It’s a new season, and that means it’s time once again for The View From Section 308. Here are my impressions from the latest Colts home game as I saw them, seated in section 308 of the RCA dome.

•  Okay, so I know what you are saying… “A 300 joke? Really? Aren’t those a bit…um…tired?” Well, yes. They are. This one, however, has a good reason behind it. For as long as I can remember, The Colts have used a clip from the movie Braveheart right before opening kickoff, as a sign to the crowd to get up and ready for WAR! (YOU MAY TAKE OUR LIVES, BUT YOU’LL NEVER TAKE OUR FIELD POSITION!). This year, however, I was surprised to see that Braveheart has been replaced with a clip from an even manlier movie: 300. So, yeah. There you go. To be honest, the clip doesn’t matter because Colts fans hardly need to be told that it’s game-time anymore. Though, if this means that by the end of the season, the whole crowd will be doing that Spartan “Hrugh!” thing at the kick, that would be kinda cool.
• What? There was a game? Oh right!  You never expect to see the first team all that often in a preseason game, so I was happy to see that Manning and Co. were out there for an entire quarter plus. It was pretty much what you would expect from the Colts offense, so that’s good to see. It was also nice to see that Tony Ugoh, who is having to fill the shoes of Tarik Glenn, played pretty well. Manning was sacked once, but it was from the other side. Ugoh did look lost on one play later in the game when Sorgi was in the game, but the Bears first string D was still in, and hey, they are a pretty good squad. I’m confident that Tony Ugoh will be a more than capable replacement for Glenn. Having to go up against Dwight Freeney every day in practice has to help, too.
• If there was a dark spot for the team, it would have to be kick coverage. I know, that old saw. Well, you know, one would have thought the problem would have been addressed. I’m simply at a loss to explain why a team with this much talent can’t seem to be able to put together a consistently good effort on coverage. One might be tempted to overlook the stats a bit considering that they were playing the Bears (and thus Devin Hester), but don’t. Hester didn’t even return kicks in this game, and had one punt return. This is an area where they need to improve, and quickly, because leaving the defense short fields all the time is not going to end well.
• As to kick returning, I think TJ Rushing will be a capable returner. He did have one fumble, but it was on a nice strip. I also have to say that 3rd string running back Kenton Keith impressed me on his return attempts, as he showed some nice speed
• Keith also impressed me on offense, even though he only got two carries at running back. He ran decisively, exploding through the line of scrimmage, and then showed an ability to find the running lanes in the secondary. I know that two carries is a small sample size, but he showed some nice ability in the limited time he got.
• I was a little surprised to see that Anthony Gonzalez didn’t play with the first squad offense, but he looked alright out there with Sorgi. He made a really nice move after the catch on one play, which resulted in 19 yards. If he can do that sort of thing all the time, he’s going to be a nice weapon coming out of the slot for Manning.
• Turning to the defense, I felt that the first string played rather well. Defensive tackle Ed Johnson filled in nicely for Booger McFarland, and was even able to pick up a fumble recovery after a Robert Mathis strip. Most tackles were made not by one Colts defender but by several, which is always nice to see. It was the sort of swarming defense we saw in the playoffs last season, so it was encouraging to see them playing around that same level.
• Now, I have to say that I like the Bears. I root for them when they are playing anyone but the Colts. Given that, I have to say I’m a little worried about Grossman, as he fumbled TWO snaps last night… it might have been raining in the Circle City Monday night, Rex, but son, you are indoors. I know it’s just pre-season, and maybe his head just wasn’t in it, but the Bears faithful couldn’t have been happy seeing their starting QB continue his fumbling ways like that. I sort of get the feeling the Sexcannon is going to be on a short leash this season in Chicago, especially if he continues to be so turnover prone.

So, there you have it. It was a loss, sure, but hey, it’s preseason. I think the Colts are 1-11 in recent preseason games, and hey, what’s that new banner hanging up right in front of us waiting to be unfurled on opening night? Oh right, it’s the one that reads Super Bowl Champions. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this year’s Colts team coming into this game, and I have to say I came out feeling pretty darn good about them, all things considered. Will they go 14-2? Nah. But they are sure as heck going to be a force to be reckoned with this season, and once you get to the playoffs, who knows what might happen?