1. The Colts got what they wanted from Matt Ryan and the first-team offense.
Ryan played 19 snaps – 10 drop-backs, eight handoffs and one play nullified by a penalty – in his first NFL game for a team other than the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan said he was pleased with the experience of working with a new playcaller and new teammates in live game action, while head coach Frank Reich liked what he saw from the veteran quarterback, too.
The Colts opened their 2022 preseason on the road against the Buffalo Bills. Matt Ryan played 19 snaps – 10 drop-backs, eight handoffs and one play nullified by a penalty – in his first NFL game for a team other than the Atlanta Falcons.


58 LB Bobby Okereke

59 DE Ifeadi Odenigbo

56 C/G Quenton Nelson

43 S Trevor Denbow

26 S Rodney McLeod

21 RB Nyheim Hines, #2 QB Matt Ryan

21 RB Nyheim Hines

58 LB Bobby Okereke

2 QB Matt Ryan, #63 G Danny Pinter, #11 WR Michael Pittman Jr.

72 T/G Braden Smith, #2 QB Matt Ryan, #11 WR Michael Pittman Jr.

11 WR Michael Pittman Jr.

78 C Ryan Kelly, #2 QB Matt Ryan

56 C/G Quenton Nelson

21 RB Nyheim Hines

96 DT R.J. McIntosh

93 DT Eric Johnson, #26 S Rodney McLeod, #34 CB Isaiah Rodgers, #44 LB Zaire Franklin

2 QB Matt Ryan

83 TE Kylen Granson, #72 T/G Braden Smith

63 G Danny Pinter, #56 C/G Quenton Nelson

11 WR Michael Pittman Jr.

2 QB Matt Ryan

2 QB Matt Ryan

52 DE Ben Banogu

45 LB E.J. Speed

96 DT R.J. McIntosh

54 DE Dayo Odeyingbo

34 CB Isaiah Rodgers

38 CB Tony Brown

68 McKinley Williams III

92 DE Kameron Cline

92 DE Kameron Cline

97 DT Curtis Brooks

45 LB E.J. Speed, #34 CB Isaiah Rodgers

85 TE Drew Ogletree

30 RB Phillip Lindsay

9 QB Nick Foles

34 CB Isaiah Rodgers, #85 TE Drew Ogletree

75 G Will Fries

14 WR Alec Pierce

71 T Jordan Murray

9 QB Nick Foles

83 TE Kylen Granson

83 TE Kylen Granson

63 G Danny Pinter, #75 G Will Fries

63 G Danny Pinter, #75 G Will Fries, #79 T Bernhard Raimann

30 RB Phillip Lindsay

30 RB Phillip Lindsay

43 RB Ty'Son Williams, #16 WR Ashton Dulin

9 QB Nick Foles

43 RB Ty'Son Williams

43 RB Ty'Son Williams

3 K Rodrigo Blankenship

40 CB Chris Wilcox

45 LB E.J. Speed

97 DT Curtis Brooks

68 McKinley Williams III

59 DE Ifeadi Odenigbo

33 S Armani Watts

57 LB JoJo Domann

59 DE Ifeadi Odenigbo

59 DE Ifeadi Odenigbo

52 DE Ben Banogu

52 DE Ben Banogu

79 T Bernhard Raimann

4 QB Sam Ehlinger

86 WR Samson Nacua

62 C Wesley French, #4 QB Sam Ehlinger

35 RB Deon Jackson

79 T Bernhard Raimann

4 QB Sam Ehlinger, #75 G Will Fries

8 WR Tyson Morris

80 TE Jelani Woods, #85 TE Drew Ogletree

71 T Jordan Murray, #80 TE Jelani Woods, #85 TE Drew Ogletree, #35 RB Deon Jackson

52 DE Ben Banogu

55 LB Sterling Weatherford

57 LB JoJo Domann

92 DE Kameron Cline

4 QB Sam Ehlinger

10 WR Dezmon Patmon

4 QB Sam Ehlinger

80 TE Jelani Woods

7 WR Ethan Fernea

8 P Rigoberto Sanchez

8 P Rigoberto Sanchez

68 McKinley Williams III, #97 DT Curtis Brooks

48 LB James Skalski, #92 DE Kameron Cline

33 S Armani Watts

55 LB Sterling Weatherford

55 LB Sterling Weatherford

65 C Alex Mollette, #4 QB Sam Ehlinger

65 C Alex Mollette

27 RB D'Vonte Price

27 RB D'Vonte Price

49 TE Michael Jacobson

27 RB D'Vonte Price, #4 QB Sam Ehlinger

33 S Armani Watts

30 CB Dallis Flowers, #36 LB Brandon King

30 CB Dallis Flowers

74 T Ryan Van Demark, #60 G Josh Seltzner, #3 QB Jack Coan, #65 C Alex Mollette, #42 RB CJ Verdell, #66 T Brandon Kemp

85 TE Drew Ogletree, #46 LS Luke Rhodes, #48 LB James Skalski

57 LB JoJo Domann

96 DT R.J. McIntosh

38 CB Tony Brown

85 TE Drew Ogletree, #57 LB JoJo Domann, #48 LB James Skalski

54 DE Dayo Odeyingbo

55 LB Sterling Weatherford

57 LB JoJo Domann

55 LB Sterling Weatherford
"I just thought he looked poised in the pocket," Reich said. "I thought he looked accurate. The way he threw it in pre-game, the way he threw it in the game, I thought every throw was pretty much right where it needed to be. I expected that, I expected to see him do that, but he certainly delivered there."
The Colts haven't had an opportunity for a new starting quarterback to work on operational stuff during a preseason game since Andrew Luck's rookie year of 2012. The COVID-19 pandemic knocked out Philip Rivers' preseason in 2020, while a broken bone in his foot sidelined Carson Wentz for most of training camp in 2021.
So with an eye on winning their regular season opener for the first time since 2013, the Colts had Ryan get valuable game experience with every member of the first-team offense except for running back Jonathan Taylor.
"We kind of came in with a plan of how much we wanted to play him," Reich said. "At the end of the day, when the preseason's over, it's not going to be a ton. He played one quarter today; they're not going to play next week at all. Then, they'll play more than a quarter in the last game.
