Here are some "bubble players" that helped their chances of making the 53-man roster on Saturday night:

1. Adam Seward. Seward is probably going to make the roster, but given his history of injuries and the presence of rookie Dan Connor it's not an absolute lock. But he showed why the Panthers view him as the No. 2 guy at middle linebacker on Saturday night. He came up with an interception that led to a touchdown on the Colts second drive and halted their third drive with a third-down sack. He also had two tackles for losses, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup. All in all, a terrific game for Seward.

2. Decori Birmingham. I mentioned before this kid was having a pretty good camp and if you stayed up late enough to watch the fourth quarter and overtime you were probably impressed. Granted it came against the Colts third-team defense, but Birmingham had 70 yards on 17 carries. He had seven carries for 33 yards in overtime, including 30 yards on the game-winning drive. Still, he's the No. 5 running back in camp, so his chances to make the roster are very slim. Maybe the Panthers can slide him on the practice squad without anyone noticing.

3. Rhys Lloyd. His first four kickoffs sailed at least five yards into the end zone, three of them resulting in touchbacks. There is no disputing Lloyd is a weapon and I think the Panthers will be forced to keep him. The Colts first turnover was set up when Lloyd pinned them at the 20. That was a rarity last year as opposing offenses normally started with great field position due to short , returnable kickoffs that landed at the 5 or 10.

4. Quinton Teal. The kid from Coastal Carolina made the roster last year and is making a case to be on it again this year despite the addition of several new faces at the safety position. Teal had four tackles, an interception and broke up a pass.

5. Jason Carter. He was a little shaky on punt returns, but Carter did well as a receiver with three catches for 32 yards. I think he makes the roster for the first two games with Steve Smith out, but when Smith returns from his suspension we'll see what happens. He already has the home crowd behind him.

Here are some "bubble players" that didn't help their cause Saturday night:

1. Brett Basanez. Although he completed 7 of 9 passes for 54 yards, I thought Basanez looked a little rusty. He didn't play last year because of a wrist injury. He threw one interception on a deep ball he probably shouldn't have thrown. He didn't lead any scoring drives. He'd better be careful as the preseason progresses because the Panthers might wind up keeping only two quarterbacks.

2. Curtis Deloatch. Veteran cornerback struggled in pass coverage and is on the outside looking in.

3. Troy Fleming. The only true fullback on the roster other than Brad Hoover, Fleming fumbled in Colts territory.

4. Lester Ricard. He has great arm strength, but accuracy remains a problem, especially on deep balls. Displayed some happy feet in the pocket.

5. Geoff Schwartz. Rookie tackle needs to improve on pass blocking.