5 Takeaways for the Colts vs. the Bengals

Aug 28, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) carries the ball as Indianapolis Colts defensive end Jonathan Newsome (91) and Indianapolis Colts defensive back Mike Adams (42) tackle during the first quarter at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

1. Mike Adams is the Starter at Safety Alongside of LaRon Landry

Mike Adams was brought in to compete with Delano Howell and Sergio Brown for the starting safety job opposite of LaRon Landry, and he has done a great job so far. With Howell out due to injury and Brown simply not playing as well right now, it looks as if Adams has locked up the safety job. Adams didn’t play too long last night, but he was out there for a very short period of time just to give him a few reps.

He may not be a huge playmaker on the defensive backfield, but he is a sure tackler and has veteran experience that could become very important throughout the season. The Colts aren’t going to ask him to be the enforcer in the secondary, with Landry already receiving that role from head coach Chuck Pagano. At 33 years of age, he still has a couple more seasons of good football to play before he calls it a career.

It will be interesting to see what the Colts end up deciding about this starting job, but at this point in time Adams looks to have the edge. Brown played a decent game last night as well, but did come up with a boneheaded late hit on a defenseless player out of bounds penalty. Expect to see Adams named the starting safety opposite of Landry in the near future.