Preseason WK 1 comes to a close with a thriller in Indianapolis, as the Bills make quick work of Andrew Luck and the Colts. There's plenty to discuss despite it only being Week 1 so let’s get right to it, shall we?
For additional coverage on all the other games, comes check out my Preseason WK1 Highlights and Recaps piece.
First I’d like to recap this game a bit. The Buffalo Bills basically moved the ball at will against last year’s 26th ranked defense, lending some early concerns as to whether or not the Colts improved that area of the team.
Both E.J. Manuel and Jeff Teul had very impressive days. Manuel completed 16 passes out of 21 attempts for 107 yards and a single score.
Jeff Teul, a player that many feel will be hard pressed to develop into a QB2, did better completing 19 passes out of 23 attempts (70%) for 212 yards and two scores.
The main fuel behind Buffalo’s air show was second year man Marcus Easley who put together a solid bid for a starting job catching 7 balls for 94 yards—not bad for a guy who was primarily a return man in 2012.
For Indianapolis, the big story of the day was second year man T.Y. Hilton who many feel is primed for a breakout season. Hilton also put in quite a bid for a starting role catching three balls for 61 yards and a burner of a TD.
Both defenses looked a little shaky, but it isn’t anything unexpected so early in the year.
A Final Word:
I really liked what I saw from Buffalo today, but I need to see a full preseason out of them in order to determine whether or not they are a better team than the 2012 version. From a fantasy standpoint, C.J. Spiller is the best player out of Buffalo with everyone else being solid ancillary picks.
For Indianapolis it’s a totally different expectation.
Andrew Luck, in his first year, managed to put together seven come-from-behind victories (11 in all) and guide this team to the post season, and he did it as a guy who was one of the most pressured QBs in the game.
He led the league in passes 10 yards or less and 20 yard attempts, so it wasn’t as if he was lighting up the field either.
This season, the Colts have installed Luck’s old Stanford system making his potential success rate even better. This will also bode well for just about anyone on the offensive side of the ball, with more three-wide looks and different run looks.
From a fantasy standpoint, I believe the majority of what Indianapolis has to offer from the offensive side of the ball will wind up showing themselves to be “better-than-advertised” players come year’s end.
T.Y. Hilton was a player I pegged as a 2013 sleeper candidate back in May—man, May was a good month for me—and I believe this prediction still to this day.
A few more performances like he had Sunday, and I’ll be patting myself on the back for drafting him :)
