To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and that’s exactly what Andrew Luck hopes he and the Indianapolis Colts can do.

It likely comes as no surprise that Luck’s got high hopes for the 2015 season after he guided the Colts to an AFC Championship Game appearance last season. Of course, the Colts were throttled 45-7 by the Patriots, ending what had been Luck’s best season as a pro to date.

Luck’s hoping for even more progress this season and thinks the Colts have what it takes to make an even deeper run. However, he acknowledged the path to Super Bowl 50 still goes through Foxboro.

“The Patriots are obviously the defending Super Bowl champs and our defending conference champs so there’s a high amount of respect for that team and what they do,” Luck said in an interview with BritViewNFL.com. “They’re the kings of the league right now and everybody would like to dethrone them — we’d like to dethrone them, but you have to look at the season as 16 games. There are fans and media who will hype up certain games and circle them in red on the calendar but, as a player, you lose sight of what’s important if you get into that mode.”

The Colts certainly have made offseason moves that indicate they’re gearing up for a big run. The Colts retooled the offense with skill players like Frank Gore and Andre Johnson. Perhaps more importantly, they upgraded a defense the Patriots cut through like a hot knife through butter twice last season.

“I’d like to think that we can get better and improve on 2014,” Luck said. “That’s the goal for every team when hope springs eternal during the off-season. It’s everybody’s goal to go out and win the Super Bowl — I’d like to think we have a realistic chance. We certainly have the guys to get it done, the coaching staff and the support, so that’s what we’re working for.”

The Patriots and Colts square off Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.

Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images