 05-29-2004, 01:49 AM

Hopefully, he'll sign with another team for one final run as a starter.

vex · 05-29-2004, 02:10 AM

Nice to see his team beat Houston, since they weren't wise enough to hang on to him.

EagleFan · 05-29-2004, 11:48 PM

After earning his second ring, Luke thought long and hard about his future in football. Being relegated to the backup role last season and not being able to find any team with enough interest to start a quarterback that has as many seasons behind him as Luke has led to his decision to retire.

In a press conference held in New York, he announced that he will be retiring and currently plans to enjoy his family life for a while. He may enter football again in some manner but does not even want to think about that right now.

He has reflected upon his career and feels pleased at what he has accomplished.

College - Ohio State
20 games, 12 starts, 166 of 258 (64.3%) for 2576 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a 168.2 rating, 55 carries for -117 yards (including 30 sacks for 194 yards), 6 tackles, 1 fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 4 late game heroics and 35 stokes. 10-2 as a starter. A member of the 2010 National Champions.

Pro - Houston, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Denver and New York Giants
182 games, 147 starts, 2668 of 4445 (60.0%) for 32930 yards with 220 touchdowns and 149 interceptions for a 85.4 rating, sacked 270 times, 180 carries for 453 yards with 3 touchdowns, 18 tackles, 30 fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries, a 86-66 record (3-2 playoffs) with 18 4th quarter heroics.

career playoff stats: 5 game, 5 starts, 130 of 202 (64.3%) for 1498 yards with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, 10 carries for 25 yards with 1 touchdown, sacked 14 times,1 tackle, 1 fumble. 3-2 record, 2 4th quarter heroics. 2027 Super Bowl MVP

2027 Super Bowl MVP
2027 and 2028 Super Bowl Rings
4th in pass comlpetions all-time for Cincinnati
4th in passing yards all-time for Cincinnati
5th in passing touchdowns all-time for Cincinnati
3rd in pass completions all-time for Denver
3rd in passing yards all-time for Denver
1st in passing touchdowns all-time for Denver
33rd all-time in pass completions
27th all-timein passing yards
21st all-time in passing touchdowns
Holds the Denver record for pass completions in a playoff game with 29
Holds the Denver record for passing yards ni a playoff game with 388
Holds the Kansas City record for pass attempts ni a playoff game with 49
Holds the Kansas City recoed for pass completions in a playoff game with 28
Tied for 20th all-time for wins as a starter with 86
Tied for 23rd all-time in win percentage as a starter at .565

EagleFan · 05-30-2004, 12:42 AM

I'm putting it up for a vote on what to focus on next. Check out the thread at http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/for...ad.php?t=26121 for any who are interested in seeing another dynasty.

I will keep an eye out to see if Luke goes into coaching. If he does, his story will continue.

Just curious, for those who have read this dynasty: How would you rate his career? I say the glass is half full. Though he had the injury trouble, he still had a 14 year career and won two rings, plus won a Super Bowl MVP. I think that has to be a successful career, though not a dominating one.

Alf · 05-30-2004, 05:25 PM

I would rate this dynasty as a 5* dynasty. Seeing a player struggle early in his careeer and see it finish with 2 rings & a SuperBowl MVP trophy followed by a classy retirement is all I could dream for Luke.

PS : didn't I tell you Denver wouldn't resign him ?

Godzilla Blitz · 05-30-2004, 09:16 PM

Tough to say. All those injuries. One storybook season.

I was wondering whether he'll make it into the Hall of Fame. Does he have a chance?

vex · 05-31-2004, 01:24 AM

He won two superbowls, I'd say he did alright.

04-10-2004, 12:07 AM	#3
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Is that anything like a red neck? Entering his freshman season Luke has been told that he will be red-shirted. This is no real surprise as returning senior Antonio Hutchins is coming off a 2nd team all-conference season and has started every game for the past two years. This would give him a good opportunity to focus on learning the system and hopefully earn some playing time next season. Ohio State would enter the season as the preseason number one. With 5 home games to open the season, it looked like they should remain at the top for easily the first month of the season before they get tested. Their first game of the season would be against Alabama-Birmingham and they would be tested very little. Ohio State would roll to a 38-3 win thanks to an efficient offense and a dominating defensive effort. Iowa State and #25 UCLA would be their next two victims, both games ended 38-13 with Ohio State winning easily. The wins put them at 3-0 heading into an off week and kept them as the top ranked team in the nation. The defense was again the star of the team in both wins with 2 defensive scores in each. Illinois would come to town following the off week for their first conference game. The game would be over at the half as they would roll to 4-0 with a 49-20 win. They would retain the momentum hading into the next week’s game against Minnesota with a big 51-10 win as they sweep their 5 home games to open the season and sit at 5-0. They have not looked overwhelming offensively but are winning with their defense. They are 1st in the nation in rushing defense and yards per carry allowed (just over 1 yard per carry). They also lead the nation in 3rd down conversions allowed and in points allowed. The next week they travel to Michigan State in what would be their toughest test of the season thus far. Though they would never trail, they would also never get farther ahead than 7 points on the way to a 17-14 win in which they would intercept a pass at their own 30 to end Michigan State’s final drive. The win keeps them at number one with a 6-0 record. Next up they travel to Purdue for an easier 34-14 win to improve to 7-0 heading into a home game against unbeaten Penn State, who is number 2 in the nation. Penn State would score first with a field goal but the Ohio State defense would shut them down for most of the game on the way to a 24-10 win to improve to 8-0 and show that they are for real. Their next two games would be home against Iowa and at number eighteen Wisconsin. They would shut out both teams, 34-0 and 1-0 respectively. In each game, they would hold their opponents to under 150 yards of total offense as they would improve to 10-0 for the season. Their final game of the season would be at Michigan. This would prove to be their toughest game of the season as they would get behind 15-7 with under two minutes to play. They would drive 74 yards for a touchdown with just 23 second left and line up for a two point conversion to attempt to tie the game. The coach would call a draw that the back would apparently get in but the refs would call him down at the 1 foot line leading to their first loss of the season 15-13. The loss would drop them to number two, behind unbeaten Georgia. They would still get to play for the championship against Georgia and their defense would stop the Bulldogs’ running game and allow them just 7 points in a 16-7 win to end the season 11-1 and with the national championship. For the season Ohio State would end up 1st in the nation allowing just 485 yards rushing, 1st allowing just 1.29 yards per carry, 1st allowing just 119 completions, 3rd allowing just 1580 passing yards, 1st allowing an 18.8 third down conversion percentage and 1st allowing just 9.9 points per game. Luke would love being on the national championship team, though not playing. This experience would be the best year of his life, so far. Academically he would do okay, but knows that he could do better s he would have a 2.72 GPA for the year.

04-10-2004, 11:44 AM	#4
Grid Iron Ice Cream Man Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Bay Area	Very nice read with an interesting story. I'm really enjoying it. Good, quick pace without getting bogged down with stats. Keep it up! BTW, I assume Ohio State played Georgia in the 2009 Nat'l Championship game. What was the score? __________________ Follow the story of the Oregon Ice of the Continental Football League.

04-10-2004, 11:49 PM	#5
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	At least the bench was warm Heading into his sophomore season Luke would to told that he would be given a chance to earn some playing time. He mad the most of the preseason practice in an attempt to impress the coaches. With no legitimate returning threat, he would look to have a very good chance at being named the starter. The team’s defense would lose quite a few starters and could take quite a bit of a hit this season. Offensively they have returning senior running backs Jay Thornton and Floyd Rickman who both started 6 games last season and ran for 877 and 673 yards respectively. Luke would not be given the nod as the starter but would be the backup as the season would begin with a home game against Missouri. Ohio State would see just how much they missed their graduating seniors from last season as Missouri would control the game on the way to a 23-14 upset of Ohio State. The loss would knock them from being preseason number 1 as they begin the season 0-1. Luke would see no action in the game. Following a week off, they would host San Diego State and would get back on track with a 27-3 win in which Thornton would rush for 144 yards. Starting quarterback Billy Granados would have a much better game and not get picked off this week. Luke would see no action as the team improves to 1-1. The win would move them back into the top 25 at they would be number 20 heading into their next game at UCLA (1-1). They would score early and often on their way to a 38-0 route of UCLA to improve to 2-1. Luke would see a little action going 4 of 5 for 38 yards with 1 interception. He also ran 3 times for -4 yards, including 1 sack. They would move up the charts all the way to number 5 following the win as they head to Purdue (1-1) to open their conference schedule. Both Thornton and Rickman would rush for over 100 yards on their way to a 38-7 win to improve to 3-1. Luke would not see any playing time in the win. They would move up to number four heading into their next game, a home game against Indiana (0-4) in which they are favored by 31. They would not cover, but win 48-20 to improve to 4-1. Both Rickman and Thornton would again rush for over 100 yards. Luke would not see any playing time in the win. They would move up to number two, behind only unbeaten Georgia, as they host Evanston (2-3) for their next game. Evanston would put up little resistance as they would roll 40-6 to improve to 5-1. Thornton would rush for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns in being named the player of the game. Rickman would add 71 yards of his own. Luke would start to get a little frustrated as he would again see no action in the blowout. A week off would see them drop to number three in the nation heading into a big game at number ten Michigan State (6-0). The game would live up to the hype and be a defensive struggle as Ohio State would take a 19-6 lead with just over 6 minutes to go and would have the ball deep in Michigan State territory with under 3 to go but defensive back Wally Maupin would step in front of a Granados pass and return it 93 yards for what would be the winning score as Michigan State wins 13-10 to ruin Ohio State’s hopes of repeating as National Champions as they fall to 5-2. Granados would be picked 3 times in the game and complete just 10 of 23 passes. Luke would see no playing time in the game. They are now at number ten as they host number twelve Penn State (5-2). The game would be a shootout with Ohio State winning 33-24 to improve to 6-2. Penn State would get 14 of their points on a kickoff return and an interception return as the Ohio State defense would play them tough in the red zone. Thornton would be the star of the game, with 227 yards on the ground. Luke would see no playing time again. They would move to number nine heading into next week’s game, hosting number eleven Wisconsin (7-1). They would never trail in the game as they would go on to win 28-21. Thornton would shine with 155 yards in the win. Luke would watch from the sidelines again as the team would improve to 7-2. They would have another tough game coming up as they travel to number twenty Iowa (9-1). Ohio State would be ranked number six going into the game. After falling behind 10-3 early in the second, they would defensively take over the game on their way to a 27-10 win with 24 unanswered points to improve to 8-2. Luke would get to watch from the sidelines again. They would be 8-2 and ranked number five in the nation heading into their final game of the season, at Michigan (6-4). Ohio State would take all of their frustrations out on Michigan with a 31-5 win to end the regular season at 9-2. Luke would see no playing time. Ohio State would be ranked number 4 and would play in the Angelica Bowl against number seven Virginia Tech (10-1). Ohio State would take the lead early and never look back on their way to a 38-7 win to end the season at 10-2. Luke would not play in the game. Nationally, Georgia would end the season at 13-0 and be the National Champions with a 40-38 overtime win against Miami of Ohio in the Solecismic Bowl. Ohio State would again do it with defense this season. They would be 2nd in rushing defense allowing just 669 yards, 2nd in yards per attempt allowed at just 1.92 and 2nd in points per game at 11.5. Thornton would end the season with 1445 yards rushing. Luke would play just 1 game and go 4 of 5 (80.0%) for 38 yards with 1 interception for a 103.8 rating. He ran 3 times for -4 yards, including 1 sack. He would be given 2 stokes for the season. He would improve his grades some as his GPA would be 2.83 by the end of the year. He still lacks any popularity but is trying to keep a positive outlook for next season.

04-11-2004, 10:58 PM	#7
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Frustration continues Heading into his junior season he is looking at being the number two as Grenados returned for his final season of eligibility. Ohio State would be the preseason number one as they would also have running back Jay Thornton returning for his last season. Thornton is one of the preseason favorites for player of the year. They open the season at home against Idaho as 17 point favorites. They would dominate on their way to a 48-0 route of Idaho. The defense would allow just 42 yards of total offense and 3 first downs. Luke would see a little action but would not have any stats for the game. Grenados would throw 3 interceptions in the game and the third string quarterback would get more playing time that Luke. After an off-week, number twenty UCLA (1-0) would come to town. Ohio State would be a one touchdown favorite in the game. The game would be an early season classic that would see the lead change several times and Ohio State would win it with a field goal late in the 4th quarter by a 27-24 score to improve to 2-0. Grenados would again struggle with 3 picks and the defense would be what would win the game for them. Luke would watch from the sidelines and not get any playing time. Next up they travel to San Diego State (2-0) and are 2 point favorites on the road. Ohio State would never trail but could never get ahead by more than 10 points on heir way to a 31-24 win to improve to 3-0. Thornton would have a breakout game with 219 yards rushing. Luke would see no action. Time to open up their conference schedule as Purdue (2-1) comes to town. Ohio State is an 18 point favorite in the game. The defense would again impress with their second shutout of the season, 37-0. They would hold Purdue to 86 yards of total offense. They would be solid, but not spectacular offensively. Luke would not get into the game. Number one ranked Ohio State would then travel to Indiana (1-3) where they were again big favorites. Thornton would run for 153 yards on their way to a 51-20 win to improve to 5-0. Luke would not see any action and Grenados would be solid. The following week they head to Evanston (2-3). They are 23 point favorites in the game. The game would be a cake walk as they would roll 41-7. Thornton would run for `73 yards and Grenados would throw for a pair of scores in the route. Luke would get his usual seat on the bench to watch the game, at least he doesn’t have to pay for his seat. After a week off, they have a very big game as number eleven Michigan State (6-0) comes to play them. Ohio State is a three point favorite going into the game. The game would be a defensive struggle throughout but the big play would work against Ohio State as Michigan State would pull out a 17-10 win. The stats would all favor Ohio State but they could do nothing once they reached the red zone, where Michigan State took advantage of their opportunities. Luke would not see any action as the team fell to 6-1 and will drop from number one. Sitting at 6-1, they are now ranked number three in the nation and will host number five Penn State (6-1). Penn State also is coming off their first loss of the season as both teams are looking to get back on track. The Ohio State defense came up huge and Thornton ran for 148 as Ohio State would destroy Penn State 38-3 to improve to 7-1. Luke would watch from the sidelines again. They would remain at number three as they travel to play number four Wisconsin (7-0) in another big game. They would be the underdog for the first time all season. The game would be a tight defensive battle that would see Wisconsin take a 14-7 lead early in the fourth and hang on for the 14-7 win as Ohio State would twice see drives stall inside the Wisconsin 40 in the final five minutes of the game. Luke would see no action in the game as the team drops to 7-2 and lose all hope for a national title game appearance. Iowa (5-4) comes to town the next week as Ohio State looks to unload their frustrations. They do just that with a 38-3 win in heavy rain. Thornton ran for 128 yards and 2 scores while Grenados threw three other touchdowns. Luke saw no action in the game. The final regular season game is at Michigan (6-4) for their big rivalry game. They are one touchdown favorites entering the game but that means nothing in these games. Ohio State ends their regular season on a very positive note with a 40-0 route of their rivals, Michigan. Luke got into the game and was 3 of 3 for 29 yards. He also ran two times for -1 yards, including a sack. Ohio State earned a birth in the Edible Fruit Bowl against Texas (10-2). Thornton would run for 159 yards in the game as they would beat Texas 38-20 to end the season at 10-2. Grenados would have an okay game in his last game for Ohio State. Luke would not see any playing time. Nationally, Wisconsin would beat Michigan State 34-14 to win the national championship as their conference would boast four top ten teams, with Ohio State and Penn State finishing top ten as well. Luke’s stats: 2 games, 3 of 3 (100.0%) for 29 yards for a 191.1 rating, 2 carried for -1 yard, including 1 sack. He earned 1 stoke this season. Academically he had his best year yet as his GPA has jumped to 3.02. Luke’s career: 3 games, 7 of 8 (87.5%) for 67 yards with 1 interception for a 132.8 rating, 5 carries for-5 yards (including 2 sacks for 13 yards), 1 tackle and 3 stokes earned.

