Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was expected to play just one series in the team’s preseason finale Thursday night in Indianapolis, but he didn’t even last that long.

Dalton left the game an injury suffered on his sixth offensive play when Colts linebacker Robert Mathis hit him in the process of throwing.

Fortunately for the Bengals, the injury ended up being a simple arm bruise and a mere footnote in a 20-16 loss before an announced crowd of 65,035 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“It was just a stupid thing where my hand went a little numb, kind of like getting hit in the funny bone,” said Dalton, who had his right ring finger taped after the game. “I wish it didn’t happen, but it did. I’ll be ready go (for the season opener). There was just no point in taking any more snaps in this particular game.”

That actually was the sentiment before the game even began as both teams planned to sit their starters before they had broken much of a sweat in hopes of getting to next week’s opening weekend of the regular season as healthy as possible.

Indianapolis rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, took just four snaps, going 1-of-2 for 8 yards.

Indianapolis third-stringer quarterback Chandler Harnish, the 253^rd and final pick in the draft, took over late in the first quarter and completed 9-of-16 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown, a 42-yard strike to Dominque Jones that put the Colts ahead for good with 6:54 left in the game.

Cincinnati backup Bruce Gradkowski (12-of-19 for 95 yards) led his fourth touchdown drive of the preseason, hitting Marvin Jones with a 10-yard scoring strike early in the second quarter. But that was the only time the Bengals found the end zone as three other times they settled for Mike Nugent field goals of 37, 48 and 22 yards.

Dalton and the first team offense were moving the ball before his injury. Dalton was 3-of-4 for 26 yards, and running back Brian Leonard carried three times for 27 yards on the opening drive, which ended with a Nugent’s first field goal.

“The ability of the first groups to go out there and play with great tempo early in the football game, they got off to a great start and that’s what we were looking for,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “The rest of the guys of the rest of the way down, we were a little short on numbers, but I was proud of how they kept battling, particularly our young receivers.”

Rookie Mohamed Sanu had game-highs in receptions (eight) and yards (80), while Ryan Whalen grabbed four passes for 41 yards and Jones finished with four catches for 39 yards.

Cincinnati and Indianapolis both finished the preseason 2-2.