Postgame reaction: Preseason Week 3 Colts 27 Eagles 13

The Indianapolis Colts improved their final preseason record to 2-1 with their 27-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night. And we got to see the Colts starter play their largest snap share of the preseason as the team treated Thursday night as a dress rehearsal for Week 1 of the regular season. Stats Passing: […]

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer

Aug 25, 2023 11:28 AM EDT

Aug 24, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni (L) shakes hands with Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen (R) after a game at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Indianapolis Colts improved their final preseason record to 2-1 with their 27-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night.

Up next: Week 1. pic.twitter.com/QS4W4HMHn4
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 25, 2023

And we got to see the Colts starter play their largest snap share of the preseason as the team treated Thursday night as a dress rehearsal for Week 1 of the regular season.

Stats

Passing:

Gardner Minshew: 9/11 (82%), 102 yards, 1 touchdown

Rushing:

Anthony Richardson: 5 attempts, 38 yards (7.6 avg)

Receiving:

Will Mallory: 2 receptions, 43 yards

Tackles:

Liam Anderson: 9 total tackles, 6 solo

Sacks:

Khalid Kareem & Dayo Odeyingbo: 1 sack

Biggest Takeaway

Aug 24, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen against the Philadelphia Eagles during pregame warm-ups at Lincoln Financial Field. — Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The game plan for the Colts' starting offense Thursday was clear. They prioritized stretching the field and attacking the Eagles' defense vertically to prepare that element for the regular season. That decision led to the most deep ball attempts of the season. This would lead to Richardson's completion percentage to the naked eye being concerning as he only completed 6 of his 17 attempts (35%).

It is important to understand though, that the team's game plan going in would have been tough for any young QB's completion percentage. The emphasis on the deep ball paired with the multiple drops, and I think fans can take a deep breath regarding Richardson's completion percentage.

I think the biggest takeaway from this though, should be the expectation for big plays from this Colts team is on the rise. It's been known all offseason that Steichen's offense attacks defenses vertically at a high rate. But this being not only an element of the game plan but seemingly the most important, tells me the team plans on deploying the deep ball early in the regular season. Fans should expect an intense uptick in big plays coming out of Indianapolis this season.