04-24-2004, 07:52 PM	#8
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Not many more chances left... Heading into his senior season he was mentally preparing himself to take over as the starter but had a setback when the coaches thought that senior Gerald Tatum had shown better decision making in practice and they turned the starting spot over to Tatum. This made Luke rather upset as he knows that he has more talent than Tatum and has considered quitting the team. The only thing that keeps him on the team is the hope that he will be the opening game starter next season, in his last season of eligibility. Ohio State was ranked number four in the nation heading into the season. Their opening game would be at home against Eastern Michigan. Ohio State would jump to a 41-0 lead after three quarters behind a strong running game and coast to a 41-3 win to open the season at 1-0. Luke would see action late in the game and would go 2 for 2 for 39 yards. The win would catapult them to the top spot in the polls as they travel to play at UCLA (1-0). They enter the game as a field goal favorite. The defense would rise to the occasion as they would shut out UCLA by a 31-0 score to improve to 2-0. Luke would not get into the game. Next, number eighteen Army (1-0) comes to play them. Ohio State would be a 6 point favorite in the game. They would allow more points in a game than they have so far, but only 13 as they would go on to win 27-13 behind a strong running attack. Luke would not get into the game. Minnesota (0-3) would come to town next as they open their conference schedule as 30 point favorites. The game would be the most one sided game that Luke has seen while at Ohio State as they would win 76-0. Luke would see some action and be 2 of 3 for 21 yards and he would have 2 carries for -6 yards (including a sack). They are now 4-0 and have allowed an average of 4 points per game. The next game is a big game as they travel to number fifteen Illinois (4-0). Their running attack would carry them to a 45-24 win as they would run for 408 yards in the game. Two backs would rush for over 100 yards, with Rickman getting over 200. Luke would not see any action in the game. The next game is against another tough conference opponent as number two Wisconsin (4-0) come to town to play them. Ohio State would score first on a field goal midway through the first to make it 3-0. Wisconsin would score a touchdown on the last play of the first quarter to make it 7-3. Ohio State would narrow the gap with a field goal midway through the second but Wisconsin would return the kickoff for a touchdown to make it 14-6. Ohio State would score a touchdown on their next possession to make it 14-13 at the half. Wisconsin would add two field goals to make it 20-13 in the fourth.Ohio State’s final three drives would start at their own 19, 1 and 6 and they could not generate any offense as they would lose 20-13 to drop to 5-1 and get knocked out of the top spot. Luke would not play in the game. The loss dropped then to number two as they travel to Evanston (2-3) in a game they are favored by 17. Their defense would smother Evanston in a 41-3 win in which they allowed just 86 yards of total offense. Luke would get in the game but his only stats would be 1 carry for -7 yards as he was sacked. After a week off they regain the number one spot in the nation as Wisconsin would lose to Michigan. They will host Indiana (1-7) and be 26 point favorites in the game. They would jump on Indiana early and not look back on the way to a 51-7 win to improve to 7-1. Luke would see some action and be 3 of 4 for 45 yards. Next they travel to number twenty four Penn State (5-3). They enter the game as a 4 point favorite. The game would never be close as they coast to a 38-10 win thanks to big plays that ld to Tatum throwing for over 400 yards, though only completing 21 passes and being picked a couple times. Luke would not see any action. With just two games left in the regular season they travel to Michigan State (5-4). They are 9 point favorites in the game. They would take a 9-3 lead into the 4th quarter in a game they were dominating defensively but Michigan State would find the momentum and the big play in the 4th as they would score 21 unanswered points to upset Ohio State 24-9. The loss drops them to 8-2 and pretty much out of the title hunt. They drop to number four following the loss as they prepare to host number fifteen Michigan (9-1). Tatum would be picked off three times on the way to a 27-0 loss to drop them to 8-3 as they have now been outscored 48-0 in their last five quarters of football. Luke would see some action but be 0 of 1 with 1 interception. Ohio State will be playing Texas (7-5) in the Edible Fruit Bowl. Ohio State would win 37-24 in a game that wasn’t even that close as 14 of Texas’ points came off a punt return and a fumble recovery. Luke would not see any action in the game. Ohio State would end the season at 9-3. Nationally Wisconsin would win their second consecutive National Championship as they would beat Miami of Ohio 24-14 in the championship game. Luke’s stats: 5 games, 7 of 10 (70.0%) for 105 yards with 1 interception for a 138.2 rating, 3 carries for -13 yards (including 2 sacks for 13yards), 1 tackle, 1 fumble and 2 stokes. He struggles a little with his grades as his GPA has dipped o 2.91. Luke’s career: 8 games, 14 of 18 (77.8%) for 172 yards with 2 interceptions for a 135.7 rating, 8 carries for -18 yards (including 4 sacks for 26 yards), 2 tackles, 1 fumble and 5 stokes.

04-09-2004, 01:48 AM	#2
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Calling all Colleges The first two schools that Luke heard from were Maryland and Georgia. Both have invited him to visit and offered him a scholarship. Georgia has a much better Geology program, his selected area of study and one of the most important things that he is looking for in a college. Georgia’s football program is much more prestigious as well, another factor that he rates highly. Through most of his senior season, he has still only heard from Maryland and Georgia, a surprise to him and the experts who had him rated as one of the top quarterbacks in the land. Through 7 games, he has thrown for 3039 yards with 12 touchdowns and has run for another 8 touchdowns. He decided to visit Georgia near the end of his season, during an off week for his team. He likes the campus and everything they showed him about their Geology program. He also got to take in a game as the #2 ranked Bulldogs beat LSU 42-7 to remain unbeaten. When he arrived home he was contacted by both UCLA and Tulsa. They both invited him to visit and offered him a scholarship. Tulsa has a better Geology program but their football program is not rated very high at all. UCLA is sloe to Georgia in terms of football but their Geology program is significantly worse. The following week, Oklahoma and Pittsburgh contacted him. He was offered a scholarship by Oklahoma and both invited him to visit. During that week he scheduled time to visit UCLA, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Maryland over the next couple weeks. He was impressed by all of the schools and has started making the decision too difficult for himself by over-thinking the situation. When he arrived back home from those trips he was offered a scholarship by Pittsburgh and scheduled a visit. He has now declined Georgia as they have received a commitment from the top rated quarterback recruit in the nation, he wants to go where he can have a better than average chance to play and prove his talent on the field. Next, he heard from Ohio State, the #1 team in the nation. He was invited to visit and offered a scholarship. They have one of the best Geology programs in the nation as well as a highly ranked football team. The combination was too much for him to pass up as he chose to commit to Ohio State. As the season would finish, Ohio State would end up #2 in the nation with an 11-1 record. Georgia would go unbeaten and end up #1. In 9 games Luke would throw for 3963 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also ran for 622 yards and 9 touchdowns. He would be named to all-state but not make the all-American team. Luike would feel robbed as the all-American quarterback would throw for 800 fewer yards, 3 fewer touchdowns and 7 fewer rushing touchdowns.

04-25-2004, 01:06 AM	#9
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Last year eligible Luke enters his final season of eligibility and will be the starting quarterback, finally something that he has been working hard for and dreaming of his whole life. He has entered the season in the best shape of his life and is guilt like a spark plug as his 5’10” frame now supports 217 pounds. They begin the season at home against Eastern Michigan as 13 point favorites. They out gain Eastern Michigan 512-75 on their way to a 51-3 win for Luke’s first start of his career. Luke was 14 of 20 for 237 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran 2 times for -13 yards, both sacks. He picked up 3 stokes for the game. He is riding an emotional high with his first win and first touchdown passes of his career. The win bumped them up to number one in the country as they host UCLA (0-1 for their next game. UCLA jumped out to a 7-0 lead on their first drive but it was all Ohio State afterwards as they went on to win 37-7. Luke was named the player of the game for his efforts. He was 17 of 26 for 285 yards with 4 touchdowns. He had 6 carries for -6 yards, including 3 sacks. He earned 5 stokes for the game. They have another home game as Alabama-Birmingham (1-1) come to town next. They are 8 point favorites in this one. UAB wishes it was that close as it’s all Ohio State, 65-0. Ohio State out gained them 412-24 and allowed just 1 first down. Luke played in just one half and was a perfect 10 of 10 for 158 yards with 2 touchdowns. He carried 2 times for 7 yards and also earned 4 stokes. The win puts them at 3-0 and looking dominating as they prepare for their conference schedule. After three games, Luke is the highest rated quarterback in the nation at 228.2. Their first conference game is on the road, at Illinois (2-1). They are one touchdown favorites as they head into the game. They would fall behind 17-3 after the 3rd quarter but Luke would leaf them to two touchdowns, the last one with just over a minute left. The kicker would miss the last extra point and it would cost them the game 17-16 as they fall to 3-1. Luke would be 12 of 19 for 222 yards with 2 touchdowns. He carried 10 times for -40 yards, including 7 sacks. He earned 4 stokes in the loss. The loss dropped them to number two as they head to Minnesota (2-1). They would be 6 point favorites heading into the game. After falling behind 10-0 after the 1st quarter, Luke would lead them back with a couple of touchdown passes as they would win 21-13. Luke would be 14 of 22 for 203 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 4 times for -6 yards, including 1 sack. He earned 3 stokes in the win. Number twenty two Michigan State (4-1) comes to town to play them next in a what promises to be a tough game. Michigan State would open the game with a kickoff return for a score to take a 7-0 lead. Ohio State would come back and go up 28-13 early in the 4th but the Ohio State defense would collapse and allow Michigan State to score 16 4th quarter points to take a 29-28 lead with 24 seconds left. Luke would lead the team into Michigan territory but would run out of time before getting close enough for a field goal as they drop to 4-2 with a 29-28 loss, their second one point loss of the season. Luke would go 12 of 19 for 191 yards with 1 interception. He ran 3 times for 7 yards, including 1 sack. He also had 1 tackle and earned 1 stoke in the loss. The loss dropped them to number ten as Purdue (3-2) comes to visit. They are 6 point favorites in the game. Purdue would go ahead 10-0 midway through the 3rd quarter when Luke would turn the game around with a couple of touchdowns on the way to a 28-13 win. Luke would be 15 of 23 for 208 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 6 times for 4 yards, including 1 sack. He also earned 1 stoke in the win as they improve to 5-2. After a week off, they move up to number eight and will be hosting number twenty one Penn State (5-3). They are 8 point favorites in the game. The running game would carry them to a 31-10 win. Luke would go 7 of 12 for 103 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The win makes them 6-2. After 8 games, Luke is 3rd in the nation with a 186.7 quarterback rating. The win moves them up to number five in the nation as they travel to play at Iowa (7-2). They are 5 point favorites on the road. It would be all Ohio State defense as they go on to win 44-14. The defense would score 3 touchdowns for them. Luke would be 18 of 29 for 243 yards with 1 interception. He had 2 carries for -14 yards, both sacks. He earned 1 stoke in the win as they improve to 7-2. They improve to number four in the nation as they prepare to host number one Wisconsin (8-1). Their season rests on this game as they attempt to keep Wisconsin from having a chance at their third straight national championship. Early in the 2nd, Wisconsin scores first with a field goal to make it 3-0. A 1 yard touchdown run on the following drive for Ohio State gives them a 7-3 halftime lead. A 41 yard touchdown pass from Luke makes it 14-3 in the 3rd. With under 6 minutes to go Wisconsin scores on a 6 yard touchdown pass and makes the two point conversion to make it 14-11. With just 4 second left, the Wisconsin kicker hit’s a 54 yard field goal to tie it and send it to overtime. After Wisconsin hit a field goal on their possession to make it 17-14, Luke rolled out on a play action pass on 3rd and goal and found his fullback in the end zone for the game winner as they win 20-17 and improve to 8-2. Luke was 9 of 18 for 170 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for -11 yards, both sacks. He also had 1 tackle and earned 3 stokes. The win moved them up to number three in the nation as they travel to number eleven Michigan (9-1) for their last game of the season. The game would be an instant classic as Ohio State would tie the game at 20 on a defensive touchdown midway through the 4th and it would go to overtime tied at 20. Ohio State would score on a run in the first overtime but Michigan would tie. After holding Michigan to a missed field goal in the second overtime, Ohio State would fail to score as well to send it to a third overtime. Luke would throw a touchdown pass to start the third overtime and they would miss the two point conversion as the runner would be brought down at the one to make the score 33-27. A 21 yard touchdown run on Michigan’s second play of the third overtime would tie it. A great play to deflect the pass on the two point conversion would keep the game tied at 33. A 39 yard field goal by Michigan in the 4th overtime would give them a 36-33 lead. A 3 yard touchdown run on 2nd and goal would win the game for Ohio State, 39-36. Luke would complete 11 of 21 for 177 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 6 times for -13 yards, including 4 sacks. He also had 2 tackles and earned 2 stokes. They would make the Sinclair Lewis Bowl against North Carolina (8-3). Luke would throw a pair of touchdowns on the way to a 28-11 win to end the season at 10-2. Luke was 13 of 21 for 207 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also had 4 carries for -14 yards, with 3 sacks. He recovered 1 fumble and earned 2 stokes. Nationally North Texas beat Stanford 17-14 in the Solecismic Bowl to win the National Championship as Wisconsin’s string of titles is officially over. Luke’s stats: 12 games, 12 starts, 152 of 240 (63.3%) for 2404 yards with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 170.7 rating (8th in the nation), 47 carries for -99 yards (including 26 sacks for 168 yards), 4 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 4 late game heroics and 30 stokes. He also earned 2nd team all-conference. His GPA dropped to 2.88. Luke’s career: 20 games, 12 starts, 166 of 258 (64.3%) for 2576 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a 168.2 rating, 55 carries for -117 yards (including 30 sacks for 194 yards), 6 tackles, 1 fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 4 late game heroics and 35 stokes.

