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    Carson Wentz Named Colts' Starter for Week 1

    Colts vs. Seahawks, Week 1 Preview: The Carson Wentz Era Begins in Indianapolis

    Here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s matchup between the Colts and Seahawks.
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    The regular season is finally upon us. After the NFL's opening day kickoff on Thursday night, it's now time for the Indianapolis Colts (0-0) and Seattle Seahawks (0-0) to square off during the early slate of games on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

    There's been quite a bit of change for the Colts, including at a few of the most important positions at quarterback, left tackle, and defensive end. It's a tall order to try and get themselves right against a squad that employs Russell Wilson.

    Here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s matchup.

    Broadcast Information

    • Sunday, Sept. 12, at 1:00pm ET
    • Indianapolis, Ind.; Lucas Oil Stadium
    • TV: FOX — Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (color), Sara Walsh (sideline)
    • To find out what games will be on in your area, check here
    • Radio: WFNI 1070-AM The Fan, WLHK 97.1 HANK FM — Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (color), Larra Overton (sideline) | Compass Media Networks — Bill Rosinski (play-by-play), Chad Brown (color)

    All-Time Series

    • Colts lead, 7-5. The Colts have won two of the last three matchups dating back to 2009.
    • Last game: Week 4 of 2017; Seahawks won, 46-18.

    Coaching Staff

    • Colts: head coach Frank Reich; offensive coordinator Marcus Brady; defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus; special teams Bubba Ventrone.
    • Seahawks: head coach Pete Carroll; offensive coordinator Shane Waldron; defensive coordinator Ken Norton; special teams Larry Izzo.

    Injury Report

    Colts

    • Out — LT Eric Fisher (Achilles), CB Xavier Rhodes (calf), DE Kemoko Turay (groin)

    Seahawks

    Storylines/Things to Watch

    • The Carson Wentz Era Begins: New quarterback Carson Wentz has been cleared for takeoff. A foot injury suffered in the second training camp practice kept him out five weeks, and then a brief stint on the COVID-19 list happened. Still, Wentz was able to get ready quick enough to be the Colts' starting quarterback on Sunday. How will the offense look with him? While expectations should be tempered, the 2020 offense should resemble more of the Andrew Luck-led 2018 offense than the last two years under Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers, respectively.
    • Opportunity for Young Guys to Step Up: A couple of reliable veterans in wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and cornerback Xavier Rhodes are out on Sunday. That means that Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell need to step up at receiver while Rock Ya-Sin and Julian Blackmon take their game up a notch in the secondary against Seattle receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
    • Getting Off the Week 1 Schneid: The Colts haven't won a Week 1 game since 2013. That's not great. While they've gone on to make the postseason in four of the seasons since, it certainly helps to get off to a fast start. That's especially true considering the Colts have to take on the Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens in the first five weeks of the season.

    Intriguing Matchups

    • Colts LT Julién Davenport vs. Seahawks ED Darrell Taylor: Colts left tackle Eric Fisher isn't quite ready yet after suffering an Achilles injury in January, so it's Davenport on the blindside for now. He's not got the most sterling on-field reputation, and expectations are high for young Seattle edge rusher Taylor.
    • Colts DE Kwity Paye vs. Seahawks LT Duane Brown: The Colts' first-round pick, Paye, had an awesome training camp and preseason, but his first test is against one of the NFL's best left tackles in Brown.
    • Colts LB Darius Leonard vs. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson: No one flies around the field more actively than Colts All-Pro linebacker Leonard. Likewise, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson excels on the move. This'll be both a mental and physical chess match between the two.

    Projected Weather

    • Retractable roof/windows in stadium are closed.

    Referee Assignment

    Betting Line

    Notes

    • Colts running back Jonathan Taylor needs 31 rushing yards to reach 1,200 for his career, which would make him just the eighth player in franchise history to reach that mark in their first two seasons. Taylor also needs one 100-yard game to pass Albert Bentley, Tom Matte, and Joe Perry (three) and tie Frank Gore (four) for the 12th-most such games in franchise history.
    • Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship needs two points to pass Joseph Addai (140) for the sixth-most by a Colts player in their first two seasons.
    • Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez needs one game with a 50.0-plus-yard punting average to tie Chris Gardocki and David Lee (nine) for the fourth-most such games in franchise history.

    Catch Before The Game

    Have thoughts on this week's game? Drop them below in the comment section!

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