The Colts just couldn’t get the Panthers’ offense off the field and it killed them in the end last night.  Jim Sorgi did not look too good last night as he completed 6 of 9 passes for 65 yards with 1 interception.  The hefty lefty Jared Lorenzen followed Sorgi in the game and he was very impressive.  Lorenzen completed 12 of 23 passes for 117 yards with 2 TD passes to rookie TE Jacob Tamme.  He also carried the ball 1 time for 24 yards in a very good showing.  Quinn Gray finished up and he had a rough game.  Gray completed 11 of 19 passes for 107 yards with 2 interceptions.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 27 yards (13.5 ypc) last night.  Chad Simpson led the Colts’ in rushing with 27 yards on 4 carries (6.8 ypc) and he also caught 1 pass for 7 yards.  Rookie Mike Hart was also impressive carrying the ball 2 times for 20 yards (10.0 ypc) and he caught 2 passes for 21 yards (10.5 avg).  Rookie TE Jacob Tamme played great last night catching 5 passes for 57 yards (11.4 avg) with 2 TD grabs (9 and 14 yards).  WR Onrea Jones also had another good game catching 5 passes for 44 yards (8.8 avg).  The Colts finished up with 97 yards rushing on 18 carries (5.4 ypc) last night.  The Colts also completed 29 of 51 passes for 268 yards last night.  The offense improved over the first preseason game but it still could improve some.

Safety Brannon Condren led the way for the Colts’ defense last night with 9 tackles.  Linebacker Dedrick Harrington also was busy with 7 tackles.  CB Keiwan Ratliff pitched in with a solid effort making 4 tackles and intercepting 1 pass.  The Panthers finished up with 207 yards rushing on 48 carries (4.3 ypc).  The Panthers also completed 20 of 36 passes for 236 yards last night.  The Panthers held the ball for 43:12 last night and it’s hard to win that way.

The Colts have lost 2nd year CB Michael Coe to a knee injury that will cause him to miss at least the next 8 weeks.  He played in 6 games for the Colts as a rookie last season and he made 10 tackles and defensed 1 pass.  The Colts were expecting improvement out of Coe this season but they will have to wait to see it.

The Colts didn’t look good earlier tonight in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.  But, it was just the first preseason game which is nothing to worry about.  With Peyton Manning out for the preseason it gives the Colts a good chance to give the QBs behind him a long look.  First up was Jim Sorgi and he took the Colts right down the field before settling on a field goal.  Sorgi was 7 of 10 passing for 66 yards and he looked effective.  The QB that looked the best on the night was Quinn Gray who was the next QB up.  Gray completed 10 of 19 passes for 160 yards with a TD pass to Onrea Jones (30 yards).  Gray was effective buying time in the pocket and delivering the football where it needed to go.  Finally on the night it was Jared Lorenzen’s turn and he was the big reason for the loss tonight.  He completed 12 of 21 passes for 93 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 interception.  The interception was returned 38 yards for a TD by cornerback Matterral Richardson of the Colts.  Another performance like tonight and Lorenzen will be looking for a new job.  Rookie Mike Hart looked sharp on offense as he carried the football 4 times for 53 yards (13.3 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 28 yards (9.3 avg).  The Colts finished up carrying the football 20 times for 113 yards (5.7 ypc) and they completed 29 of 50 passes (58%) for 297 yards.

The Colts’ defense wasn’t really that sharp either.  Linebacker Jordan Senn was all over the field for the Colts tonight leading the team with 11 tackles.  Fellow linebacker Marcus Howard also had a good game with 3 tackles and 1.5 sacks.  The Redskins rushed for 156 yards on 31 carries (5.0 ypc) and they completed 19 of 22 passes (86.4%) for 199 yards tonight.  The Colts have some work to do on defense as the Redskins did whatever they wanted tonight.  Still, don’t lose any sleep over this game as it was just the first preseason game.