Colts Drop Preseason Opener to Eagles, 36-10
By Evan Reller
The Indianapolis Colts had a rough afternoon against the Philadelphia Eagles. A sloppy performance led to a 36-10 blowout loss in the two team’s preseason opener.
Andrew Luck played just 11 snaps spanning a drive and a half with a limited supporting cast. He looked sharp in limited time, completing 5-of-6 passes for 43 yards.
Noticeably absent from Sunday’s game was T.Y. Hilton who was attending to a personal issue. Rookie Phillip Dorsett filled in opposite Andre Johnson as Donte Moncrief was also out with a groin injury. Dorsett saw extended time and led the team with four receptions for 51 yards. Johnson had just one catch for nine yards, but converted it for a third down.
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Running backs Frank Gore and Dan Herron had the game off, leaving Zurlon Tipton to field the bulk of the carries. He had 16 carries for 34 yards but was rarely given room to make a play. Rookie Josh Robinson had 44 yards and a touchdown off 10 carries, ensuring he will be given more work in the future.
The overall effort from the Colts left a lot to be desired. Defenders and special teamers alike continually missed tackles and took poor angles. The Colts had four fumbles, losing two of them, and third string QB Bryan Bennett threw two interceptions.
Pat McAfee got a workout in this afternoon and was forced to punt eight times as the offense sputtered for most of the game. Eagles returner Kenjon Barner managed to take one back for a touchdown after four Colts whiffed on tackling him.
Rookie cornerback D’Joun Smith left the game early with a concussion and defensive lineman Kelcy Quarles was helped off the field late with a leg injury.
The Colts will be back in action next Saturday, Aug. 22, for the preseason home opener against the Bears. The two teams will be holding joint practices later this week in Indianapolis.