Colts at Bills: Preseason Next Day Analysis

The Indianapolis Colts third (fourth?) stringers managed to fend off a late rally against the Buffalo Bills in their first preseason game of the season.

The Colts managed to not only rally but fend off a Bills last minute rally on Saturday night in rainy Buffalo. It wasn’t any kind of Herculean effort as both teams played rather sloppy games and the Colts sat a number of their starters.

First off, kudos to Bills coach Rex Ryan for opting to go for two to end the game. No one wants to watch preseason overtime games and really, why wouldn’t you want to take the opportunity to practice this kind of play? Coaches should go for two after every touchdown in the preseason, and that goes double for the Colts who don’t need to give Adam Vinatieri extra kicking work.

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Second, does anyone really have a problem with Andrew Luck sitting? Yes, earlier in the week it sounded like Luck was definitely going to play a series or two but then owner Jim Irsay tweeted out that he’d start at home next week. For one, the conditions were horrible with a lot of rain and wind which isn’t ideal for your first game in nine months. Second, Ryan has a history of not differentiating between regular and preseason games. Considering how much the Bills blitzed last night, this was a good call.

The game was uneven for both teams, and most of the offensive failings had to do with poor execution than anything the defenses did. The Colts will surely be looking for a more consistent effort next week.

Here’s what stood out last night:

The two touchdowns. Obviously these plays stood out, but more of the individual effort of the receivers. Running back Jordan Todman did a nice job manipulating the defense on his 42-yard touchdown run. Wide receiver Chester Johnson’s move to break a tackle led to the 57-yard score. Both made a routine catch (which is good) but the ability after is what really stands out. Great impact plays for two guys trying to make the roster.
The “running” game. The Colts were beyond awful on the ground last night. A disastrous combination of bad running plays and even worse execution. Frank Gore didn’t play, and considering how things went he’s probably pretty happy with that decision. For a coach who loves to run the ball, Chuck Pagano has never been able to build a good ground game. The Colts need to stop trying to line up in power formations and instead run out of more three receiver sets, especially since their strengths are in the passing game. If the blocking doesn’t improve, they’ll be trying to manufacture a run game all year long.
Defensive line depth. The Colts once had a deep, talented unit here but injuries are testing that depth right now. Last season we saw flashes from T.Y. McGill, especially late in the year, and last night more of that was on display. Most of his plays last night won’t show up on the stat sheet, but he was constantly disrupting the running lanes and collapsing the pocket on Saturday. He’s going to push for snaps and could get the start in Week 1 if other players are still recovering (Kendall Langford and Henry Anderson) or during Art Jones‘ suspension.
Coaching decisions. Coach Pagano has plenty of flaws, but last night seemed to take a couple steps forward in his decision making before taking one back near the end. He did a great job managing the clock at the end of the first half to force a punt and then drive for a field goal. He also went for two on the touchdown earlier in the half. Those good decisions were eroded by opting to punt on fourth-and-eight from the opponents 40 yard line late in the fourth. That’s not always a terrible decision, but he did it with a punter who won’t even make the roster (read: not Pat McAfee). Baby steps for Pagano.

Camp is over for the Colts and they’ll be back at the Complex on West 52nd Street for the rest of the year. Up next, they’ll be at home hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday at 7:00PM.

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