Colts vs. Ravens initial thoughts: Still rust to knock off

The Colts played the Ravens tonight on Monday Night Football, and it was an interesting game to watch. Here are some initial thoughts on the game.

There is a lot of work to be done with this Colts team. They played their second preseason game tonight, and one thing is evident; the Colts still have a lot of rust to knock off. They are not ready for the regular season yet.

Andrew Luck did not have a good game. He was only 5-11 for 50 yards, and threw a horrendous interception in the red zone. His protection wasn’t great, as he got sacked twice. But he is still trying to knock off the rust, and it will take some time. But tonight was not encouraging.

The starting defense looked a little better tonight. They showed some improvement in the pass rush and Joe Flacco move around a little bit because of pressure. They still have some issues stopping the run, but overall they made some progress from week one.

Penalties were a big issue. The Colts were called for 13 penalties on the night. That is a total lack of discipline and focus. You cannot have that in the regular season. Frank Reich can’t be happy about that and will definitely get into his team about it.

Nyheim Hines is a problem. He has four fumbles in two preseason games. He was supposed to be a Swiss-army knife for this Colts offense, but has disappointed. His return game has been worse, as that is where his fumbles have occurred.

Adam Vinatieri continues to chug along. He drilled a 57 yarder in the first quarter, and he shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to be a huge player for the Colts and is a great kicker to have. He is clutch whenever the team calls his number.

There is still a lot of work to be done with this team, and it needs to be done quickly. The Colts are running out of time.