Here are the inactive players for the Week 1 meeting between the Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts.
Two playoff teams from 2014 fell on hard times this past year. Will either the Detroit Lions and/or Indianapolis Colts rebound this fall?
Here is what we are pretty certain of. The ball will be in the air a lot at Lucas Oil Stadium late on Sunday afternoon. First, we have a pair of quarterbacks in Detroit’s Matthew Stafford (2009) and Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck (2012), both the initial selections in their respective drafts.
Talk about wide receivers? The Lions have Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Anquan Boldin and Andrew Roberts. The Colts boast T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett. How much will we see from tight ends Eric Ebron (Detroit) and Dwayne Allen (Indianapolis)? As for the running games, both are suspect to say the least.
Speaking of uncertainty, there’s that Colts’ defense. Are aging Robert Mathis and Trent Cole capable of providing a consistent pass rush? How will Chuck Pagano’s secondary fare without cornerback Vontae Davis? Stay tuned.
Keep in mind that head coach Jim Caldwell (facing his former team on Sunday) saw his team finish with six wins in their final eight games a year ago after a miserable 1-7 start. Can the Men from Motown pick up where they left off last season, when they closed 2015 with three straight victories?
Are the Colts better than they were a year ago? It’s hard to say, although general manager Ryan Grigson did his best in April’s draft – selecting four offensive linemen (including center Ryan Kelly) and four defensive performers.
Detroit Lions
G Joe Dahl
FB Zach Zenner
Indianapolis Colts
C Austin Blythe
CB Vontae Davis
T Joe Haeg
WR Chester Rogers
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Both the Lions and Colts are capable of making playoff runs this fall, with the former a member of what may be the best division in football by season’s end. The AFC South is on the rise as well, which may make the Colts climb back to the top a little tricky. As for this tilt, get ready for plenty of aerial antics from these clubs.