Preseason follies

A little late, but here are Coltplay’s observations on the Hall of Fame Game.

In a nutshell: The Redskins’ second stringers are better than the Colts’ fourth stringers.

Quarterbacks
18 Peyton Manning QB
0 games/0 start,
12 Jim Sorgi QB
1 game/1 start, 10-7-66-0-0 passing, 1/6 sacked
5 Quinn Gray QB
1 game/0 start, 2-11-0 rushing, 19-10-160-1-0 pass
13 Jared Lorenzen QB
1 game/0 start, 1-9-0 rushing, 21-12-93-0-1 passing, 2/16 sacked
• Gray clearly outplayed Sorgi — who still holds onto the ball too long and seems afraid to throw past the line of scrimmage. But Gray looked no better than what he is — a quality NFL backup. Lorenzen looked awful with a painfully slow release.
Runningbacks
29 Joseph Addai HB
1 game/1 start, 1-(-4)-0 rushing, 1-9-0 receiving (1 target)
38 Dominic Rhodes HB
1 game/0 start, 3-17-0 rushing
36 Kenton Keith HB
1 game/0 start, 3-10-0 rushing, (2 targets)
32 Mike Hart HB
1 game/0 start, 4-53-0 rushing, 3-28-0 receiving (3 targets)
30 Clifton Dawson HB
1 game/0 start, 4-7-0 rushing,
35 Chad Simpson HB
1 game/0 start, 2-10-0 rushing, 1-11-0 receiving, (plus 1-15-0 receiving, nullified)
• Addai leaving after two plays raises fears that his college durability problems may return. Rhodes showed more burst than he usually does, but was clearly outplayed by Hart. The rookie looked like Emmitt Smith out there; he was hard to locate and harder to bring down. One more performance like that and I’m a believer. Keith didn’t impress as a runner or blocker and can’t catch the ball at all. Dawson still seems to lack the quicks necessary for the NFL. Simpson ran and caught well and could pass Keith and Dawson if he keeps it up. Surprised and disappointed not to see him on return teams.
Wide receivers
87 Reggie Wayne WR
1 game/1 start, (1 target)
88 Marvin Harrison WR
0 games/0 start
11 Anthony Gonzalez WR
1 game/1 start, 2-7-0 receiving (2 targets)
80 Devin Aromashadu WR
1 game/0 start, 2-28-0 receiving (7 targets)
83 Roy Hall WR
1 game/0 start, 4-31-0 receiving (5 targets)
85 Pierre Garcon WR
1 game/0 start, 4-33-0 receiving (7 targets), 1-1-0 punt return, 1-51-0 kick return
10 Courtney Roby WR
1 game/0 start, 1-47-0 receiving (4 targets), 2-48-0 kick returns
16 Onrea Jones WR
1 game/0 start, 2-37-1 receiving (3 targets)
14 Sam Giguere WR
1 game/0 start
• Lackluster play by Sorgi and Lorenzen hobbled some of the receivers, while having Gray in there helped others. Taken on their own terms, though, I was impressed by Gonzo’s toughness and Garcon’s speed and smoothness. He’s ready to contribute now. Neither Aromoshadu nor Hall looked natural out there, laboring on their routes and working to catch the ball. Jones and Roby remind us why they are in the hunt for spots, but also why they’re not at the top of the list. Giguere was MIA — I still seem him as a practice squadder, though.
Tight ends
44 Dallas Clark TE
1 game/1 start, 3-25-0 receiving (5 targets)
47 Gijon Robinson TE
1 game/1 start, 4-49-0 receiving (4 targets)
84 Jacob Tamme TE
1 game/0 start, 1-7-0 receiving (3 targets)
46 Zac Herold TE
1 game/0 start, 1-7-0 receiving (1 target)
86 Tom Santi TE
0 games/0 start
• As usual, Clark looked way more comfortable in the slot than in tight. He clearly doesn’t have the kind of rapport with Sorgi that he does with Manning. I’m not angry at the sack allowed by Robinson, but he could have at least chipped the guy. Still, he looked very polished and dangerous as a receiver. I’ll bet we see lots more of him. Herold looked a little more confident than Tamme, but that may not last long.
