The Indianapolis Colts have officially wrapped up their preseason with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.
It was the dress rehearsal for the starters who played the entire first half outside a handful of players on the defense that left the lineup late in the second quarter.
Here are five takeaways from the final look at the Colts ahead of their season opener:
1
Anthony Richardson flashes throughout the night
It wasn’t a perfect performance from the new Colts franchise quarterback but he was able to showcase his arm and mobility throughout the first half. It was apparent that Shane Steichen wanted to test Anthony Richardson’s arm when he came out with a deep shot on the first play and called plenty of pass plays when his signal caller was on the field.
While there were some erratic throws at times by Richardson, he had his moments where he looked in command, had great timing on his throws, and squeezed the ball into tight windows for his receivers. His best throw of the night came on this 17-yard completion to Kylen Granson.
Anthony Richardson on the money 🎯 @GVOaant#INDvsPHI on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/624TrfDUF6 pic.twitter.com/R5kqzA1z37— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2023
Richardson will use his rushing ability on designed runs but tonight he was able to show he isn’t going to be easy to sack and can pick up third-and-longs with his legs if he needs to.
3rd and 10 scramble for Anthony Richardson
gain of 12
Pace + Rushing = Fantasy Points, even if AR makes a bunch of mistakes pic.twitter.com/jtMkBZmCjh
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 25, 2023
This play didn’t result in a first down but because of Richardson, the Colts didn’t have to settle for a long field goal attempt as he was able to shake off the blitzer and turn a sack into a positive gain.
No QB was better at not allowing pressures to turn into sacks than Anthony Richardson in the 2023 class
an outstanding trait
this is exceptional work to gain positive yards pic.twitter.com/nnCvunSsNu
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 25, 2023
The box score doesn’t do him justice but he finished going 6/17 for 78 yards. Richardson also was the leading rusher with 38 yards on five attempts. Most importantly, he committed zero turnovers but there were a couple of throws that could’ve been intercepted.
There is much more for Richardson to improve upon but tonight he looked more poised than he did a couple of weeks ago against the Buffalo Bills. The offense looks like it is heading in the right direction and now we wait to see what Steichen has in store for Richardson on opening day versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
2
Solid night for the offensive linemen
The starting offensive line (minus two starters) did get off to a rough start. Quenton Nelson had a false start and a holding penalty that negated an Anthony Richardson first down on a third-and-15 on the first drive but they were able to bounce back after that.
They started to open up lanes for their backs as the first half went along and were giving time to Richardson to go through his progressions. On the starting unit’s two touchdown drives, they ran the ball in from the 10-yard line and the 13-yard line to get in the endzone without having to put the ball in the air.
As far as the backup unit, it was night and day when you compare how they looked against the Bills and how they fared against Philly. They were dominating the trenches for their backs to start the second half and just like the starters did for Richardson, they gave time for Gardner Minshew time in the pocket.
You can tell Tony Sparano Jr. has been doing some work with his group over the past couple of weeks. Tonight was a positive for the Indy offensive line but I do still feel like they need some quality depth for the season. Especially if Danny Pinter is out for some time. He was carted off in the second half.
There could be some movement on the offensive line following cutdown day but the major takeaway is that Sparano Jr. is showing he’s helping improve a unit that struggled in 2022.
3
Evan Hull impresses
The fifth-round rookie had his best showing of the preseason tonight. When the offensive line started to open up the rushing lanes he took advantage of them. Evan Hull made some physical runs to push through tackle attempts and he did that on his touchdown.
Third time's the charm!
📺: Prime Video pic.twitter.com/jYt9z2qeRC
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 25, 2023
Perhaps his best rep of the night came in his final appearance of the night he and the offensive line picked up a third-down blitz perfectly. Hull blasted the blitzer with great form to send him to the grass.
Evan Hull MY GOODNESS 😮💨🔥#ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/cX3HKk1sYk
— Ray G (@RayGQue) August 25, 2023
Hull ran the ball six times for 25 yards and a touchdown. He had the most rushing yards among all the running backs. Shane Steichen should be happy with what he saw from his rookie back, someone he may have to lean on more than expected to start the season.
4
The decision for the tight end room seems complicated
It is going to be interesting to see who ends up making the initial 53-man roster on August 29 from the tight end group. There are locks with Kylen Granson and Jelani Woods. Granson had two catches for 25 yards tonight and Jelani Woods is still out with his hamstring injury.
Mo Alie-Cox likely does make the roster because of his blocking ability. He was able to suit up tonight but didn’t see a target come his way.
We finally got a look at Drew Ogletree, who made his first preseason debut after tearing his ACL in training camp last year. He worked with the starters and connected with Anthony Richardson on a 23-yard reception.
Former @Hula_Bowl standout tight end Andrew Ogletree looking good in the preseason. He is such a talented prospect! @FindlayFootball @ysufootball So proud of @DrewOgletree pic.twitter.com/cSXuAGY8gW
— NFL Draft Diamonds (@DraftDiamonds) August 25, 2023
The player to watch for if he does make the team is fifth-round rookie Will Mallory. It should be noted that Pharaoh Brown got the first crack when the backup unit took over in the second half but Mallory did work with Minshew as well.
He had two catches, but his final one was impressive as he had to make an adjustment to come down with the ball and had the awareness to get up after falling to the ground for extra yardage since there wasn’t a defender around him. Mallory led the team with 43 receiving yards.
Could we see Chris Ballard carry five tight ends on the 53-man roster? When the initial list comes out, that’s the group I know I will look at immediately.
5
Players making their final impression
Some final thoughts from the last preseason game are on some players I believe made a strong impression ahead of cutdown day. McTelvin Agim is a name to watch for on the defensive line. He’s impressed throughout the preseason.
Agim had three tackles (one solo), one TFL, a QB hit, and half-a-sack. They may try to sneak him on the practice squad but he has some good tape where a team could pick him up.
Sticking with the defensive line, Khalid Kareem has made some plays over the last couple of weeks. Tonight he had two tackles (two solo), one TFL, one QB hit, and a sack. He has an outside shot but he should be a practice squad candidate.
Another defender primed for the practice squad is Henry Black. He’s been a hitter for the defense and on special teams in the preseason. His performance against the Eagles will help. He had three tackles (three solo) and forced a fumble.
A few notes on some offensive players. It’s notable that Juwann Winfree and Breshad Perriman got snaps with the starters. They could be in the lead for the WR5/6 spots. It depends on how many receivers make the team.
It could be dependent on Jonathan Taylor’s status come Tuesday, but I believe Jake Funk beat out Kenyan Drake for the RB4/5 spot. While he had 23 yards on five attempts, it’s how active he’s been on kickoff coverage that gives him the edge.
One player I don’t see pushing for a spot on the 53-man roster but should be on the practice squad is D.J. Montgomery. He made some nice plays the past two weeks. He had three receptions for 36 yards against Philadelphia.
Now it’s the waiting game to see how the 53-man roster and practice squad look by this time next week.
