A look back at Sam Ehlinger’s best preseason plays with the Colts

Sam Ehlinger is now the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and fans are excited because he was electric in the preseason.

On Monday, the Indianapolis Colts shocked the NFL world by announcing that Sam Ehlinger would be starting for the remainder of the season. Indianapolis invested a lot to get Matt Ryan and although he wasn’t playing his best football, not many thought the Colts would bench him with the team sitting at 3-3-1. However, Indianapolis made the decision to move forward with Ehlinger.

Sam Ehlinger, who’s in his second season, after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 Draft by Indy, wasn’t even a lock to make the roster this season. With Nick Foles coming to Indianapolis this summer, Ehlinger entered camp as QB3. However, he had an incredible preseason that made it impossible for the Colts to cut him.

That electrifying preseason is the same reason many fans are excited about the announcement that Ehlinger is now the starter. As we prepare for the Ehlinger era, let’s take a look back at some of his best preseason plays.

Sam Ehlinger escapes the pocket to find a tight end for a touchdown twice

Two of Ehlinger’s most impressive preseason plays were very similar and they both were against the Buffalo Bills. They came when the pocket collapsed around him but he used his mobility to escape the pressure while also keeping his eyes down field. In the video above, Ehlinger rolled out and found tight end Michael Jacobson for a touchdown.

In the video below, Ehlinger did the same thing but this time, he found Jelani Woods for a score. This should be very exciting for Colts’ fans because Woods has already shown the kind of target he is with his three touchdowns this season. Additionally, Indy has other tight ends in Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson that Sam should be able to build a rapport with.

https://twitter.com/nfl/status/1558574913719451648?s=46&t=2H354fB6WTks30GbfTJNEQ

Another reason why those two clips are exciting is that it shows what Ehlinger can do when under pressure. It’s no secret that Indy’s offensive line is struggling to pass protect but having a mobile quarterback can help with that. Ehlinger can escape the pocket to find targets downfield or he can escape the pocket to run the ball himself, which he also showed in the preseason.

Sam Ehlinger’s 44-yard touchdown run

In the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ehlinger showed anyone that didn’t watch him at Texas that his legs are just as much a weapon as his arms, breaking off a 44-yard touchdown run. Sam finished the preseason with 71 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on six attempts. This dual-threat ability is an element Indy hasn’t had at the quarterback position in a while.

But, as everyone knows, running the ball as a quarterback isn’t enough in the NFL, you have to be able to pass as well. Fortunately, Ehlinger proved his arm is legit in the preseason also and had some impressively big throws

Sam Ehlinger throws a bomb to Dezmon Patmon

Overall, Ehlinger’s passing was impressive in the preseason. He was on time, accurate, and showed that he can throw the ball all over the field. He finished the three games this year completing 24-of-29 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. No pass may have been more impressive than the 50-yard touchdown to Dezmon Patmon.

This wasn’t the first time Ehlinger connected with Patmon for a big completion. As a rookie, Sam had another impressive heave to Patmon, also against the Lions. The thing that made the one from last year even more special is that Ehlinger shed a defender in the pocket and then stepped into a big throw as another defender was launching into Sam’s midsection.

Patmon was able to catch the ball for a huge gain although he didn’t get into the end zone.

These clips set the bar really high for Ehlinger but it is important to remember that those were just from the preseason and Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders will be Sam’s first real action in the NFL. While there will definitely be some growing pains along the journey, Sam Ehlinger has shown that he has plenty of talent and the Colts should be excited about what’s to come.

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