Tackles
67 Tony Ugoh T
1 game/1 start
71 Ryan Diem T
1 game/1 start
75 Michael Toudouze T
1 game/0 start
72 Corey Hilliard T
1 game/0 start
60 Darren Marquez T
1 games/0 start
Guards
65 Ryan Lilja G
0 games/0 start
74 Charlie Johnson G
1 game/1 start
76 Dan Federkeil G
1 game/1 start
78 Mike Pollak G
1 game/0 start
53 Steve Justice G
1 game/0 start
Centers
63 Jeff Saturday C
1 game/1 start
61 Jamey Richard C 1 game/0 start, 1/1 fumble/lost (bad snap for safety), 1-10 penalty (offensive holding)
73 Doug Datish C
1 game/0 start
• The starting line — even with Federkeil out of place at left guard filling in for an injured Lilja — looked competent; better in pass situations than the run. You can tell the coaches love Federkeil. Richard’s debut went from astounding bad to pretty impressive. He can really open holes in the running game. Pollak and Justice also looked nervous at first, but played better as they went along. None of the other backups stood at as particularly good or bad.
Defensive ends
93 Dwight Freeney DE
0 games/0 start
79 Raheem Brock DE
1 game/1 start, 1 assisted tackle, 0.5-3.5 sack, 1 hurry
98 Robert Mathis DE
1 game/0 start
91 Josh Thomas DE
1 game/1 start, 1 assisted tackle, 0.5-3.5 sack, 1 hurry
90 Jeff Charleston DE
1 game/0 start, 3 tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 0.5-4 sack, 1-3 stuff, 1 forced fumble
92 Marcus Howard DE
1 game/0 start, 2 tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 1-5-5 sack, 1 hurry 1 pass deflection
60 Curtis Johnson DE
1 game/0 start, 4 tackles, 1-1 sack, 1-1 stuff
64 Ben Ishola DE
0 games/0 start
• Both Marcus Howard and Curtis Johnson played hard and well and made strong bids for the 53. Howard, in particular, showed a nonstop motor and appeared unblockable at times. But you know who else impressed me? Charleston. He had a stuff, a half-sack with a forced fumble and his other two tackles were both one yard beyond the line of scrimmage. Thomas also played well, looking stout and spending significant time in the Redskins’ backfield despite facing up against all-everything tackle Chris Samuels. And I loved seeing Brock back outside, where he was quicker than I remembered and looks capable of sealing off those annoying outside runs that have plagued the Colts in recent years. When Freeney returns, the Colts could have an embarrassment of wealth at this position.
Defensive tackles
99 Ed Johnson DT
1 game/1 start, 1 tackle
96 Keyunta Dawson DT
1 game/1 start
95 Darrell Reid DT
1 game/0 start, 3 tackles, 1 special-teams tackles 1-5 penalty (offsides)
68 Eric Foster DT
1 game/0 start, 1 tackle
61 Colin Ferrell DT
1 game/0 start, 1-5 penalty (defensive holding)
69 Joe Bradley DT
1 game/0 start
• As imressed as I was with the ends, I was disappointed in the tackles. Johnson looked solid, but Dawson seemed a bit overwhelmed and should probably be spotted to be effective. Reid looked fairly awful to me, lacking penetration and getting pulled for extra yardage when he wasn’t blocked out of the way. None of the much-hyped trio of Foster, Ferrell and Bradley showed me anything I didn’t already know. It would be great if Quinn Pitcock returned so that Brock won’t have to come back inside.
