The Indianapolis Colts will take on the Green Bay Packers twice in preseason Week 2. It will be Indy's first home game of the preseason, as the Colts hope to rebound from their ill-fated bout against the Ravens, where they fell short to the tune of a 24-16 result, where the game never really felt close.
Before the preseason game, however, the teams will hold a joint practice on Thursday. There will be as much gleamed from this than maybe even the game. Starters will be put in different situations, and most will participate in the joint practice.
Against the Ravens, the Colts trotted out talented young quarterback Anthony Richardson, who promptly dislocated his pinkie on the second series of the game. The plan was for Richardson to start the game, and have his competitor for QB1, Daniel Jones, finish out the first half. Obviously, that's not how it played out.
The Indianapolis Colts' secondary will be the key to whether this season is a success or a failure
Steichen is switching tacks this week, starting Jones for a few series and then planning to hand the reins off to Richardson after that. Despite the obvious quarterback intrigue, there are many facets to the Colts and Packers game that faithful horseshoe fans should be paying attention to. Here are five things to watch for in the Colts' second preseason outing.
It's no secret, the thinnest position group of this iteration of the Colts (barring a complete disaster at quarterback) is the cornerback room. It was already looking dodgy to start the year, with the Colts banking on recently signed Charvarius Ward and rookie newcomer Justin Walley to anchor the back end of the defense, with little depth behind them.
However, even that fragile plan was foiled when Walley tore his ACL before the regular season even started. Now, the team will be forced to run the likes of Jaylon Jones, Duke Shelley, or Juju Brents out to hold down the side of the field opposite Ward.
There are some playmakers like Kenny Moore and Nick Cross at nickel and safety, respectively, but the cornerback room outside of Moore and Ward looks dire (Rasul Douglas or Asante Samuel, anyone?).
Colts fans should keep an eye out for how the cornerbacks fare in their Saturday outing against the Packers, especially when Green Bay has its best players on the field. Success in the secondary would go a long way in shoring up the roster concerns before the season.
Who will solidify themselves as the number two RB?
Jonathan Taylor is unquestionably, irrefutably, without a doubt, and one hundred percent the Colts RB1 this year. However, despite the talent that the star young workhorse brings to the running back stable, there are question marks behind him in the group. The battle to solidify the RB2 position is one that is being fought by Tyler Goodson, DJ Giddens, and Khalil Herbert.
Oddly enough, that's the order that the three are listed in the depth chart ahead of their week two preseason game, despite Khalil Herbert being the most recognizable name of the three.
In the first game against the Ravens, Goodson (who is a former Packer) put up 11 yards on four carries, Giddens had six opportunities and posted 17 yards, and Herbert had seven carries for 29 yards. Herbert also posted a long rush of 17 yards on one of those carries
Interestingly enough, Ulysses Bentley IV had the most yards of the night, garnering seven carries for 35 yards, so we'll have to see how he factors into the equation as well. Keep an eye on which back shows the most flash in your eyes, Colts faithful, because the emergence of a solid second option behind Taylor would be huge for the team.
How will the quarterback situation progress?
An article centered on storylines to watch for relating to the Colts would be remiss if it didn't mention the quarterback controversy embroiling the team. The Colts quarterback situation is one of the most fluid in the NFL, as Steichen still hasn't chosen who will be solidified as the QB1 come week one, and thus, all eyes are on the Colts to see who pulls ahead.
Can Anthony Richardson, who was by all accounts having an impressive camp before the preseason week one disaster blew up in his face, bounce back and show why he once held the hopes and dreams of Colts fans when he was drafted? Hopefully, we'll see him get enough snaps to actually read how his game has progressed since last season (or in the worst-case scenario, if it hasn't at all).
Though Jones was uninspiring in his first game of the year, he has the opportunity to pull ahead of Richardson with an improved showing against the Packers. Additionally, Riley Leonard flashed some promising signs of talent in his first NFL action against the Ravens.
While he probably can't legitimately compete with Richardson and Jones now, if he quietly develops over the course of the year, the Colts could really have something going forward.
Will Adonai Mitchell show signs he's taken the leap?
When the Colts drafted Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 draft, many Colts fans were ecstatic to see that a receiver who many thought could go in the first round had fallen to them. Mitchell showed flashes of that first-round talent in his rookie year, but he was never consistent enough to truly establish himself as a top option.
In 2024, he appeared in all seventeen games, but was only able to put together a stat line of 23 receptions for 312 yards. Now, that has to be contextualized because the Colts quarterback situation last year was spotty at best, but Mitchell has areas he needs to improve on as well.
If Adonai Mitchell can make the leap this year, the Colts will have a veritable bevy of offensive weapons at their disposal. Their offense will feature Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, and recently drafted Tyler Warren in addition to the (hopefully) emergent Mitchell. Talk about weapons to throw to for whoever the quarterback may be.
Will Tyler Warren continue to impress?
Speaking of young offensive weapons for the Indianapolis Colts, Tyler Warren could solidify himself as a player who is among the very best of them. Warren saw limited game action against the Ravens in preseason week one, but he still managed to impress in limited opportunities, putting up three receptions for 40 yards.
Colts fans should look for the young rookie to build on that performance, hopefully continuing to form connections with both Jones and Richardson. A reliable tight end is a safety valve that a struggling quarterback dreams of, and with his support, hopefully Richardson can finally put all of his tools together and become the franchise quarterback the Colts hope he can be.