Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen was pleased with his backups on Saturday night.
Quarterback Jason Bean and running backs Tyler Goodson and Zavier Scott each scored rushing touchdowns. Quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger and Kedon Slovis demonstrated they could be considered for the No. 3 quarterback spot.
Steichen’s strategy worked well as the Colts managed to defeat the error-prone Arizona Cardinals 21-13.
“I think we rushed for about 166 yards with all those guys battling hard, which was good to see,” Steichen said. “This game was also a chance for our assistant coaches to take charge. Many of them called plays throughout the game, and it was interesting to hear everyone’s calls.”
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon decided to rest most of his starters, including rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., after having two joint practices with the Colts earlier in the week. Harrison hasn’t played in a game at Lucas Oil Stadium, the same stadium his Hall of Fame father used to play in.
The Colts took advantage of the opportunity.
Bean had his most significant playing time in two weeks, completing 7 of 9 passes for 94 yards, with one interception and a 1-yard TD run on fourth down to start the fourth quarter.
Goodson ran six times for 35 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown as he competes with Scott for the No. 3 running back spot. Scott had 11 carries for 55 yards.
Ehlinger started for the Colts, going 4 of 7 for 38 yards, while Slovis finished the game with 8 of 11 passes completed for 79 yards.
“We’ll see,” Steichen said when asked about starting the season with three quarterbacks. “It will depend on how the roster shapes up at the end.”
Clayton Tune started for the Cardinals, going 8 of 10 with 79 yards and a 12-yard TD run late in the first half. Desmond Ridder finished the game with 6 of 10 passes completed for 71 yards. Trey Benson had nine carries for 43 yards, but Arizona struggled with penalties, getting 11 compared to 13 first downs.
“It’s tough to get into a rhythm when you’re moving backward with the ball,” Gannon said. “We weren’t mentally prepared today, and that’s my responsibility.”
This was the first time the Colts and Cardinals had met in a preseason game since August 1967 when they were based in Baltimore and St. Louis, respectively, and had quarterbacks John Unitas and Jim Hart.
