Under Review: Colts defeat Giants, 20-12

Aug 18, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (81) runs the ball defended by New York Giants corner back Prince Amukamara (20) during the first quarter of a preseason game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts notched their first win of the season last night after defeating the Giants 20-12. This was a vast improvement over the turd they left on the field at Lucas Oil against the Bills last weekend.

Additionally, the Colts did it against a quarterback who has won two Super Bowls. Indy managed to limit Eli Manning and his offense to just six points on five drives. Granted the Giants attempted to convert on fourth down in the red zone, but it was still a solid effort by the defense.

A couple quick notes first. Tight end Dwayne Allen will return to practice, but will be heavily monitored as he continues to recover from a foot injury. Tight end Coby Fleener is out after sustaining a knee sprain in last nights game.

Here’s what we took away from this game:

The Good

• Andrew Luck. Luck was very sharp last night. What was particularly encouraging was his movement in the pocket. He seems to have a better sense of when the rush is getting close, and was moving away from trouble with ease. His TD pass to Reggie Wayne should have been an interception (he was hit on the play which is why it fell short). The TD pass to T.Y. Hilton was gorgeous. Perfectly placed to beat the defender and allow Hilton space to catch it in-bounds. That pass showed just how much faith Luck has in Hilton right now.
• T.Y. Hilton. The man is magic with the ball in his hands. He did an amazing job keeping his feet in after the TD pass from Luck. He continues to find separation on the field, and is going to be a stud this season. We know he can return punts, so does he have to keep taking them in the preseason? That’s just risking an unnecessary injury.
• Reggie ‘Freaking’ Wayne. Go here and watch his TD grab. I’ll wait. Done? Good. Wayne is making extremely difficult catches in the preseason. He is set up to have another fantastic season and every catch makes me glad he signed on for three more seasons with the Colts.
• Ceasar Rayford and Drake Nevis. Both players have been impressive in the preseason. Last night, Rayford and Nevis both had two sacks and two tackles for losses. They are making the most of their snaps and will make things difficult when it comes time to make the cuts.
• Defensive Play Calling. The Colts didn’t run a vanilla defense this week. They blitzed often and it produced results. The Colts finished with six sacks, and were able to force the Giants QBs to move around or throw the ball away often. It should be noted that Giants backup QB, David Carr, is a magnet for sacks.

The Bad

• The Offensive Line. While the line was solid in pass protection, it was horrible when attempting to run the ball. There were no holes for the running backs to run through. It becomes hard to judge the talent of a RB when there is no space to run and they’re getting hit for a loss half the time. The Colts say they want to be a power running team, but with Samson Satele and Mike McGlynn (who had the worst performance of the night for all the linemen) in the middle, they won’t be creating much space up the middle.  
• Stunts. The play calling led to a number of stunts (where the defensive linemen go across each other) that simply killed the pass rush. Rarely does this move generate anything but confusion, and last night it certainly didn’t lead to any sacks. It would be nice to see less of this and just a standard rush from the defensive line.  
• Coby Fleener. Fleener has looked very good in camp and practice, but his in game performance leaves a lot to be desired. Last week it was the fumble, this week it was two drops. Is he hearing footsteps? Is he afraid of contact? People are already referring to him as the Jerry Hughes of the offense, but it is far too early to make that assertion. The concussion (which had to have caused the fumble) and now the knee injury are huge setbacks for a guy trying to string together some good plays. 

Other Notes

• Rookie LB Bjoern Werner made his debut for the Colts. Watching the game, he appeared to make a number of good plays. The folks at Pro Football Focus didn’t agree and gave him the lowest grade on the defense. He is a rookie, playing in his first game, and at a new position, so there is a bit of a learning curve. He
• DE Ricky Jean-Francois was very active at the point of attack. He made a number of plays that prevent big gains from the Giants running backs. He also did a good job generating pressure.
• CB Greg Toler had a few questionable plays, but his interception of Manning was exceptional. He read the route perfectly and came away with a timely pick.
• OLB Erik Walden had a big game. He led the team with six tackles and opened up a drive with a sack of Manning that lost 13 yards. As a guy not known for sacks, this was encouraging to see.
• Adam Vinatieri drilled a 52-yard field goal. Nice to see that the old man’s still got it. Rookie kicker Brandon McManus got some work late and iced the game with a 50-yarder.

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