4 Things to watch for in Indianapolis Colts' preseason matchup vs. Packers

The Indianapolis Colts will host the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday afternoon.

There is always plenty to keep our eyes on in these preseason games, with roster spots and playing time up for grabs, but here are my four big things heading into this preseason matchup.

Colts‘ quarterback competition

Daniel Jones will be getting the start, but Anthony Richardson will play the bulk of the first half. With Richardson exiting the preseason opener early on, his performance against Green Bay won’t on its own determine who the Colts’ starter is Week 1, but it will be an important part of the equation.

Richardson has shown tremendous growth this summer on the short to intermediate passes. This was an area of his game he prioritized during the offseason by specifically working on his footwork, which is where accuracy often begins for a quarterback.

Michael Pittman also recently mentioned that Richardson has improved at making touch passes.

This isn’t to say that Richardson hasn’t had his ups and downs this summer, but he’s done well to bounce back after a down performance. The next step is taking that improved play from the practice field to a real game.

Can the offensive line bounce back?

In the joint practice against the Packers, the Colts’ offensive line unit struggled mightily in pass protection. Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle noted that the Colts surrendered four sacks during the initial 11-on-11 periods between the first and second units.

And while Jonathan Taylor had a couple of good runs, Arthur added that “overall, the run game didn’t do much.”

Penalties were also an issue in the joint practice.

When things go this poorly, it’s on everyone up front. No one or two players are to blame. Regardless of who the Colts’ quarterback is in Week 1, success for the offense begins with the offensive line providing a run game to lean on and time in the pocket.

Who emerges at linebacker?

Lou Anarumo said earlier in the week that he likes to “play a lot of players” at linebacker. So whoever is lining up next to Zaire Franklin could change on a week-to-week or even series-to-series, depending on what the matchup and in-game situation dictate.

But with that said, at a position with its share of question marks, you’d like to see someone emerge and seize control of that second starting spot.

Up to this point, Joe Bachie has probably done the best job of accomplishing that. He’s steadily made plays over the summer and is comfortable in Anarumo’s scheme, having played under him in Cincinnati for several seasons.

Also in the mix is Jaylon Carlies, although he has been sidelined with an injury. Cameron McGrone is coming off a so-so performance in Week 1, while Austin Ajiake is an under-the-radar player to watch.

What about at cornerback?

The Colts are dealing with several injuries at the cornerback position. Coming into camp, one of the big questions was, who will be starting opposite of Charvarius Ward this season?

That question still remains, but with Justin Walley out for the season, along with JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones missing most of training camp with injuries, the Colts have had to look towards Samuel Womack, Alex Johnson, and Johnathan Edwards to potentially fill that role.

Womack has the most experience of the three and had good ball production last season. Johnson had a strong showing in the first preseason game, while Anarumo spoke highly of Edwards recently.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts vs. Packers: 4 Things to watch for in preseason matchup

4 Things to watch for in Indianapolis Colts’ preseason matchup vs. Packers

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