Bengals-Colts Matchup: Q&A with a Colts Expert

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts throws against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half during their AFC Wild Card game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 4, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts throws against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half during their AFC Wild Card game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 4, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

To get a more holistic sense of the Week1 matchup the Bengals have against the Colts, I talked to a FanSided expert on the Colts.

In advance of the Bengals’ matchup with the Colts this weekend, we decided to do a Q&A session with Horseshoe Heroes. Horseshoe Heroes is the Colts fan site on FanSided, and their expert is Ryan Stano. I wanted to get a sense of their thoughts leading into the game against the Bengals, and what he believed the Bengals’ biggest weaknesses were heading into the season.

The conversation Ryan and I had is below, and it covers most of the major points the Colts are dealing with leading up to Sunday. The other half of the Q&A, where he asked me about the Bengals, will be up on Horseshoe Heroes, so feel free to give that article and their site a read! Here’s what Ryan had to say about the impending Bengals-Colts matchup:

Q: Is Andrew Luck ready? Or, will he be back to 100% in Week 1?

A: Andrew Luck should be fully healthy now and has been for a while, but still has rust. This will be his first real test to see how he handles the pressure of a real football game again. His deep throws are something to watch since he didn’t do much of that in the preseason.

Q: I’m thinking your biggest concern is the offensive line. Do you agree? If not, what is it?

A: Offensive line is my biggest concern for sure. Right tackle is a complete mess, and the left tackle spot might have a backup in it for this game too.

Q: What are the Colts going to try to exploit with the Bengals? What’s the gameplan going against Cincinnati?

A: The Colts should try to pick on the secondary as much as possible. T.Y. Hilton should have a big game, as should Jack Doyle. The Cincinnati secondary has been suspect in the past, so if they can protect Luck, he will get a ton of yards.

Q: Prediction? What’s your pick straight up and against the line?

A: The Colts are favored by 3, which seems appropriate. It should be a close game. The Colts should beat the Bengals, but only by three so I would take the points.

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