The Colts’ preseason is done, and now the real work starts.
Saturday’s 25-16 loss to the Lions gave Shane Steichen’s team one last look before the roster gets trimmed from 90 to 53 by Sunday at 6:00 PM eastern. It also gave the Colts a clearer read on a few of the biggest August battles, especially at kicker and quarterback.
Spencer Shrader kept making his case in a big way. The strongest moment came in the third quarter when he drilled a 60-yard field goal, the kind of swing that can settle a job battle fast.
Blake Grupe was sharp too after last week’s miss from 36 yards, finishing a perfect day with makes from 46 and 36 yards, plus a 38-yard extra point. The Colts used Grupe in the first half and Shrader in the second, though they passed on a field goal chance for Shrader in the third quarter and instead went for it on fourth-and-4 from the Detroit 24.
Still, it’s clear the team likes Shrader’s big-leg upside, and that confidence has grown as he’s moved further removed from the knee injury he dealt with last fall. If Shrader has indeed locked down the job, the Colts could even look to move Grupe in the next 24 hours.
Anthony Richardson Sr. also turned in a clean, controlled outing. That’s not usually how his preseason reps go, but this one was steadier than splashy.
He finished 7 of 10 for 80 yards, and two of the three drives he led reached scoring range. His misses came on deeper throws, including chances to connect with Laquon Treadwell and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in 1-on-1 situations, plus a clean-pocket miss to an open Deion Burks.
Richardson didn’t do much with his legs either, which took away one of the more dynamic parts of his game. For the Colts, the bigger question now is what version of QB2 Shane Steichen wants behind Daniel Jones on game day.
Riley Leonard had the kind of night that summed up his August. He opened with his best throw of the preseason, standing in against pressure on a fourth-and-6 and dropping a perfect ball to Anthony Gould on a drive that finished with a touchdown.
But the next series brought the other side of the ledger. Leonard and the offense got behind the chains, and instead of taking a sack or throwing it away in field-goal range, he tried to force a play and got intercepted.
He finished 3 of 7 for 48 yards and the pick. If preseason production is the only guide, Leonard hasn’t done enough to claim the backup job, but the Colts still have to decide how they want to sort out QB2 and QB3 for game days.
The Colts also gave their starters more run than the Lions did, and that mattered. Offensively, the starting offensive line played the first series, with reserve skill players around Richardson.
Keenan Allen was one of the exceptions, getting a handful of snaps and catching a 24-yard crosser early. On defense, 9 of the Colts’ expected 11 opening-day starters took the field for a series, with no Mooney Ward at corner and no A.J.
Haulcy because of an ankle issue. The defense’s time was cut short when Sauce Gardner jumped Detroit quarterback Luke Altmyer’s eyes and came away with an interception during a scramble situation.
Justin Walley also made his NFL debut, and it came 644 days after his last football game.
There were a few other names worth watching, but not many clean wins across the board. Deion Burks caught three passes as he tries to stick on the roster, and the Colts did create some needed turnover production on defense.
Trey Washington forced a fumble in the third quarter and could be in line to help round out the safety group. But the backup center situation remains rough, with the snapping from the reserve centers looking poor all preseason and the Dalton Tucker experiment at center not working out.
The Colts need to explore the waiver wire there. The reserve defense also had trouble stopping the run and getting off the field on third down, and cornerback Rob Carter Jr. had a difficult afternoon.
Detroit’s backups put together touchdown drives of 70, 87 and 76 yards in the first half after the Sauce Gardner interception on the opening drive. In the fourth quarter, rookie linebackers CJ Allen and Bryce Boettcher were still on the field, a sign they’re further down the depth chart in that room.
The only injury listed from Saturday was WR Coleman Owen, who left with a concussion.
Now the Colts shift straight into roster cuts and then into two weeks of practice before the regular season opener against the Ravens on September 13.
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One of the most intriguing battles has come at kicker, where Chase Grupe and Matt Shrader have been trading off opportunities in a contest that has stayed tight through the preseason. Shrader has flashed well enough to make the choice harder, and with the final exhibition now here, the Colts still have multiple spots where one more strong showing could shape the roster that opens the season. [Read more 🡒]