The Indianapolis Colts got in the win collum for the 2024 preseason with a 21 to 13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Colts and Cardinals decided to rest the majority of their starters after holding two joint practices together this past week. Which allowed multiple young Colts players to shine under the bright lights in Lucas Oil Stadium. But it also showed a potential area of concern that we weren't discussion before.
Biggest takeaways from the Colts Week 2 preseason win over the Cardinals
Young Colts defenders are growing up in front of our eyes
Nick Cross
The talk of the offseason has been the Colts' safety situation. After the team chose not to add a veteran option to fill their starting FS position. Last season, both Rodney Thomas and Nick Cross struggled, which caused many to be concerned about either being the day one starter this season. To start training camp, the Colts called the spot an open competition, but from the jump, it felt like Nick Cross' job to lose. He's had multiple strong outings in training camp and has been a positive standout in both of the Colts' preseason games. Today, he looked more comfortable than ever during his NFL career. He mainly played SS, and many thought Julian Blackmon would return in that role this year. But they may focus on getting their best two safeties on the field no matter how they have to line up, which is clearly Blackmon and Cross.
Adetomiwa Adebawore
If I had to choose the best player from either team who touched the field today, my answer without question would be Colts second-year DT Adetomiwa Adebawore. He dominated the interior of the Cardinals' offensive line in the passing game. He looks significantly improved from his rookie season in terms of play strength. And if today's game indicates anything, I'd assume Adebawore will find a way on the field for the Colts in 2024.
Isaiah Land
Another standout young defender for the Colts today was edge rusher Isaiah Land. He was a difference-maker in both the passing and the running game. No matter which offensive lineman was tasked with blocking Land, he found himself on the winning side of the battle. The Colts' top edge rusher spots will be filled by the likes of Laiatu Latu, Kwity Paye, Tyquann Lewis, and Dayo Odeyingbo. However, with Samson Ebukam potentially missing the entire 2024 season, Land could certainly have opportunities this season, and it looks like he is ready to step up if/when his number is called.
The RB room had a strong day
Another role the Colts chose not to address this offseason was their backup RB job. They lost Zach Moss in free agency to the Cincinnati Bengals and saw presumed backup Trey Sermon leave the preseason opener with a hamstring injury. With Sermon and starter Jonathan Taylor not playing today, it allowed them to show what they could do. And multiple players stepped up. The team got touchdowns from Tyler Goodson and Zavier Scott and had three RBs record at least four carries and average five or more yards: Tyler Goodson, Zavier Scott, and Evan Hull. The leader out of the group today was Scott, who turned 11 rushing attempts into 55 yards and a touchdown.
Do the Colts have a Matt Gay problem?
It was a rough outing for Colts veteran kicker Matt Gay, who missed both of his field goal attempts on the day. This is coming after a very up-and-down first season with the team after the Colts elected to give him a large four-year deal worth up to $22.5 million. One of his attempts today was from beyond 50 yards, but his second miss came from 44 yards out, and he missed in the exact same fashion as his prior attempt, which was to the left. With the regular season so close, it's not ideal to see your veteran kicker suffering from a case of the "yips." Luckily for him, the team has one more preseason game, which they will reportedly use as a dress rehearsal where the starters play an entire half, so Gay will have the chance to redeem himself. If he has another outing like today, though, the Colts are going to have to have some tough conversations about their kicker situation.