04-25-2004, 01:58 AM	#10
Grid Iron Ice Cream Man Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Bay Area	Glad to see this dynasty back. Looking forward to the NFL draft. . . Is he willing to play for San Diego? __________________ Follow the story of the Oregon Ice of the Continental Football League.

04-25-2004, 02:25 PM	#11
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Draft Day Heading into the pro draft, a lot has been made of Luke’s accuracy and the ‘draft experts’ have listed him as the top quarterback in the draft. This has been a lot of sudden attention for him and he has been a little swept up in all of the publicity that he has received. He has signed an agent and decided to attend the NFL draft, with there being a very good chance of him going high in the first round. His nerves began to get the best of him the night before the draft as his dreams of being picked for an NFL team were about to come true. He spend an entire sleepless night, made even worse by the countless hours of predraft speculation. He was being slotted somewhere between 15 and 25 with a lot depending on moves being made by the teams themselves. The draft started with few surprises, Cleveland and Chicago picking defensive players. As the tenth pick was taken he began to get even more nervous as it was getting closer to his 'slotted' range. He was hearing murmers through the crowd about a team looknig to move up int eh draft and possibly take him. This is truly the most exciting day of his life, to date. Finally as the 17th selection cam and the Houston GM stood on the podium and read his name he felt a joy like he never had before. His moment in the sun was here and he stood up and proudly made his way to the stage. Unfortunately he was so caught up in the moment, he didn’t notice that purse sticking out from under the chair near the aisle and he took a header on national television. Al that was hurt was his pride as he jumped to his feet like nothing had happened and finished his stroll to the podium amid a slight wave of laughter. After the draft, he was rushed into the media circus that stood before him. Countless interviews and press shots left his head spinning by the time the dust had settled and he could really begin to appreciate how his life may have just changed. Now it's time to focus on getting ready for the season and allowing his agent to handle the minor details of getting him signed.

04-25-2004, 09:09 PM	#12
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Hey Rookie Houston could be a perfect fit for him as the team’s current starter, Ellsworth Toohey, is a 14 year vet who is in the final year(s) of his career. Luke quickly packed up and moved to Houston once his agent negotiated a good deal for him, a 4 year / 15.79 million dollar deal that includes a 7.4 million dollar signing bonus. Luke saw plenty of action in the team’s first preseason game, a 42-14 loss to St. Louis. He was only 8 of 24 for 94 yards with 2 interceptions. He was also sacked 6 times and fumbled 2 times, recovering 1, in what was a rather tough start to his pro career. Ellsworth pulled him aside and let him know about some of his early growing pains, tying to keep him from getting down on himself. The next preseason game was his first home game, against Minnesota. With his team down 21-16 he drove his team 80 yards in the final two minutes for the winning score and completed a 2 point conversion for the 24-21 win. He was named player of the game for his efforts and was 20 of 37 for 241 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran 2 times for 7 yards and was also sacked 3 times. Their next game was a 24-16 loss at home to San Francisco. Luke would see a little action but would get a little banged up and came out of the game. He was just 2 of 6 for 34 yards in the loss. The diagnosis would be a strained calf muscle and he will miss the last preseason game, a 24-19 win at Chicago. The injury might keep him out of the lineup for the opener but he will be the backup if he is healthy. It looks like he has a great chance of being the heir apparent for the Texans. Luke would be the second string quarterback heading into the season and will be the holder. The team would start out 4-1 and be looking strong when they would go into the tank for the season. with the team at 5-3 and getting blown out by Miami, Luke would see his first regular season action as he would go 2 of 4 for 26 yards. The very next week he would see second half action as his team was getting blown out at Jacksonville. He would go 5 of 11 for 66 yards with 1 interception. Week 15 he would get in for one play and get sacked that play. He would also see a little time in the last game of the season and go 2 of 4 for 10 yards. The season was a disappointment as the team went 6-10 and finished well out of the playoffs. This would be after starting the season 5-2 and losing 8 of their last 9 games. Luke’s stats: 16 games, 0 starts, 9 of 19 (47.3%) for 102 yards with 1 interception for a rating of 41.9.

04-26-2004, 09:27 PM	#13
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Second Season Ellsworth Toohey would be a free agent but would get resigned by the Texans which would relegate Luke to second string again, it would appear. Ellsworth has been a great teacher for Luke and the team seems to want another season for Luke to mature before throwing him into the fire. The first preseason game would be a thriller that would go late into overtime before the Texans would fall at home to Seattle, 34-31. Luke would see some action and would be 6 of 10 for 69 yards with 1 interception. He would have 1 carry for 4 yards as well. Other than the interception, he would also be sacked 2 times as it would not be a stellar performance by the second year player. Luke would see plenty of action in the second preseason game, though their defense would crumble like a house of cards in a 45-13 loss at Detroit. Luke would have a solid performances, going 16 of 23 for 211 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would also have 1 carry for 8 yards. His best play of the game would be an 86 yard touchdown pass to speedster Anthony Cortez. He would get sacked 1 time and fumble the ball on that play. Luke would get the start the next game as Toohey would be nursing an injury that he suffered last week and the team did not want to take any chances. IT would be a tough 13-6 loss in overtime to St. Louis at home in a game where an early missed extra point would ultimately lead to the Texans downfall. Luke would have a solid game with a few setbacks as he would be 14 of 21 for 158 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, as well as 2 sacks. Luke would have the worse game of his short pro career in their final preseason game, a 30-7 loss at Minnesota. He would be only 4 of 18 for 70 yards with 1 interception and 1 sack. He ran 1 time for 2 yards as well. He would be under pressure the entire time he was ni there as he was hurried 7 times and could not get comfortable in the pocket. Houston’s season would take a turn for the worse in their opening game of the season. Early in the second quarter, Toohey would go down with a hyper-extended knee and Luke would enter the game. He would start out okay with an early touchdown pass after entering the game but his season would be in question when he would get sacked early in the 4th quarter and would be left on the field writhing in pain. He would come out of the game and later be diagnosed with a broken clavicle. His might miss 2 months of the season with the injury. Houston would go on to win 26-20 in overtime to open the season at 1-0 but it would be a costly win as they lost their top two quarterbacks in the opening game of the season. Luke would be 6 of 11 for 61 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran 1 time for 4 yards. With the team at 3-1, Luke would be cleared by the doctor to return to the playing field. He would be given the start as Toohey is still not 100 percent as they travel to Oakland. He would look very solid through the early part of the game but be very slow getting up following the final of his 3 sacks and get taken out of the game late in the 3rd. Oakland would win the game 26-21 to drop Houston to 3-2. Luke would have a solid game going 15 of 23 for 163 yards with 1 touchdown. Toohey would return the following week in a 31-21 loss to Kansas City that would drop them to 3-3. The team is now beginning to question their own ability again as it is looking like last year’s collapse is starting early. Toohey would settle the team down and lead them to three straight wins to get them to 6-3. He would be helped by the running of 4th year back Scott Duncan who would rush for over 500 yards in those three games, including a 206 yard performance. Luke would not see any action in those games but is enjoying being on a winning team. The following week could be a defining moment for them as they would be the underdogs against Jacksonville who enters the game at 7-2. They would crush the Jaguars 31-7. Luke would be a holder again and would actually get credited for a 4 yard carry when a bad snap on a field goal attempt would force him to pick it up and run with it. After their run would get them to 10-3, Jacksonville would have their revenge in a 30-6 win. The game could be costly as Toohey sprained his ankle late. Luke saw some action late but was 0 of 4. Toohey is questionable for the next few weeks and Luke might get some very tense playing time coming up with a playoff spot in the balance over the final two weeks of the season. Toohey would start the next week at Minnesota (11-3) but would leave the game midway through the 3rd with the team trailing. Toohey would later be diagnosed as needing surgery to repair his ACL and will miss the rest of the season, and maybe most of next if he returns. Luke would be unable to being them all the way back in a 38-27 loss that dropped them to 10-5 in a game that a win would have guaranteed them a playoff spot. Luke was 8 of 16 for 70 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Luke would get the start in the final game, at Tennessee and the team would look awful, as would he. They would get spanked 31-3 by a team that has lost 10 games. Luke would be 17 of 38 for 187 yards with 2 interceptions. He also carried the ball 2 times for 5 yards. To go along with his 2 picks were 2 sacks and a fumble. They would back into a wild card spot as the end the season with 3 straight losses. Luke would get his first career playoff start at the Jets (10-6). Luke would lead the team on a drive for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead as the first quarter ended. After allowing a touchdown early in the second, a fumble would give the Jets great field position that would lead to another score to make it 14-3. Luke would hit receiver Anthony Cortez for a 13 yard score with under 2 minutes left in the half to make it 14-10 at the half. An interception would give the Jets good field position early in the 3rd and it would lead to another touchdown to make it 21-10. After Luke would lead the team on a touchdown drive to make it 21-17, the Jets would answer with a field goal to make it 24-17 through three quarters of play. The Jets would score with under 6 to go in the game to make it 31-17. Luke would lead the team on a drive for his third touchdown pass of the game with under 2 minutes to go to make it 31-24 but they would not recover the onside kick and the Jets would run out the clock for the 31-24 win. Luke would have a good game in his first ever playoff game as he would go 33 of 43 for 343 yards with 3 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran 3 times for 3 yards and fumbled the ball 1 time. The Jets would go on to blank San Francisco in the Super Bowl, 21-0, to win the title. Luke’s regular season stats: 6 games, 2 starts, 46 of 92 (50.0%) for 481 yards with 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions for a rating of 58.2, sacked 5 times, 4 carries for 13 yards, 1 fumble. 0-2 record. Luke’s career stats: 22 games, 2 starts, 55 of 111 (40.5%) for 583 yards with 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions for a rating of 55.4, sacked 6 times, 4 carries for 13 yards, 1 fumble. 0-2 regular season record. Luke’s playoff stats: 1 game, 1 start, 33 of 43 for 343 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 3 carries for 3 yards, 1 fumble. 0-1 record.

04-27-2004, 04:18 AM	#14
Alf Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Rennes, France	Nice playoff stat game for Luke. Finally, he might be a full time starter next season with Toohey injury at his age. __________________ FOFL - GML - IHOF - FranceStats

04-27-2004, 06:42 AM	#15
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Third Year Heading into his third season as a pro, he received a call from Ellsworth the morning that the team was to report to their first mini camp. He told Luke that he was going to announce his retirement today and wished Luke a long and successful career with the Texans. Ellsworth will be retiring as the all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, these would be mighty big shoes Luke would have to fill. Luke’s life may be changing with one phone call as he is now a starting quarterback in the NFL. It took a little while to sink in but when he got a call from his coach telling him the news and that he would go into the preseason as the number one quarterback and it would be his job to lose. Their first preseason game would be a home game against Dallas. Luke would be entering new territory now, for the first time in his career he would be the number one going into camp, and not the guy looking to unseat the starter. Of course, he would now be the target that the backups would be aiming for. He would show some nerves early in the game and have just an okay outing in a 27-17 loss. He would be 12 of 23 for 171 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would also carry the ball 3 times for 17 yards. Unfortunately he would be sacked 3 times and fumble the ball 1 time. He definitely left room for the backups to outshine him, but his backup was just 3 of 9. The next week they would travel to New Orleans and lose a shootout, 31-27. He would see jkust a little time early in the game and would do okay, going 8 of 13 for 111 yards. His backup would not look very good, getting picked a couple times and one being returned for a touchdown. Their third preseason game would be at the New York Giants. They would win a tight one 23-20 for their first preseason win of the season. Luke would look okay at times as he was 13 of 25 for 201 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He ran 3 times for 9 yards. He was also sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle. His backup would lead them to a late victory and look decent against the Giants’ backups. They return home for their final preseason game of the season as they host Carolina. Luke would go 5 of 11 for 57 yards. He ran 1 time for 3 yards. He was sacked 1 time. When he was sacked, he broke a finger on his non throwing hand and left the game. He was later listed as questionable for the team’s season opener. They would go on to beat Carolina 20-16 to end the preseason at 2-2. Luke would start the season opener, a game at Jacksonville. He would have a very tough game as he would end up getting picked 5 times in a close 27-24 loss. Fans would begin to question him as their starter already. He was 19 of 32 for 221 yards with 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 9 yards. He was sacked 2 times to go along with his 5 picks. A conflict within the team would look evident as guard Trent Delrio would come out and question Luke’s heart following the game. Delrio is the leader of the offensive line, not good for a quarterback to have a problem with him. Week 2 they travel to Seattle (0-1). The game would be an offensive shootout as Luke would lead the team on a drive to tie the game at 31 with just over 2 minutes left but Seattle would drive for a game winning field goal on the final play of the game as a 34-31 loss would drop the Texans to 0-2. Luke would have a very good game as he would go 21 of 30 for 311 yards with 1 touchdown. He would be sacked just 1 time in the game. Running back Kelly Gomez would be the shining star with 191 yards rushing as the two teams would combine for over 900 yards of offense, over 500 by Houston. Week 3 they come home for their first home game of the season as they host Oakland (1-1). Houston would be up 16-13 until Oakland would tie the game with under a minute to go. On their first play, Luke would get picked and that would lead to Oakland’s game winning field goal as the Texans lose 19-16 to drop to 0-3 with all three losses by just a field goal. Luke would be 21 of 32 for 209 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He would be sacked just 1 time in the game. With the team at 0-3 and in need of a win, they go back on the road to play at Pittsburgh (0-3) as one of those teams will get their first win of the season. Midway through the first, Luke would get picked and it would be returned for a touchdown but he would not let that get to him as he led the team on a touchdown drive the very next possession and on to a 30-23 win to improve to 1-3. He would be 24 of 39 for 297 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 3 times for -1 yard. HE would also be sacked 1 time and have 1 tackle. He would be named player of the game. After a bye week, they return home to host Cleveland (2-3). Midway through the game, Luke would be slow getting up in what would later be diagnosed as a strained calf muscle. He would attempt to stay in but be ineffective and eventually come out. He might be out for up to a month. He was just 11 of 24 for 149 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for 9 yards and was also sacked 1 time. They would go on to lose the game 23-20 in their 4th 3 point loss of the season as they are now 1-4. They would split the next two games as Luke would be out . He would return with them in last place in their division at 2-5. His replacement would feed off a winless Tennessee team but struggle in a loss to a 3-4 Cincinnati team. Luke would return the next week as they travel to Baltimore (4-4). They would fall behind 20-10 with under a minute left in the 3rd quarter but Luke would lead the team to score 17 unanswered points for a 27-20 win. He would be 18 of 28 for 299 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He would run 3 times for 5 yards. He would have some trouble as he would be sacked 4 times and fumble the ball 2 times. He would also get credit for 1 tackle. The win would improve their mark to 3-5 and keep their slim hopes of a post season birth alive. They would travel to Indianapolis (4-4) for their next game. Luke would start the game out very well but would re-aggravate his injury and may miss a month now. He was 5 of 7 for 81 yards and 1 touchdown. They would ride a quick start to a 28-17 win to improve to 4-5. His backup, Oliver, would lead the team to a win in their next game against Jacksonville to improve the team’s record to 5-5. Their next game would be hosting San Francisco (6-4) and Luke would make a return to the field. Luke would score on a quarterback sneak in the second quarter to tie the game at 14 for his first rushing touchdown of his career. They would end up trailing 21-17 at the half but Luke would lead the team to the only scoring drive of the second half in the early part of the 4th quarter for a 24-21 win to improve to 6-5 as they have won 4 straight. Luke would be named the player of the game with his effort, though there were other more deserving players. He would be 23 of 35 for 272 yards with 2 interceptions. He ran 4 times for 9 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked just 1 time in the win. With the team at 6-5 and fighting for a wild card spot, they travel to Buffalo (5-6), who is also fighting for that wild card spot. They would take a 17-10 lead into the 4th quarter but would allow 2 touchdowns on their way to a 24-20 loss that would drop them to 6-6. Luke would have a solid game, but not spectacular by any means, going 14 of 24 for 125 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 7 yards. He would be sacked 1 time in the loss. With 4 games left, they travel home to host St. Louis (5-7). The game would be an offensive battle that Luke would lead his team for the final score of the game in a 35-28 win that he would be named player of the game. He would have a very good game, going 24 of 28 for 272 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 3 times for 6 yards and would be sacked just 1 time in the game. The win puts them at 7-6 with 3 games left to play and they are the leading team for the second wild card spot. They travel to Tennessee (5-8) for their next game. After falling behind 10-3 early in the second, it would be all Houston on their way to a 29-17 win to improve to 8-6. Luke would be 18 of 28 for 174 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He would run 1 time for 3 yards and be sacked just 1 time in the win. With 2 games left they are 8-6 and hold the second wild card spot all by themselves. They have now won 6 of their last 7. With just 2 games left, the travel to Arizona (8-6). Luke would get off to a fast start and then cool down but would be named player of the game in their 24-6 win. He would be 17 of 36 for 189 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He would be sacked 2 times in the win. They are now 9-6 with just one game left and can clinch a playoff spot with a win or tie in their last game. The final game of the season is a home game against Indianapolis (8-7). Luke would struggle in the game and find the team down 24-4 after the 3rd quarter. He would lead the team to a late touchdown but they would fall 24-21 and Kansas City would win to clinch the final playoff spot, sending the Texans home for the season. Luke would be just 18 of 41 for 285 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interception. He would run 1 time for 3 yards. He would also be sacked 5 times, fumble the ball 1 time and would pick up 1 tackle. They would finish the season at 9-7. Tampa Bay would go on to beat the Jets in the Super Bowl. Luke’s stats: 13 games, 13 starts, 233 of 384 (60.6%) for 2884 yards with 19 touchdowns and 21 interceptions for a 77.6 rating, sacked 21 times, 20 carries for 50 yards and 1 touchdown, 3 tackles, 3 fumbles. 7-6 record. Luke’s career: 35 games, 15 starts, 288 of 495 (58.1%) for 3467 yards with 22 touchdowns and 26 interceptions for a 72.6 rating, 27 sacks, 24 carries for 63 yards and 1 touchdown, 3 tackles and 4 fumbles. 7-9 record with 2 4th quarter heroics (0-1 playoffs)

