CINCINNATI -- One of the biggest issues the Indianapolis Colts wanted to resolve in the preseason (other than the offensive line): finding a stable backup to play behind Frank Gore at running back.
The Colts ended the preseason with a 13-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday without a clear answer on who will occupy that role.
That’s not exactly how they envisioned things.
But it’s also the reality they face because none of the candidates -- Josh Ferguson, Jordan Todman, Robert Turbin or Stevan Ridley -- did enough to distinguish himself from the rest of the pack.
Gore will be the primary running back, but the Colts want to lighten his load this season. Not only because he’s 33, but Gore also had 227 more carries than his closest teammate last season.
The Colts capped off a disappointing running performance in the preseason by rushing for 66 yards against the Bengals. Indianapolis running backs rushed for 168 yards in four preseason games. Things were so bad on the ground that quarterback Stephen Morris was the Colts’ best runner at times in the preseason.
Ferguson, an undrafted free agent out of Illinois, got the first crack at winning the job, but he fell flat in his attempt. He ended the preseason with 19 carries for 15 yards.
Ridley made his debut Thursday after signing with the Colts almost a week ago. He rushed for 11 yards on nine carries and had a key drop in Cincinnati territory on a screen play in which he had blockers in front of him.
Turbin didn’t help his cause when he fumbled after rushing for 11 yards deep in Bengals’ territory on the Colts’ opening drive.
It’s uncertain if the Colts will keep three or four running backs when they trim their roster down to 53 players, which they must do by 4 p.m. Saturday. But there doesn’t appear to be any clear leaders in the group behind Gore.
QB depth chart: Backup Scott Tolzien started and played into the second quarter. Tolzien finished 11-of-12 for 88 yards to complete the preseason 41-of-62 for 390 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Morris, who outplayed Tolzien at times in the preseason, played the rest of the game. Morris threw the game-winning touchdown pass, 25 yards to Tevaun Smith, with less than a minute remaining in the game. Morris was 20-of-30 for 217 yards, a touchdown and an interception Thursday. Morris was 39-of-61 for 531 yards, four touchdowns and an interception for the preseason. The Colts have to hope they'll be able to keep Morris on the practice squad because he showed enough in the preseason that a team may try to sign him.
Who got hurt? The Colts claimed cornerback Tevin Mitchel off waivers in 2015 knowing he would miss his entire rookie season because they thought he had potential to be in the mix for playing time this season. But just like his rookie season, Mitchel has been saddled with injuries this preseason, including leaving Thursday’s game with a hamstring issue. The latest injury likely will hurt Mitchel's chances of making the roster.
No starters for Colts: To no surprise, Colts coach Chuck Pagano rested all of his key players. That means there was no Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Frank Gore, Mike Adams or any other important player. That’s what most teams routinely do, but the Colts couldn’t afford to suffer any more injuries to their already depleted roster.
Last game for Jones: Oh, how far defensive lineman Art Jones has fallen. He has gone from signing a five-year, $33 million contract with the Colts in 2014 to being consistently injured in his first two seasons to being suspended to playing in the fourth preseason game that’s often meant for fringe players trying to make a final push for the 53-man roster. Jones will begin serving his four-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs on Sunday. He’s eligible to return to the team on Oct. 3, the day after the team returns from its game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
