Amid the shocking news surrounding the retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis Colts played a preseason game Saturday night against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was a 27-17 loss at home and while the preseason matchup was put on the back burner in the fourth quarter when Luck’s retirement news broke, there were still some notes to take away from the game.
Here are three takeaways from the preseason loss to the Bears:
Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly’s battle got more interesting
Throughout the preseason, the battle between Kelly and Walker for the QB3 role in the room and while that didn’t expect to have an impact, they are now battling for the backup role behind starter Jacoby Brissett.
Most would say that Kelly is winning the battle outright. However, he’s suspended for the first two games of the regular season due to his arrest in 2018. This means Walker could very well make the active roster to begin the season.
It is likely Walker and Kelly continue to work in the fourth preseason game on Thursday before the regular season starts on Sept. 8.
Offensive line depth is worrisome
We know the Colts’ starting offensive line is a stout unit that is expected to be among the best in the league. But the depth behind the starters is extremely worrisome. The second and third strings haven’t given any reason to be optimistic if a starter goes down.
Most notably with left tackle Le’Raven Clark. He’s likely to start the season as the backup left tackle to Anthony Castonzo, but he’s struggled mightily this preseason. His technique has been sloppy, and he’s struggled both in the run game and as a pass blocker.
The Colts also have some issues on the interior with backup centers Josh Andrews and Evan Boehm—both of which have struggled during the preseason.
The cornerback room is still highly competitive
The cornerback room has four spots virtually locked up for the roster cuts with possibly two final spots open. That’s if the Colts keep six cornerbacks. For those final two spots, there are a number of players competing.
Following the third preseason game, there is no clarity on who might get the final spots. In a competition between Marvell Tell, Chris Milton, Jalen Collins and Nate Hairston, all four seemed to have a solid day on Saturday.
The preseason finale will be a huge game for those four cornerbacks as the roster cuts are coming up quickly.
