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Indianapolis Colts Looking to Bounce Back With First Exhibition Game

By Garrett Hagan

Jul 28, 2016; Anderson, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) hands off to running back Josh Ferguson (34) during the Indianapolis Colts NFL training camp at Anderson University. Mandatory Credit: Mykal McEldowney/Indy Star via USA TODAY NETWORK
Jul 28, 2016; Anderson, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) hands off to running back Josh Ferguson (34) during the Indianapolis Colts NFL training camp at Anderson University. Mandatory Credit: Mykal McEldowney/Indy Star via USA TODAY NETWORK /
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The Indianapolis Colts face the Green Bay Packers tonight in the Hall of Fame preseason game in Canton, Ohio. The exhibition game gives the entire team a the first true chance at bouncing back from a disastrous 2015 campaign.

The Indianapolis Colts failed to live up to the lofty expectations set for them heading into the 2015 season.

The Colts were coming off of an 11-win season and AFC Championship berth — with quarterback Andrew Luck leading the league with 40 touchdown passes while having the best year of his career.

After making a few big splashes in the 2015 free agency period, the league-wide belief was that the Colts were ready to make the next big leap into super bowl contention.

As many know, things didn’t go as planned, as Luck would miss nine games due to multiple injuries. This lead to the Colts finishing the season 8-8 and missing out on the playoffs for the first time in the Luck era.

After a disappointing season last year, a healthy Luck and Colts team is ready to bounce back and regain the momentum that they once had atop the AFC. Their chance at a fresh start begins tonight when they take on the Packers.

As to whether or not Luck will get a good deal of playing tonight in the Colts’ first exhibition game, it’s likely that he’ll play a series or two.

If in fact true, this wouldn’t come as any surprise given that it is not unusual for teams to only play their starters for a few series at the most in the hall of fame game.

What will be an interesting thing to look out for is the way the second and third units perform. Keeping our fingers crossed that we hardly have to see any players from the second or third units play any regular season action this year, it may give some insight into how much depth the Colts have at certain positions.

Watch out for running back Josh Ferguson’s snaps in this first preseason game tonight. The Colts signed Ferguson as an un-drafted free agent shortly after the 2016 NFL Draft — to which he has received a great deal of praise from the entire team, believed to be the Colts’ No. 2 back behind Frank Gore.

Next: Colts Vs. Packers Hall of Fame Game Preview

While the starters may not see the field as much as they would during the regular season, this extra preseason game is a perfect opportunity for the Colts to start fresh this upcoming season.

The Colts take on the Packers tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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