Insider: 28 things to watch in Colts QB Sam Ehlinger's first start

INDIANAPOLIS — A matchup that was once billed as Matt Ryan vs. Carson Wentz has changed significantly in the last couple of weeks.

Wentz is hurt. Ryan is hurt, and on top of that has been benched.

When the Colts take on the Commanders at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium (FOX-59), the quarterbacks will be Indianapolis youngster Sam Ehlingermaking the first start of his career and beloved Washington backup Taylor Heinicke trying to add another win to his belt.

With that in mind, here’s a few things to watch in Sunday’s game.

What will the Colts get from Sam Ehlinger?

1. Ehlinger is essentially a wild card for the Colts. Indianapolis drafted him because of his intangibles — his toughness, his leadership, his magnetic personality. Physically speaking, Ehlinger’s arm gave NFL teams enough pause that he dropped all the way to the sixth round. If this move is going to work, Ehlinger must prove he’s come far enough as a passer under the tutelage of Tom House to be effective in the NFL.

2. Ehlinger’s mobility is the trait that offers something to the Indianapolis offense that Ryan couldn’t provide. A dual-threat quarterback throughout his time at Texas, Ehlinger’s speed and ability to throw on the run gives Colts head coach Frank Reich a few more options to take the teeth out of the pass rushes that have killed Indianapolis, namely bootlegs, rollouts and other moving pockets.

3. Mobility can be a two-edged sword. Quarterbacks with good feet can get themselves out of trouble, to be sure, but they can also run themselves into trouble in the pocket, scrambling around too long in an effort to make the big play and giving pass rushers time to catch them. Ehlinger has to use his legs judiciously.

4. The rookie also has to protect the ball better than Ryan, who turned it over 12 times in the first seven games, a number that could have been higher if the Colts hadn’t recovered so many of his 11 fumbles. The good news for Ehlinger is that the Commanders defense has been one of the league’s worst at forcing turnovers so far; Washington has four takeaways, tied for dead last in the NFL.

Washington's pass rush vs. Colts offensive line

5. Washington’s defense makes up for its lack of production by getting to the quarterback. The Commanders are tied for seventh in the NFL with 19 sacks, and that’s without former No. 2 pick Chase Young. Indianapolis gave up 24 sacks of Ryan, and behind that offensive line, the young Colts quarterback better be on his toes.

6. Even without Young, the Commanders can test an offensive line at any point. Interior defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne lead Washington with 3.5 sacks apiece, and they’ll surely test a Colts interior that has struggled to find answers at right guard and has gotten disappointing seasons from left guard Quenton Nelson and center Ryan Kelly.

7. The big guys inside aren’t the only Commanders who can get after the quarterback. Defensive ends Montez Sweat, Efe Obada and James Smith-Williams have combined for eight sacks, and linebacker Jamin Davis has three more. A Colts team that played a significant role in Ryan’s benching does not have an easy task in Ehlinger’s first start.

8. Jonathan Taylor looked like himself again in limited action against Tennessee last week, creating 58 yards on 10 carries despite seeing heavy traffic in the hole. Expect the Colts to try to lean on Taylor this week. The blueprint for helping a young quarterback has always been the same: Run the ball well, take pressure off of the passer and get him into advantageous passing situations. Indianapolis hasn’t come close to its reputation in the run game, but Washington’s 16th-ranked rush defense might give the Colts a chance to get something going.

9. The Colts have to be hoping that the presence of Ehlinger opens up some possibilities in the running game. Ehlinger is quick enough and has the history in college to run the zone read, the quarterback draw or a bootleg in short yardage for the first down.

10. Ehlinger’s passing ability remains the biggest mystery, particularly his accuracy, and the Colts risk diminishing the only part of the offense that has worked so far. Wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. (44 catches, 475 yards), Alec Pierce (21 catches, 308 yards) and Parris Campbell (28 catches, 239 yards) have all come on in the last couple of weeks, and the trio has little history of working with Ehlinger, who took mostly third-string snaps in training camp. As good as the three Colts receivers are playing, Ehlinger has to get on the same page right away.

11. A scrambling Ehlinger might shift the focus for Indianapolis receivers. With Ryan, the focus was on getting to the right spot at the right time; with Ehlinger, it’s reasonable to assume that Pittman Jr., Pierce and Campbell will have to do more improvising, finding open spots in the coverage as Ehlinger moves.

12. Washington’s secondary has somewhat been susceptible to the big play. Opponents are averaging 12.5 yards per completion against the Commanders so far, one of the highest marks in the NFL.

13. Kicker Chase McLaughlin has been a weapon for the Colts so far. McLaughlin is 10 of 11 on field goals, including 4 of 5 from 50 yards or beyond.

