Andre Johnson joined Colts to win a title, play with Luck

The new kids came to town this week. Suffice to say they liked what they saw.

Sure, it's been just three days — three quick, light, stress-free workouts for the Indianapolis Colts as the reigning AFC runners-up commence official preparations for the 2015 season. But it was the first time this team has gathered since that 38-point drubbing in the rain in Foxborough, its first chance to turn the page and ensure the same thing doesn't happen again.

It was also the initial opportunity for the team's new crop of free agent acquisitions to get a peek at what it'll be like playing with the NFL's top young quarterback.

Andre Johnson, meet Andrew Luck.

Frank Gore, meet Andrew Luck.

"He throws a great ball," Johnson said, smiling at the promise of this new partnership. "He's probably the best quarterback I've ever played with."

This, again, coming after the two have been on the field together for all of three days. But Johnson made one thing clear: That's why he's here. To win a championship. To play with Luck. Stability at the game's most critical position eluded him throughout a 12-year stay in Houston. While suitors chased his services after he became a free agent last March, the Colts offered exactly that. Stability. Simplicity. Success.

Now, Johnson faces no such uncertainty. No revolving door at quarterback, from the likes of David Carr to Sage Rosenfels to Case Keenum. Here, he knows who will be throwing him the ball every Sunday. Here, Luck is The Guy.

"Like a breath of fresh air," Johnson called it, repeating himself for good measure. "The past two years have been pretty frustrating."

The affinity runs both ways. In Johnson, Luck receives a physically-gifted, sure-handed veteran wideout to complement the swift and speedy T.Y. Hilton. On Wednesday, Luck was asked of his first response when he heard the Colts had landed Johnson — and his 1,012 career catches, 13,597 career yards and 64 career touchdowns — during March's free agency blitz.

"Wow! Andre. Sweet!" Luck said, his voice raising a few decibels, his excitement evident.

"I was in middle school when he got drafted by the Texans," Luck added, hinting at Johnson's age and possibly praising his longevity.

"Now I get to play with him, so it's cool. It really is."

Speaking of cool, if you're Andrew Luck: an addition to your backfield who carries with him 11,073 career rushing yards. Gore, a bull of consistency and production throughout a decade-long stint in San Francisco, arrived this week aiming to provide the Colts the one offensive element that's been missing in the Luck Era: reliability at the running back position.

"You talk about a tough guy, a tough runner, a tough blocker and a guy you can tell that does things for his teammates and is a team-first guy," Luck said.

Gore is, in so many ways, what this offense so desperately seeks. He has run for more than 1,000 yards in eight of his ten seasons; Indianapolis hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2007. Gore eclipsed 100 yards in a game on four occasions last season; the Colts have done that just once since Luck arrived in 2012.

He's here to fix all that. Like Johnson, Gore's new quarterback made an impression on him immediately.

"He's running the show," Gore gushed of Luck. "We're out there, throwing the ball, and he's telling us what to do. That's what I'm happy to see."

The defense, too, will field some fresh faces come the Sept. 13 opener in Buffalo. One of the signature acquisitions — linebacker Trent Cole — lands in Indianapolis after spending his entire 10-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

To hear Cole tell it, he's catching on, learning a new system and a new culture. Learning, too, which opponent fuels the Colts' offseason drive the most.

"There's a lot of energy here to win ballgames, especially to beat the Patriots," Cole said.

Cole said it was made readily apparent during his recruitment that here, after that 45-7 loss in the AFC Championship Game, beating New England remains top priority. It's not hard to figure why. In four meetings versus the Patriots since Chuck Pagano took over as coach in 2012, the Colts have lost by a combined 116 points. All have followed the same script. All have been blowouts. All have spurred questions about this team's resolve.

Those questions will persist until the Colts find a way to flip the narrative.

"It sits there, and it's a bit embarrassing in a sense," Luck offered Wednesday. "It fuels you. You realize if you want to do anything in the AFC, you're going to have to figure out a way to beat those guys."

The Patriots remain the riddle the Colts cannot solve. Cole, in town just three days, learned so quickly.

"You just don't use that word around here," Cole said. "From what I've seen and what happened, I see why there's a lot of hatred there. There's nothing wrong with that. That's why we're here (this week) with full participation."

It is, too, why he's in Indianapolis, same as why Andre Johnson and Frank Gore are in Indianapolis. The Colts have been building, winning, learning since the new regime took over three seasons ago. They've made momentous strides. Those three are here to push them over the hump.

This week was just the start.

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.