Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck believes he knows the reason for all the sacks this season

Published Nov. 15, 2016 1:58 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

The Indianapolis Colts just can’t seem to protect their franchise quarterback properly. But if you ask Andrew Luck, he’s not going to point at the offensive line for being sacked a league-leading 20 times.

Instead, Luck shifted the blame to himself and said he has to get the ball out of his hands much quicker.

“I don’t think the sacks are necessarily indicative of how well our offensive line is playing,” Luck said, via Pro Football Talk. “You can probably blame me for holding the ball too long. It is that clock developing in the game. Maybe the clock is a little different for each play, but yeah you do develop a clock.”

Luck, who has been sacked 135 times since breaking into the league in 2012, has a knack for deflecting blame. Though the line has struggled, Luck knows he has had a hand in the alarming number of sacks this season.

Indianapolis gets a chance to turn around its early-season struggles Sunday against the AFC South-leading Texans, who are eighth in sacks with 13 this season.