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Colts vs Eagles: Preseason What to Watch For

By Evan Reller

Sep 15, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) reaches for the end zone and is pushed out of bounds by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox (91) during the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Eagles won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 15, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) reaches for the end zone and is pushed out of bounds by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox (91) during the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Eagles won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indianapolis Colts will host the Philadelphia Eagles for their third game of the preseason in what is generally considered the “dress rehearsal” for the start of the season.

The Colts, or Walking Dead, will try to field something resembling a healthy and functional football team on Saturday night. The Colts have a staggering number of players sitting out against the Eagles. Some are being held out for rest (like Robert Mathis), but the vast majority have injuries that could easily linger into the regular season.

Cornerback has been hit particularly hard this preseason with the team’s starting two players currently out. In Vontae Davis‘ case, he could be out until October while Patrick Robinson is dealing with a minor leg issue that will hopefully heal in time for the season opener. The Colts went and signed Antonio Cromartie in a desperation move, but he won’t play on Saturday.  In all, six of the top seven corners on the roster are out this week.

Aside from the plethora of injuries, here’s what fans should be on the lookout for:

  • Offensive preview. This game will be less vanilla than other preseason efforts and we’ll seen Andrew Luck and company for more than a series or two. Coach Chuck Pagano said he’d like to see them come out in the second half. This means we’ll get a pretty good idea of what the offense is going to actually look like, complete with T.Y. Hilton. One thing to watch is the formations from which the Colts choose to run the ball. Do they finally run out of more spread packages or will they keep trying to build a power run team?
  • Last chance. This will be the final game for a number of players. The Colts, and rest of the NFL, will need to drop from 90 to 75 players next Tuesday. Pagano has mentioned that all of these injuries make it difficult to decide who they should cut. Some promising talent might have to be sacrificed to fill a roster need. Saturday will be the last chance for guys to make an impression, if not with the Colts, than with another team in the NFL.
  • Defensive starters? The Colts are going to be without seven starters on this side of the ball tomorrow. Henry Anderson is making progress coming back from a torn ACL and Mathis is just out for rest. But the others are dealing with new injuries that are concerning going forward and don’t necessarily seem to be getting better. The few remaining starters desperately need to stay healthy.
  • The Belly Rub. If you haven’t seen it yet:

T.Y. McGill has been a stud this preseason. He’s dominated third stringers and will definitely get plenty of run against the Eagles starters this Saturday. With Art Jones out for four games, Kendall Langford‘s recent knee scope, and Henry Anderson still recovering the Colts need McGill to get all the belly rubs he can.

The game kicks off at 7:00PM at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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