Colts vs. Cardinals: 5 biggest things to watch in second preseason game

The Indianapolis Colts are hosting the Arizona Cardinals for their final home preseason game on Saturday night.

Shane Steichen did confirm that the starters alongside Joe Flacco won’t be playing following two joint practices with the Cardinals.

This allows the players on the second and third teams to make a big impression for a spot on the 53-man roster while also putting together more tape for other teams to watch if they don't make the roster.

With the second preseason game arriving, we're taking a look at what to watch for Saturday night.

What to watch for in Colts vs Cardinals preseason game

1. Can Adetomiwa Adebawore stack another solid performance?

One of the positives from the first preseason game for the Colts came from second-year defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore. His biggest flashes came as a pass rusher when he showcased his ability to shed lineman. His short-area quickness to close space on the quarterback or a runner was also on display.

Adebawore finished with two tackles (two solo) and two QB hits. He is battling with Taven Bryan for the backup 3-tech role to DeForest Buckner. If he continues to stack performances like that he should not only earn that job but also carve out a bigger spot in the rotation in Year 2.

2. Which tight ends separate themselves?

One of the most heated position battles for the Colts entering training camp was at tight end. Entering Week 2 of the preseason, Mo-Alie Cox and Kylen Granson look like locks to make the 53-man roster. Drew Ogletree appears to be TE3 on the depth chart while Jelani Woods and Will Mallory are battling for the TE4 role.

Despite having a look into how the tight end is viewed at the moment, none have separated themselves enough to be the clear-cut No. 1 tight end, and it will be a collective effort from the group to produce this season.

The biggest question that remains is whether Chris Ballard will elect to keep all five or move on from one of them. Saturday night is an opportunity for Ogletree, Woods, and Mallory to make a push for a larger role in the offense or potentially to create value for Ballard to utilize on the trade market if he doesn’t intend to have all five players on his roster when the 53-man roster is due on Aug. 27.

3. Should there be a concern about depth at cornerback?

The chatter for the summer on the Indy secondary has been on the safety position but should there be just as a major concern for the cornerback depth? Barring a sudden change, JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones are expected to be the starting boundary corners but who is there to trust if either of them have to miss time?

Dallis Flowers entered training camp with the opportunity to push Jones for a starting role but with his poor performance against the Broncos, the third-year corner still has plenty of work to do to return to the player he flashed before his Achilles injury.

Fifth-round pick Jaylin Simpson had a solid outing in his first preseason game. Seeing steady improvement from the rookie corner over the next two weeks can lead to Simpson carving out a larger role in the rotation. With the starters not playing on Saturday night, he can take advantage of the extra snaps to prove himself.

The standout from the depth options in Week 1 of the preseason was sixth-round pick Micah Abraham. He showed his playmaking ability with his forced fumble and recovery for a touchdown but also looked comfortable in his role and showed his solid tackling ability.

This was a step in the right direction for Abraham to make the 53-man roster as he is battling with Chris Lammons for the backup nickel spot on the depth chart.

My concern isn’t much with the depth beyond Kenny Moore II but with who is backing up out on the boundary. Gus Bradley has to see a rebound performance from Flowers and further development from Simpson over the next two weeks otherwise bringing on a veteran option for depth has to be considered.

4. Does Evan Hull take advantage of Trey Sermon being sidelined?

In his first action since getting hurt in Week 1 last year, Evan Hull finished with 31 total yards and a rushing touchdown. With Trey Sermon suffering a hamstring injury against Denver, it has opened a path for the second-year running back to gain ground on the RB2 spot on the depth chart.

With Sermon sidelined, that led to Hull seeing a bulk of the RB2 snaps in the joint practices with the Cardinals. Tyler Goodson is still in play as both are battling for the RB3 spot on the depth chart but it was telling when Hull got the backup role in joint practices.

If Hull can create some explosive plays on Saturday night then he can force the coaching staff to reconsider how they want to deploy their backup running backs to Jonathan Taylor.

5. Will Nick Cross solidify himself as the starting free safety?

With the regular season around the corner, the Colts will have to begin finalizing their 53-man roster and the depth chart for the opening game against the Houston Texans . Entering Week 2 of the preseason, the starting free safety job is open for the taking with Nick Cross being the lead guy to win the gig.

Cross had some highs and lows against Denver. He made plays against the run and his play of the game came when he was lined up as a single high safety and read the quarterback the whole way, which almost resulted in an interception.

The biggest issue with Cross has been his consistency. That is what he has to show for the coaching staff to trust that he will excel as the full-time starting free safety. Cross played well past the time the starters left the Broncos game so there is a chance he will play despite the starters being ruled out. If Cross isn’t on the field Saturday night then that is the sign he has won the starting free safety job.

This is likely his last chance to impress otherwise Chris Ballard has to get a veteran option in as soon as next week so he can get accumulated to the team and get conditioned enough to handle a large number of snaps in Week 1.

MORE COLTS
Colts could have potential trade partner in Vikings
Colts' Shane Steichen expresses concern over veteran defender
Colts mistakingly never made contract offer to Pro Bowl free agent