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NFL Preseason Week 3 Recap: Indianapolis Colts 27, Cincinnati Bengals 14

2XX6YDY Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a pass during an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Emilee Chinn)

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 27-14 in their preseason finale on Thursday night at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson played into the second quarter, showing flashes but also areas for improvement. He led a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie Adonai Mitchell but also threw a pick-six to Bengals safety Jordan Battle. The second-year signal-caller also fumbled on his final drive of the night. He finished the contest 8-of-14 for 86 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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PLAYER OF THE GAME

The Colts' offensive line delivered a strong performance across their 25 total snaps. Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, Will Fries, Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly combined to allow just one pressure all night. In fact, Kelly and Smith were the only starters to lose a block, with each losing just one.

BOX SCORE

Colts Bengals
Total points 27 14
Total offensive plays 75 43
Average EPA per play 0.057 -0.329
Total net yards 392 168
Avg yards per play 5.2 3.9
Total first downs 25 10
Rushing first downs 9 4
Passing first downs 15 4
Penalty first downs 1 2
Third-down efficiency 63% 30%
Fourth-down efficiency 0% 0%
Possessions 10 10
Avg plays per drive 8.1 4.9
Avg yards per drive 35.6 15.3
Avg points per drive 2.5 0.7
Red-zone possessions 3 1
Red-zone plays 17 1
Red-zone TDs 2 0
Red-zone FGs 0 0
Red-zone scoring efficiency 67% 0%

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION

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