The Indianapolis Colts failed to keep up in a high-scoring game and lost their season opener to the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium 34-30.

While the regular players played exactly two drives to familiarize themselves with the material, the majority of the game was played by the second, third and fourth rows.

While the battle for positions continues, the warm-up games will do the most to determine the composition of the squad.

The pre-season games could also be the most important factor determining a player’s value during the roster reduction process. A strong game can boost a player’s status, while a poor performance can destroy his chances of making the team.

However, it is a fluid process. One week a player’s value may move in one direction, the next week it may move in the opposite direction.

After the season opener, here’s a look at the stock report of a handful of Colts players:

Colts’ course report after the first preseason game

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G Dalton Tucker

An undrafted free agent rookie, Tucker played guard on the second team offense. The Marshall product brings a lot of experience after 51 college games (30 starts) and was a bright spot on the offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Tucker allowed just one pressure on 26 pass-blocking snaps. He also showed the ability to create space on a nice counter three-point block. There are only so many open positions on the offensive line, but Tucker made a strong impression.

CB Micah Abraham

Abraham, another freshman who has shined in his opportunities, could well become the favorite to be the backup nickel defender behind Kenny Moore II after his performance on Sunday. The undersized defender is also a Marshall product and plays much bigger than his frame. His big moment came when he stripped, recovered and returned a fumble on a Broncos running attempt for a touchdown. He also forced an incomplete pass down the sideline and had a tackle that resulted in a loss of yardage.

EDGE Isaiah Land

While freshman Laiatu Latu was one of the stars, we’ll look at one of the underrated players on the defensive line. Land can be used as an edge rusher or SAM backer in a pinch. According to PFF, he showed impressive power leaving the line and provided pressure on 11 pass-rushing snaps. He also added four tackles (three solo) against the run.

TE Mo Alie-Cox

Despite all the offseason rumors that Alie-Cox could be a potential candidate for release or transfer, the veteran tight end doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Alie-Cox ran exclusively with the first offense and provided the biggest play for the starting offense with a 19-yard pass during the second drive. Big Mo appears to have secured the starting position along with Kylen Granson.

Share price falls

OT Blake Freeland

Those who hoped Freeland would have shown some improvement after a rough rookie season were sorely disappointed. The second-year offensive tackle played 33 snaps with the second and third offenses as left tackle. He allowed three total pressures on 17 pass-blocking snaps, which was the most on the team, including a quarterback hit that led to a Sam Ehlinger interception. Freeland is still the favorite for the swing tackle role, but the gap between him and rookie Matt Goncalves is narrowing.

Run game

It was not an encouraging performance for the offense. Although Jonathan Taylor surprisingly started the preseason opener, the Colts’ running backs combined for 35 rushing yards on 17 runs. Trey Sermon was out with a hamstring injury. Both Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson scored touchdowns at the goal line, but they also averaged 2.0 and 2.1 yards per run, respectively. Things will get better at some point, but it was not a strong performance by any stretch of the imagination.

CB Dallis Flowers

Flowers was playing his first game since tearing his Achilles in Week 4 last year and was obviously a bit rusty. However, that performance certainly hurt his chances in competition with Jaylon Jones for the starting boundary position. According to Pro Football Focus, Flowers caught four of six passes for 54 yards, a team-high.

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