Andrew Luck is looking to continue his rise to prominence by reaching his first Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts face the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game.
Luck has been everything promised to the Colts after they selected him with the first pick in the 2012 Draft as he has reversed the fortunes of the franchise, making the transition from Peyton Manning painless for the club's supporters.
The 25-year-old has improved in each season he has been in the NFL and is on the verge of greatness as he is just one game away from competing on the biggest stage of them all for the Vince Lombardi trophy.
However, one team stands in his way. The Patriots have been Luck's 'White Whale' as he has failed to beat Bill Belichick's men in their three meetings, with three crushing defeats.
New England have won the matches by a total scoreline of 144-66, the last of which came earlier this season in a 42-20 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium as running back Jonas Gray ran for 201 yards and four touchdowns against Chuck Pagano's men.
The running game has been instrumental in the Patriots' success against the Colts as in the divisional round in the 2013 campaign LeGarrette Blount ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns, while Stevan Ridley also chipped in with two scores on the ground.
Pagano's men have to stop the Patriots' rushing attack to stand a chance in this game and give Luck an opportunity to blow to blow with Tom Brady in the passing game.
The Colts displayed a balanced attack against the Denver Broncos last week in their win in the divisional round, and they will have to show that again against the Patriots to avoid becoming one-dimensional.
If the game is thrust onto the shoulders of Luck too much, he has proven in the past to make costly mistakes, which will be fatal to his team's chances of success in Foxborough.
New England's defense will want to bounce back after a difficult outing against the Baltimore Ravens last week. Joe Flacco threw for four touchdowns to put up 31 points against Belichick's side, and only an outstanding display from Brady sealed their place in the title game.
They will be determined to repay the favour against Luck to guide the club to their first Super Bowl since the 2011 season. Cornerback Darrelle Revis and receiver TY Hilton are poised to lock horns in a battle that will decide the Colts' fate in the match.
If Hilton can't have an effect on the game, the visitors will have little hope of registering their first victory over the Patriots since 2009.
On the other side of the ball, even if the Colts manage to shut down the Patriots' running game they still have to deal with Rob Gronkowski.
The All-Pro can dominate a game single-handed and Pagano's men will have to have the games of their lives to stop him entirely, and even limiting his play may not be enough.
The Colts have defied the critics to reach this stage and it will take another mammoth effort to keep their season going into February, but if any quarterback can achieve the feat, it's Luck.
Simon Sinclair
