Tag: Colts vs Panthers

Colts QB battle: How Jacob Eason, Sam Ehlinger did in preseason opener

How did the QB competition for the Colts go in the preseason opener?

With Carson Wentz’s foot injury still the biggest question mark of training camp, the Indianapolis Colts gave the keys to their two young quarterbacks in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Second-year Jacob Eason got the start and showed that he has a lot of potential in this league. Sam Ehlinger came in for the second half, and struggled but still showed promise.

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Colts’ preseason quarterback competition from the opener on Sunday

Jacob Eason

The Good

The second-year man out of Washington had a promising start under center. Eason played the entire first half and finished 15 for 21 with 183 yards passing. His accuracy, especially down the field, was the most impressive part of his debut.

What stood out was the two-minute drill Eason led down the field for a score right before halftime. It started with a deep ball to Mike Strachan that really got things going for the final drive of the first half. His pocket presence and ability to bounce back after a sack were also bright spots during this time.

The Bad

While pocket presence was positive, Eason has to learn to be more aware and poised while dropping back. There were multiple times where he had time to throw and rushed a short pass. On the flip-side, there were many times Eason held onto the ball too long and took a sack, one of those being a fumble inside the Colts’ 20-yard line. Knowing when to get rid of the football is an important lesson for any quarterback.

The Ugly

The fumble Eason lost was largely due to his protection falling apart, but all the blame can’t go towards the offensive line. Rather than stepping up in the pocket, he sat back and waited for the defense. If he wants to have a shot at the starting job, that is something that needs to be fixed.

Sam Ehlinger

The Good

Ehlinger showed a lot of poise in the pocket and responded well when facing pressure. He has very good accuracy and completed a few well-placed crossing routes. He had a couple of completions down the field, but that was mostly due to spectacular catches by Tarik Black and Tyler Vaughns. He also showed his running ability for a handful of first downs and a two-point conversion, showing his ability to move outside the pocket as well.

The final drive that lasted just over six minutes was also impressive. Ehlinger made the right decisions and drove the team down the field to ultimately win the game off an Eddy Pineiro field goal. He turned a rocky start into a solid outing overall.

The Bad

Other than the 47-yard completion to Black, Ehlinger largely struggled to push the ball down the field. He completed 66% of his passes with one interception. He seemed skittish at times and lacked confidence against the Panthers’ third-string defenders in the third quarter. It was clear that Ehlinger still has a lot to learn to be a starting quarterback in this league, but he learned a lot in his first taste of action.

The Ugly

Ehlinger’s third-quarter pick was thrown directly into coverage, not to mention he had great protection and a lot of time to throw. Throws like that are common among rookie quarterbacks, and things like that should get ironed out in the coming weeks. It looks like Ehlinger is still a ways away from his regular-season debut.

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Sam Ehlinger highlights from his NFL debut with the Indianapolis Colts

After a rough start, Ehlinger had an incredible fourth quarter to lead the Colts over the Panthers.

Former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger made his NFL debut on Sunday with the Indianapolis Colts after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Ehlinger is currently battling second-year quarterback Jacob Eason to secure the backup role behind starter Carson Wentz. With the ongoing injury concerns surrounding Wentz, one of the two young signal-callers could be called upon to play meaningful snaps this season.

The Colts’ three preseason games will be a crucial opportunity for Eason or Ehlinger to step up and claim the No. 2 spot.

On Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, Eason started and played the first half, while Ehlinger took over for the entirety of the second half. Each had an up and down performance. Eason fumbled which resulted in a turnover, while Ehlinger threw an interception on his first drive.

Eason completed 15 of his 21 passes for 183 yards. Ehlinger made some plays with his legs by rushing for 34 yards, and completed 10 of 15 passes for 155 yards. The former Texas star looked solid in the fourth quarter and made a few huge plays to lead the Colts over the Panthers 21-18 as time expired.

At this point, the battle is far from over. Take a look at a few of Ehlinger’s highlights from his NFL debut:

WATCH: Colts QB Sam Ehlinger completes first NFL pass to high school teammate

Very cool moment for Ehlinger.

Former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger made his NFL debut with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Continue reading “WATCH: Colts QB Sam Ehlinger completes first NFL pass to high school teammate”

Colts’ Player of the Game vs. Panthers: RB Nyheim Hines

In a week the Colts desperately needed a win, they delivered in the home finale against Carolina.

In a week the Colts desperately needed a win, they delivered in the home finale against Carolina. The 38-6 victory made a lot of fans and even players a little more confident in this team going into next season.

The X-factor of this game was running back Nyheim Hines who took not one, but two punt returns to the house. His production has been lacking in recent weeks but today he stepped up in a big way.

Perhaps it was foreshadowing when on the first punt of the game, Hines had an impressive return for 40 yards. However, he would not let this effort go unrewarded.

On the second punt of the game in the first quarter, Hines took one all the way for 84 yards making defenders miss left and right. His speed and acceleration in the open field is something that is hard for defenders to match.

Hines capped off his great day with another punt return in the fourth quarter that he carried into the endzone once more for 71 yards, sealing the victory and his career day.

