Colts offensive snap count analysis from preseason loss to Broncos

Kevin Hickey

Colts offensive snap count analysis from preseason loss to Broncos image

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

PlayerSnaps
Sam Ehlinger15 (29%)
Kedon Slovis12 (23%)
Jason Bean12 (23%)
Anthony Richardson7 (13%)
Joe Flacco6 (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

PlayerSnaps
Tyler Goodson17 (33%)
Evan Hull13 (25%)
Zavier Scott8 (15%)
Jonathan Taylor7 (13%)
Trent Pennix4 (8%)
Trey Sermon3 (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

PlayerSnaps
Anthony Gould20 (38%)
DJ Montgomery20 (38%)
Laquon Treadwell20 (38%)
Tyrie Cleveland18 (35%
Juwann Winfree18 (35%)
Ethan Fernea16 (31%)
Alec Pierce13 (25%)
Adonai Mitchell11 (21%)
Michael Pittman Jr.7 (13%)
Derek Slywka3 (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

PlayerSnaps
Will Mallory17 (33%)
Jelani Woods16 (31%)
Jordan Murray10 (19%)
Eric Tomlinson7 (13%)
Andrew Ogletree6 (12%)
Kylen Granson3 (6%)
Mo Alie-Cox3 (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

PlayerSnaps
Dalton Tucker45 (87%)
Josh Sills45 (87%)
Matt Goncalves33 (63%)
Blake Freeland33 (63%)
Danny Pinter28 (54%)
Tanor Bortolini17 (33%)
Arlington Hambright12 (23%)
Jake Witt12 (23%)
Bernhard Raimann7 (13%)
Quenton Nelson7 (13%)
Ryan Kelly7 (13%)
Will Fries7 (13%)
Braden Smith7 (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.

MORE COLTS
Winners and losers from Colts' preseason loss to Broncos
Biggest takeaways from Colts preseason opener
Colts backup RB suffers hamstring injury 

Kevin Hickey

Kevin Hickey Photo

Hickey was previously the managing editor of USA Today's Colts Wire. His work is also featured as a fantasy football analyst for The Huddle. A career .232 hitter, he is an avid reader of Spider-Man comics, an admirer of the James Webb Space Telescope, and a keen enthusiast of Ma’s sauce. You can find him on Twitter/X @KevinHickey11