September 20, 2024

The Indianapolis Colts finished the preseason with a 27-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, giving them a 2-1 record in August.

With the Bengals sitting out their starters, there should have been plenty to learn from this game, but with Anthony Richardson and the starting offense failing after their good first drive, there is some concern about how they will perform in the season opener.

The starting defense handled their business during their brief action, but it was the backup units who helped the squad pull away in the second half to seal the victory.

Here are the key takeaways from the preseason finale.

Takeaways from Colts’ final preseason game

Great start but a rough ending for Anthony Richardson

To begin the game, the Colts’ starting offense was all rainbows and butterflies against the Bengals backups. Anthony Richardson and his team set together an effective push that relied heavily on AR, with his arm serving as the primary tool. The second-year quarterback made the right reads and delivered with good ball placement to propel the offense to the end zone.

Richardson went 7/8 for 65 yards and a touchdown on the first possession. Following a promising start, the story took a quite different turn. On the following drive, AR and Kylen Granson appeared to have a misunderstanding over where Granson intended to take his route, resulting in a pick-six.

The next three drives were less than inspirational for Richardson. He appeared to be trying to make up for the interception. The majority of his throws were inaccurate, and he squandered some opportunities to sustain drives by throwing balls over his receivers’ heads.

In his final drive of the night, Richardson was stripped of the ball, which Quenton Nelson recovered. They were unable to gain the first down after the fumble, which set up a third-and-15.

Richardson ended 8/14 with 86 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. On his final play of the night, he gained three rushing yards on a scramble. I believe Shane Steichen instructed him he wasn’t allowed to hold the ball on quarterback reads since there were a few of plays where Richardson might have gained significant yards if he had maintained the ball.

This should also be considered, as Steichen was working with a restricted playbook, and we shall know his full plan for this squad when the games are played.

Should the Colts panic on Richardson? No. It is to be expected that AR’s performance as a passer may fluctuate. Furthermore, it is evident that he needs to focus on creating greater chemistry with his receivers in order to get the timing correct when it matters most.

It wasn’t a complete disaster for AR; there were some pros, but the most obvious weaknesses are aspects of his game that he has to work on in what should be his first full NFL season.

Starting defense handles their business

On a night when Cincinnati chose to rest their starters, the starting Indianapolis defense outperformed the reserves. They forced a three-and-out on their first drive due to a third-down sack by Laiatu Latu.

While this rep was against a backup, Latu has continued to impress in the few opportunities he has had this summer. This play also demonstrated the harm that Latu and DeForest Buckner can cause by rushing the passer from the same side of the line.

On the next drive, the starters forced a punt but nearly turned the ball over. Tyquan Lewis applied early pressure on the quarterback, nearly leading to an interception by E.J. Speed.

On the next play, the Bengals gained a first down and advanced to midfield after Kwity Paye roughed the quarterback. The Colts would eventually force a punt as Jaylon Jones provided great coverage on a deep shot down the field.

The whole starting lineup forced a three-and-out on their third series of the night. Some of the starters were withdrawn following that drive, but those who remained on the field helped force the defense’s third three-and-out on its fourth drive.

The starting defense surrendered only 24 yards on 16 plays. This is exactly how you anticipate starters to perform against backups. They now have only more than two weeks to prepare for the potent Houston Texans offense.

Tyler Goodson and Evan Hull continue to impress

The backfield pecking order appears to be evident ahead of the season opener. Barring that, Trey Sermon’s hamstring injury will cost him the RB2 position on the depth chart. Jonathan Taylor completed the first series before the night was out.

Tyler Goodson took over for JT, who had started last week’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Goodson was precise in his sprinting and demonstrated some juice several times throughout the night.

Goodson ended the night with 13 carries for 57 yards. He also caught two of three targets for ten yards. He did had the game’s longest kick return (34 yards), though.

Goodson appears to be the depth chart’s RB3, but Evan Hull did receive some playing time with the starting unit. He had some good runs throughout the night.

Hull had nine carries for thirty yards. There was some concern about Taylor’s backups entering the preseason, but after the previous two games, I believe the mix of Sermon, Goodson, and Hull will be adequate for the season.

Swing tackle role still up for grabs?

There is concern about Blake Freeland’s performance in the preseason leading up to the Bengals game, and it appears that the coaching staff is well aware of it. For the first time in preseason games, the second team started with third-round rookie Matt Goncalves at left tackle and Freeland at right tackle.

Goncalves struggled to make his initial impression as a left tackle.

But there was also some good.

Shane Steichen must be praying that Bernhard Raimann does not have to miss any time this season because, whether it is Goncalves or Freeland, there will be a significant decline in play from the left tackle position until either of the young tackles matures throughout the year.

Could a waiver claim at tackle come next week, when teams have made their cuts? Chris Ballard should take this into consideration. If the coaching staff is unsure about who they will identify as the swing tackle, they might hire an experienced free agent instead.

Jason Bean makes his case for the practice squad

Jason Bean, a marginal roster member, has added spice to the Colts’ preseason. On Thursday night, the UDFA rookie quarterback used his arm and legs to keep the offense moving forward.

He made the most of his one drive. To start, he kept the drive alive with a scramble on third-and-six.

Bean also made a couple of solid throws to get the ball in scoring position.

He capped off the 13-play, 96-yard drive with a third-and-goal run where he stretched the ball past the goal line while taking a hit for the touchdown.

Unfortunately for Bean, his night ended with that score due to a shoulder injury sustained from the impact he absorbed. On his one drive, he went 4/4 for 52 yards, adding 15 yards and a touchdown on three rushing tries.

The No. 1 pick in the UFL Draft may have to postpone those plans if Chris Ballard wants him on the practice squad. His playing style complements Shane Steichen’s philosophy, and with Joe Flacco on a one-year deal and Sam Ehlinger’s rookie contract expiring after this season, he might challenge for the backup quarterback position this time next year.

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