The Indianapolis Colts didn’t have a lot to cheer about for the majority of the preseason opener on Thursday night until quarterback Chad Kelly entered the game and gave the unit some life.
Kelly, who finished completing 13-of-19 pass attempts for 121 yards while also rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown, impressed his head coach in Frank Reich.
“Chad I thought really had a nice night. He made some plays. As you guys know, the touchdown run was not a called quarterback run. It was something he instinctively saw and did,” Reich told the media in a conference call Friday. “He had a gut feeling and he saw something and he took advantage of it. So good by him and he made a couple good throws with people bearing down in the pocket. So good stuff by both of them, but also a lot of room for improvement as well.”
Kelly’s nice was highlighted by a 33-yard touchdown run on an option play that Reich says he was supposed to handoff. But Kelly read the edge collapsing, kept the ball and raced up the sideline untouched for the Colts’ first preseason touchdown.
Kelly came in as the QB3 with Jacoby Brissett starting and Phillip Walker following suit. The latter struggled mightily with his accuracy and may have opened the door for Kelly to grab a hold of a solid opportunity.
The Colts will return in the second week of the preseason with a home game against the Cleveland Browns, which should give another chance to see if Kelly is truly leading the competition.
