4 Colts starters that need to play well in the final preseason game

As the Indianapolis Colts approach their final preseason game, there are still a few starters that have things to prove before the regular season.

On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts will be playing in their final preseason game of the year. Facing off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this preseason finale will resemble a regular season game significantly more than the first two. With Indy’s starters playing roughly just the first quarter in Week 1 of the preseason and not playing at all in Week 2, Frank Reich has already stated that starters will be playing the entire first half for Week 3.

The game will essentially be used as a dress rehearsal before things get serious when the season kicks off in September. When that happens, the Colts must be prepared to hit the ground running so that they can avoid the kind of slow start that hindered them last season.

In order to do that, Indy will need some of its guys in new positions to step up and contribute. As training camp and the preseason is concluding, some guys still need to make a statement before the team transitions to the regular season.  Here are 4 starters for the Colts that need to play well in the preseason finale.

4./3. Rodrigo Blankenship and Matt Haack must stabilize the special teams

This week was an unfortunate one for Indy’s special teams. The Colts lost punter and kickoff specialist Rigoberto Sanchez for the season with a ruptured Achilles. Indianapolis also cut Jake Verity, ending his battle with Rodrigo Blankenship.

Now, Indy only has Blankenship and the newly acquired Matt Haack as the team’s specialists. While punters and kickers are positions that rarely get a lot of attention, they are extremely important and have a huge impact on the outcome of games.

In years past, the special teams unit for the Colts has been one of the best in the league and they’ve consistently helped win games. Now, the pressure will be on Haack and Blankenship to make sure that continues with their legs. Although it’s just the preseason, it would be great to see some promising kicks and punts from the two.