He totaled 195 yards on three returns while also contributing one carry for four yards and one catch for two yards.

Hines’ offensive production has definitely dipped this season due to a lack of touches, but after an amazing day today he may have to be involved in the game plan going forward.

The Colts travel to Jacksonville for the season finale where they hope to pick up another win and have a good finale to a somewhat disappointing 2019.

What will the Colts see with Will Grier under center?

Colts set to face the rookie QB.

Will Grier, the rookie quarterback out of West Virginia, will be getting his first NFL start when the Panthers travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face off against the Colts. He will be replacing Kyle Allen who has struggled in recent weeks.

Allen was under center since week 3 When Cam Newton went out with a foot injury. Allen is an accurate passer who really spread the ball for everyone on offense, something players and even coaches loved.

His success though seemed to be a flash in the pan and now the Panthers are trying to decide what to do at quarterback for the future. Insert the rookie Grier.

Granted this move may just be a shot in the dark to see if there is any value in their third-round pick. That being said, just because Grier may be a long shot does not mean he should be pushed to the side.

In his senior season at West Virginia, Grier completed 67% of his passes for 3864 yards and 37 touchdowns. His pocket awareness and surprisingly big arm were perfect for a high flying Big 12 offense like the Mountaineers.

He throws a very accurate and nice deep ball, which could be an issue for the Colts secondary. As we saw a few weeks ago against Houston and Tampa Bay, fast receivers can beat Indy’s secondary for large chunks of yards.

The answer to shutting down Grier before he even begins? Pass rush. The Colts front four have to get after Grier and force him to be uncomfortable in his first start. Hopefully, that will force him to rush throws and even turn the ball over.

With Denico Autry out, it will be vital that Jabaal Sheard and Justin Houston step up as veteran members of this defense.

Grier is a talented player who has a lot to prove in these final two games. He has a chance to ball out and be the Panthers quarterback for the foreseeable future, but the Colts have a chance to make sure that doesn’t happen this Sunday. Hopefully, the Colts can spoil the rookie’s first start and win a game for the first time in four weeks.

5 Panthers the Colts must game plan for in Week 16

These Panthers must be accounted for.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-8), after being eliminated from playoff contention, look to put one in the win column for the first time in four weeks. They host a Carolina Panthers (5-9) team that has also struggled greatly in the second half of the season.

Carolina fired their longtime head coach Ron Rivera a few weeks ago, which has had a negative effect on the team. The Panthers players have shown signs of just giving up and are playing with little to no life.

While Carolina is a depleted football team, they are still a talented roster that can compete with many teams in the league. With a few additions in the offseason and some time to get healthy, Carolina can be right back in contention.

With a chance to turn things around going into next season, here are five Panthers the Colts must gameplan for in order to pick up a win:

RB Christian McCaffrey

As one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, McCaffrey is a matchup nightmare for defenses. A dual-threat pass catcher and quick running back, he is dangerous every single play and can touch the ball any time.

With 1,307 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground this year, McCaffrey has been in the MVP conversation in 2019. While also totaling 814 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air, McCaffrey has a real chance to go over 1,000 yards receiving and rushing.

Stopping No. 22 will be priority No. 1 for the Colts defense that has struggled to stop the run in recent weeks. Matt Eberflus must make sure to have a spy on McCaffery all game, preferable Darius Leonard who has the speed to stay with him.

LB Luke Kuechly 

As one of the best linebackers in the league for the past four seasons, Kuechly is still going strong with 131 tackles in 2019. This high number of total tackles leads the team and is fourth in the NFL.

Kuechly’s toughness and speed makes him a special talent and he can be a great run stopper. His coverage skills are somewhat underrated as well which makes him a serious threat to offensive production on Sunday. Kuechly will have to be picked up in blitz coverage as well which should be a real challenge for the interior of the offensive line and running backs.

WR D.J. Moore 

As the Panthers number one receiver this season, Moore has really broken out of his first-year struggles. With 1,174 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season, Moore ranks third among all receivers in yards caught.

Moore is a speedy wideout that has found his fit in this Carolina system. Paired with other speedster Curtis Samuel, they combine for a solid one-two punch. This receiving corps is undersized but filled with talent.

Expect Rock Ya-Sin to be on Moore all game, which should be a great matchup for the two young players.

S Eric Reid

Reid is one of the NFL’s most underrated strong safeties. He came to Carolina in 2018 and has had a productive two years. He is the cornerstone of their secondary and can fly all around the field.

With 113 total tackles, four sacks, and two fumble recoveries this season, Reid has been an issue for opposing teams. He plays very similarly to Tyrann Mathieu and loves to fly off the edge on blitzes.

The Colts running backs will have to pick him up in pass coverage and keep him contained if they want to have success throwing the football.

DE Mario Addison 

Leading the team in sacks with 9.5, Addison has had a dominant season at defensive end. He also has 31 total tackles and two forced fumbles which shows he is good at getting after the quarterback.

Having a guy that can constantly provide pressure off the edge is so dangerous and the Colts offensive line will have their hands full Sunday. This will be a good test for Braden Smith and Mark Glowinski who struggled last week against New Orleans.