HOT | NOT

HOT: BEGINNER'S LUCK

The Andrew Luck era in Indy opened with a bang: The 22-year-old's first NFL play, against the Rams on Sunday, went 63 yards—a screen pass score to Donald Brown—and he finished 10 of 16 with two TDs. The Colts' 38 points in the win matched the most for Indy in any game since Week 2 of 2010.

NOT: HOWARD'S END?

The 2012 season can't end fast enough for the 52--62 Phillies—especially for 1B Ryan Howard. The 32-year-old is hitting just .230 since returning to action full time on July 6, and he has 16 strikeouts—second highest in MLB—in just 40 August at bats. The cost of that to Philly? A cool $20 million.

HOT: ROSS IS BOSS

In London, U.S. gymnast Kyla Ross helped the women win team gold; sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross (below) took gold in the women's 400 and 4 √ó 400 as husband Aaron Ross of the Jags cheered her on; and April Ross won silver (with Jennifer Kessy) in beach volleyball.

NOT: STEELERS IN THE PITS

Losing to the cross-state Eagles: never good. ("We will deal with it, won't accept it," said coach Mike Tomlin, below, of the 24--23 defeat.) It's only the preseason—so what? More worrisome was a fistfight between WR Antonio Brown and CB Ike Taylor, their second serious scrap of camp.

HOT: IRISH AYES

Rory McIlroy, winless in his last nine tournaments, scored his second career major victory, in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island on Sunday. The 23-year-old native of Northern Ireland finished 13 under and coasted to a $1.45 million paycheck by a tournament-record eight strokes.

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ANDREW HANCOCK (MCILROY)

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CHRIS SZAGOLA/CAL SPORT MEDIA (TOMLIN)

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ROBERT BECK (RICHARDS-ROSS)

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DALE ZANINE/US PRESSWIRE (HOWARD)

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TOM DIPACE (LUCK)