Colts Camp: Notes From Sunday’s Practice
By Evan Reller
The Indianapolis Colts continued their hard work in training camp on Sunday afternoon. The team has less than a week before they break camp and return to the Colts Complex on 52nd street.
The team’s first preseason meeting is just under a week away. They face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road at 1 PM next Sunday.
Sunday’s practice didn’t feature much of a standout performance, but we saw continued solid efforts from a number of bubble players.
Injuries, Rest, and Brawls
Cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Darius Butler as well as receiver Duron Carter were all held out of practice as they deal with minor groin injuries. The Colts had a total of 14 players out due to injury or for rest (not including the two on the PUP list). Andre Johnson and D’Qwell Jackson were among the notable players who sat out on Sunday.
Center Jonotthan Harrison and defensive end Kelcy Quarles got into it with each other late in practice. The two ended up on the ground and had to be separated. Both players were sent off the field following the play. Coach Chuck Pagano said after practice that they won’t be tolerating players going over the line, which is why both left practice early.
Here’s what stood out on Sunday:
- CB Jalil Brown continues to make solid plays and was singled out by Pagano following practice. His best play of the day was when he stripped Donte Moncrief and recovered the fumble. He would have had a big return (and maybe a touchdown) in an actual game.
- Wide receiver Quan Bray has stood out in practice and appears to be a very consistent player. He’s another player who Pagano mentioned. It will be tough for him to make the final roster with such a deep group of receiver but he’ll be someone who should at least make the practice squad.
- Rookie linebacker Amarlo Herrera had a number of nice plays in run support with the first team defense. He was consistently forcing the backs to change direction or plugging the gap in the line. Herrera also had an interception against third string QB Bryan Bennett.
- One of the most impressive plays was a 20 yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck to T.Y. Hilton. Hilton ran down the sideline with barely a step on his man. Luck threw the pass long, to a point where only Hilton would ever have a shot at the ball. Hilton put on a burst of speed and managed to keep his feet inbounds for the score. An impressive play, that is becoming routine for the pair.
- The defense seemed to be ahead for most of the afternoon. They largely shut down any rushing attempts and were able to generate good pressure on whoever the Colts had at QB.
- Art Jones attempted to get the crowd hyped before the first round of 11-on-11 drills and received a big cheer for his efforts.
The Colts will be in full pads for Monday afternoon’s practice before a day off on Tuesday.