By Tom James
Tribune-Star Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS
August 24, 2008 11:33 pm
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Tony Dungy went into Sunday night’s nationally televised National Football League preseason game with the Buffalo Bills looking for a more consistent effort from his first-team offensive and defensive units.
After the Bills came away with a 20-7 win in the Indianapolis Colts’ first-ever game at Lucas Oil Stadium, it’s pretty certain that Dungy didn’t get what he was looking for.
“Buffalo came in and outplayed us. We’d seen it on tape. They did the same thing to Pittsburgh and Washington (during the preseason). We’d seen a very nice physical team. I think that (Buffalo coach) Dick Jauron’s really got a team that he likes. And they outplayed us (Sunday night),” Dungy said afterwards.
With Peyton Manning still recovering from pre-training knee surgery and primary backup Jim Sorgi a pre-game scratch due to what was described as a gimpy knee, Jared Lorenzen got the surprise start behind center for Indianapolis.
Lorenzen had an uneven performance, completing 7 of 11 passes for 52 yards in two quarters of work. He was replaced by Quinn Gray, who led Indianapolis to its first-ever touchdown in its new stadium, at the beginning of the second half. Gray and wide receiver Devin Aromashodu hooked up for a 94-yard touchdown pass with 2:54 remaining in the third quarter.
The Bills took a 17-0 lead into the lockerroom at halftime as backup running back Xavier Omon scored on a 1-yard run and cornerback Terrence McGee returned a Joseph Addai fumble 68 yards for a touchdown. Rian Lindell began the scoring for Buffalo as he hit a 36-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter.
Lindell added a 44-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter for Buffalo, giving the Bills a 20-7 lead.
Indianapolis’ best offensive series of the first half came on its next-to-last possession of the second quarter. Lorenzen drove the Colts from their own 28-yard line down to the Buffalo 32 before Addai mishandled a handoff, which resulted in the Bills’ second touchdown of the game.
Despite the touchdown pass to Aromashodu, Gray’s night wasn’t much better than Lorenzen’s. Although he threw for a game-high 158 yards on 8-of-16 passing, he had four costly interceptions.
The Colts, now 1-3 for the preseason, will wrap up exhibition play Thursday night with a home game with the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Did not play — In addition to Manning and Sorgi sitting out, cornerback Kelvin Hayden (heel), weakside linebacker Freddy Keiaho, rookie defensive end Curtis Johnson (shoulder), offensive guard Ryan Lilja (knee), rookie offensive guard Mike Pollak (knee), defensive end Raheem Brock (ankle), wide receiver Roy Hall (hamstring), punter Hunter Smith (hamstring), rookie tight end Tom Santi (knee), rookie defensive end Marcus Howard (strained oblique muscle), defensive end Robert Mathis (ankle) and defensive tackle Ed Johnson also did not play for the Colts.
Manning, Lilja and Santi remain on the Colts’ physically unable to perform list. Rookie defensive tackle Eric Foster (calf) was able to play against the Bills after missing some practice time last week. Sorgi was hurt against Atlanta last week and battled a sore knee in practice. He was held out as a coach’s decision.
For Buffalo, starting quarterback Trent Edwards and rookie wide receiver James Hardy were injured and did not play.
• Game injury report — Cornerback T.J. Rushing suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. There were no further details concerning his status. Safety Matt Giordano was kicked in the leg at the end of the first half and did not return. According to Dungy, Giordano could have come back and played in the final two quarters but was held out as a precaution.
Center Jeff Saturday, meanwhile, left the game with a right knee injury late in the third quarter. Rushing and Saturday will probably undergo magnetic resonance imaging today.
• IU connection — Hardy, quarterback Gibran Hamdan and wide receiver Courtney Roby represented Indiana University’s football program Sunday night. Hamdan saw action behind center in the second half for the Bills. Roby, meanwhile, returned kickoffs in the first half and played on offense in the final two quarters for the Colts.
Buffalo 3 14 0 3 — 20
Indianapolis 0 0 7 0 — 7
B — Lindell 36 FG, 2:31 1st
B — Omon 1 run (Lindell kick), 5:00 2nd
B — McGee 68 fumble return (Lindell kick), 1:43 2nd
I — Aromashodu 94 pass from Gray (Crossett kick), 2:54 3rd
B — Lindell 44 FG, 9:19 4th
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