04-30-2004, 10:42 PM	#16
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Contract Year Luke would enter his 4th season with a lot of expectations placed on him as the team’s starter. He would begin preseason with a somewhat shaky performance, completing 19 of 29 for 200 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also carried 1 time for 3 yards in a 26-14 loss to Washington. Houston’s second preseason game would be a big time win, 47-17 over New Orleans. Luke would fare much better, going 16 of 19 for 168 yards and 1 touchdown. Houston would dominate the game with a very solid running attack, though it is too soon to judge how much of it was the fact that the backups on New Orleans suck. Luke would be injured during practice the following week and would not play in the team’s 20-17 loss in overtime to Dallas the next week. His backup, Irv Buckner, would look solid but not flashy. Luke would see very little action in the final game of the preseason, a 34-17 loss to Atlanta. He would be 3 of 4 for 44 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran 1 time for 3 yards. After falling behind 14-3 early in the second quarter in the season opener at home against Tennessee, Houston would turn it up a notch by scoring 27 straight points to take a 30-14 lead on their way to a 30-28 final (as they would stop a 2 point conversion attempt with 22 second left to hold on) to start the season 1-0. Luke would supply the offense by going 23 of 34 for 307 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. His efforts would earn him player of the game honors. The second week of the season, they travel to Washington (0-1). The defenses would play a bend but not break kind of game as Luke would lead the team to a 4th quarter touchdown to tie the game and send it to overtime. Unfortunately Washington would score in overtime to hand Houston a 16-10 loss and drop them to 1-1. Luke would put up fine numbers, going 24 of 39 for 339 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 7 yards and was sacked 3 times. He would fumble the ball 1 time, on one of the sacks. They would return home the next week to host Kansas City (1-1). The Houston defense would step up and allow just 180 total yards in a 28-9 win to improve to 2-1. Luke would be solid, but not great, as he was 18 of 24 for 191 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for -1 yard. He would still walk away with player of the game honors. A tough game at Indianapolis (2-1) would follow, this could set the tone for the team this season. Unfortunately the tone it set was a 22-13 loss in which Luke struggled. He was 14 of 30 for 243 yards with 1 interception. He would be sacked 3 times in the game as the defense pressured him all game long. The New York Jets (3-1) come to town next. Houston would come away with a hard fought 17-10 win to improve to 3-2. Luke would be okay in the game, but far from great, as he was 19 of 29 for 153 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 2 times. The team travels to Buffalo (3-2) for their next game, glad to have the game early enough in the season as it’s only 42 there now, as opposed to 12 and snowing. The teams would combine for over 800 yards of offense as the Bills would tin 36-27 to drop Houston to 3-3. Luke was 23 of 36 for 318 yardw with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 3 times for 10 yards, was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. They travel to New England (2-3) next. Luke would earn another player of the game recognition as he would lead them to a 34-24 win to improve to 4-3. He was 20 of 29 for 225 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 3 times. They end the first half of their season traveling to Tennessee (4-3) in a rematch of the season opener. Houston would play a solid team game in a 37-14 win to improve to 5-3. Luke would be player of the game, but not put up big numbers. He was 16 of 24 for 173 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 1 time. At the midway point of the season, Luke is among the NFL leaders with a rating of 92.5, a completion percentage of 64.0%, 1940 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. He has been having the best season of his short NFL career and looks promising. After a bye week, they return home to host Miami (5-3). The game would be all about the ground game as Houston would build a 24-0 lead and held off the Dolphins for a 24-19 win. Luke was 13 of 24 for 169 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 3 times, fumbled the ball 1 time and made 1 tackle. After improving their record to 6-3, they get to travel to Jacksonville (2-7) for what has the look of a let down game. It turned out to be just that as they would fall 28-23 to drop to 6-4. In the loss, Luke was 15 of 27 for 225 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. Next up, they return home to host the New York Giants (1-9). The Giants defense would step up to the plate for this game and stifle the Houston offense on their way to handing them a 23-7 loss. Luke was 13 of 26 for 132 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would be sacked 7 times and fumble the ball 2 times. As a reward for a 2 game losing streak, they get to travel to AFC North leading Baltimore (6-5). A near 200 yard rushing performance would give them a 28-13 win to get them back on track. Luke was 19 of 25 for 244 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time in the game. They get to travel to yet another division leader, Philadelphia (10-2 and leading the NFC East) next. After getting off to a quick 10-0 lead, they would see the Eagles score 24 of the next 30 points on their way to a 24-16 loss to drop to 7-6. Luke was 20 of 35 for 353 yards with 1 touchdown but also 3 interceptions. He ran 2 times for 6 yards, was sacked 4 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. Sitting at 7-6 and currently not in a playoff position, they come home to host Indianapolis (7-6) in what is currently their most important game of the season. Luke would be injured on the first play from scrimmage and would miss the rest of the game, what would be a great game for Houston. After trailing 24-0 at the half, his backup would lead them to 27 unanswered points, including the game winning field goal as time expired for a 27-24 win to improve to 8-6 and remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. Luke would have no stats in the game. Luke would be out for the next game, a home game against Dallas (7-7). Despite having a 17-3 lead in the 4th quarter, they would need overtime to pull off a 23-17 win to improve to 9-6. They are now tied with Tennessee for the division lead and have the tie breaker advantage. Jacksonville (6-9) would come to town for the last game of the regular season. Luke would come back what the doctors felt was a week too soon and his performance would suffer in a 27-17 loss to drop to 9-7. He would be 16 of 31 for 153 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked 2 times. The loss was costly as it knocked them from the playoffs. Buffalo would end up beating Philadelphia in the Super Bowl. Luke’s stats: 15 games, 15 starts, 253 of 413 (61.2%) for 3216 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for a rating of 86.5, sacked 33 times, 14 carries for 24 yards, 1 tackle and 7 fumbles. 8-7 record Luke’s career: 50 games, 30 starts, 541 of 908 (59.5%) for 6683 yards with 42 touchdowns and 41 interceptions for a 79.0 rating, sacked 60 times, 38 carries for 87 yards with 1 touchdown, 4 tackles and 11 fumbles, a 15-16 record (0-1 playoffs) with 2 4th quarter heroics.

05-02-2004, 10:09 AM	#17
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	5th Year, moving up? This off season was his busiest as he was at the end of his contract and was not able to work out a deal with Houston. He ended up signing a 4 year / 40.25 million dollar deal with Cincinnati. He will step in and be the starter as the Bengals released their starter from this past season. Luke made a good impression on his new team in the first preseason game, a 24-21 home win against the Vikings. He was named player of the game. In the game he was 17 of 25 for 206 yards with 2 touchdowns in one half of play. He was sacked 2 times in the game. He played a little less the next week, a 20-17 win at St. Louis. The coach wanted to give the backups a little more time to see what they could do in that game. Luke was 8 of 10 for 100 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards and was sacked 1 time. He also had 1 tackle, after the interception (and was promptly reamed out by his coach for taking the risk in a preseason game). Their third game, a 21-19 win over the Lions, would be his worst game, but he would also play very little. He was 3 of 6 for 60 yards with 1 interception. He would also run the ball 1 time for 2 yards. Seattle would ruin their chance at a perfect preseason by a 19017 score. Luke would see plenty of time in the game and would be 16 of 25 for 160 yards with 1 touchdown. He would be sacked 2 times and fumble the ball both times, recovering one of them himself. The season would open with the Bengals being a 2 point home underdog to Pittsburgh. With 13 minutes left in the second, the Bengals would take a 10-7 lead on a touchdown pass by Luke. They would never trail again on their way to a 20-17 opening day win. Luke would be named player of the game as he would be 22 of 32 for 208 yards with 1 touchdown. He would run 1 time for -1 yards, a kneel down. Most importantly to him, he would be very well received by the fans of Cincinnati. The negative would be that the team would lose tight end Larry Bradford (a 13 year vet in his first year with the team), the player that he felt the most comfortable with in the preseason. Week 2 sees them going on the road to Seattle (1-0) as a 2 point favorite. In the second quarter, Luke would get sacked and feel a rush of pain. He would not get up and be later diagnosed with a broken clavicle and will most likely miss the next 6 weeks. Cincinnati would take a 15-10 lead early in the 4th, only to see the Seahawks score 11 straight to win 21-15. Luke was 6 of 9 for 77 yards. He also ran 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked that 1 time. Luke would miss 4 games, in which the team would go 1-3. He would return to a team that was 2-4 and in need of getting jump started. The first game back would be at home against Baltimore (3-3). With the game tied at 10, Luke would lead his team on a late 3rd quarter touchdown drive to take a 17-010 lead, on the way to a 17-13 final. Luke would be named player of the game, amid a standing ovation from the Bengals’ fans. He was 22 of 34 for 213 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 3 times. They travel to Buffalo (3-5) as 1 point favorites as the look to get back to .500. They would be up 17-7 midway through the 3rd but their defense would let them down by allowing 2 touchdowns on the way to a 21-17 loss. Luke put up big numbers as he was 26 of 40 for 386 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 2 times and also had 2 tackles. Pittsburgh (3-5) is where they head to next in a must win division contest in which they are favored by 1 point. Luke would get player of the game for the 3rd time in a 20-14 win to improve to 4-5. He would be 23 of 31 for 225 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 3 times. They head home now to host Cleveland (4-5). This game is for first place in their division. Luke toasted the Browns’ defense in a 37-7 route. He would get player of the game honors for the 4th time this season as they would improve to 5-5 and take over 1st place in their division. The team is now 4-1 when he starts and plays the whole game. Luke was 24 of 35 for 276 yards with 3 touchdowns. After the game he would get his non-throwing hand checked as he fell awkwardly on it during the game and would find that he had a broken finger. Next they head to Arizona (5-5). Luke would have a rough game with pressure in his face all day long as they would fall 16-13 to the Cardinals. He was 18 of 36 for 226 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for 13 yards and was sacked 3 times. Kansas City (4-7) comes to town next as Cincinnati looks to get back to .500. The Bengals, and Luke, would play their worst game of the year and lost 25-13. Luke was 11 of 23 for 130 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 2 times for 20 yards and was sacked 4 times. The loss drops them to 5-7, tied with Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Baltimore is 6-6 and in first currently. San Francisco (5-7) comes to town for a must win game for the Bengals. The Bengals would not be able to move the ball consistently and would lose 12-9 on a field goal with 30 seconds left. Luke was 15 of 26 for 162 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 2 times. They are now 5-8 and 2 games behind Baltimore (7-6). Next, they travel to Cleveland (5-8) as the loser of this game is out of the playoff chase. The game would be low scoring and tight but the Bengals would pull it out 13-9. Luke would be player of the game, though not really dominate. He was 21 of 38 for 229 yards. He ran 2 times for 3 yards, was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. They are now 6-8 and almost out of the playoffs as the Ravens won and improved to 8-6. They host St. Louis (1-13) next, in a week that has promise for the Bengals. Baltimore will be playing at Seattle (11-3). They would trail 17-3 early in the 3rd and look like their season was over before Luke would carry the team back to a 20-17 win to earn player of the game honors. He was 22 of 35 for 291 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 3 times and had 1 tackle. Baltimore would win, eliminating the Bengals from the division hunt. They would be tied with New England, Denver, Oakland and Pittsburgh for the last wild card spot though. Their final game would be at Baltimore (9-6), this would have been a huge game if Baltimore had lost last week. Their defense would let them down in a 34-18 loss to knock them out of playoff contention. Luke was 17 of 34 for 295 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He would be sacked 4 times in the game. Jacksonville would beat Carolina in the Super Bowl. Luke’s stats: 12 games, 12 starts, 227 of 373 (60.8%) for 2716 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions for a rating of 86.0 (10th in the NFL), sacked 27 times, 12 carries for 45 yards, 3 tackles and 1 fumble. 6-6 record with 1 4th quarter heroic. Luke’s career: 62 games, 42 starts, 768 of 1281 (59.9%) for 9399 yards with 54 touchdowns and 48 interceptions for a 81.0 rating, sacked 87 times, 50 carries for 132 yards with 1 touchdown, 7 tackles and 12 fumbles, a 21-22 record (0-1 playoffs) with 3 4th quarter heroics.

