Colts Risers and Fallers in Preseason Finale vs Bengals

Colts safety Daniel Scott desperately needed a great preseason showing against the Bengals, and he did just that. Scott was everywhere defensively, securing three tackles, a pass breakup, and an electrifying pick-six of Desmond Ridder.

Scott had sustained both an ACL tear and Achilles injury that derailed his first two NFL seasons entirely, but might be leaned on for key depth at the safety position for Lou Anarumo. Scott's performance puts him squarely in the discussion to make the final roster cut.

Faller | Pass Protection

The Indianapolis Colts boast starting offensive linemen like tackle Bernhard Raimann and guard Quenton Nelson, but depth is of the utmost importance for NFL teams, especially in the offensive trenches.

The backups didn't fare well against the Bengals on Saturday, allowing three sacks to Riley Leonard and Jason Bean, as well as plenty of pressures. While names like Dalton Tucker, Josh Sills, and Luke Tenuta are backups; it's not encouraging that they allowed this much disruption against the bottom-dwellers of Cincy's depth chart.

Riser | Riley Leonard

Third-string QB Leonard looked efficient, smooth, and in control against the Bengals on Saturday afternoon. The former Fighting Irish leader finished with 15/20 completions for 189 passing yards, 14 rushing yards, and a touchdown through the air to Laquon Treadwell.

For the QB3 race, this game couldn't have gone better for Leonard, who looked up-and-down in his first two preseason contests. Don't be shocked if Leonard wins the spot on the 53-man roster over fellow quarterback Bean.

Faller | Run Defense

Indianapolis was disruptive against the Bengals' passing attack, which featured quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Payton Thorne. On the day, the duo combined for a miserable 12/27 passing for 96 passing yards and a pick to Scott, which was subsequently returned for a score.

But Indianapolis was quite the opposite against the run, allowing a monstrous 132 rushing yards on 23 attempts for a healthy 5.7 yards per carry and a duo of scores on the ground. Indianapolis' depth defensive trench assembly must plug the gaps better, with the second level also leaving something to be desired with this performance.

Riser | Ulysses Bentley IV

Indy's running back room took a bit of a hit when Tyler Goodson sustained a shoulder injury against the Green Bay Packers, ending his day and putting his arm in a sleeve. This immediately opened up the RB3 role to Ulysses Bentley IV and Khalil Herbert. Against the Bengals, Bentley continued his impressive preseason run.

Bentley logged 32 rushing yards, but his work in the endzone is what we're looking at here. The undrafted rookie scored twice and is looking more and more like the third running back on the depth chart should Goodson need to miss significant time.

Faller | Jason Bean

While Leonard looked great under center on Saturday afternoon, Bean was shaky and missed big plays when he saw his opportunities. Bean was accurate with 11/17 passes completed for 107 air yards, but threw a pick to a touchdown and missed on a huge TD throw that was wide open.

Bean also fumbled the football and was erratic in his performance, but did put up 28 rushing yards on six attempts. We'll see what Shane Steichen decides to do with Bean, but it's looking like the QB room will consist of Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson Sr., and Leonard.

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