Colts Injury Report: Shipley & Thornton DNP Thursday
According to the Indianapolis Colts official team injury report, interior offensive lineman Hugh Thornton (shoulder) and A.Q. Shipley (ankle) still did not practice on Thursday. The two missed Wednesday’s practice as well and have yet to practice this week. Their availability for Sunday’s Wildcard playoff game is continuing to look bleaker by the day. With the team recently placing starting right tackle Gosder Cherilus on season-ending injured reserve, the Colts offensive line depth is looking increasingly thin.
Dec 14, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) congratulates Colts tight end Dwayne Allen (83) after a second quarter touchdown pass at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
However, the team did receive some good news today as all of Erik Walden, Reggie Wayne, Bjoern Werner, and Josh Cribbs were full participants in Thursday’s practice after being limited on Wednesday (or not practicing at all in Cribbs’ case). They were likely held out for rest purposes yesterday, but appear that they’ll be good to go against the Bengals as their full participation in Thursday’s practice indicated.
Additionally, tight end Dwayne Allen was a full participant in practice for the 2nd consecutive day, and it looks as he’ll be ready to go for Sunday’s game. Allen is one of the Colts most versatile offensive weapons, as he’s a tremendous asset in both the receiving and run game as a blocker. He missed last weekend’s game because of a knee injury, but still leads the Colts with 8 receiving touchdowns on the season.
It’s worth noting that for their opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, their star wideout A.J. Green returned to practice on a limited basis today and participated in warm-ups. Green is still trying to pass the league’s concussion protocol and get cleared in time to play in Sunday’s game.
Of course, Green did not play in the two teams’ Week 7 regular season matchup either, as he was kept out with a toe injury. His re-installation into the Bengals’ offense could make a huge difference, as he’s one of the NFL’s best wide receivers and a tremendous down the field threat.