05-02-2004, 11:25 AM	#18
Grid Iron Ice Cream Man Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Bay Area	Great reading! Keep up the good work! __________________ Follow the story of the Oregon Ice of the Continental Football League.

05-02-2004, 01:05 PM	#19
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Thanks for the good words. Glad to know there are some that are following it. I hope to have at least another season online in a ilttle while.

05-02-2004, 01:32 PM	#20
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 6: Trapped in Bengal-land? Entering his 6th season, Luke is not too hopeful about the team’s chances as they are now suffering the penalty for bad cap management. They still have not been able to come to terms with their first round draft pick and it looks like it’s up to Luke to make something happen if they want any success this season. They lost their first preseason game to the Lions, 17-13. Luke would have an awful game, going 10 of 29 for 126 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He also ran 1 time for 5 yards and was sacked 1 time. The fans are complaining big time about the coach not pulling him from a preseason game and risking injury, but there are also fans worried about his potential performance. Seattle came to town for the next preseason game and jumped to a 23-0 lead on the way to a 23-18 win. Luke would again play the whole game, to much criticism. He was 18 of 31 for 253 yards withj 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 5 times behind the depleted offensive line. Luke would have a better performance the next week, a 24-13 loss at Chicago. He would only play half of the game and go 8 of 9 for 85 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked 1 time. Their final preseason game would be a 28-25 overtime loss to Arizona. Luke played the entire game yet again and was 16 of 30 for 240 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 1 time. Luke would enter the regular season healthy and ready for their opener at Cleveland. The Browns would jump to a 14-3 lead midway through the 2nd quarter but Luke would lead the team to a touchdown in each of the last 3 quarters for a 24-14 win to open the season 1-0. He would earn player of the game honors as he was 19 of 28 for 192 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 2 times. Next week is their home opener against Philadelphia (0-1). The Eagles would play a bend but don’t break defense and Luke would look awful in the game as they would lose 20-3. He was 13 of 30 for 159 yards with 2 interceptions. He also ran the ball 2 times for 9 yards. Luke would suffer an injury that would be diagnosed as a bruised heal. He is not expected to miss any time. Denver (1-1) comes to town in week 3. The game would be painful to watch as there would be just 2 field goals scored in the game, a 6-0 win for the Broncos. Luke would have yet another bad game, prompting some discussion about his value to the team. He was 13 of 31 for 94 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time. With the team sitting at 1-2 and not having scored a touchdown since week 1, they head to Jacksonville (0-3). With Jacksonville just taking a 16-13 lead and 3:53 to play, Luke would lead them on a 10 play, 77 yard drive that would result in the winning touchdown for a 20-16 win. Luke would be the supporting cast as running back Emmitt Yohn would rush for 162 yards and the winning score. He was 16 of 32 for 171 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 2 times for 1 yard. With the team at 2-2 after 4 games, they are 1 game behind Cleveland (3-1) in the division. Luke has an awful 59.7 rating so far, just 5 quarterbacks have a worse rating at this point in the season. He is also near the bottom in the NFL in passing yards and completion percentage. This season is not starting out as he had hoped. Week 5, they are at Baltimore (2-2). Despite taking a 13-7 lead, they would allow Baltimore to score 10 2nd half points to win 17-13. Luke would be 23 of 37 for 228 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times. They are now 2-3 and some fans are starting to question the team’s logic behind not grabbing a good veteran backup as they are now stuck with Luke for the season. Pittsburgh (2-3) come to town for week 6 as the Bengals hope to even their record. Their defense would step up and Luke would have a solid game in a 16-7 win. Luke was 18 of 31 for 225 yards. He ran 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. The win evened their record at 3-3. Indianapolis (5-1) would travel to Cincinnati in week 7 in what should be a very tough match up for them. They would play a tight game, but fall 13-10. Luke would be 23 of 38 for 219 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 1 time. Week 8 they travel to Houston (3-3) as Luke would face his old team for the first time. He would not receive a warm welcome as the fans see him as a traitor who worships the almighty dollar for leaving to go to Cincinnati. With his team trailing 21-17 with 1:03 to play in the game, Luke would put together a quick 3 play, 80 yard touchdown drive to win the game 24-21. This win felt great, though his numbers were not. He was 14 of 30 for 284 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 2 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle. The team is now 4-4 at their midway point of the season. They are just 1 game behind Baltimore (5-3) but are also tied with Cleveland and Pittsburgh, who are also 4-4. Luke’s rating has improved to 69.3 and he’s not as close to the bottom now. He is still near the bottom in completion percentage though, at just 54.0. After a bye week, they host Tennessee (3-5) in week 10. Yohn would rush for 161 yards as Luke would be very efficient in a 17-9 win. Luke was 15 of 18 for 124 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 4 times for 14 yards and was sacked 1 time. While not flashy, it was a hard fought victory. Week 11, they host Cleveland (5-4) in another big division game. They would turn it up a notch in a 31-13 win. Yohn would rush for 140 and earn player of the game honors. Luke was 19 of 30 for 190 yards with 1 touchdown. He was also sacked 2 times. The win improves their record to 6-4. Week 12, they host Washington (3-7). After trailing 14-10 at the half, Luke would lead the team to two second half touchdowns and a 24-14 win to improve to 7-4. Yohn would rush for 184 and earn player of the game honors. Luke was 22 of 30 for 227 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 3 times for 2 yards and was sacked 2 times. Week 13 they travel to New England (4-7). With the game tied at 10, the New England kicker would hit a 47 yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots a 13-10 win and drop the Bengals to 7-5. Luke was 21 of 33 for 229 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards, was sacked 2 times and recovered 1 fumble. After 12 games, they are 7-5 and tied with Baltimore for the division lead. Pittsburgh is 6-6 and Cleveland is 5-7 as it is still anyone’s division to win. Luke’s rating is now 70.0 as he ins now in the middle of the pack. He has raised his completion percentage considerably, to 58.6 and has thrown for 2342 yards. Most importantly to him, he has not thrown an interception in several games and now has more touchdowns than interception. Emmitt Yohn leads the NFL with 1488 yards rushing. Week 14, they travel to Dallas (6-6). They let Dallas jump out to a 21-0 lead on their way to a 21-7 final to drop to 7-6. Luke was 17 of 39 for 211 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 9 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. Baltimore would also lose and Pittsburgh would win, causing a 3 way tie at 7-6. Cleveland won to improve to 6-7 and be one game out of the mess at the top. Week 15, a big game as they host Baltimore (7-6). Yohn would run for 163 yards on the way to a 17-6 win. Luke would play a small role, going 18 of 29 for 113 yards with 1 touchdown. He also ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards. Pittsburgh would beat Cleveland to keep pace with the Bengals. Week 16, at the New York Giants (9-5) for a tough game. The Giants would hold Yohn in check and would win a close one by a 23-17 score. Luke was 21 of 37 for 259 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was also sacked 3 times. Pittsburgh would lose and Baltimore would win, causing a 3 way tie at 8-7 heading into the final week. They head to play at Pittsburgh for the division title in the last week of the season. If they win, they clinch the division due to the tie breaker. The Steelers would take over in the 4th quarter, going up 27-17 with just a couple minutes left. Luke would guide the Bengals to a touchdown to make it 27-24 but that would be the final, knocking the Bengals out of the post season. Luke was 16 of 25 for 198 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 3 times. Indianapolis would beat Seattle in the Super Bowl. Yohn would lead the NFL with 1909 yards rushing as he would follow up his offensive rookie of the year season with getting offensive player of the year, 1st team all-pro and MVP in his second season. Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 288 of 498 (57.8%) for 3123 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a rating of 79.9, sacked 28 times, 22 carries for 63 yards, 1 tackle and 3 fumbles. 8-8 record with 2 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career: 78 games, 58 starts, 1059 of 1779 (59.3%) for 12522 yards with 73 touchdowns and 59 interceptions for a 80.6 rating, sacked 115 times, 72 carries for 195 yards with 1 touchdown, 8 tackles and 15 fumbles, a 29-30 record (0-1 playoffs) with 5 4th quarter heroics.

05-06-2004, 10:44 PM	#21
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 7: Injury prone The Bengals would make a strong wave in the free agent market in the off season, upgrading their receiving corps, offensive line and defensive line. The would also add the best tight end available to their roster, giving the fans hope for an exciting season ahead. The only place they would not upgrade would be their backups to Luke. This would come into play during the first preseason game, a 31-22 loss to Carolina. Early in the game, Luke would go down and be diagnosed with a broken rib. He would miss the rest of the preseason and would be listed as doubtful for their opener, hosting Baltimore. The team would split their 4 preseason games and his backups would be given enough time to see who can step up in his place, but the main part of the game plan would be to hand the ball to Yohn. Luke would defy doctor’s orders and attempt to play in the opener against Baltimore. He would have the worst game of his career through a lot of pain, though the team would ride Emmitt Yohn to victory, 28-17. Luke would be 9 of 22 for 122 yards with 4 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards, was sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle. Yohn scored 3 touchdowns on the ground to earn player of the game. It wouldn’t get any easier for him as they head to Green Bay (1-0) in week 2. At least it’s not the middle of December. Luke would leave the game early after getting sacked, and taking quite a hit on the play. Green Bay would go on to win 34-10. Luke was 6 of 8 for 98 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked that 1 time. They would be leading 10-3 when he left the game, only to do nothing for the rest of the game. Luke would return in week 5 as they would host Pittsburgh. They would be coming off back to back wins in which Kerry Harris, his replacement, would play two very good games. Luke would leave the game in the 4th quarter with his team trailing 16-7. Harris would lead the team to 10 points in the final 4 and a half minutes for a 17-16 victory as the quarterback controversy would begin. Luke was 13 of 24 for 153 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 2 times. Luke would again return too early, after sitting out for two losses. In week 9 they would host Denver and Luke would start. He would look okay early but get hit and taken out in the 1st quarter. They would go on to lost 24-21. He was 3 of 4 for 104 yards and they would be up 7-0 when he would leave. In week 14, with the team 4-8, Luke would return as they play at Chicago. Luke would play a solid game and lead the team to a go ahead field foal with 3 minutes left but Chicago would drive and tie the game with seconds left. Chicago would get the kickoff and drive the length of the field for the game winning touchdown, to win 33-27. Luke was 27 of 42 for 287 yards with 2 touchdowns. Week 15 they are at division leading Pittsburgh. The Steelers would dominate and frustrate Luke in a 31-10 one sided affair. Luke was 11 of 28 for 182 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interception. He was sacked 4 times in the game but withstood the punishment without further injury. The loss would drop them to 4-10 and ruin any fading hope they had of slipping into the playoffs, not like anyone was actually thinking that. They would return home the next week to play Detroit (3-11). Luke would play a very good game and get player of the game honors in a 26-0 win. He was 22 of 36 for 189 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle. Their final game of the season would be an exciting 30-24 overtime loss to Cleveland. Luke would play an okay game as he was 12 of 36 for 233 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 11 yards and was sacked 2 times. They would end the season at 5-11 and will have the number 6 pick nio the draft. The New York Jets would go on to beat Green Bay in the Super Bowl. Yohn would be 1st team all-pro, offensive player of the year and MVP for the second season in a row. He ran for 1577 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 68 receptions and 4 receiving touchdowns. Luke’s stats: 9 games, 8 starts, 112 of 198 (56.5%) for 1368 yards with 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions for a rating of 72.5, sacked 12 times, 6 carries for 19 yards and 2 tackles. 3-5 record with 1 4th quarter heroic. Luke’s career: 87 games, 66 starts, 1168 of 1977 (59.0%) for 13890 yards with 81 touchdowns and 68 interceptions for a 79.8 rating, sacked 127 times, 78 carries for 214 yards with 1 touchdown, 10 tackles and 15 fumbles, a 32-35 record (0-1 playoffs) with 6 4th quarter heroics.

05-08-2004, 03:52 PM	#22
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 8: Contract Year Part 2, Injuries continue Luke would begin his final year under contract with the Bengals on a good note, with a 38-13 win over Carolina in the first preseason game. He would be named player of the game after going 13 of 18 for 177 yards with 2 touchdowns.. He also ran the ball 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked 3 times. Luke would look like an entirely different player in their 38-24 loss to the Giants in the following week. He was just 6 of 16 for 65 yards with 2 interceptions. He would not be able to right the ship the following week in a 14-6 loss to the Titans. He was just 2 of 4 for 8 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time and was injured on the play. His injury would not be viewed as serious. They would lose to Dallas 30-24 the last week of preseason without Luke as but he will return for the opening of the season, though not at 100 percent. They would open the season at Pittsburgh in what would be a back and forth game that would see the Steelers score with just over 4 minutes left to win the game 20-17. Luke had a decent game, going 15 of 23 for 186 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards, was sacked 5 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. The team’s offensive line looked awful, between not giving Luke time to run and not opening up any holes for Yohn, it was a dreadful performance. Week 2, they host Carolina and Luke plays an outstanding game, up until one play late in the 4th that would leave him in serious pain. They would win 26-14 with Luke getting player of the game, but he would be getting X-rayed when that would be announced as he would re-injure his elbow and will now miss at least a month. He was 16 of 29 for 242 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times, the last one costly. They would lose 2 out of 3 games during his absence and he would return following a bye week in a game at New England. Returning would be a bad choice as he would injure his arm throwing the ball early in the game and would come out. They would lose the game 22-10. He was just 2 of 3 for 15 yards in the game. After 2 losses and a tie, Luke would return to a team that was 2-6-1 and in bad shape. He is playing for his future now and wants to put on a good show for the GM’s of the league. They would play at Cleveland (5-4) in his first game back. Luke would play an outstanding game and earn player of the game honors as he led them to a 34-27 win. He was 28 of 37 for 323 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 1 time. Week 12, they head to Tampa Bay (3-7). Their offense would explode in a 30-17 win to improve to 4-6-1. Yohn would run for over 200 yards and get player of the game. Luke was 21 of 32 for 278 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for -3 yards, was sacked 3 times and had 1 tackle. Their slim playoff hopes remain alive week 13 as they head to San Diego (3-8). Luke would start the game 5 of 10 for 53 yards but one play would end his season as he scrambled to avoid the rush and was taken down for a sack. HE would grab his leg and not be able to get up. He had a torn hamstring. They would go on to win the game 21-14 but he looked to be out for 3 months, meaning his season was over. They would lose 3 of their final 4 to finish at 6-9-1 and out of the playoffs. Indianapolis would go on to beat Atlanta in the Super Bowl. Yohn would be 2nd team all-pro this season and his MVP streak would end. Luke’s stats: 6 games, 6 starts, 87 of 134 (64.9%) for 1097 yards with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions for a rating of 100.8, sacked 13 times, 4 carries for -1 yard, 1 tackle and 1 fumble. 4-2 record. Luke’s career: 93 games, 72 starts, 1255 of 2111 (59.4%) for 14987 yards with 89 touchdowns and 71 interceptions for a 81.1 rating, sacked 140 times, 82 carries for 213 yards with 1 touchdown, 11 tackles and 16 fumbles, a 36-37 record (0-1 playoffs) with 6 4th quarter heroics.