Outside linebackers
54 Freddy Keiaho WLB
1 game/1 start, 1 assisted tackle
56 Tyjuan Hagler OLB
0 games/0 start,
55 Clint Session OLB
0 games/0 start,
50 Phillip Wheeler OLB
0 games/0 start,
51 Victor Worsley MLB
1 game/0 start, 1 assisted tackle
52 Ramon Guzman OLB
1 game/0 start, 1 tackle, 1 assisted tackle
49 Jordan Senn OLB
1 game/0 start, 11 tackles
57 Brandon Archer OLB
1 game/0 start, 1 tackle, 1 assisted tackle
Middle linebackers
58 Gary Brackett MLB
0 games/0 start,
59 Kyle Shotwell MLB
1 game/1 start, 4 tackles, 2 special-teams tackles
• With so many injuries to starters and front-line backups, we had an opportunity to see what the backups had. At best, the results were mixed. People have been talking about Senn’s 11 tackles, but they were 9, 11, 7, 11, 7, 6, 6, 34, 2, 19 and 4 yards downfield. I’m not down on Senn — he was mostly cleaning up other people’s messes and looked pretty good in zone coverage — but have you ever heard a safety described as being “an extra linebacker?” Well, Senn at linebacker is like having an extra safety. Similarly, Shotwell had to deal with a jailbreak inside and stood up better than expected. I like him on specials. Guzman is still lost in zone coverage, Archer takes some funny angles on running plays and Worsley didn’t show me much new.
Cornerbacks
28 Marlin Jackson CB
1 game/1 start, 1 tackle
26 Kelvin Hayden CB
1 game/1 start, 1 tackle, 1-10 penalty (offensive holding)
23 Tim Jennings CB
1 game/1 start, 2 tackles
20 Dante Hughes CB
1 game/0 start, 1 tackle
34 TJ Rushing CB
1 game/0 start, 1-29-0 punt return, 1-23-0 kick return, (plus 1-63-1 punt return nullified), 1 special-teams tackle
31 Keiwan Ratliff CB
1 game/0 start, 4 tackles
25 Michael Coe CB
0 games/0 start
37 Antonio Smith CB
1 game/0 start, 1 tackle
39 Brandon Foster CB
1 game/0 start
• The starters looked okay. Jennings was burned early but came back to play a solid game. Hughes didn’t look bad — he really can hit. Ratliff played with veteran savvy, but I still see his lack of tackling ability too big a deficit for him to make the team. Rushing better hope he wins the return job, because his defensive back play won’t. Smith is as good as cut if he doesn’t improve and Foster was invisible.
Safeties
21 Bob Sanders S
0 games/0 start
41 Antoine Bethea S
1 game/1 start
43 Matt Giordano S
1 game/1 start, 1 special-teams tackle
33 Melvin Bullitt S
0 games/0 start
42 Brannon Condren S
1 game/0 start, 4 tackles
40 Jamie Silva S
1 game/0 start, 3 tackles, 1 special-teams tackle
• I now understand why the Colts drafted Condren. He was a total beast, all over the field. He looked adept in coverage and can hit. I’d say he’d be a future starter if this wasn’t the Colts. Giordano played his usual game, but he could be in trouble if Condren continues to develop and Bullitt returns in time. Silva didn’t look bad, but needs to step it up.
Special teams
4 Adam Vinatieri K
1 game/0 start, 2-2 field goal attempts (24, 26), 1-1 extra-point attempts, 3-157-1 kickoffs (21 return yards), 1/0 onside kicks
6 Adam Crossett K/P
1 game/0 start, 1-1 field goal attempts (28), 1-63-0 kickoffs (19 return yards) 1-53-0 punting (1 in opponent’s 20, 0 return yards)
17 Hunter Smith P
1 game/0 start, 1-56-0 punting (1 in opponent’s 20, 6 return yards), 1-73-0 kickoffs (21 return yards)
48 Justin Snow LS
1 game/0 start
• No complaints. Crossett can kick, but it probably won’t be for Indy. Snow was automatic, and the coverage teams looked very solid for August. It’ll be fun to see how the return job competition works out. I give Garcon the edge because he’s a better receiver than Rushing is a defensive back.

• Three Colts — Charleston, Hall and Garcon — suffered injuries in the game, but none are considered serious.