In the team’s first action of the season and the first game in the Shane Steichen era, the Indianapolis Colts lost to the Buffalo Bills, 23-19.
The first team unit played as expected with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. The crew did have some nice plays that moved the ball well but had some kinks to iron out with timing and communication. The first team was also missing several key players today due to injury.
However, one player stood out on the second-team offense: quarterback Gardener Minshew.
After some initial sacks, Minshew settled in and moved the team down the field and into scoring range during a two-minute drill. Running back Jake Funk did the rest with an easy walk-in touchdown.
Minshew was surgical, connecting on all six of his passes for 72 yards and a 116.7 rating. He showed that he was a solid backup and that they could trust him to get the job done if the team were in a bind.
Also, he will be critical to Antony Richardson’s development as the season progresses.