"We got to do that to get ready to play winning football. So, that's really the biggest concern. You just can't play scared. So, we got to have a plan and stick to that plan and do what we have to do to get ready to get off to a fast start."
2. Jonathan Taylor didn't play Saturday, and likely won't play this preseason.
Taylor was the only member of the Colts' first-team offense to not play on Saturday; Reich said it's "likely the case" the All-Pro running back will not see the field during preseason action.
"That's really what Chris (Ballard) and I talked about," Reich said. "I can't see that changing for any reason. So, he's looked good, he's in shape, I feel like we're getting good work in practice versus our defense. We'll get good work this week against the Lions, he'll get to see a different defensive scheme and players. We'll thud that up a little bit. So, he'll get some work there and I think that'll be enough to get him ready."
3. There were two injuries to report.
Cornerback Isiaah Rodgers – who had an interception, a fumble recovery and a 40-yard kickoff return – is in the concussion protocol, while wide receiver Keke Coutee suffered a groin injury.
4. Gus Bradley's defense got off to a good start.
The Colts' defense played fast, physical and aggressive on Saturday, with that play highlighted by five takeaways during the game:
- Safety Rodney McLeod hauled in a tipped pass for an interception in the first quarter.
- Safety Julian Blackmon forced a fumble that was recovered by Rodgers in the first quarter.
- Defensive end Kameron Cline ripped around the edge for a strip-sack, with defensive tackle Curtis Brooks picking up the loose ball, in the second quarter.
- Rodgers had an interception in the second quarter.
- Linebacker Sterling Weatherford – a native of Cicero, Ind. – picked off a pass in the fourth quarter.
"Great energy on defense, a lot of speed on defense and great mentality about getting the ball out and turning it over," Reich said. "That was a great sign today getting those five turnovers with Shaq (Shaquille Leonard) not even being in there. So, we have to keep building on that."
And like with the offense, the experience gained by the Colts' first-team defense was valuable, too.
"Even the younger guys were playing full speed and I liked the intensity and the hunger that they had," cornerback Kenny Moore II told Colts Media's Larra Overton. "I think with the vets, when we were out there, we were all trying to get our wind, figure out how we feel over the course of a drive, 12 plays, whatever it is, trying to put everything together.
"I know for me preseason is always bigger for myself because I like to feel a certain way when the season comes around. Week 1 last year, Week 2 last year, I didn't really feel like I was playing my game because I'm so used to really feeling like myself in October, November. So as fast as I can get to where I want to play, then the better I think I'll be to help the team win. I felt very good out there today moving around."
The Colts return to action in the first game of the preseason in a matchup against the Buffalo Bills.




































































5. A few other rookie updates.
- Drew Ogletree, the sixth-round rookie tight end who's flashed quite a bit during training camp, rebounded from an early dropped pass to bring in two receptions for 22 yards. After the game, Ogletree said this to Colts Media's Jeffrey Gorman: "I think I do belong here. I've been saying it. I definitely belong here, I belong on the 53-man, I belong in this league for a while and I intend to stay here for a while."
- Left tackle Bernhard Raimann played a team-high 43 snaps and will have plenty of film to work off back in Westfield over the next week. Raimann said he wants to keep improving his hand placement and his consistency with pass sets while playing with good pad leverage. "Definitely a lot to work on, a lot to learn from," Raimann said, "but it was an awesome experience to play in the NFL. It's a dream come true."
- Tight end Jelani Woods caught his first career (preseason) touchdown, which the Colts hope is the first of many.
- Wide receiver Alec Pierce played 21 snaps – second-most among Colts pass-catchers – and caught two passes for 27 yards.
- Safety Nick Cross played sticky coverage early in the game to help keep the Bills out of the end zone on their first drive, which ended with a fourth-and-four incompletion from the Colts' five-yard line.
- Defensive tackles Eric Johnson II and Curtis Brooks each recorded a pressure.
- Undrafted rookie cornerback Dallis Flowers picked off Bills quarterback Matt Barkley on a two-point conversion attempt.