‘‘I think the more we get on the same page, the more we understand nonverbal cues, certain routes and how to read defenses,’’ said Decker, who has caught touchdown passes in five straight games. ‘‘All of those things, you can use to your advantage offensively. We’re definitely clicking more as a unit offensively.’’

When Manning chose Denver, he was very clear about his goals. The decision, he said, was about winning now. At 36 and with the injury he was returning from, he knows there aren’t many more seasons left to win another Super Bowl.

‘‘I realize I don’t have 14 years left, by any means,’’ Manning said on the day he signed.

Luck, on the other hand, might. And he certainly wasn’t joining a team that was one, or even two or three pieces away from Super Bowl contention.

Or so the Colts thought.

Asked to compare the quarterbacks at this stage in their careers, Arians said he'd give Luck the nod, mainly because they've asked him to do more than they asked from Manning.

‘‘Peyton, we gave two or three plays in the huddle, he was great at that phase of it, but we didn’t do the no-huddle until his second year,’’ Arians said. ‘‘I think (Luck's) a step ahead only because of what we’re asking him to do. And he’s doing it with a bunch of rookies, whereas Peyton had some really good players on that team.’’

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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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