LANDOVER, MD - Not even a lack of substance in the result could keep the hype machine from turning round and round.
After all the future look of the NFL-and more importantly two of the worst teams in the league in 2011-weight heavily on the decision made in April that played out on an August Saturday in Landover.
The Colts took Andrew Luck with the first pick. The Redskins to Robert Griffin III with the second. Having quarterbacks selected with the draft's opening pair of picks isn't too unusual but meeting on the field soon after is.
At Fed Ex Field on Saturday that occured when the Colts faced the Redskins at Fed Ex Field, pairing two potential stars against each other just four months after they were drafted minutes apart.
The duo played just over a half with Luck completing 14-of-23 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. Griffin was 11-of-17 for 74 yards with a touchdown.
"We have a lot to improve on," said Luck after the performance, which came during the Colts 30-17 defeat at the hands of Washington. "I want to give credit to their defense. They forced us into some bad situations.
"The penalties and sacks really killed a couple of our drives but I'm glad we put points on the board when we did."
After a quiet first quarter Griffin got the Redskins on the board with an eight-play 66 yard drive capped by a three-yard touchdown run by Alfred Morris. Later in the quarter the Colts responded with a solid effort from Luck, who converted on a trio of third downs.
The latter was his first scoring play of the day-a 31-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton to tie the game at seven.
Griffin responded in kind, leading the Redskins on a run-heavy 12-play 80 yard drive that he finished with a four-yard rollout touchdown pass to Santana Moss.
"I thought we all did a good job," said Griffin of the Redskins' performance. "Alfred (Morris) did a good job of working with what he had and came up with a lot of big runs."
Both quarterbacks saw action in one uneventful series before being replaced, Chandler Harnish for the Colts and former Bloomington South standout Rex Grossman for Washington.
This is the second time in as many first pick selections that the Colts have faced the team who had the second pick in the preseason. In 1998, Peyton Manning faced the Chargers and quarterback Ryan Leaf at the RCA Dome with San Diego winning the game 33-3.
Luck and the Colts will wrap up the preseason on Thursday night at home against the Bengals.
