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49ers vs. Colts: Previewing Preseason Week 3 for San Francisco

By Chris Wilson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 08: Raheem Mostert #31 of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by John Simon #51 of the Indianapolis Colts and Antonio Morrison #44 of the Indianapolis Colts during the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 08: Raheem Mostert #31 of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by John Simon #51 of the Indianapolis Colts and Antonio Morrison #44 of the Indianapolis Colts during the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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San Francisco 49ers Preseason Week 3 preview
Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images /

Preseason Week 3 by the numbers

Without Luck in the lineup, the Colts were one of the NFL’s worst teams last season. With second-year quarterback Jacoby Brissett under the center, Indianapolis won just four games in 2017 — their first losing season since they selected Luck with the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Over the previous three seasons, the Colts relied on Luck and a high-scoring offense to make up for a subpar defense that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in most defensive metrics. In 2017, the Colts didn’t have Luck or anything that resembled a top-tier offense — and their defense also took a step back in many categories.

Indianapolis amassed just 4,553 yards and scored just 264 points in 2017, which both ranked near the bottom of the league. While their running game was certainly below league average, the Colts’ offensive problem was their passing attack, which ended the year with only 2,892 yards and 13 touchdowns, despite the fact the team was often playing from behind.

While Brissett deserves some of the blame after finishing the season with just 6.6 yards per pass attempt, the Colts’ offensive line rarely gave the quarterback the time he needed to throw downfield. Over the course of the year, Brissett was sacked once every ten dropbacks, for a league-leading 52 sacks. Fellow Colts QB Scott Tolzien was also sacked four times last season, in less than three quarters of play.

Despite giving up over 1,900 yards on the ground, the Colts had a respectable run defense in 2017, allowing less than four yards per rush attempt. However, opposing offenses threw the ball with ease against Indianapolis’ pass defense, which ranked last in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, thanks to a league-worst 7.3 net yards per pass attempt allowed.

However, history has shown that the Colts are a different team with Luck under center — and we shouldn’t forget that one of their four wins last season was an overtime victory against the pre-Garoppolo 49ers. Las Vegas sportsbooks predict an improvement for Indianapolis in 2018, given the team’s projected win total of 6.5 games.