Sometimes, a little bit of time and distance can make things that initially seemed terrible seem less so. Time heals all wounds, right? Yes, it’s just the preseason. No, it doesn’t count for anything. Yes, the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason before their 0-16 season. All of that is true. It is also true that, no matter the circumstances, the Indianapolis Colts looked rough.
If you had told me there was a quarterback battle, I would have thought the winner had to go fight a dragon because it seemed
like neither man wanted the job. It didn’t help that the offensive line was a sieve and receivers had balls bouncing off their chests. Neither Riley Leonard nor Anthony Richardson looked comfortable at all against the Falcons’ second and third units, respectively. The only person who looked like they were on track for a roster spot was Deion Burks, who is making plays and using the return game to solidify his position.
Speaking of roster spots, does Mekhi Blackmon have a spot on this team? That man is going to have a new nickname, Mr. Yellow, because that is all we see when he’s out there. He has to get the penalties down, or his spot with the Colts is gone. On top of that, the rest of the defense got little to no push or pressure. It looked like the Falcons’ offense was wearing the red quarterback non-contact jerseys the way they went untouched at times. Once again, there was a bright spot, as some of the rookies and linebackers did stand out. It wasn’t all bad, but it was tough to watch.
So, did the game count? Nope. It will be a blip even on the Colts’ 2026 season, let alone historically. Did it count for guys trying to make the roster? It meant everything. A game like that was a collective effort and won’t undo all the positives a player has put together over training camp, but it doesn’t help. That’s why they play preseason games, well, that and money, but it’s a chance to show what one can do against true competition. It’s just preseason, but there isn’t enough time or space to make that one look pretty.
