Preseason Week Two quick thoughts

[GoBigBlue88]

I know my weekend sucks (dental surgery + dogsitting for parents) if I'm writing this on a Saturday night...

1. Good for Jacoby Brissett. I didn't learn anything new about him, but just good to see the confidence, zip on ball and composure under pressure. It's gonna be an uphill battle if anyone other than Andrew Luck starts at QB, but good to know Brissett still gives you a fighting chance.

2. I still have no real time/interest in Walker (must be a great Watson/Mariota impersonator in practices), but it's gonna be hard to keep Chad Kelly on the 53-man with that suspension. So I'm perplexed as to how Colts approach QBs in final 53.

3. The run game in preseason is U-G-L-Y. I see it as mostly a function as not having the starting 5 together yet. Still, even starters have struggled, and I generally think OL is the one area on this team that has concerning depth. Every other position: good depth. OL: if Castonzo, Kelly or Nelson get hurt, they're screwed. I honestly just don't think, beyond Haeg, anyone other reserve can really play more than spot duty. Seems like Boehm has lost a lot of ground (fine with me; I don't think he's good) and seems like the team has a high opinion of Josh Andrews but I don't see it with him at all.

4. Tight end is quickly rivaling WR and DB for fascinating roster decisions. This team is just so ridiculously deep at that position. We know Ebron, Doyle and Alie-Cox are locks. I think they keep 4, and you could sell me on either of Hentges or Ross getting that spot. Gun to head, I'm going: Ebron, Doyle, Alie-Cox and Hentges.

5. Wide receiver is, of course, still interesting. Hilton and Funchess are locks, and good to see Funchess being the difficult-to-jam receiver we imagined (still curious to see how he's used in red zone; we haven't really seen that yet.) Campbell ... I kinda wonder if he's a PUP candidate? Just seems like we haven't heard anything there, and he's so far behind that you could get away with a PUP stash because you have so much talent at the position his loss wouldn't be magnified.

Cain seems like a lock after tonight. Almost scared to expose him as much as I think they will week 3. He seems like a vital player now.

So really: it's probably Rogers, Pascal, Hogan and Johnson for 1-2 spots. Rogers played like he thinks his spot is much safer than I do, but keep in mind he'll be evaluated on totality of what he's done and not just a bad PR decision or shoulda-been fumble (still: that was a bad game for a guy fighting for a roster spot.)

Hogan now becomes a real option after Fountain's injury, and with Campbell's future uncertain. I think he and Pascal are actually pretty similar players. I really have no clue who ends up making the 53 though.

6. ...but gun to head: Hilton, Funchess, Campbell (not on PUP), Cain, Pascal, and keep 4 TEs.

7. Defensively, I think it's important to keep in mind they are playing almost totally vanilla Cover-2 shell and rushing 4. That will certainly be foundational for Eberflus' defense, but we know damn well in big or close games, he also likes to get creative with his pressure packages and get guys like Leonard and Moore in the backfield. That's not going to happen in the preseason, so we have to evaluate overall defensive performance accordingly.

8. Starting up front: I'm still not sure I really buy the front four pass rush. For sure, we saw some encouraging stuff from Kemoko Turay. I need to see more, but it's fair to be hopeful. I didn't really see anything from Justin Houston, but not sure if I was really supposed to. I think this is still a team that needs at least 5 to land consistent punches, though.

9. I try to balance preseason context and one-on-one truths. So while I say it's fair to be hopeful about Turay ... I also think it's fair to be skeptical about Tyquan Lewis. He has really struggled, even against 2s and 3s. I would think the Colts would hope for him to be further along than he's showing, especially after Ballard hyped him as having Leonard-like potential.

10. Denico Autry is going to be a terror. That's one impact DL I buy full stock in.

11. Starting linebackers are fine. Rough night for Okereke, who overpursued a number of times. If that Walker/Okereke battle was neck and neck entering tonight, I would think Walker got a slight edge tonight. Speed definitely shows all over the field, but clearly is steps slow in processing, which you'd expect coming from a D-3 school.

I was encouraged by Zaire Franklin's play tonight. This team needs a heavy at SAM for the mouth-punching teams of the league, and I still think he plays that role well.

12. I'm not sweating cornerbacks even if it was a rough night overall. First, Pierre Desir continues to be unspectacularly fantastic. I think you can stick him on most WR1s and be happy with the results. And you know Kenny Moore has the slot locked down.

Opposite them: I think people have REALLY wanted to unseat Quincy Wilson with Rock Ya-Sin ... and I don't think Ya-Sin is there yet. I also think people underestimate Wilson.

I'm really comfortable with Desir/Wilson/Moore/Ya-Sin/Milton as the 5 CBs you gotta keep (Milton just too good of a gunner not to), and developing Tell and Taylor on the practice squad.

13. ...and you can tell they really need to develop Tell. He plays with such little confidence. That's a really tough positional transition to make in a few months. He's easily a height-weight-speed guy you develop with intent of him really getting his chance next summer.

14. Jalen Collins has been one of my big disappointments of the preseason. All the hype about Colts being excited about him, and it seems like both his camp and preseason performances have been really flat. He's just never really in position for a PBU like a Desir, Moore or even a Wilson are.

15. I don't have a ton of notes at safety, other than how good it is to see pre-ACL injury speed for Malik Hooker. The ground he covered on his PBU was insane. I'm still iffy on him as a tackler, and he was responsible for at least one huge cutback run today. But if the defense allows him to simply range, then he is going to be top-5 in the league at that skillset.

16. Some brutal special teams decisions tonight. I had the volume down because I had friends over so I missed the commentary around the Hines obliteration, but I'd imagine Ventrone is furious with his return units tonight. Rogers and Hines both made some horrendous decisions.

17. I do love how Reich approaches 4th downs in the preseason. Don't waste them learning a kicker can convert a 30-yard field goal. Use them to actually learn something about your offense. Too many Colts coaches past would kick useless field goals.

18. You can make of this game what you will, but I saw one team (with flaws, no doubt) in the Colts that was mostly probing itself, and I saw another team in the Browns that played like they had something to prove in the preseason. The tell is in pressure looks and timing, honestly. Neither is right/wrong, but these two teams had totally different mindsets to this game, and I think it's important to note each in evaluating.

19. It's killing me that Penny Hart and Parris Campbell continue to be no-gos. Hart has probably nuked his chance to make this team. Campbell will of course be on the 53 at some point this year. But both feel like they could inject some excitement into these boring-ass exhibition games, especially on special teams.

20. Unsure why D'Onta Foreman can't really get a look. Nyheim Hines shouldn't have been playing as late as he was, and I can only watch so many Aca'Cedric Ware carries that go 5 yards horizontal and result in a (late) cut that just takes him back to the LOS. This is the one area I feel has been mismanaged this preseason.