Three takeaways from Colts' final preseason tune-up
New Colts head coach Shane Steichen made his first return to Philadelphia Thursday night, but all eyes were on rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson as he and his squad navigated their final tune-up before the regular season. The staff in Indianapolis learned plenty about the players on their roster, and fans were able to get just as many takeaways.
Anthony Richardson showed signs of improvement
The Colts quarterback had a less-than-perfect night, but was more dynamic in every aspect of his game, with impressive throws and escapability. When Richardson was drafted, he was a consensus “project QB” in a situation where every rep counts. That philosophy has proved to be true throughout this preseason, as he put on a much better display in his second appearance.
Sure, he played against a backup Eagles defense, but progress is progress. He had his fair share of mishaps, including an unprompted fumble late in the second quarter, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue to improve throughout the regular season.
The offensive line needs serious help
The Colts starting offensive line got a look that extended through the entire first half, mostly against Philadelphia's second team, and seriously underperformed. Richardson often found himself with defenders in his face as soon as he took the snap, and at times, the line seemed to just be picking up where it left off during a woeful end to last season.
The offensive line is full of question marks, both with starters and backups, which isn’t exactly a position a team with a fourth overall pick at QB wants to be in. The roster may require some serious changes.
That’s where veteran guard Dalton Risner comes in. Currently a free agent at 28 years old, Risner was a stable piece for four seasons with the Broncos. With the state of free agency at the end of August, an offensive lineman of Risner’s quality being available is a miracle that GM Chris Ballard can’t rationally pass up. Couple that with the guard expressing his interest in the team in the form of liking tweets of fans pleading with the team to sign him, and he represents the perfect solution to the Colts’ woes.
No. 5’s dual-threat ability is as advertised
Colts fans haven’t seen much of the highly touted rushing ability of their rookie QB, which is perfectly understandable. That isn’t the part of his game that needs improvement, and the more passes he attempts in preseason, the better. In Richardson’s final preseason appearance, however, he was given a few more opportunities to showcase the reason he was drafted: his athleticism.
When Richardson takes his first regular-season snaps on Sept. 10, he’ll likely revert to being more of a dual-threat quarterback, as he showed Thursday night with five carries for 38 yards. The Colts clearly had a more dynamic offense with such an attack, a trend that should continue into the fall.
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