Things Colts must show in joint practices with the Lions to prove the season will be promising

The Indianapolis Colts will have joint practices with the Detroit Lions on Wednesday and Thursday and Indy must be ready to compete.

Every year during training camp, NFL teams get together to have a couple of joint practices. This allows for teams to have a different look in practice and increase the intensity. Often, the practices can rival actual games and it becomes a good opportunity for teams to get quality reps for evaluation and development.

On Wednesday, August 17, and Thursday, August 18, the Indianapolis Colts will host the Detroit Lions for two joint practices. Indy will also play the Lions on Saturday in a preseason game but the teams are getting the party started early.

Both practices will be at Grand Park, where the Colts hold training camp, and the action will be open to the public. While these sessions will just be intense practices, there will be a lot of people on hand looking to see what both teams have.

For the Colts, there are a few things they must show in these joint practices to prove that they are ready to meet the high expectations that await them this season. Here are 3 things Indy must show on Wednesday and Thursday.

3.  Colts must contain Aidan Hutchinson

The Lions haven’t been good the last couple of years and as a result, they’ve gotten to draft some really good players. Most recently, Detroit selected edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, No. 2 overall in this year’s Draft. After dominating in college, Hutchinson is already making a name for himself in the NFL.

In Detroit’s first preseason game, Hutchinson looked like every bit of a No. 2 overall pick. The highlight of his first action was him hitting a left tackle with a swift swim move and grappling down the running back for a tackle for a loss. It was immediately evident that Hutchinson will be a problem.

Coincidently, a developing position for the Colts is the left tackle position. Right now, the starter is Matt Pryor and his backup is rookie Bernhard Raimann. So far, both have been looking solid and have been growing since they’re being challenged by Yannick Ngakoue daily.

Surely, Hutchinson is planning to come to Indiana and wreak havoc on Indy’s offense. The left tackles must make sure that doesn’t happen. While Hutchinson may have a productive career ahead of him, Indianapolis needs to prove that it has the necessary pieces to protect Matt Ryan.