We knew who the Indianapolis Colts would be playing during the preseason, but now we officially know the dates and times of when those exhibitions will be taking place.
Aug. 11: vs. Denver (1:00 PM)
Aug. 17: vs. Arizona (7:00 PM)
The Colts will host two joint practices with the Cardinals before that preseason game and will travel to Cincinnati for a joint practice prior to that game taking place. For more information on the joint practice schedule, click here.
Also of note in what is a bit of a scheduling quirk, the Colts will not only see the Broncos during the preseason, but they will face them during the regular season in Week 15 following their bye week.
Getting off to a fast start in the regular season is a priority for every NFL team, but for the Colts it feels like a must, given how challenging the middle portion of their schedule looks on paper.
From Weeks 7-12, the Colts will face Miami, Houston, Minnesota, Buffalo, the New York Jets, and Detroit. This includes a stretch from the Texans game in Week 8 through the Jets game in Week 11, where three of the four contests take place on the road.
Building towards what hopefully becomes a quick start for the Colts will, of course, begin during training camp and the preseason.
“The goal is to start fast every year,” said Shane Steichen. “You want to start fast. It’s not like anyone’s ever trying to start slow. You look into schedule stuff, but really, you’ve got to do everything you can possible to be great on Sundays, whether that is schedules or how you practice, and just finishing out games in the fourth quarter.”
As of now, it remains to be seen which Colts starters will see action in the preseason or how many snaps they will play.
With Anthony Richardson on the field for only 98 dropbacks last season, one would assume that he is going to see some action during the preseason to give him some valuable reps in a game-like environment before Week 1. For what it’s worth, Richardson played 66 offensive snaps over two games last preseason.
In addition to the preseason being a ramp up period for some of the starters, it’s also an important part of the evaluation process for players on the back end of their respective position groups as they make a push for the 53-man roster and practice squad.
