Ugh. Preseason overtime. That was painful. It’s too bad the Panthers have a trio of special teams incompetence. The longsnapper, holder, and John Kasay the kicker all helped make the game go on for ten minutes too long.
I was impressed by the Colts defense in the second half. They really helped stop the run and didn’t give Basanez and Ricard any opportunities to make a big pass. The secondary was pretty good. Condren, Silva, and Ratliff all played well when they got in.
Where was Sam Giguere? I have no idea what is going on with him. I really like him, and so does Clyde Christiensen. I hope he makes the practice squad. I really want to see him get some game action. Does anyone know what is going on with him?
This just in: We have frickin’ awesome wide receivers. Every wide receiver on our roster has impressed me at some point.
This QB thing is getting complicated. First Gray looks awesome. Now Lorenzen looks awesome. I doubt Sorgi will make the roster after this awful performance. That was embarrassing.
Marcus Howard also didn’t play much. It was easy to tell that there was less of a pass rush without him and Curtis Johnson.
The special teams has gotten a lot better on both sides. TJ Rushing is looking great, and the coverage team is getting to the returner and not giving him any space.
Tony Ugoh looked especially weak with the fast ends. That may just be because it’s the preseason, but I would want to see more out of him.
The rookie offensive linemen looked like veterans again today. Polian has been getting better and better at drafting.
Here are my top 3 players:
3. TJ Rushing: Rushing was amazing returning tonight. Kasay was kicking them far into the endzone, but Rushing had no trouble getting them to the 40 yard line. The blocking did help, but Rushing showed some explosiveness. I’m starting to get less and less worried about the Colts’ special teams.
2. Jared Lorenzen: A week after looking terrible on national TV, Lorenzen looked like a Big Beautiful Quarterback instead of a Bulky and Bad Quarterback. He went 12 for 23 and threw two touchdowns, the only Colts touchdowns of the day. The backup QB spot will be a hard fought battle. Well, maybe not from Sorgi.
1. Jacob Tamme: We didn’t see a lot of him in the Hall of Fame Game, but it was impossible not to notice him today. He was Jared Lorenzen’s favorite target. They hooked up for two touchdowns, and Tamme made some great catches, including a diving catch on 3rd and 17 that resulted in a first down. The depth at tight end looks great now with Tamme, Gijon Robinson, and Tom Santi all behind Dallas Clark. Santi’s injury was very bad for him. He may not see too much of the field this year.
And without further ado, here is the updated roster prediction:
QB
#18 Peyton Manning
#5 Quinn Gray
#13 Jared Lorenzen
RB
#29 Joseph Addai
#38 Dominic Rhodes
#32 Mike Hart
H-B
#47 Gijon Robinson
WR
#87 Reggie Wayne
#88 Marvin Harrison
#11 Anthony Gonzalez
#83 Roy Hall
#85 Pierre Garcon
TE
#44 Dallas Clark
#84 Jacob Tamme
#86 Tom Santi
LT
#67 Tony Ugoh
#76 Dan Federkiel
LG
#65 Ryan Lilja
#61 Jamey Richard
C
#63 Jeff Saturday
#53 Steve Justice
RG
#78 Mike Pollak
#74 Charlie Johnson
RT
#71 Ryan Diem
#75 Michael Toudouze
LE
#79 Raheem Brock
#98 Robert Mathis
#90 Jeff Charleston
RE
#93 Dwight Freeney
#92 Marcus Howard
#60 Curtis Johnson
UT
#96 Keyunta Dawson
#68 Eric Foster
NT
#99 Ed Johnson
#95 Darrell Reid
SAM
#55 Clint Session
#56 Tyjuan Hagler
MIKE
#58 Gary Brackett
#50 Philip Wheeler
WILL
#54 Freddie Keiaho
#49 Jordan Senn
CB
#28 Marlin Jackson
#26 Kelvin Hayden
#20 Dante Hughes
#23 Tim Jennings
#34 TJ Rushing
FS
#41 Antoine Bethea
#43 Matt Giordano
SS
#21 Bob Sanders
#42 Brannon Condren
K
#4 Adam Vinatieri
P
#17 Hunter Smith
LS
#48 Justin Snow
IR
DB Michael Coe
Practice Squad
RB Chad Simpson
WR Sam Giguere
WR Onrea Jones
OL Darren Marquez
DL Collin Ferrell
DL Ben Ishola
LB Victor Worsley
DB Jamie Silva
10 To Keep In Touch With
RB Clifton Dawson
WR Devin Aromashodu
WR Courtney Roby
OL Corey Hilliard
DL Joe Bradley
DL Josh Thomas
LB Ramon Guzman
LB Kyle Shotwell
DB Melvin Bullit
DB Keiwan Ratliff