Siegfried: What to watch for as Colts open preseason vs. Bills
By PAUL SIEGFRIED
ISL Correspondent
It will likely be a short day of work for quarterback Andrew Luck and the rest of the starting lineup Sunday when the Indianapolis Colts host the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be an important day for a number of players on the roster.
There continues to be some position battles as training camp continues in Anderson, and backup spots are still open at many spots. Starters will most likely play only one or two series against the Bills.
Coach Chuck Pagano and new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will certainly be keeping an eye on the Colts’ new-look offensive line to see how the unit performs together against live competition. The unit went through a major overhaul in the offseason as tackle Gosder Cherilus and guard Donald Thomas came in through free agency and were plugged right into the starting lineup. Interior linemen Khaled Holmes and Hugh Thornton were added in the draft.
Improved offensive line play will be a huge key in the Colts’ performance, especially in keeping Luck healthy and upright through his second season. Battles for backup line spots will be huge as well with the competition wide open.
The running back position still has some question marks. Ahmad Bradshaw was added in free agency but has been hurt (foot) and likely won’t play much, if at all, during the preseason.Vick Ballard will probably enter the season as the starter, and once the games start for real, Ballard and Bradshaw are expected to share carries. The third spot is still open, and features a battle between Donald Brown and Delone Carter. Both should see plenty of action in the preseason to sort things out. At this point in training camp, Brown has the edge, leaving Carter the odd man out.
Keep an eye on the fullback spot. The Colts will probably keep just one fullback, and all signs point to Stanley Havili having a lock on that spot after joining the Colts in trade from Philadelphia.
On the defensive side, the focus will be on the linebacker position, specifically on the two inside spots in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme. Pat Angerer and Jerrell Freeman are listed as the starters, but Angerer has been on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list since July 27 and his return is uncertain.
Kavell Conner and Mario Harvey are listed as the backups, but there is a good chance that veteran Kelvin Sheppard, who came to the Colts from the Bills in the Jerry Hughes trade, will jump into the starting spot if Angerer can’t go.
Watch how the backups play at the inside linebacker spots to see if anyone separates with their play. Also keep note of the play of first-round draft choice Bjoern Werner at outside linebacker. The rookie from Florida State is listed as the backup to starter and team leader Robert Mathis at the rush spot, but the Colts are looking for Werner to make an immediate impact.
There are a couple of feel-good stories at linebacker as well. Josh McNary is battling for a backup spot after returning from duty as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Daniel Adongo is a rugby star from South Africa who has no football experience, but at 6-5, 257, he is a physical specimen.
The odds might be long for both to make the 53-man roster, but don’t be surprised if one or both ends up on the practice squad.
The other story coming out of training camp has been the play of receiver Griff Whalen. Already a fan favorite, Whalen reminds Colts’ faithful of another favorite receiver — Austin Collie — right down to Collie’s No. 17. Whalen has an edge after having played with Luck at Stanford when Hamilton was the Cardinal offensive coordinator. Even Pagano made a comparison of Whalen to another slot possession receiver, Wes Welker.
Gametime for Sunday’s contest is 1:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast line on the NFL Network. In the Indianapolis area, the game will be shown on MyINDY-TV 23. In Fort Wayne, the game will be shown on WFFT-55, and in Evansville on WTVW Local 7 (12:30 p.m. CDT)
You can download a PDF of the Colts’ weekly press release heading into the Buffalo contest at:
http://prod.static.colts.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/gamereleases/2013/gamerelease-pre01.pdf
