a five-star [recruit], if you had 100 tackles or 80 rec

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Andrew Luck didnt need to see the film of Cam Newton getting clobbered to realize Denvers defense can put a serious hurt on the quarterback.Luck led the Colts to a big win over the Broncos last year but ended up in the hospital afterward with a lacerated kidney and torn abdominal muscle that sidelined him for the final two months of the season.Lesson learned.After playing in just seven games in 2015 and then signing a megadeal this summer that includes a record $87 million in guarantees, Luck is more cognizant of protecting both his body and team owner Jim Irsays investment in him.As a quarterback you have an obligation to be on the field, Luck said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters in Denver, where the Colts (0-1) play this weekend. That involves taking care of your body. Situationally, there are times when I need to slide or throw the ball away and Ive been working on that.Theres a balance hes trying to find so he doesnt lose any of whats made him the quarterback he is.Youre going to go out there and take a hit if the games on the line or in (certain) other situations, Luck said. But I think in every year Im trying to approach the game in a better, more efficient way. So, I guess this is somewhat of a natural progression, as well.Luck was only sacked once but hit 11 times by the Broncos last year. His worst hit came when he was sandwiched by defensive end Vance Walker and linebacker Danny Trevathan, but he finished up and led the Colts to a 27-24 win in Indianapolis.The Broncos lost Trevathan to free agency and Walker was penciled in as Malik Jacksons replacement until he blew out a knee in training camp.That doesnt mean the Broncos are any less of a hazard to Lucks health.A lot of other guys got big hits on him, too, cornerback Chris Harris said. That wasnt the only hit. Everybody got big hits on him. Like I said, Luck put his body on the line against us. Just like Cam Newton did last week. Quarterbacks know if they want to beat us, theyve got to go all-out.Like Newton, Luck doesnt avoid hits like say, the elusive Russell Wilson.No, Andrew Luck doesnt slide too much, Harris said. Those guys try to run you over. So, youve got to hit them like running backs.Thats what Denvers defense did to Newton last week, hammering him 17 times, including four helmet-to-helmet hits, two of which resulted in fines for linebacker Brandon Marshall and safety Darian Stewart.Their hits on Newton, along with those of Super Bowl MVP Von Miller and cornerback Bradley Roby, sparked a debate about player safety, the viability of read-option QBs in this league and whether Denvers defense had crossed the line.Luck is up next and, like the leagues disciplinarians, hes been studying the Panthers-Broncos game film all week.Yeah, tough, physical, good, really good players all around the field, Luck said. Obviously, theyre a winning group. They know how to win. Well-coached. Coach (Wade) Phillips does a heck of a job, everywhere hes been. Certainly great pass rushers, really good cover guys. Really, theres no weakness on the defense.One adjective that many are using to describe Denvers defense is dirty.Not Luck.I wouldnt necessarily agree with that, he said. They play hard, theyre well-coached and obviously everybodys entitled to their own opinion. They do a good job. They really do.Colts coach Chuck Pagano thinks so, too.Theyre an athletic, physical, tough, attacking, swarming defense, Pagano said. Theyve got talent front to back. The edge pressure that you get, the way that they run to the football, the linebackers are sideline to sideline and the secondary is as good a unit as there is in the National Football League. Theyre a physical, physical unit.Game notes WR Demaryius Thomas (left hip) returned to practice and coach Gary Kubiak reiterated his belief that hell play Sunday. WR Bennie Fowler (right elbow) was held out again.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton Michael Cooper Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Jerry West Lakers Jersey . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. http://www.lakersteamofficial.com/Kobe-Bryant-Lakers-Jersey/ . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Kyle Kuzma Lakers Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Magic Johnson Lakers Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- In the minutes after a 38-35 home loss Saturday to Duke, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said that all 22 starting jobs on the Fighting Irish are up for grabs, sending a stern message to his 1-3 team.Every position, all 22 of them, will be evaluated, Kelly said at his postgame news conference. Each and every position. There is no position that is untouchable on this football team. And thats the quarterback, all the way down to -- maybe the long snappers OK. Were not going to touch him. But everybody else is vulnerable.Kelly described quarterback?DeShone Kizers play as below standard and not acceptable after the redshirt sophomore threw for 381 yards and rushed for 60 but turned over the ball twice. The Irish, for the first time, featured backup quarterback Malik Zaire as a receiver on two plays, but Kelly said those packages will be scrapped after the plays netted minus-8 yards.Asked if its a possibility that sophomore quarterback Brandon Wimbush -- who had been expected to redshirt -- will play this season, Kelly said: Thats a possibility. Thats a definite possibility.Asked later about who has to be on the field for the Fighting Irish, Kelly said, Guys that have fire and grit and -- we had one guy in the entire football team that had emotion and fire. That is (running back)?Dexter Williams. Hes the only one. Hes the onlyy one that I saw.dddddddddddd. One guy.So, if you want to play for me moving forward, you better -- I dont care what your résumé says, I dont care if you were a five-star [recruit], if you had 100 tackles or 80 receptions or 30 touchdown passes -- you better have some damn fire and energy in you. We lack it. We lack it. Severely.Those personnel changes, however, will leave the coaching staff unaffected. Third-year coordinator Brian VanGorder has faced plenty of heat from the fan base, with the segments of Saturdays Notre Dame Stadium crowd chanting to fire him after the Irish gave up 35-plus points for the fifth time in their past six games dating to last season.Actually, thats probably the one area that I feel better about today, Kelly said. We did what I wanted today in terms of coaching. And coaching had nothing to do with the outcome today. I was pleased from that perspective.Kizer said Duke wanted the game more than Notre Dame did, and that he has to execute the offense better.Were always held to a higher standard, Kizer said. ... we understand that in order for to us win football games, were going to have to come out with a fire and a sense of urgency, the thing that [Kelly has] been preaching all week. ' ' '