Hey there Colts' fans - here is a recap of the Colts first two preseason games for those that did not get a chance to see them. Most of you saw the Hall of Fame game since it was the only thing on that night, but you may not have seen the matchup with the Panthers last night from Charlotte.

The opener saw the starters play nothing more than the first series...and even at that, there were numerous stars held out like QB Peyton Manning, WR Marvin Harrison, DE Dwight Freeney and SS Bob Sanders. Nonetheless, QB Jim Sorgi led a long 16-play drive for a FG by going 7-10 for 66 yards. RB Joseph Addai did leave the game after his first carry with a head injury of some sort, and it is important to note that RB Dominic Rhodes is the guy that replaced him right away. The other backup QBs got the better press that week though since QB Quinn Gray looked very good and led several scoring drives, and QB Jared Lorenzen led a two-minute offense very effectively if not for several dropped passes. Rookie RB Mike Hart showed the skills that made him a star at Michigan by ripping off 10+ yard runs every time he touched the ball, although to be fair it was against second- and third-stringers. He did total 4-53 and 3-28 in the air and made a good impression. WR Pierre Garcon also impressed with his surprisingly fluid routes and some nice returns.

In the second game, it got ugly early as the starting unit struggled with two turnovers deep in their own territory. Sorgi fumbled when sacked, and then had a tipped pass intercepted on the next play. This put the team down 14-0 and they then recovered somewhat to post a Sorgi-led (6-8-68 on the drive) drive for a FG. The starting defense also looked porous as Deangelo Williams ran through them early, although they were missing a lot of players and they were placed in a short field twice. Lorenzen did look good again, this time repeatedly connecting with former Kentucky teammate TE Jacob Tamme (5-57-2). Tamme looks like the real deal as a receiving threat. Other good performances went to rookie speedster RB Chad Simpson with some solid return work and some ludicrous speed from the backfield, and KR TJ Rushing who ripped off some great kick returns again. Perhaps the biggest smile came to my face when I saw WR Marvin Harrison return to the field for the first time in 2008 and he contributed 3-22 on the first Colts' scoring drive. He was cutting and running and looked like the old Marvin; he apparently came out of the game no worse for wear also!

Some other observations from camp and the two games:

• Offensive line coach Howard Mudd rotated all the rookie linemen around all throughout the game this week to develop versatility and see how they responded mentally to the challenge. He seemed pleased with their adaptability, which bodes well for the team should a lineman get hurt during the season.
• RB Clifton Dawson was waived this week so that the team could sign a second kicker (Adam Crossett) to take some wear and tear off of PK Adam Vinatieri. They liked Dawson and he is a smart player, so they must think well of Hart and Simpson. He might be resigned later, who knows.
• The team has received great play from young TE Gijon Robinson as well as Tamme. Unless they keep four tight ends, currently injured rookie TE Tom Santi might get hidden on IR this year.
• RB Kenton Keith dropped a pass on his first play in the game this week. This was a real bugaboo for him last year, and with the strong start of the two rookies and the resigning of Rhodes, I would be surprised to see Keith make the team. I expect Hart to be the #3 runner in Indy this year.
• The team has almost every linebacker on the team dinged right now. They are considering resigning veteran LB Rob Morris if he is in shape and recovered from his offseason surgery. His smarts and experience should allow him to step in at any linebacker position in short order if needed, so they are holding off until some other Colts get healthy and free up some roster spots.
• The kick coverage units were much better on Saturday. Hopefully that will improve as that has been the weakest part of the Colt team for the last few years.

That is all from the Crossroads of America for this week. I will be back in a few weeks to summarize the next few preseason games, and to update the recovery of Manning and the other studs as camp breaks. Until then, Colts' fans....GO BLUE!!