By defeating the Lions 27-17 on Friday night, the Indianapolis Colts clinched their first undefeated preseason in 27 years. You know what that means, right? Frank Reich and Co. are Super Bowl bound.
In all seriousness, it was very much an up-and-down performance from the Colts. While the defensive line generated a ton of pressure, the defense as a whole struggled mightily in the tackling department.
You know what was once again a positive for the Colts, though? The play of their two backup quarterbacks, Sam Ehlinger and Jacob Eason.
Ehlinger got the start on Friday, and was absolutely electric in the first half before going down with a knee injury.
In fact, the Colts’ sixth-round pick made arguably the play of the preseason deep into the first half when he somehow avoided a sack and completed a 60-yard pass to Dezmon Patmon while throwing off his back foot.
Next level from Sam Ehlinger. @sehlinger3@Colts | #INDvsDET pic.twitter.com/A0jPJWLW8n
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2021
We can’t stop watching this Sam Ehlinger highlight.
We know there are questions as to whether Ehlinger can be a starter in the NFL, but this is the type of jaw-dropping highlight the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson pull off on a weekly basis.
No, we aren’t comparing Ehlinger to those all-world quarterbacks. We’re just giving the Texas product his 15 minutes of fame because there’s a chance he doesn’t take another snap for the Colts this season.
Ehlinger knew a big hit was coming, and he literally threw his body into the line of fire to take advantage of blown coverage. That’s how you win over a fanbase, and Ehlinger no doubt made a lot of new fans with this play.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all positive for Ehlinger on Friday night. Though he finished 3-for-3 for 63 yards and logged a 14-yard run, he suffered a knee injury near the end of the first half and didn’t return.
Colts rookie QB Sam Ehlinger (knee) is out for the remainder of Friday's game vs. the Lionshttps://t.co/ZWMLlKBqto pic.twitter.com/q853iYdKcl
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) August 28, 2021
Ehlinger was able to walk off the field under his own power, but Reich told reporters after the game the injury “didn’t look good.”
It seems like the former Longhorn will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. If Ehlinger faces a long spell on the sidelines, he has nothing to hang his head about, that’s for sure.
The 22-year-old provided the highlight of the preseason so far and pushed Eason to the brink in their competition for the backup job behind Carson Wentz when nobody gave him a chance to do so entering training camp.
Get healthy soon, rook!
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