Colts' Richardson-Taylor Combo Returns vs. Broncos | Jake's Takes

The Indianapolis Colts dropped an entertaining preseason battle, 34-30, to the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Aug 11, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen looks up at the replay during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL preseason finally got underway for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday as they hosted the Denver Broncos.

The visitors ultimately came out on top, 34-30, but although preseason matchups are inconsequential in the standings and on the scoreboard, Sunday was quite meaningful for both sides.

For the the Colts, quarterback Anthony Richardson made his return to the field for the first time since October. They also ushered in new rookies Laiatu Latu and AD Mitchell. Meanwhile, the Broncos are starting over fresh with their own star rookie in quarterback Bo Nix.

Here are some takeaways from an entertaining and rather high-scoring preseason matchup.

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— The first-team offense got two drives together, which totaled 30 yards and 3:17 on seven plays, scoring zero points and punting twice. While it wasn't fruitful on the scoreboard, having a healthy unit that the Colts actually intend to be their starting offense (minus Josh Downs) is a step in the right direction.

— Richardson made his return to the field, going 2-of-4 passing (50%) for 25 yards, with completions to Mo Alie-Cox (19) and Kylen Granson (6). Richardson also ran the ball once for a yard, taking the ball out of bounds rather than taking an unnecessary hit. Growth! It wasn't enough of a sample size to declare the day a success or failure, but Richardson coming out of the game unscathed and getting his first taste of contact from another team is a positive.

— Of note in the starting lineup, rookies Mitchell and Anthony Gould split Downs' vacated snaps in the slot, with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce remaining on the outside. The Colts also had tight ends Alie-Cox, Granson, and Drew Ogletree get snaps with the first team.

— I'm not sure if Sunday's game did anything to differentiate the RB3 battle, but both Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson were productive. Hull, who missed just about all of his rookie season with a meniscus injury, led the running backs with 16 yards and 1 touchdown on 8 carries and added a catch for 15 yards. Goodson had 15 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 carries as well as 2 catches for a yard.

— The first-team defense also played two drives together, allowing just 32 yards on 11 plays and forcing one turnover.

— In the starting lineup, it was Julian Blackmon and Nick Cross at strong and free safety, respectively, while Tyquan Lewis and Kwity Paye were the ends. Latu did get some reps with the first-team defense and ultimately played about a quarter. He promptly saw a double-team on his first snap, which wound up being canceled by a false start. Latu routinely gave blockers fits and got into the backfield, providing at least a couple of pressures on the quarterback.

— Latu wasn't the only defensive end causing chaos for the Broncos offense, as Paye and Lewis converged in the backfield on quarterback Jarrett Stidham on a play, which caused left tackle Garret Bolles to be flagged for holding Lewis.

— MIKE linebacker Zaire Franklin had a pass breakup over the middle of the field, which is the latest example of some improved play in pass defense for him over the summer. Likewise, cornerback Kenny Moore II had a big performance, first burying Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich for a hard tackle and then intercepting a pass that was batted up into the air by Franklin.

— Rookie cornerback Micah Abraham is listed at just 5'10", 185, which is well below the size thresholds the Colts normally covet in a cornerback, but in the draft process, the team was drawn to his playmaking and ability to take away the ball. In his first taste of game action, he stripped Broncos running back Audric Estime of the ball, picked up the fumble, and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

— Another Colts tandem to force a turnover was linebacker Cameron McGrone, who ripped the ball away from Broncos tight end Lucas Krull, and cornerback Chris Lammons, who picked the ball up and returned the fumble 8 yards.

— Without having official pass-rush metrics available yet, it appeared that second-year defensive end Titus Leo had a productive day rushing the passer. He was officially credited with 3 total tackles but he put pressure on the QB at least a couple of times and was involved in crashing down on runners at the line of scrimmage a time or two.

— We got our first look at the new dynamic kickoff return, and Gould and Dallis Flowers were the return men. Gould returned 5 kickoffs for an average of 27.6 yards with a long of 49. Flowers had 2 returns for am average of 24.5 yards. Gould also returned one punt for 9 yards. This seems likely to be the Colts' returners for the season as well.

— For the first time this season, the NFL is allowing players to wear guardian caps over their helmets during games. It is a padding over the helmet that many players practice with that helps to absorb the shock from collisions and protect their heads. Jonathan Taylor, Grant Stuard, Zavier Scott, and Granson were a handful of the players for the Colts who elected to wear them.

— The new field inside Lucas Oil looks great.

The new field looks outstanding. pic.twitter.com/SMH0SBki8g

— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) August 11, 2024

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