Honestly, did anyone not involved in the advertising of this game really see it as a Super Bowl rematch? Doubtful. Though if you watched the first quarter, we wouldn't blame you if you thought you were watching a replay of it. The Colts defense harrassed Rex Grossman into turnover after turnover, the Colts offense moved the ball at will on the Bears defense, and a red zone Colts breakdown/Bears stiffening kept the game a lot closer than it had any right to be. Anyway, here are the 10 things we learned from last night's game:
1.) Rex Grossman is not an NFL-caliber starting QB
- We don't want to be mean, but Grossman simply doesn't have the composure or the mental capacity needed to be a quality player in this league. He has talent, no doubt, but his decision-making and inability to take care of the football more than cancels that out. The Bears may be stuck with him, though, and that sucks for them.
2.) Preseason games are meaningless, but Marlin Jackson may be a future star
- Not to slobber, but Jackson was sensational in the short amount of time he was on the field last night. Five tackles, an interception, and a physicality the Colts haven't had on the outside edge in some time. We're not saying he'll make the Pro Bowl, but we'd be shocked if he didn't have a breakout season.
3.) The Colts special teams are horrendous
- Other than the onside kick that did work, there wasn't much to take solace in last night. Two long, back-breaking runbacks and a fumbled return in a six-minute span lost the Colts this game. That just can't happen.
4.) Freddy Keiaho continues to impress
- Scouts and commentators use the term "high motor" way too frequently, but that's what Keiaho has. He stuffs the run at the line and his lateral movement has been a pleasant surprise. He'll lead this team in tackles by 20 or 30, easy.
5.) Dede Dorsey may not be ready for "real" NFL action
- He looked great late against the Bears third-stringers, but he couldn't even get back to the line of scrimmage against their starters. Not good.
6.) Tony Ugoh is continuing to improve, but is he doing it fast enough?
- The rookie left tackle is obviously an impressive run blocker, but his pass protection skills are still raw. He didn't allow a sack last night, which is good, but he was beaten several times. The skills are there, the question is how fast can he put everything together.
7.) The Colts are simply better than the Bears
- The Bears defense is great, it's just not in the same class as the Colts offense. And, all Grossman jokes aside, the Bears don't have the offensive weapons necessary to exploit the Colts defensive weaknesses.
8.) We have a Sorgi sighting!
- The Colts backup QB proved last night he can capably pick apart second-string defenses. Congratulations. Luckily, we shouldn't ever have to find out if he can do the same to first-team units.
9.) Ed Johnson may be able to replace Booger
- We've still only seen him play for a couple quarters, but last night he had good penetration and recovered a fumble. The jury's still out, though.
10.) Our Antoine Bethea mancrush is growing
- He's going to be a Pro Bowl safety very, very soon. We don't think it's a stretch to say that Sanders and Bethea could end up as the defense's version of Harrison and Wayne. Call us crazy if you like.
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