Colts fall to Browns in second preseason game

It’s only the second preseason game, but you want to see improvement from week-to-week. The Colts definitely showed that against the Browns, even though they lost 21-18.

Preseason is about getting some good work in and knocking off the rust. The Colts didn’t do too much of either last week against Buffalo. But they looked much better in preseason game number two against the Browns. They showed some encouraging signs.

Jacoby Brissett looked very good while he was out there. He went 8-10 for 100 yards and threw an absolute laser to Eric Ebron for a touchdown. He looks much more comfortable out there, which is a good sign if Andrew Luck can’t go week 1.

Speaking of Luck, there was an encouraging sign from him on the injury front before the game.

This drill shows the side-to-side movement that this injury typically hampers. It seems to me that he is recovering well and could be good to go for week 1. The rest of the first team offense needs to be ready for him though, because besides Brissett, it wasn’t pretty.

The offensive line continues to look awful. The starters got no push in the run game, and Brissett had to maneuver in the pocket to keep himself from being sacked. Marlon Mack had 6 carries for 10 yards if that tells you how bad the offensive line was.

Deon Cain and Chad Kelly were the other bright spots in today’s game. Kelly continues to throw the ball well in his time out there. Cain had 7 catches for 80 yards and showed the flashes of potential that everyone loved before he got hurt last year.

The first team defense looked okay at best. They let third-string quarterback Garrett Gilbert carve them up early in the game. The Colts didn’t let the Browns score until their third drive, but it still could have been better. They did look better in some spots than last week though.

Penalties are something that has to be fixed for the Colts. They committed an astounding 16 penalties for 164 yards. Most of those were holding and pass interference penalties. Both kill momentum and need to be cleaned up immediately. The holding penalties with the first team offense were the most concerning.

All in all, they looked better than they did against the Bills. They gave themselves a chance to win, but ultimately couldn’t finish the job.