05-08-2004, 04:09 PM	#23
Grid Iron Ice Cream Man Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Bay Area	Ouch. It's too bad he's so injury prone. Maybe it's the offensive line. Hopefully, he can catch on with a better team. He's definitely got the potential. __________________ Follow the story of the Oregon Ice of the Continental Football League.

05-09-2004, 04:54 AM	#24
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season Nine: Cross-roads? The next 12 months would have the potential to be the cross-roads of his career as he enters the free agent market after his contract with the Bengals has expired. No team would offer him a contract during the free agent period. He would have to start marketing himself to teams to be able to get a “try-out” with a team as most teams seem very uneasy about his injury troubles. Kansas City would give him a chance to work out for them and they would offer him a 1 year contract for 1.49 million, not quite what Luke had become used to in terms of a paycheck. With no other prospects, he would sign the deal. The coaching staff promised him a fair chance at winning the starter’s job and that is all he wants, a chance to prove himself. Luke would see a little playing time in the team’s first preseason game, a 42-16 win over Washington. He would have solid numbers, for the little playing time that he had, going 4 of 5 for 51 yards with 1 touchdown. Coaches would like enough of what they saw to give him some more playing time in their next game, a 34-31 win at New Orleans. He would go 14 of 19 for 167 yards but would throw 2 interceptions. He also ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards. In their next game, a 17-13 win at Philadelphia, Luke would split the time at quarterback, playing a half. He was 6 of 10 for 91 yards with 1 touchdown. He was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. So far there is no clear cut choice for starter as the other quarterbacks on the team have not looked very promising. Their final preseason game would be a 21-10 loss to Carolina. Luke would throw for a good percentage but would get picked a couple times. He was 11 of 18 for 144 yards with 2 interceptions. He was sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle. Luke would win over the fans in the preseason with a combination of some flash on the field and a very good disposition off the field. He had become very outgoing towards the fans and seem to win them over with his personality during interviews and in person while signing autographs. More importantly, he has won the starting job. Luke would begin to shine in week 1, a 33-3 win over San Diego. He would win player of the game honors in his first regular season game as a Chief. He was 18 of 26 for 206 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked 1 time. He would not play the whole game as the coach would send in the second string quarterback with the game getting out of hand. Luke would come crashing back down to earth in week 2, a 34-7 loss at Green Bay. His numbers would be enough to make the coach question who would start next week as he was 10 of 25 for 170 yards with 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions. He ran 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 2 times. He would get the start in week 3 as they would win 27-13 at Jacksonville and he would be player of the game for the second time of the season. He was 13 of 25 for 153 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 4 times for 5 yards and was sacked 2 times. His winning the player of the game would be a questionable selection, but he’ll take it. Week 4 they host the Jets. Luke would lead his team to 17 4th quarter points to tie the game at 24, after trailing 24-7 through 3 quarters. The overtime would be a defensive battle that would see the Jets kick a 48 yards field goal with just 14 seconds remaining to win 27-24. Luke would be 19 of 35 for 281 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 5 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle. They are now 2-2. Week 5 would be a 21-7 win at Oakland to improve their record to 3-2. Luke would be player of the game again. He was 17 of 22 for 237 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. After a bye week, it’s on to New England where they would be handed a tough 24-17 loss to even their record at 3-3. Luke would put up big numbers in the loss as he was 27 of 35 for 278 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 4 times. So far, he is having one of his best seasons. Week 8 would be a 30-17 loss at Miami, dropping them to 3-4 and below .500 for the first time this season. Luke was 16 of 29 for 178 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. Week 9 they host division leading Denver. Luke would come up with a player of the game again and would lead them to a 38-28 win to improve to 4-4. He was 21 of 28 for 245 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 3 times for 10 yards and was sacked 3 times. Luke would put the team on his shoulders in week 10, a 28-21 win over Buffalo. He would win player of the game in the win. He was 21 of 25 for 324 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. Next week, they are on the road at San Diego. Luke would help lead them to a 24-10 win and put them right in the hunt for the division as they improve to 6-4. Luke was 14 of 27 for 191 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 1 time. Their winning streak would be on the line next week at they trail Detroit with under 2 minutes left but Luke would lead the team on a touchdown drive, scoring on the last play of the game to win 25-22 and to improve to 7-4. Luke was 16 of 29 for 224 with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards. He has quickly become a fan favorite in Kansas City and is starting to receive national attention as his story is becoming one of those feel good stories of the year. He would get to host his old team, the Bangals, in week 13. He would seem to revert back to some of his error-prone ways of the past in a 24-21 loss. He was 22 of 34 for 253 yards with 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 3 times. It looked like his old coach had gotten into his head with several comments aimed at him the week prior to the game. Week 14 would be important to Luke, as his season could blow up if he lets last week’s performance get into his head. They would beat Chicago 24-14 and he would have a solid game. He was 21 of 35 for 218 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 6 yards and was sacked 2 times. Week 15 is at Denver as they attempt to get a little distance between themselves and Denver. The game would be close, but they would fall 27-20 to drop to 8-6. Luke was 15 of 27 for 223 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He wan the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 1 time. Week 16 would be a wind one at Minnesota. With his team down 31-24, Luke would lead the team on a game tying drive with about 5 minutes to go. The game would go to overtime and the Chiefs would win with a little over 9 minutes to go on a field goal. The 34-31 win would make them 9-6 and in control of their destiny. A win next week, or Denver loss, gives them the division. Luke was player of the game with a great performance. He was 29 of 46 for 330 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 5 yards and was sacked 2 times. The final week of the season would see them blow a 28-14 lead in the 4th quarter to have Oakland tie it at 28 with a little over 2 minutes to go. Luke would lead the team down field for the game winning field goal with under a minute left and the 31-28 win would wrap up the division for the Chiefs as they finish at 10-6. Luke was player of the game. He was 22 of 26 for 257 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times. He now gets to wrap up a career year with a playoff birth. They would host Miami in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. 3 early turnovers would lead to 3 Dolphin touchdowns and make it 21-0 early in the second quarter. The Chiefs would add 2 field goals to make it 21-6 at the half. The Chiefs would get the ball first and go on a long drive that would lead to a 5 yard touchdown pass to make it 21-13. After neither team doing much, the Chiefs would get close enough to add a field goal with just over 9 to go in the game and make it 21-16. After forcing a punt, the chiefs would drive into Dolphin territory but not get close enough for a field goal so they would punt. A great punt return helped the Dolphins get into field goal range but they would miss the field goal with under 2 minutes to play. The Chiefs would drive to the Dolphin 35 with seconds left but a desperation pass would get tipped and picked off at the 1 yard line to end the game and knock the Chiefs from the playoffs. Luke had a rough start to the game but would have decent number (other than the interception total). He was 28 of 49 for 298 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 6 times as his protection broke down most of the day. Luke’s first team, Houston, would go on to beat Carolina in the Super Bowl. Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 301 of 474 (63.5% - 6th in the NFL) for 3768 yards (9th in the NFL, 6th all-time for a Chief in a season) with 30 touchdowns (1st in the NFL, 3rd all-time for a Chief in a season) and 15 interceptions for a rating of 95.9 (5th in the NFL, 4th all-time for a Chief in a season), sacked 32 times, 22 carries for 56 yard, 1 tackle and 3 fumbles. 10-6 record with 2 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career: 109 games, 88 starts, 1556 of 2585 (60.1%) for 18755 yards with 119 touchdowns and 86 interceptions for a 83.9 rating, sacked 172 times, 104 carries for 269 yards with 1 touchdown, 12 tackles and 19 fumbles, a 46-44 record (0-2 playoffs) with 8 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

05-09-2004, 08:16 AM	#25
Grid Iron Ice Cream Man Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Bay Area	Awesome season! I can't believe he didn't win an award! Definitely MVP material. He should be getting a HUGE raise in the offseason. __________________ Follow the story of the Oregon Ice of the Continental Football League.

05-09-2004, 09:37 AM	#26
Alf Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Rennes, France	See how the Bengals will always be the bengals. Letting Luke go before he has his best season so far ! __________________ FOFL - GML - IHOF - FranceStats Last edited by Alf : 05-09-2004 at 09:38 AM.

05-10-2004, 10:21 PM	#27
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 10: Yet another beginning? Kansas City would not renegotiate his contract, surprisingly based on his season that he is coming off. They would try to low-ball him in free agency but he would receive an offer from Denver that he could not turn down. He would sign a 4 year / 74.16 million dollar deal. He would be their new starting quarterback as they look to make themselves better by hurting a direct rival. They would beat Washington 36-17 at home in their first preseason game. Luke was 11 of 17 for 154 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 1 time for -2 yards, was sacked 2 times, had 1 tackle and fumbled the ball 1 time. They would lose at Atlanta 26-20 in overtime in their second game. Luke saw less action, going 6 of 11 for 49 yards. Luke would play almost the entire game in a 19-14 win at home against the Giants in their third preseason game. He was 23 of 39 for 220 yards with 2 interceptions. He was sacked 2 times. Their final preseason game would be a 20-17 overtime win at Tampa. Luke was 14 of 20 for 249 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 3 times for 0 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. There would be little time for hype as they would host Kansas City in week 1. Luke would torch his old team 30-13 and be named player of the game. He was 20 of 31 for 272 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards. He would not take long to become a fan favorite by helping them beat the hated Chiefs. Week 2, they play at Carolina (0-1). After falling behind 6-0 early, they would score 21 straight points on their way to a 21-13 win to improve to 2-0. Luke was 15 of 24 for 159 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 4 times. Week 3 would see a battle of the 2-0 teams as they travel to Indianapolis. They would fail to capitalize on their chances and fall 27-15 to drop to 1-2. Luke was 25 of 40 for 305 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. After a bye week, they head to Cleveland (2-1) for week 5. Luke would play a solid, but far from spectacular game in a 27-14 win that helped them improve to 3-1. He was 12 of 24 for 102 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard. Through 4 games, the Broncos are now 3-1 and tied with San Diego for their division lead. Luke has completed over 60 percent of his passes and is 9th in the NFL with a rating of 87.4. Denver is 6th in the NFL in rushing offense and 1st in rushing defense. Denver hosts Pittsburgh (2-3) in week 6. Pittsburgh would dominate on their way to a 31-13 win. Luke had a poor game, going 15 of 36 for 275 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He was also sacked 1 time in the game. He loss drops them to 3-2 for the season. It doesn’t get any easier in week 7 as Baltimore (4-2) comes to town. Luke would step up and carry his team to a huge 38-10 win and he would earn player of the game honors. He was 20 of 27 for 260 yards with 4 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. The win gets them back on track and lifts them to 4-2. Division leading San Diego (5-1) come to town in week 8. Denver would trail 10-3 late in the 3rd before a touchdown pass would tie it at 10 as the quarter wound down. San Diego would kick a field goal with just over 5 to play to take a 13-10 lead. Luke would lead the team to a touchdown with 2:05 to go to take a 17-13 lead. Unfortunately the Chargers would score a touchdown with 20 seconds left to win 20-17 and drop the Broncos to 4-3. Luke was 20 of 25 for 300 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards. Week 9 they travel to Cincinnati (2-5) as he gets to play another team from his past. Luke was heckled badly in a 27-13 loss that dropped the Broncos to 4-4. He was 18 of 28 for 215 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was also sacked 1 time. After half of their games, the Broncos are now 4-4 and are 3 games behind San Diego (7-1) in their division. They sit one game out of a wild card spot at this time. Luke is 8th in the NFL with a rating of 92.3. He is 10th with 1889 yards passing. His 15 touchdown passes have him tied for 3rd. They start the second half of their season at Kansas City (3-5). The fans do not treat him too badly as they see Kansas City at fault for not offering him a better contract to stay. He has a nightmare of a game ni a 38-13 loss. He was 10 of 17 for 104 yards with 2 interceptions. He was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. He would dislocate his elbow early in the 3rd and would miss the rest of the game and may be out for over a month. They would go 3-3 in his absence and he would return to play in the final game of the season against Oakland. He would lead them to a 23-9 win to even their record at 8-8 and he would be player of the game. He was 16 of 25 for 145 yards with 1 touchdown. He was also sacked 2 times. San Diego would go on to destroy Atlanta in the Super Bowl. Luke’s stats: 10 games, 10 starts, 171 of 277 (61.7%) for 2138 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a rating of 88.3, sacked 13 times, 6 carries for 7 yards and 3 fumbles. 5-5 record. Luke’s career: 119 games, 98 starts, 1727 of 2862 (60.3%) for 20893 yards with 135 touchdowns and 97 interceptions for a 84.4 rating, sacked 185 times, 110 carries for 276 yards with 1 touchdown, 12 tackles and 22 fumbles, a 51-49 record (0-2 playoffs) with 8 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

