Colts versus Panthers Preview
By Staff
The Colts were impressive last week against Washington, but this game will show whether that was a fluke or if some of these players really are going to be contributors. Mike Hart, Quinn Gray, Pierre Garcon, and Eric Foster were the top players against Washington. If they can repeat their success, they will be shooting up the depth chart and clinch a roster spot. This is Week 1 of the preseason, but it feels like Week 2 since we played the Hall of Fame Game. I was wondering why I couldn’t find the Panthers’ first preseason game’s score.
Players To Watch
Mike Hart, Preseason Stats-4 carries, 53 yards, 3 receptions, 28 yards: Hart was amazing in his first game. He touched the ball eight times. He averaged 10.1 yards per touch. Hart almost scored a touchdown on the last play of the game, where he went out at the one yard line. Hart will be used as a short yardage back, but the way he played, ten yards was short for him. He di not go down after the first hit. He may not look great in training camp, but he plays great in games. We knew that coming in. I don’t know why people thought he may only make the practice squad.
Pierre Garcon, 4 receptions, 33 yards, 1 kick return, 51 yards: At the beginning of OTAs, the team said Pierre Garcon would not be a returner. Well, they changed their mind, and Garcon proved that he can return. His return late in the fourth quarter was great, but he should have tried to score instead of stepping out of bounds. Garcon made some athletic catches and ran great routes. He looked like a future star. If he can continue to play well, he could be the fourth receiver.
Quinn Gray, 19 passing attempts, 10 completions, 160 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 2 carries, 11 yards: The recently signed QB outplayed Jim Sorgi and Jared Lorenzen by far, and he caught everyone’s eye. Gray did not let pressure get to him, and he was able to throw accurate passes on the run. For a backup QB, I’m not looking for who has the best arm or the most time in the system. I’m looking for someone who could come in if Peyton got hurt, the backup can come in and lead the team to victory. Gray’s drive that resulted in a touchdown showed his ability to improvise when the pocket breaks down and lead a team down the field. If Gray can have a QB rating over 90, he will make the roster. Sorgi or Lorenzen would have to play like Marino, Manning, and Montana combined to make the roster.
Marvin Harrison, Did Not Play: Marvin has been cleared to play. Now we can see all of our wide receivers play. Harrison will be the number 2 receiver, and nothing will change that. However, he played poorly in the playoff game last year. I want to see if he is still a little rusty or if he is back to normal. By September 7th, it won’t matter. He will be back to normal no matter how he plays in this game. I just want to see how well his knee has healed.
Marcus Howard: In the last game, Marcus Howard had 1.5 sacks. The half sack resulted in a fumble, and the full sack was made while he was being held. Howard looked very fast in the first game, but he also showed some strength. On third downs, Howard could make a lot of appearances. If he can continue to show a mix of speed and strength, he will get a lot of sacks on those third downs.
Projected Depth Chart
QB
#5 Quinn Gray
#12 Jim Sorgi
#13 Jared Lorenzen
RB
#29 Joseph Addai
#38 Dominic Rhodes
#32 Mike Hart
#36 Kenton Keith
#30 Clifton Dawson
#35 Chad Simpson
WR
#87 Reggie Wayne
#88 Marvin Harrison
#11 Anthony Gonzalez
#83 Roy Hall
#85 Pierre Garcon
#80 Devin Aromashodu
#10 Courtney Roby
#14 Sam Giguere
#16 Onrea Jones
TE
#44 Dallas Clark
#47 Gijon Robinson
#84 Jacob Tamme
#46 Zac Herold
LT
#67 Tony Ugoh
#76 Dan Federkiel
#72 Corey Hilliard
LG
#61 Jamey Richard
#66 Tala Esera
C
#63 Jeff Saturday
#53 Steve Justice
RG
#78 Mike Pollak
#74 Charlie Johnson
RT
#71 Ryan Diem
#75 Michael Toudouze
#60 Darren Marquez
LE
#79 Raheem Brock
#90 Jeff Charleston
#91 Josh Thomas
RE
#98 Robert Mathis
#92 Marcus Howard
#60 Curtis Johnson
#64 Ben Ishola
NT
#99 Ed Johnson
#61 Collin Ferrell
#69 Joe Bradley
UT
#96 Keyunta Dawson
#68 Eric Foster
#95 Darrell Reid
SAM
#52 Ramon Guzman
#45 Dedrick Harrington
MIKE
#58 Gary Brackett
#51 Victor Worsley
#57 Danny Verdun-Wheeler
WILL
#54 Freddy Keiaho
#49 Jordan Senn
#59 Kyle Shotwell
CB
#28 Marlin Jackson
#26 Kelvin Hayden
#20 Dante Hughes
#23 Tim Jennings
#34 TJ Rushing
#31 Keiwan Ratliff
#39 Brandon Foster
FS
#41 Antoine Bethea
#33 Melvin Bullitt
#40 Jamie Silva
#37 Antonio Smith
SS
#43 Matt Giordano
#42 Brannon Condren
K
#4 Adam Vinatieri
P
#17 Hunter Smith
LS
#49 Justin Snow