RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sources
Following the Indianapolis Colts' performance from Week 2 of the preseason, what did we learn about this team?
With battles for playing time and roster spots up for grabs this time of the year, one would hope to come out of each preseason game with some added clarity. That only sort of happened this week for the Colts .
Here is what we think we learned, or at least observed.
Colts searching for answers at linebacker
What we can say right now is that Akeem Davis-Gaither will be one of the starters. He has not played in either preseason game. But who will be lining up next to him this season remains to be seen.
Against Atlanta, the Colts relied on a heavy rotation, likely searching for answers. Jaylon Carlies and Austin Ajiake were the first two on the field, followed by rookies CJ Allen and Bryce Boettcher. The two duos then alternated series.
Each linebacker brings something different to the defense. Carlies, a former safety, adds a coverage presence. Boettcher has impressed playing downhill and as a blitzer, while Allen's well-rounded skill set allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways.
Given how the last week of practices has gone, it may be Carlies who is the favorite right now to start next to Davis-Gaither. That said, Lou Anarumo hasn't ruled out utilizing a rotation in-season, with the matchups and in-game situations dictating who is on the field.
Pass rush depth remains an unknown
The depth of this unit has been a question all offseason, and through two preseason games, it still remains to be seen whether or not the Colts have enough pass rush juice behind Laiatu Latu.
Caden Curry popped in the preseason opener, but it was a quiet week for Jaylahn Tuimoloau and Micheal Clemons. This week, no Colts' pass rusher was able to consistently get after the quarterback. According to ESPN, the Colts finished with one sack and only one quarterback hit, both of which came later in the game.
Not surprisingly, without steady pressure, the Atlanta quarterbacks were quite efficient passing the ball.
Where does the backup quarterback competition stand?
Riley Leonard again underwhelmed. Starting for the Colts in this game, Leonard completed just 7-of-14 passes for 62 yards, and 39 of those total yards came on a wide-open completion to Coleman Owen.
Leonard averaged only 4.4 yards per pass attempt. He did not have an interception but did fumble a snap that he was able to recover. In two preseason games, Leonard has struggled to get into any sort of rhythm.
Anthony Richardson didn't fare any better in the passing game, completing 3-of-9 passes, but his ability to extend plays when under pressure did help keep drives alive. His presence under center adds a different element to the Colts' offense for defenses to contend with.
Both quarterbacks had to deal with shaky offensive line play, and it looked like the wide receivers struggled to create separation.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 3 things learned - sort of - from Colts v. Falcons preseason game
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.