05-12-2004, 05:55 PM	#28
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 11: Getting over the hump yet? Luke’s 11th season would start with a 27-3 preseason win over St. Louis. Luke would look solid, going 18 of 26 for 163 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He also ran the ball 4 times for 10 yards. It would be a good start to the season, a season that he hopes to remain healthy for. They would lose 20-17 to Minnesota in the their second preseason game. Luke would play a little less and be 9 of 16 for 141 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He did not run the ball and was sacked just 1 time. The coach pulled him a little earlier, wanting to keep him healthy for the season. The third week of preseason; they would lose a tight one to San Francisco, 17-10. Luke was just 5 of 9 for 53 yards in the little playing time he received. They ended the preseason getting spanked by Detroit, 37-10. Luke would get rushed hard and would absorb a lot of punishment. He was 13 of 18 for 143 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 10 yards and was sacked 4 times. Luke would enter the season healthy as they open up against the defending champions, San Diego. With less then 4 minutes in the game, they would be trailing 27-10 and Luke would lead the team to 2 scores in 2 minutes to bring them to within 3 points at 27-24. Their defense would allow the Chargers to get a first down and run the clock out as he would not get another shot at pulling the game out and they would start out 0-1. Luke’s numbers would be awful in the loss. He was 10 of 30 for 216 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was also sacked 1 time in the loss. Luke would get back on track week 2, at Philadelphia. He would win player of the game honors in a 31-15 win that evened their record at 1-1. He was 23 of 33 for 302 yards with 4 touchdowns. He was sacked 2 times and recovered 1 fumble. Week 3, a return to Cincinnati against an ex-team. He would win player of the game honors for the second week in a row as he led them to a 34-13 win to improve to 2-1. He was 17 of 26 for 213 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 2 times, fumbled the ball 1 time and recovered that fumble. Week 4, they host Indianapolis and Luke makes it 3 straight player of the game honors in a 27-10 win to improve to 3-1. He was 17 of 30 for 238 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 2 times. After the bye week, they host Tennessee in week 6. Too many turnovers would doom them to a 33-23 loss, to drop to 3-2. Luke was 25 of 41 for 313 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 2 times. Week 7, Luke would lead them to a 21-0 lead over Houston as they would go on to win 21-17. Luke would win player of the game honors, despite leaving the game with a rib injury. He was 18 of 21 for 157 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He had 1 tackle, and would be injured on the play. Luke would miss a game with the injury, a loss that dropped them to 4-3 but would return to lead the team to a win over Jacksonville. Luke would be named player of the game in the 23-20 win. He was 17 of 32 for 204 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 4 times for 12 yards. Luke would add another player of the game award the following week in a 34-20 win over Kansas City. He would leave the game near the end with a shoulder injury. He was 23 of 34 for 251 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards and was sacked 1 time. The win improved their record to 6-3. Luke would return the following week and lose a tight one to Oakland, 10-7. He was 27 of 51 for 251 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards, was sacked 4 times, fumbled the ball 1 time and recovered that fumble. The team would lose their second straight the following week, 20-17 to the Giants. The loss would drop them to 6-5 and now in on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Luke was 17 of 25 for 198 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 5 times for 20 yards, was sacked 1 time and recovered 1 fumble. Needing a win, and trailing 14-3 to the Bills, Luke would bring his team back for a 15-14 win as he would earn player of the game yet again. He was 21 of 35 for 244 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 2 times. They are now 7-5 and in the middle of the fight for the wild card spot. Luke would win player of the game again the next week as he brought the team back for a winning field goal to beat the Redskins 17-15. He was 24 of 34 for 221 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 3 times for 2 yards, was sacked 1 time and fumbled the ball 1 time. After trailing 15-7 to the Raiders in the fourth quarter the next week, he would lead them back to a 16-15 lead with just under 2 minutes left. Unfortunately the Raiders would drive and kick a game winning field goal with just 2 seconds remaining in the game for the 18-16 win. He was 20 of 35 for 190 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards. The loss dropped them to 8-6. After tailing 20-0 to the Cowboys in week 16, he would lead them back but fall just short in a 26-20 loss that dropped them to 8-7 and in need of help if they want to make the playoffs. He was 19 of 35 for 266 yards with 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 4 yards, was sacked 2 times and had 1 tackle. In a must win situation and trailing 24-21 to Kansas City, Luke would lead the team on a 12 play, 59 yard drive that would result in the game tying field goal with 3 second left to send the game to overtime. On the team’s 3rd play from scrimmage, he would hit receiver B.J. Meadows for a 72 yard touchdown pass to win the game 30-24. He was 23 of 38 for 397 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. A 10 catch, 239 yard, 2 touchdown performance would give Meadows the player of the game honors. Unfortunately, Oakland would win their game, knocking the Broncos out of playoff contention due to the tie breaker as they both finished 9-7. Arizona would go on to beat New England in the Super Bowl. Luke’s stats: 15 games, 15 starts, 301 of 500 (60.2%) for 3661 yards (8th in the NFL, 8th all time ins aingle season for Denver) with 26 touchdowns (6th in the NFL, though just 1 behind the 5 that were tied with 27, 3rd all-time for Denver in a single season) and 14 interceptions for a rating of 88.4, sacked 20 times, 21 carries for 57 yards, 2 tackles, 3 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. 9-6 record with 3 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career: 134 games, 113 starts, 2028 of 3362 (60.3%) for 24554 yards with 161 touchdowns and 111 interceptions for a 84.9 rating, sacked 205 times, 131 carries for 333 yards with 1 touchdown, 14 tackles, 25 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries, a 60-55 record (0-2 playoffs) with 11 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

05-19-2004, 06:21 PM	#29
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Luke's story will continue around the weekend. It's been a little too hectic lately to commit enough time to write up the next season.

05-25-2004, 01:15 AM	#30
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 12: Stuck in the Mud Luke takes extra time in the off season to make sure that he heads into his 12th season in as good of condition as he possibly can. He hopes to keep himself on the field and out of the trainer’s office. He sits out for the first two games of the preseason, hoping to keep himself a little bit healthier heading into the regular season. They lose to Arizona and Detroit in those two games. He played a major role in their third preseason game, a 13-10 win over Seattle. He was 17 pf 24 for 182 yards. He did not get sacked or carry the ball at all, something that made the coaching staff quite happy. He came up big in a 35-13 win over Chicago in their final preseason game and was named the player of the game. He was 17 of 27 for 288 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time but recovered that fumble. The first week of the season is at Oakland. They would get behind 21-10 with under 3 minutes to go. Luke would lead the team to a score with under a minute left and make it 21-18 but get the ball again as they fall to 0-1. Luke was 23 of 42 for 302 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times. Week 2 they head to Arizona for another road game as they open the season with 5 of their first 6 on the road. It would be another close game that would see Luke lead them back to within 3 points with under a minute left as they fall 20-17 to drop to 0-2. Luke was less affective as he was 14 of 30 for 148 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran 2 times for 12 yards and was sacked 5 times. As they travel to Cleveland week 3, the team would trail by 3 midway through the 4th as Luke would guide the team to a game tying field goal. The Browns would end up hitting a 50 yard field goal as time expired to win 27-24 and drop Denver to 0-3 with 3 losses by 3 points each on the road. Luke was 19 of 27 for 291 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran 1 time for 7 yards and was sacked 3 times. After a week off, the come home to host Buffalo and it would get ugly in a 31-3 loss. Luke was 11 of 26 for 133 yards with 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 7 times (showing just how badly they need to upgrade their aging offensive line). They head to Miami next and they found themselves down 16-10 with under a minute to go. Luke would lead the team down to the 26 yard line of Miami but they would run out of time and drop to 0-5 with a 16-10 loss. Luke was 19 of 36 for 239 yards with 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 6 yards and was sacked 2 times. Luke would struggle again the next week as they lose 17-3 at San Diego to fall to 0-6 and the season looks bleak. He would be 15 of 30 for 152 yards with 4 interceptions. He was sacked 2 time, had 1 tackle and fumbled the ball 1 time. Denver would be heading home to play New England next as the talk shows would be full of people talking about needing to upgrade at quarterback. Luke would play a solid game as they would earn their first win, 20-10. He was 19 of 35 for 207 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard, was sacked 2 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. Luke would earn player of the game the following week as he would bring the Broncos back from a 20-10 deficit with under 6 to go against Kansas City (his old team) for a 24-20 win. He was named player of the game for his efforts and was 24 of 43 for 315 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for 2 yards and was sacked 2 times. Luke would make it 2 player of the game honors in a row as he would lead the team to a 21-19 win at the Jets to bring them to 3-6 with a 3 game winning streak. He was 21 of 29 for 238 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 3 times for 11 yards and was sacked 3 times. It would be a revenge game hosting Oakland the following week as they would pull out a 30-24 win in overtime on an interception return for a touchdown to improve to 4-6 with 4 straight wins. Luke would add another player of the game award to his resume. He would be 21 of 31 for 283 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 6 yards, was sacked 1 time and had 1 tackle. Denver would make it 5 straight with a 28-17 win over San Francisco. Luke would be named player of the game but not have outstanding numbers. He was 13 of 26 for 263 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards and was not sacked. Houston would come to town next as Denver looked to even their record at 6-6. The Denver defense would not show up as Houston would rush for over 200 yards and combine for over 500 yards of offense in a 41-23 loss for the Broncos to drop them to 5-7. Luke was 16 of 28 for 242 yards with 2 touchdowns. Hew was sacked 1 time. Their playoff hopes would vanish the following week at St. Louis in a 37-17 loss that dropped them to 5-8. Luke was 19 of 42 for 245 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 3 times for 17 yards and was sacked 2 times. Next up is at Kansas City. They would trail 16-0 at the half but Luke would earn his player of the game award with one of the best games of his life, mostly just in one half. He was 21 of 32 for 358 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 1 yard and was sacked 1 time. He would lead them to a 29-19 win to improve to 6-8. Luke would add another player of the game honor to his resume the next week as they would host Seattle. With the game tied 28-28 and 1:46 to go, he would take the team from their own 26 and lead them on a drive for the game winning field goal as time expired for a 31-28 win to improve to 7-8. He was 19 of 35 for 248 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 7 yards and was sacked 1 time. The last game of the season would be hosting San Diego. Their lack of luck against the Chargers would continue as they would fall 21-7 to end up 7-9. Luke was 21 of 43 for 317 yards with 1 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 7 yards, was sacked 1 time, had 1 tackle and fumbled the ball 1 time. The bright side for the Broncos this season would be that they won 7 of their last 10 games after starting out 0-6. Tennessee would go on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl. That would be their first Super Bowl win in 21 years. Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 295 of 535 (55.1%) for 3995 yards (6th in the NFL, 2nd all-time in a single season for Denver) with 26 touchdowns (tied for 4th in the NFL, tied himself for 3rd best all-time ni a single season for Denver) and 23 interceptions for a rating of 77.4, sacked 35 times, 23 carries for 81 yards, 3 tackles and 3 fumbles 7-9 record with 2 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career: 150 games, 129 starts, 2323 of 3897 (59.6%) for 28549 yards with 187 touchdowns and 134 interceptions for a 83.9 rating, sacked 240 times, 154 carries for 414 yards with 1 touchdown, 17 tackles, 28 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries, a 67-64 record (0-2 playoffs, 9th most wins among active quarterbacks) with 13 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career playoff stats: 2 game, 2 starts, 61 of 92 for 641 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 4 carries for 7 yards, sacked 6 times, 1 fumble. 0-2 record.

