The Colts traveled to Pittsburgh in the third week of preseason for a clash against the Steelers in the proverbial “dress rehearsal” game.
The Colts’ offense showed signs of life throughout the game as the Colts came away with a 19-15 victory. For 60 minutes the Colts looked like the superior team, even when the Steelers’ starters were on the field. Indianapolis’ quarterbacks looked sharp, the offensive line held strong, and the defense made opportunistic plays when the Colts needed them most.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 05: Donte Moncrief /
The Good
Matthias Farley had two critical pass breakups during the Steelers’ second offensive drive of the game. He also sacked Landry Jones on a safety blitz, and was virtually untouched. Those kinds of plays will not put him on Sportscenter’s Top 10, but rhey’ll inspire confidence for a suspect Colts defense.
John Simon forced another turnover, his second of the preseason. Already paying dividends, Simon has shown to be the opportunist the Colts’ defense had been needing the past few seasons. If he rides this momentum to the regular season, he’s going to be an incredible value given his relatively cheap contract.
Donte Moncrief had his first catch of the preseason that went for a tackle-breaking 55-yard gain. He may play second fiddle to T.Y. Hilton, but he adds another powerful weapon to the Colts offense.
Stephen Morris increased the tempo for the offense when he got his shot under center as he led them down the field for a field goal in his first drive. I think it is a foregone conclusion that Luck will be sidelined for Week 1. Morris gives the Colts the best chance to win early on in the season.
The offensive line looked solid in the first half as they gave Tolzien and Morris room to operate throughout the game.
Margus Hunt was a nuisance throughout the night for the Colts in the trenches getting pass deflections, and pressuring the quarterback.
, which halted the Steelers drive that went deep into the Colts red zone late in the 4th quarter.
ARLINGTON, TX – AUGUST 19: Scott Tolzien /
The Bad
Tolzien threw a ugly interception right to the hands of Ryan Shazier. Unfortunately for the Colts, it occurred when they were marching down the field against a soft Steeler defense.
The Steelers drove down the field without much resistance in the first series that the reserves took over in the second half.
The Ugly
Did it really have to take a third preseason game to give Stephen Morris more playing time?
The Colts host the Bengals next week in their final preseason game. It will more than likely be the final audition for the Colts quarterbacks to see who will start in Week 1. If preseason performance were any indicator, Stephen Morris starting is an absolute no-brainer.
