The Indianapolis Colts have officially gotten through the first preseason game of 2021 with a 21-18 win over the Carolina Panthers at Lucas Oil Stadium.
With several of the starters sitting out either due to injury or just to avoid injury, many of the depth and roster bubble players had the chance to help their cases on Sunday.
Let’s take a look at the studs and duds from the Colts’ preseason win over the Panthers:
STUD: QB Jacob Eason
AP Photo/AJ Mast
The second-year quarterback got the start for the Colts and did not disappoint. In fact, Eason looked better than expected given that this was his first game action since 2019. The former fourth-round pick was mostly accurate throughout the day and showed he needs to improve his feel for the edge rush. However, it’s hard to really find major complaints from his outing on Sunday. Eason finished the game 15/21 for 183 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and a 97.9 passer rating.
DUD: OT Will Holden
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
While Julién Davenport got the start at left tackle, Holden wound up playing the most snaps among all offensive linemen. It was a rough outing for Holden, who was constantly getting beat to the edge by the Panthers pass rush. Holden was partly responsible for the strip-sack on Eason in the first quarter. He also had a false start penalty.
STUD: QB Sam Ehlinger
AP Photo/Zach Bolinger
It wasn’t a pretty start for Ehlinger, who finished his second drive with a poorly underthrown crosser for an interception. But after settling in, Ehlinger had a solid day. When he got into a rhythm, the rookie quarterback proved to have some nice touch on his throws and made plays with his legs. The sixthr-round pick went 10/15 for 155 yards, no touchdowns an interception and a 72.9 passer rating.
DUD: CB T.J. Carrie
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
Carrie didn’t get a chance to redeem himself due to a knee injury he suffered in the first half of the game. Without the benefit of All-22, it seems Carrie was mostly responsible for the blown coverage that led to Terrace Marshall’s 59-yard catch. Carrie did chase him down with great effort and hopefully the knee injury isn’t serious so the Colts can get one of their most versatile defenders back in action this week.
STUD: WR Mike Strachan
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The rookie wideout had a very strong day in his debut. One could argue he had a pair of drops, but he made up for it during the two-minute drill. Strachan finished the game with three receptions on five targets for 57 yards, proving he can be a big-play threat. He has a lot of work to do, but it was an impressive showing for the young wideout.
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