Aug. 16—INDIANAPOLIS — Parris Campbell knew he was getting the ball before he left the huddle.
The veteran wide receiver saw something in the Carolina Panthers’ defense Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium and knew quarterback Jacob Eason saw it, too. So when the 23-year-old passer perfectly dropped a 37-yard bomb into Campbell’s hands down the sideline in front of the visitors’ bench, it came as no surprise.
“I think Jacob is very capable of throwing every type of ball,” Campbell said. “I told him probably like 10 to 12 times he couldn’t have thrown that ball any better, and I think we all know that. Jacob has been getting better day by day.”
That throw was the highlight of Eason’s Indianapolis Colts debut, a day on which the team rallied to win its preseason opener 21-18 and the second-year signal caller appeared to take several steps forward.
The throw to Campbell was one obvious example. Eason has struggled to put the right touch on the deep ball during training camp — either firing passes too hard and overthrowing targets or taking too much off and allowing defenders to make plays on the ball. Against Carolina, his touch was just right — hitting Campbell in stride and jump-starting a strong finish for the starting offense.
Eason was 15-of-21 overall for 183 yards and a 97.9 quarterback rating. Of equal importance, he was decisive in the pocket and looked comfortable in his first game action in nearly two years.
“We’re always working on having the right timing, but like you said speeding it up and getting it to the right timing with the play is important,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said. “I think Jacob has done well there. There are times where it needs to be better — I think you’re seeing that right at times — but I think he’s making good progress. He’s very coachable, and I think he’s getting better each day and every week.”
Eason shined brightest in a two-minute drill just before the half when he completed all four of his pass attempts and directed a series that ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Jordan Wilkins to cut the deficit to 15-10.
There were other moments the quarterback would rather forget. He didn’t seem to feel the pass rush at all on a strip-sack at his own 23-yard line on Indianapolis’ third possession, and he missed a wide-open Farrod Green in the red zone on a field goal drive one possession earlier.
All in all, however, he won Round 1 of his preseason battle with Sam Ehlinger for the right to be the primary backup to Carson Wentz and possibly start the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
“The biggest thing was the anticipation part of it,” Eason said of his first NFL start. “Like you said before, it was a long time coming. But overall just being out, back on the football field with live action and fans in the stadium, it was good to have that back — felt great being out there with the team and seeing a live defense, the ebbs and flows of the game, and overall it was a good experience.”
Ehlinger got off to a horrific start with a forced interception on his first drive and was nearly picked off again on his second possession.
But the former Texas star — who finished 10-of-15 for 155 yards with a 72.9 rating — led two late scoring drives to pull out the victory.
The first was a six-play, 75-yard march that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Benny LeMay. Ehlinger — who led the Colts with 30 rushing yards on eight carries — punctuated that score by running in the 2-point conversion to tie the game 18-18 with 7:43 remaining.
After a three-and-out by the defense, Indianapolis got the ball back at its own 27-yard line and Ehlinger put together a 16-play, 61-yard drive to take the lead. The rookie quarterback completed two passes on the series and rushed three times for 24 yards to showcase the athletic ability that’s such a big complement to his game.
“We talked as an offense and said we have to find whatever it takes to win,” Ehlinger said. “I got a little more comfortable there at the end, and everybody did a great job from the O-line to the receivers, ran the ball well when we needed to. Everybody just kind of turned it on.”
Reich said the plan remains for Ehlinger to start Saturday’s road game against the Minnesota Vikings and likely play the entire first half.
But the head coach was careful not to handicap this quarterback race after the first major checkpoint.
“We’re trying not to give a final grade just yet,” Reich said. “We just want to give this a course to plot because we know Carson’s not playing any preseason games. So just give this time. Don’t force a decision before it needs to be made. There’s plenty of reps to go in practice, in games.”
STOCK UP
Rookie wide receiver Mike Strachan missed a couple of catchable balls, but the seventh-round rookie also showcased his elite athletic ceiling.
The former star at Div. II Charleston finished his first NFL game with three catches for 57 yards, including a 32-yard gain to jumpstart Eason’s two-minute drive.
“I just love the moment,” Strachan said. “We take it day by day. I’m just training really hard, and we leave it all on the field — no regrets.”
THEY SAID IT
“I loved it. That’s so cool. I mean, what are the odds? How often — I bet that’s never happened before. I bet that’s never happened before. Same high school, same draft class, first completion — we might have made history.” — Ehlinger on his first NFL completion going to tight end Kylen Granson, a former teammate at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.
INJURY REPORT
Cornerback T.J. Carrie (knee), cornerback Marvell Tell III (groin) and wide receiver Quartney Davis (shoulder) left the game early and were the only injuries immediately reported.
Quarterback Carson Wentz (foot), quarterback Brett Hundley (coach’s decision), wide receiver Michael Pittman (rest), wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (rest), wide receiver Zach Pascal (rest), wide receiver Ashton Dulin (hamstring), running back Nyheim Hines (leg), cornerback Kenny Moore II (rest), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (rest), running back Jonathan Taylor (rest), safety Khari Willis (rest), linebacker E.J. Speed (knee), cornerback Nick Nelson (unknown injury), defensive end Kwity Paye (ankle), linebacker Darius Leonard (rest), linebacker Skai Moore (back), left guard Quenton Nelson (foot), linebacker Bobby Okereke (rest), linebacker Jordan Glasgow (back), center Danny Pinter (ankle), right guard Mark Glowinski (rest), right tackle Braden Smith (rest), defensive end Damontre Moore (knee), center Ryan Kelly (elbow), tight end Mo Alie-Cox (knee), tight end Jack Doyle (rest), tight end Noah Togiai (knee), defensive tackle Grover Stewart (rest), defensive end Tyquan Lewis (rest), defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth (hamstring) and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (foot) did not play.