05-27-2004, 12:11 AM	#31
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 13: Lucky 13? Entering his 13th season and his final season under contract with Denver, Luke’s future is in doubt. With recent injury trouble and with the Broncos selecting a possible stud quarterback with the 10th pick overall, it looks like this might be his last hurrah. The first exhibition game would be a 9-7 loss to the Giants in overtime, as they would lose on a safety. Luke would struggle in the first half and would end up going 8 of 18 for 107 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times in the game. He would look a little better in a 14-11 loss to New Orleans in their second preseason game. He was 7 of 10 for 74 yards. He was sacked 1 time. in the game he would suffer an injury to his non throwing hand. It would later be diagnosed as a fractured thumb. He would not be expected to miss any time. A 17-13 win over Dallas would get them on the winning track but Luke would still struggle to find his rhythm. He was 8 of 14 for 97 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked 1 time. He would look much better in the final game of preseason, a 29-24 win over Atlanta to even out their preseason record at 2-2. He was 15 of 24 for 202 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He rant he ball 1 time for 9 yards and was not sacked at all. Luke would enter the season nursing his injured thumb, but still in good enough shape to be the starter. They would open up the season at Kansas City. After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Luke would lead his team storming back to take a 31-17 lead on their way to a 31-24 final. Luke would win the player of the game honors. He was 18 of 26 for 275 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 4 yards, was sacked 3 times and had 1 tackle. They would host Chicago next as Luke would have modest numbers but still earn player of the game in a 26-17 win to improve to 2-0, much better than last season’s 0-6 start. He was 19 of 27 for 176 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards and fumbled the ball 1 time. Week 3 is at New England. The Broncos would score first and always keep answering the Patriots whenever they would score on their way to a 27-17 win to improve to 3-0. Luke was 17 of 22 for 221 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for -2 yards and was sacked 1 time. After a bye week, they host Cleveland in week 5. The Browns would jump to a 12-0 halftime lead and would ride that to a 19-14 win as they would hold off Luke’s valiant comeback attempt late. He was 14 of 26 for 172 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for 1 yard and was sacked 2 times. The loss dropped them to 3-1. Week 6 they travel to Pittsburgh. Luke and the Broncos would jump to a 20-0 lead on their way to a 26-17 win to improve to 4-1. Luke was player of the game and went 22 of 38 for 251 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 4 times for 6 yards and was sacked 1 time. Baltimore comes to town week 7 as their defense would shut down the Raven offense in a 20-7 win to improve to 5-1. Luke would earn player of the game by going 16 of 28 for 228 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards. Week 8 they head to play a struggling San Diego team who is still looking for their second win of the season. The game would never be in doubt in a 24-13 win to improve to 6-1. Luke was 21 of 34 for 203 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for -1 yard and was sacked 1 time. Week 9 would be a match-up of two of the AFC’s top teams as they travel to Cincinnati to play the 7-0 Bengals. Cincinnati would take a 13-0 lead into the 4th quarter. Luke would lead the team on a 80 yard touchdown drive to start out the 4th quarter to pull to within 13-7 with just over 10 minutes left in the game. With the score 13-7 and just under 4 minutes left, Denver would get the ball on their own 5 yard line and Luke would work some magic taking the team 95 yards ni just 4 players to take the lead 14-13, capped by a 42 yard pass. The Bronco defense would go to work next as they would score on a 124 yard fumble return on the Bengal’s first offensive play after forcing the quarterback to fumble on a sack. That would make it 21-13. They would not be through as they would then intercept the very next offensive play by the Bengals and return it 37 yards for a touchdown for the 28-13 final. The win improved them to 7-1 and in command of the AFC West. Luke was 15 of 31 for 256 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. Week 10, the host Kansas City. This would be an easy win, 27-16, in a game that was never in doubt. Luke would be player of the game as he was 17 of 27 for 176 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 3 yards. The win improves them to 8-1. Week 11, they host Oakland. The game would be a defensive battle that Denver would win 16-10. The biggest moment of the game would be the Broncos going on a 12 play, 5 plus minute drive with for kick the field goal that increased their lead to the final score of 16-10. That drive ate up most of what was on the clock and basically sealed the game. Luke was player fo the game, but not with great numbers. He was 18 of 29 for 248 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 1 time. They now sit at 9-1. Week 12 they play at Green Bay. With under 6 minutes left and the team trailing 22-10, Luke would earn his money and the player of the game award. With 5:29 to go, a field goal would make the score 22-13. The defense would force a 3 and out to give the Broncos the ball with 3:42 to go. A 4 play drive would result in a touchdown pass to make the score 22-20. After another 3 and out, the Broncos would get the ball with 2:12 to go at the Packer 48. 6 plays later, they would be celebrating a 27-22 win. Luke was 21 of 40 for 272 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 1 time for 5 yards and was sacked 1 time. The win improves their mark to 10-1 and gives them a 7 game winning streak. Week 13 Indianapolis comes to town. With the Broncos up 24-6 after 3, the Colts would mount a furious 18 point rally to tie the game in the 4th and send it to overtime. The Broncos would get the ball 1st in overtime and Luke would lead them on an 8 play, 80 yard drive, capped with a 37 yard touchdown strike, to win it 30-24. He would earn player of the game by going 22 of 32 for 307 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 15 yards and was sacked 3 times. The win was their 8th straight and they improved to 11-1. Week 14 should be an easy game at Minnesota (3-0) but they would see themselves get down bu 2 touchdowns early and never quite get all the way back in a 28-23 loss to end their winning streak and drop them to 11-2. Luke would earn player of the game honors in the loss as he was 25 of 35 for 354 yards with 2 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was sacked 5 times. Week 15, they host San Diego and get back on the winning path with a 27-8 win over the struggling Chargers. Luke was player of the game as he went 26 of 32 for 281 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was sacked 3 times. The win improved their record to 12-2 and clinched a playoff spot for them and at least a tie for the division. They host Detroit in week 16. The Lions would score to take a 30-27 lead with 2:06 left in the game. Luke would lead the team on an 8 play 67 yard drive to for the game tying field goal, a 26 yard chip shot. After forcing Detroit to punt in overtime, the Broncos would get the ball at their own 44. On a 3rd and 10 draw play, their running back (Darrell Bopp) would break a couple tackles at the line and go 56 yards for the winning score as they win 36-30. The win improved them to 13-2 and wrap up home field advantage in the playoffs. Luke would earn player of the game honors in week 17 at Oakland in a 28-23 win to finish the season at 14-2. The Broncos would always keep Oakland at arms length in the game and never trail. Luke was 21 of 31 for 269 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He ran the ball 2 times for 1 yard with 1 touchdown and was sacked 2 times. The Broncos would host Houston in the division round of the playoffs. Denver would score early and coast to a 27-13 win in the snow. Luke was player of the game as he was 20 of 29 for 212 yards with 3 touchdowns. He ran the ball 1 time for 3 yards and was not sacked. The win was Luke’s 1st playoff win and put him in a conference championship game for the first time in his career. They host Jacksonville in the AFC championship game. Jacksonville would score first and take a 7-0 lead through the end of the first quarter. Luke would hit receiver Roger Cole for a 23 yard touchdown pass with 6:22 to go in the 2nd to tie the game at 7. Jacksonville would answer with a touchdown of their own with under 4:00 to go in the 2nd to make it 14-7. Luke would lead the team 62 yards on 5 plays, capped by a 27 yard touchdown pass to Coles, to tie the game 14-14. The defense would force a turnover on an interception and the Broncos would take the lead with a 47 yard field goal to make it 17-14 at the half. Halfway through the 3rd, Jacksonville would tie it on a chip shot field goal. Luke would lead the team downfield to take the lead on the very next drive as they would kick a 39 yard field goal to make it 20-17. Less than 2 minutes later, a 37 yard touchdown pass for Jacksonville would give them a 24-20 lead. That would remain the score until Jacksonville would extend their lead with a field goal with 6:13 to go in the game to make it 27-20. Luke would lead the team on a 9 play, 76 yard drive, capped by a 12 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 27 with 3:32 to go in the game. After a couple 3 and outs, the Broncos would get the ball back with 45 seconds left, on their own 14. They would get the ball all the way to the 18, but time would run out as they would be out of timeouts and unable to stop the clock on their final play and the game would be headed to overtime. Jacksonville would win the toss and chose to receive. On their 3rd play, an interception would give the Broncos great field position. Starting at the Jaguar 34, they would get down to the 14 and line up for a field goal that would send them, to the Super Bowl. Celebration would start in Denver as the ball sailed through the uprights for the 30-27 win. Luke was 29 of 45 for 388 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He ran the ball 1 time for 8 yards, was sacked 4 times and had 1 tackle. Receiver Coles was player of the game with 15 receptions for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. San Francisco would be their opponent in the Super Bowl. Luke would get the scoring started on a 1 yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown to make it 7-0 with just over 1 minute left in the 1st quarter. The 49ers would get on the board with a field goal late in the 2nd to make the score 7-3 at the half. With 4:29 to go in the 3rd, a 47 yard field goal would give Denver a 10-3 lead and that would be the score after 3. A 51 yard field goal by San Francisco would make it 10-6 with 11:16 to go in the game. After neither team could do much, San Francisco would get the ball at their own 30 with 2:30 left in the game. A 6 play, 70 yard drive, capped by a 45 yard touchdown pass, would give the 49es the lead with just 1:29 left in the game. The Broncos would start from their own 18 and Luke would lead them on a 6 play, 49 yard drive. The drive stalled at the 49er 33 and would have the Broncos lining up for a 50 yard field goal to tie. With 11 seconds left, the ball would sail just over the cross bar and between the uprights to tie the game at 13-13. It would be headed to overtime. The Broncos would win the toss and chose to receive. Luke would lead the team on a 13 play, 6 minute and 45 second, 77 yard drive capped by a 10 yard touchdown run to win the Super Bowl 19-13. Luke would be named MVP of the Super Bowl in what would be the biggest day of his professional career and it would have nothing to do with stats and everything to do with raising that championship trophy. He was 20 of 36 for 257 yards with 1 interception. He ran the ball 4 times for 7 yards with 1 touchdown and was sacked 4 times. Luke’s stats: 16 games, 16 starts, 307 of 483 (63.5%-- 6th in the NFL) for 3890 yards (6th in the NFL, 5th all-time in a single season for Denver) with 29 touchdowns (3rd in the NFL, tied for most all-time in a single season for Denver) and 13 interceptions for a rating of 97.3 (4th in the NFL, 2nd all-time in a single season for Denver), sacked 27 times, 23 carries for 43 yards with 2 touchdowns, 1 tackle and 2 fumbles. 14-2 record with 3 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s playoff numbers: 3 games, 3 starts, 69 of 110 (62.7%) for 857 yards with 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, sacked 8 times, 6 carries for 18 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 tackle. 3-0 record with 2 4th quarter heroics. Super Bowl MVP Luke’s career: 166 games, 145 starts, 2630 of 4380 (60.0%) for 32439 yards with 216 touchdowns (20th all-time) and 147 interceptions for a 85.4 rating, sacked 267 times, 177 carries for 457 yards with 3 touchdowns, 18 tackles, 30 fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries, a 84-66 record (3-2 playoffs) with 18 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career playoff stats: 5 game, 5 starts, 130 of 202 (64.3%) for 1498 yards with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, 10 carries for 25 yards with 1 touchdown, sacked 14 times,1 tackle, 1 fumble. 3-2 record, 2 4th quarter heroics. 2027 Super Bowl MVP

05-27-2004, 12:38 AM	#32
Godzilla Blitz College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	What a storybook season! I can't believe he finally did it, after all those years of futility and injury. Amazing! Great job with this, by the way. I just noticed it tonight and have spent the past hour reading through it. Very enjoyable. Interested to see how his career winds up.

05-27-2004, 12:44 AM	#33
Grid Iron Ice Cream Man Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Bay Area	Awesome finish to the season! __________________ Follow the story of the Oregon Ice of the Continental Football League.

05-27-2004, 02:41 AM	#35
Alf Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Rennes, France	Finally, he did it. And what a great finish ! Two overtime vicories to capture the SuperBowl MVP trophy !!! Now, I am pretty sure Denver will let his QB go (that's the way this FOF game works, right ?) __________________ FOFL - GML - IHOF - FranceStats

05-29-2004, 12:28 AM	#36
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	I have to admit that I was pumped up for him when he won it all. Yeah, you might be a geek if you get excited abuot a randomly generated fictional player in a PC game. Oh well, I am what I am.

05-29-2004, 12:31 AM	#37
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Season 14: Changing roles Luke’s 14th season didn’t begin as he would have liked. He was not resigned by the Broncos (team management cited a youth movement for the reason) and had to enter the Free Agent pool. He was not sough after by any team during the early free agency period and ended up waiting until well after the draft before hearing from the Giants. They offered him a one year deal to be their backup. With veteran Tyrus Andrews returning, he would most likely see little action but the team does look like they have a strong chance at contending, which is why they want an established veteran quarterback as a backup plan. The Giants would begin their preseason at Kansas City as Luke would get a chance to play against a few old team-mates. Luke would come in with the Giants up 17-7 in the second quarter and they would coast to a 27-10 win to open their preseason. Luke was 11 of 14 for 102 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 2 times for 2 yards and was sacked 3 time. Their defense would step up for them in their second preseason game, a 16-6 win over Buffalo. Luke would have an awful night, going 2 of 12 for 23 yards with 1 interception. Luke would return to Denver for their third preseason game. The coach would put him in to replace Tyrus early in the game and he would enter the game to a standing ovation from the Denver fans. He would have a very good outing and would lead the team to 2 4th quarter touchdowns but it wouldn’t be enough as they would fall 28-21 after getting in too deep of a hole early. Luke was 22 of 34 for 316 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for 8 yards, was sacked 3 times and fumbled the ball 1 time. Luke would get to show off some of his late magic in their final preseason game. With under 2 minutes left in the game and the Giants trailing the Jets 17-16, he would lead them on a 6 play, 64 yard touchdown drive to win the game 22-17. He was 15 of 25 for 257 yards. He was sacked 4 times. Luke would start the season as the team’s second string quarterback and the holder. They would open the season with a 21-19 loss to Philadelphia. They would miss a game tying 2 point conversion with under a minute left to lose the game. Week 3, Tyrus would lead the team back from a 17-0 deficit to beat Pittsburgh 23-20 on a last second field goal and to improve to 1-1. Tyrus would injure his leg in week 3, but would finish the game. They would beat Tampa Bay 20-17 in overtime after trailing 17-10 with under a minute left in the game. The win improved them to 2-1. After a bye week, the doctor would not clear Tyrus, giving Luke the start in week 5 against Dallas. Luke would play a solid game and earn player of the game honors. He was 19 of 33 for 202 yards with 1 touchdown. He ran the ball 1 time for -2 yards and was sacked 1 time. The win improved their record to 3-1. Luke would get a second start in week 6 as they would play at Detroit. The game would be an offensive affair in which the Giants would lead throughout. Luke would earn another player of the game award. He was 19 of 32 for 289 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran the ball 2 times for -2 yards, was sacked 2 times and recovered 1 fumble. They are now 4-1 and sitting at the top of the NFC East. Tyrus would return the next week and lead the Giants back from a 24-14 deficit to win the game 27-24 on a field goal with under 3 minutes to play. They improve to 5-1 with the win. Week 8, they host Chicago. The Giants would get out to a 14-0 second quarter lead but Chicago would begin chipping away at the lead and go on to kick a game winning field goal with under 2 minutes left in the game for the 16-14 win. The loss drops the Giants to 5-2. Week 9 they get back on the winning track with a 19-14 win over Minnesota. They would trail the game 14-10 early in the third quarter but go on to kick 3 unanswered field goals for the win. Week 10 would be all about defense as they would get shut out at Philadelphia 10-0. The loss dropped them to 6-3. Luke would still only get holder duties. Week 11 would be all New York in a 23-7 win over division rival Washington. They now regain the division lead at 7-3. Week 12 would be at Baltimore. They would trail the game 12-10 late in the 4th before Tyrus would lead the team on a 56 yard drive to set up the game winning field goal as they pull it out 13-12 to improve to 8-3. Week 13 they host San Francisco and win 20-12 for their thirds straight victory. The win would improve their record to 9-3. Week 14 would be an easy 30-17 win over Cleveland in their final home game of the season. They now sit at 10-3 and need just a win or Philadelphia loss to clinch the division. Week 15 they play at Washington for the first of their final three games on the road. They would trail 13-3 early nit eh second quarter but would take over and go on to win 25-13 for their 5th straight and to improve to 11-3, clinching their division and a playoff spot. Week 16 they are going for 6 straight as they head to Cincinnati, another one of Luke’s old teams. The Giants defense would keep the Bengals in check in a 20-10 win to improve to 12-3. After watching a 17-7 4th quarter lead vanish in Dallas as the game would head to overtime. Tyrus would lead the team on the game winning drive in overtime as they would pull it out 20-17 for their seventh straight victory. They finish at 13-3 and have the home field advantage in the NFC. They would host Arizona in the division round of the playoffs. Luke would watch from the sidelines as the Giants would never trail in a 22-20 win to advance to the NFC championship game. The game would not even be that close as Arizona would score on the last play of the game and hithe extra point just to get it to a 2 point game. The Giant defense would will them to the Super Bowl in the NFC championship game against Green Bay. They would beat the Packers 16-7 in a game that was all about shutting down the Packer offense as the defense held the Packers to under 200 yards of total offense. Luke would get to see another ex-team as the Giants would face Houston in the Super Bowl. Luke would watch from the sidelines except to hold. The Giants would score first on a 2 yard touchdown run in the first quarter to make it 7-0. A 76 yard interception return for a touchdown for Houston would tie the game at 7 early in the second quarter. Tyrus would throw a 6 yard touchdown pass with just over 3 minutes left in the first half to make it 14-7. Houston would add a field goal as the first half ended to make it 14-10 at the half. The Giants would return the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown to make it 21-10 and that would allow their defense to take over. Each team would only manage another field goal as the Giants would win the Super Bowl 24-13 to give Luke his second ring in 2 seasons, one from each conference. Tyrus would be named the Super Bowl MVP. Luke’s stats: 16 games, 2 starts, 38 of 65 (58.4%) for 491 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a rating of 89.9, sacked 3 times, 3 carries for -4 yards and 1 fumble recovery. 2-0 record. Luke’s career: 182 games, 147 starts, 2668 of 4445 (60.0%) for 32930 yards with 220 touchdowns and 149 interceptions for a 85.4 rating, sacked 270 times, 180 carries for 453 yards with 3 touchdowns, 18 tackles, 30 fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries, a 86-66 record (3-2 playoffs) with 18 4th quarter heroics. Luke’s career playoff stats: 5 game, 5 starts, 130 of 202 (64.3%) for 1498 yards with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, 10 carries for 25 yards with 1 touchdown, sacked 14 times,1 tackle, 1 fumble. 3-2 record, 2 4th quarter heroics. 2027 Super Bowl MVP

05-29-2004, 12:33 AM	#38
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Not sure if I can be happy for him, I maen with the Giants winning the Super Bowl that is.