Finally, the pre-season has ended, and we can start discussing the regular season. Yet, there is plenty to take away from pre-season, and it could impact the Colts’ season in a significant way.
Today’s game was a dress rehearsal for the staters and an opportunity for the backups to shine. I thought the starters played well overall, and I was impressed with several players.
Before I dive into my takeaways, what did you take away from pre-season? Which position groups or players concern you? Let us know in the comments!
Main Takeaways
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Matt Haack Shines in Debut: Haack earned some criticism heading into Indianapolis. He put those concerns to rest after tonight’s game. Haack pinned four punts inside the 20-yard line. Also, he did well as a holder for Rodrigo Blankenship. I felt great about his performance against the Buccaneers.
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Dezmon Patmon Plays Terrific Again: He led the Colts receivers in all categories and had a nice 38-yard screen. In my opinion, his continued development this off-season in this offense has earned him a roster spot.
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Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner Feast: The first-team defensive linemen dominated Tampa’s o-line. You could tell that Stewart and Buckner especially were ready to play. I also liked what R.J. McIntosh and Tyquan Lewis showed tonight.
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Sam Ehlinger Makes His Case: If a pre-season hall of fame existed, Ehlinger would make it. He has played phenomenally throughout the entire pre-season and off-season. Furthermore, Ehlinger has shown continued development as a player and has a great understanding of the offense. I would not be surprised if he makes the roster at this point.
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First-Team Offense Had a Slow Start: I thought they started slow tonight. As Coach Rick Venturi pointed out, the Colts saw more blitzes because Matt Ryan is at QB. Matt Pryor got exposed when Tampa Bay blitzed the Colts from the left side. As a whole, I felt the entire offensive line got off to a slow start, but Ryan played like a veteran and got the offense out of a rut.
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The Colts Stayed Healthy: The Colts have remained pretty healthy. Outside of a bone bruise to Kwity Paye and Shaq Leonard’s operation, the Colts are a healthy football team. However, we, unfortunately, learned after the game that Armani Watts is out for the season with an ankle injury. Watts injured his ankle on the opening kickoff. It will be interesting to see how the Colts handle his absence in the future.
Closing Thoughts
The Colts should look into adding some players off the waiver wire or making a trade. The team needs improvement, even though it appears pretty strong. They should look to add an interior defensive lineman, an interior offensive lineman, and an edge rusher to back up Ngakoue. It looks like the Colts have solidified most of their starters, but there are a few positions where depth additions seem necessary.
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