14. Punter Matt Haack has to bounce back from one of the worst performances of his career last Sunday. Haack had punts of 32, 29, 27 and 28 yards against Tennessee last week, the kinds of numbers normally seen on a high school field, and the Colts signed punter Nolan Cooney to the practice squad this week to put pressure on Haack.

Are Taylor Heinicke and Sam Ehlinger clones?

15. Heinicke is a lot like an older version of Ehlinger. A shorter, mobile quarterback beloved by teammates, but he’s got some history in the offense. Washington’s offensive line has also given up 24 sacks this season, but Heinicke took just one last week in Green Bay. The Indianapolis defensive line will be looking to raise that number this week.

16. An Indianapolis defense that has just seven takeaways, tied for 23rd in the NFL, might have a few chances for interceptions against Heinicke, who threw one against the Packers last week and threw 15 as a full-season starter in 2021.

What will the return of Shaquille Leonard mean to the Colts defense?

17. The long-awaited return of linebacker Shaquille Leonard might finally flip the Colts’ takeaway numbers. Leonard, the premier force in the NFL at taking the ball away, has played just 16 snaps this season, and putting him back on the field, even on a pitch count, raises the possibility of forced fumbles and interceptions underneath.

18. DeForest Buckner’s three sacks might not seem like a big number, but the former All-Pro has been the Colts’ best pass rusher by leaps and bounds this season when healthy, and Indianapolis is moving him all over the formation in order to get opportunities to rush 1-on-1. Buckner has his three sacks and eight quarterback hits despite battling through a strained adductor in his hip early and a “significant” elbow injury since then, and he’s going up against a Commanders interior that is short on stars, plus a rookie right guard, Saddiq Charles, who is coming off of an illness.

19. Colts defensive end Yannick Ngakoue’s numbers, on the other hand — 3.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits — are better than the overall impact so far. Indianapolis traded for Ngakoue to wreak havoc off the edge, but according to Sports Info Solutions, he’s only second on the team with 16 pressures, and the man ahead of him, Buckner (19) and man behind him, Kwity Paye (13), have both battled injury.

20. Defensive end Tyquan Lewis has probably been a better pass rusher than it seems so far. Lewis has only one sack, but he has 11 pressures, fourth-best on the team.

21. For a variety of reasons, Washington’s passing game is averaging a paltry 6.4 yards per attempt, mostly dinking and dunking its way down the field. Neither Wentz nor Heinicke has been particularly accurate so far, and the offense has focused heavily on slot receiver Curtis Samuel (39 catches) and the running back tandem of J.D. McKissic (24) and Antonio Gibson (22), who are all averaging fewer than 8.7 yards per reception.

Terry McLaurin returns to Indianapolis

22. With rookie Jahan Dotson ruled out and fellow burner Dyami Brown questionable due to a groin injury, the bulk of the big playmaking will have to come from Indianapolis native Terry McLaurin, a star whose profile would likely be much larger nationally if the Commanders had stability at the quarterback position. McLaurin is averaging 16.3 yards per catch this season and has two touchdowns; Indianapolis would be wise to focus its attention on him.

23. Isaiah Rodgers finally started at cornerback last week, but the Colts still rotated in Brandon Facyson, and the struggling veteran was hit with a key holding penalty. Both cornerbacks might have to play significant snaps, though; starter Kenny Moore II was limited in Friday’s practice with a finger injury.

24. If Moore II isn’t able to play, it would be a significant loss, considering that he’s facing a matchup this week against Samuels, Washington’s leader in catches. If Moore II can’t go, he’d likely be replaced by Rodgers or Tony Brown.

25. Free safety Julian Blackmon took his starter’s spot back after a missed tackle by rookie Rodney Thomas II last week, and it’ll be interesting to see who Indianapolis puts in that role for a defense that has largely avoided giving up the big, explosive play this season.

26. Neither of Washington’s running backs, Gibson or rookie Brian Robinson, are averaging more than 4.0 yards per carry, and now they have to face Grover Stewart the Guard Butcher, who is coming off a 12-tackle performance against Tennessee and \playing like the best nose tackle in the NFL.

27. Nyheim Hines, now averaging 10.1 yards per return, nearly broke a couple of his returns wide open against Tennessee, although Washington’s punt coverage team is ranked seventh in the NFL, giving up just 5.7 yards per return.

28. The Commanders’ kickoff unit, on the other hand, has allowed opposing return men to average 35.7 yards per return, the worst mark in the NFL by more than four yards. Rodgers is coming off of a rough day return-wise against Tennessee, but he should have opportunities against Washington.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts vs. Commanders: 28 things to watch in Sam Ehlinger's first start