Colts vs. 49ers preview: What to watch for

The Colts play their third preseason game today at 4:30pm against the 49ers. Here is what you should be watching for in this matchup.

The third preseason game is usually the dress rehearsal for the regular season. Most of the starters play at least the entire first half and some play into the third quarter. This is the last game where the starters get to knock off some rust.

That is going to be the big thing to watch today. How well can the offense execute in this dress rehearsal. The offense needs to show that it can move down the field and score points effectively. Hopefully they can do this by throwing the ball down the field more.

Andrew Luck needs to show off his deep ball. He has yet to throw a pass longer than 15 yards in the air this preseason. He needs to show people that his shoulder is completely healed and that he doesn’t have any limitations on the type of throws he can make.

The defense needs to show more too. They need to show that they can put pressure on the quarterback consistently. They also need to show that they can stop the run. Both were issues on Monday night against the Ravens.

This is also the last game that players on the bubble can make an impression with. After this game, cuts start to happen. Once those cuts happen, the roster will start to take shape and we will get a little more clarity on certain position groups and who will start in those groups.

Cornerback is something to watch as well. There are still no locked in starter for either corner spot. Every corner needs to keep playing their hardest to earn that spot. Kenny Moore, Quincy Wilson, Pierre Desir, and company need to play well.

Even though this is the biggest of the four preseason games, it still is just that; preseason. So the performance of the team overall isn’t a huge deal. But you still want to see them play well.