Here are a few things that really stuck out during the Colts first pre-season game against the San Fransisco 49ers:
-Peyton Manning is in mid-season form. A shock, I know, but his footwork was beautiful, his patience was there, and he was seeing the field well. Timing and rhythm seemed good with everyone, as well.
-Joseph Addai looked really good. His shifty run after the catch, his beautiful touchdown run, and his pass blocking were all what I expect from Addai. I’m worried about his long term health, as this line isn’t going to give him a lot of easy runs, and he’s going to be taking on a lot of pass rushers this year, but I was impressed with him.
-Jerraud Powers was spec-tac-u-lar! If he can stay healthy, he’ll quickly start being mentioned as one of the better CBs in the league. He was reading and reacting quickly, making nice hits, and his interception return was very nice, indeed. I think he would have had a real chance to score if someone didn’t tweet to him about 30 yards into the run that it was still pre-season.
-Really nice tackle and forced fumble on the first play of the game by Antoine Bethea. Reminded me of the stick Bob Sanders gave Cedric Benson in the Super Bowl (the only one the Indianapolis Colts have EVER played in)
-Rookies looked good. I liked everything I saw from Eldridge and Angerer. I didn’t get to see too much of Hughes. I think James has some good skills and will help the return game. I thought Kevin Thomas looked sexy on the sidelines (fun fact: didn’t actually see him on the sidelines)
-Thanks to Uncle Bill and Coach Jim for sitting all the people I was looking forward to seeing
-Glad to see Stone Hands caught a pass, put on some moves, and got way down the field. Not happy to see him fumble. I know it’s an inside joke, Gonzo, but not everyone gets it.
-I liked Mike Hart more than GD IT DONALD. And I liked Brandstater more than Painter. Let me elaborate more on that: I realize that neither are playing against stiff competition, but Painter didn’t do a whole lot that I liked. He stared down receivers, he didn’t feel the rush, he didn’t move around fluidly. His awareness seems to be where it was last year. He has a better arm than Jim Sorgi, but that’s about it.
-I hope Jim Caldwell was just messing around with his challenges this game, not his best effort. Also would have liked to see him go for it on 4th down in the first quarter.
-The offensive line is great! For some puppet-dog to poop on.
Your thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Like my new haircut? Leave me a comment, or email me at: [email protected] (basically leave all agreements in comments and all disagreements in emails).
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