There is not much sugar coating the Atlanta game, but it is not as bad when you are not expecting mid-season form. I saw a couple of things that can’t make their way to regular season, but I saw a lot of searching for answers as well. From most reports, we used mostly second stringers against Atlanta’s second stringers. Once the regular season starts, all we need is for individual second stringers to fill in well for a starter, not to win our 2nd 22 versus other team’s 2nd 22s.
No news here, but with
a roster of around 90 that has to be finalized at 53, along with your 16 Practice Squad players, we will cut 20 or so players. One note, PS squads must contain at least 10 1st year players or rookies, but can have up to six players with unlimited experience. Much is made about who is placed on the practice squad and how tenuous their ability to stay there would be. One thing to remember is that a team can’t poach one of your PS players to their own PS. If they select one of your players, they have to be placed on their 53 man roster. So the preseason is mostly about who gets cut.
I think that I saw some questions trying to be answered. Did anyone notice that most of the first half saw an interior line of LG Tucker, C Kreutz, and RB Morrissey? I think Tucker was just out there for some LG run to add to his RG and Center work, while Morrissey got time at guard to check his ability beyond backup Center. I think Kreutz found his way to the cut line, but I’m not trying to say who makes the team or not. I am saying that I think they are trying to figure out which nine OL should make the 53, based on providing the best backup at five positions.
I also think that Ajiake was being given an audition to begin the season as a starter, with the green dot. He started and played quite a bit with that designation and had pretty good game. Allen also wore the dot when he got his snaps. The fact that Allen played means two things. One, he hasn’t practiced enough as a rookie and secondly, he hasn’t secured the starting position that most expected him to fill immediately. That adds to why I believe Ajiake is being given that opportunity. The defense wasn’t good as a whole, so maybe he didn’t do the green dot job so well?
One thing that I am noticing is that our DEs are putting a hand in the dirt less often. It let’s them move a little more, prior to the snap, in an attempt to find the best rushing angle. It also allows them to drop in coverage, which is a tactic that Lou likes, as evidenced by Latu’s three interceptions last year. When trying to sort out what sort of rotation we might see, or even who makes the final 53 man roster, paying attention to who looks best in coverage, might be the tie-breaker. Curry and Gumbs look the part, but that could be because of jersey numbers in the 50s, more than anything tangible that I have witnessed.
We will obviously give JT the ball often, but I am now worrying about depth. McGowan may be all we need back there, but the availability of others has me wondering if a bargain vet may be necessary? Another worry is that many see both Blackmon and Edwards making the team. I still think Jones and Carter might be the better way to go, as even second string QBs are playing “Where’s Waldo”, when targeting our defenders. One other slight concern is that we didn’t bring in a camp body to spell Rigo. I know that you can pick up punters off of the street, but I also know that we lost him for a year once, so it might not have been a bad idea to have had a guy in camp that you kept on speed dial.
I guess it wouldn’t be a Colts piece, if I didn’t mention the QBs. To start with, if we lose our starter, our chances at competing are greatly diminished. Maybe both would look amazing with the starters, but I do not see either of them looking as good as Jones looked piloting the ship last year. My hope is that any drama associated with the status of our QB2, is limited to depth charts and game day designations. I still wont be shocked if we get a call from a team that loses their QB1 and finally makes an offer for Richardson that Ballard would accept.
All in all, I’m just like everyone else who is waiting to see if we get starters for a quarter against the Lions, or at least a couple of drives? I feel better about the depth than you would expect after the kind of beating we took against the Falcons, but as an optimist, that shouldn’t be unexpected. So, the question this week is, “Did our performance against Atlanta change your perception of the Colts as we approach opening day?
