Colts vs Bears Preseason: What to Watch For

The Indianapolis Colts host the Chicago Bears Saturday night for Week 2 of the preseason. The Colts are coming off a 36-10 loss to the Eagles, while the Bears defeated the Dolphins 27-10.

The Colts are looking to rebound with a more cohesive effort and, as coach Chuck Pagano would say, execute better in Week 2. We should see a more complete team as a few starters who sat out last weekend will be back in the fold for the Colts.

The last time these two teams faced each other since 2012. Then, it was Andrew Luck’s debut in the NFL and the then rookie had a rough afternoon. The Colts lost that game 41-21 and Luck threw three interceptions. This will hardly be a rehash of that game, but it is good test for the Colts as we inch closer towards the regular season.

Here’s what to watch for on Saturday night:

• We’re talking ’bout practice. The Colts and Bears held joint practices in Indy this week. Over the course of the two day’s work, the general consensus was that the Colts “won” all the scrimmages. Practice is one thing, a game (alright, not quite a game, but close to it) is something different. The Colts roster is littered with players who showed up in camp but didn’t play well last weekend. The Bears offer a more traditional offense and a defense that can’t get much worse. Both of the Colts units will have plenty of opportunities to make plays.
• The Return. There is a really good chance that we’ll see Vick Ballard return to the field. He hasn’t played football in 714 days due to a torn ACL and Achilles, both occurring in non-contact practice drills. It is do-or-die time for Ballard as the team can’t wait much longer to see if he has fully recovered. Even if he does play, and plays well, he’s a high risk for reinjury. It is hard not to root for him, but there is a lot of talent at the running back position on the roster right now and it will be an uphill battle for Ballard. A good first step is getting through with a few good plays and showing he can once again take contact.
• A Stacked Offense. The Colts were without T.Y. Hilton (personal issue) and Donte Moncrief (groin) last week against the Eagles. Andrew Luck operated mostly out of a two tight end set with Andre Johnson and Phillip Dorsett last week, and Zurlon Tipton at running back. This time around it looks like he will have his full complement of weapons. While the exact snap count is unknown for these players, Pagano said they’d be out for a bit longer this week.
• All sorts of blocking. Last week, the Colts offensive line did a good job of keeping the quarterbacks clean (at least the QBs who really matter). Luck had plenty of time in the pocket, and with all his weapons on the field likely won’t need a lot of time to get the ball out. The bigger issue last week was in terms of run blocking. The Colts averaged 3.6 yards per carry and the running backs didn’t have a lot of room to work with. It might have been the scheme the Eagles used, but the Colts should be able to run the ball as opposing defenses set up to stop what will be a prolific passing attack. We still need to see something resembling good run blocking, or the new additions will struggle.
• Defensive line depth. The Colts are going to have some interesting decisions when it comes to making cuts along the defensive line. Rookies Henry Anderson and David Parry played very well last week and Parry even some reps with the first team defense this week. They also have the like of Earl Okine, Kelcy Quarles, and Zach Kerr who all stood out last week as well.
  • This is a bit of a catch-22, because if these players are good enough to get starters reps, what does it say about Art Jones and Kendall Langford? Those big money signings look like a waste and it doesn’t inspire confidence in the team’s supposedly improved line. On the other hand, the glut of young talent has to make you feel better about the future.
• Injuries. As with any preseason game, be on the lookout for any injury no matter how minor it may appear. The Colts have had especially bad injury luck for, oh, the past 15 years. A few players might not be suiting up this weekend including wide receiver Quan Bray (groin), cornerback D’Joun Smith (concussion), cornerback Jalil Brown (hamstring), and guard Hugh Thornton (knee). A number of teams have suffered catastrophic injuries over the past week, and while this team appears to have depth, it certainly doesn’t need to be tested.
  • The Colts especially need to consider the play time of the starting offensive line. With Thornton out for a few weeks, the depth is going to be a big concern.