The most exciting moments from Day 1 of Colts-Lions joint practice

1. Matt Ryan and the receivers finally put it all together

Speaking of the passing game, that was the biggest takeaway from the first joint practice and the most exciting moment for anyone that’s a fan of the Colts. While there have been a lot of positives about training camp for Indy, the passing game was the biggest spot of concern.

While Indianapolis has been confident that it has the right quarterback, and also that the team will be able to protect him, Indy didn’t prove that it had a reliable group of pass catchers. From drops, to getting dominated by the Colts defense, to struggling to get open again the Bills, it hasn’t been the best camp for the young group of receivers. However, they seemed to turn a corner on Wednesday against the Lions.

As highlighted, both Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce balled out all day but it wasn’t just them. Matt Ryan was able to connect with any and everybody all throughout practice. From 1-on-1s to 7-on-7 and 11-on-11, Indy’s wideouts proved that they were the superior unit to Detroit’s defensive backs.

Zak Keefer of The Athletic reported that Ryan was 10-of-12 across all team periods and said that it may have been his best day of camp. That’s only possible with production from receivers, and finally, Ryan consistently got that.

This breakthrough day for the wideouts shows that Indy’s defense is probably really good and also that the young receivers for the Colts have promise and will likely keep getting better with time. They must use this day as a stepping stone to keep building so that the passing game is ready to go once the regular season arrives.

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