Colts vs. Cowboys: 3 storylines to watch

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts, 24-10 losers to the Detroit Lions in their postseason opener on Sunday, travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys at 7 p.m. Saturday (TV: WXIN-59, Radio: WFNI-AM (1070)).

Here are three storylines that stick out:

1. First-team offense needs a boost

Something. Anything. The Colts’ first-team offense did little to inspire a week ago against Detroit in limited action. Three drives produced all of 27 yards, and not once did they move the ball across midfield. Starter Scott Tolzien — he’s the starter until Andrew Luck’s the starter — went 2-for-5 for 24 yards. He should see a few more series Saturday, and any semblance of progress would be encouraging.

Tolzien and the rest of the Colts’ quarterbacks are coming off a rough camp; the ball rarely found the endzone. A boost Saturday comes in the form of third-year wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, who’ll see his first preseason action of 2017. Dorsett returned to work this week after sitting out Sunday’s opener and is anxious to prove his consistency during camp is no illusion.

Wide receivers Donte Moncrief and Chester Rogers aren’t expected to play.

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Another offensive player to keep an eye on is undrafted rookie Deyshawn Bond, a Warren Central grad who’ll start again in Ryan Kelly’s stead at center. Coach Chuck Pagano liked what he saw from Bond in Sunday’s debut, but with Kelly undergoing surgery to fix his injured foot this week, the center position remains a huge area of concern for this team as it nears the regular season opener.

“Every day I come out here and work my best to get better at the little things," Bond said after the team's final practice of the week. "If an opportunity comes, I’m going to take that chance and perfect everything I can. The coaches will make the call when that time comes, but for now I’m just coming out here every day, and like I said, working on my technique and on my fundamentals to help out the team.”

2. Preseason debuts for some key players

While the Colts remain a team besieged by injuries, several key players should return to the fold Saturday night and make their preseason debuts. This will be as close to the first-team defense as we’ll see during the exhibition season. That means big-ticket defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins should be out there, as well as starting inside linebackers Jon Bostic and Antonio Morrison. Joe Haeg should be back to his usual spot on the offensive line, and reserve Denzelle Good should see a good chunk of playing time.

Perhaps the most intriguing first glimpse will be of Marlon Mack, the rookie running back out of South Florida who’s flashed repeatedly during camp but was nicked up this past week and missed the opener. This will be Mack’s first chance to show what he can do on game day — he’s a weapon in space, and could offer the Colts’ stagnant offense the game-breaking ability it craves.

3. Meet the new cornerback

He’s the old safety. T.J. Green, the second-year player out of Clemson, was asked about an hour before Tuesday’s practice if he wanted to give cornerback a shot. He said sure. Three days later, he was still there.

Expect the Colts to give him a handful of snaps at the position come Saturday night in Dallas. Nothing like live action to see how a young player is adapting to his new role.

The move makes sense: The Colts weren’t sure if Green would last at safety. First-round pick Malik Hooker figures to be a long-term starter there, as does Clayton Geathers, if and when he returns from offseason neck surgery. After Green struggled last season at the spot — too many bad angles, too many missed tackles, too many penalties — the staff figured, this week, they’d give him a run at cornerback and see if it stuck. So far, they’ve liked what they’ve seen.

“Last year, he was kind of a one-man show,” defensive coordinator Ted Monachino said of Green this week. “He didn’t understand the whole structure (of the defense). Now he understands the structure, where he needs to help us in the run game. That transition from safety to corner, that’s a transition, but he still understands the structure so he’s got a fighting chance.”

Still, Green has a long way to go. Saturday’s the start.

Call IndyStar reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134. Follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.