The Indianapolis Colts dropped their first preseason game of the year in a 34-30 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
With the starters playing just two drives on the offensive side of the ball, it was a quick glimpse into Anthony Richardson’s return from a shoulder injury.
Though the snap counts may not give a major indication of what the position battles look like, there are some notes to take away from them.
Here’s a look at the snap counts for the Colts offense from the preseason opener:
Colts offense snap counts in preseason Week 1
Quarterback
| Player | Snaps |
| Sam Ehlinger | 15 (29%) |
| Kedon Slovis | 12 (23%) |
| Jason Bean | 12 (23%) |
| Anthony Richardson | 7 (13%) |
| Joe Flacco | 6 (12%) |
Analysis: The Colts clearly had a plan to get the starters’ feet wet while giving the majority of snaps to the backups. Richardson and Flacco played the first three drives of the game, which took up the first quarter. Ehlinger played the entire second quarter while Slovis and Bean finished out the second half.
Running Back
| Player | Snaps |
| Tyler Goodson | 17 (33%) |
| Evan Hull | 13 (25%) |
| Zavier Scott | 8 (15%) |
| Jonathan Taylor | 7 (13%) |
| Trent Pennix | 4 (8%) |
| Trey Sermon | 3 (6%) |
Analysis: Taylor surprisingly got the start with the offense. Sermon played only three snaps before exiting with a hamstring injury. Both Goodson and Hull scored goal-line touchdowns while Scott and Pennix played mostly with the third-team offense.
Wide Receiver
| Player | Snaps |
| Anthony Gould | 20 (38%) |
| DJ Montgomery | 20 (38%) |
| Laquon Treadwell | 20 (38%) |
| Tyrie Cleveland | 18 (35% |
| Juwann Winfree | 18 (35%) |
| Ethan Fernea | 16 (31%) |
| Alec Pierce | 13 (25%) |
| Adonai Mitchell | 11 (21%) |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | 7 (13%) |
| Derek Slywka | 3 (6%) |
Analysis: Gould, a fifth-round rookie, got plenty of run with the reserves but also a few snaps with the starters while Montgomery and Treadwell each made impact plays in the passing game late in the game. Mitchell got a few snaps with the starters and with the second team. It’s a good sign for Mitchell that he was taken out when the second-team offense left the field.
Tight End
| Player | Snaps |
| Will Mallory | 17 (33%) |
| Jelani Woods | 16 (31%) |
| Jordan Murray | 10 (19%) |
| Eric Tomlinson | 7 (13%) |
| Andrew Ogletree | 6 (12%) |
| Kylen Granson | 3 (6%) |
| Mo Alie-Cox | 3 (6%) |
Analysis: Alie-Cox and Granson were the tight ends to solely work with the starters while Ogletree had one snap with the starters. Woods and Mallory are clearly fighting for the No. 4 spot as they both worked in with the reserves. It seems Woods really does have a long way to go to climb the depth chart.
Offensive Line
| Player | Snaps |
| Dalton Tucker | 45 (87%) |
| Josh Sills | 45 (87%) |
| Matt Goncalves | 33 (63%) |
| Blake Freeland | 33 (63%) |
| Danny Pinter | 28 (54%) |
| Tanor Bortolini | 17 (33%) |
| Arlington Hambright | 12 (23%) |
| Jake Witt | 12 (23%) |
| Bernhard Raimann | 7 (13%) |
| Quenton Nelson | 7 (13%) |
| Ryan Kelly | 7 (13%) |
| Will Fries | 7 (13%) |
| Braden Smith | 7 (13%) |
Analysis: The starting unit all played the first seven snaps with Anthony Richardson before coming off. Tucker, a UDFA, had a pretty strong game work on the interior. Freeland continued to show struggles in pass protection as he did during his rookie campaign. There continues to be a massive competition for the final two or three spots in the offensive line room.
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