Camp Scene: Colts looking for overall improvement in preaseason game against Eagles

By Tom James

TERRE HAUTE — Peyton Manning and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts first-team offense would like to get at least a quarter of work in tonight’s nationally televised preseason home game with the Philadelphia Eagles.

While Colts head coach Jim Caldwell will try to accommodate them, nothing is written is stone just yet.

“We’re probably going to end up somewhere the first quarter maybe for that first [offensive and defensive units]. Somewhere in that area, depending on the drives. But we’re looking somewhere around 20 plays or so,” Caldwell said Wednesday after putting his team through its final training camp workout.

After watching Indianapolis struggle at times in a 13-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week, overall improvement is the goal against the Eagles.

“Just overall, we’re looking for improvement. I think that’s really, really important for us. We didn’t have a real good showing, collectively, last week so this week we want to make certain that we’re heading in that direction,” he said, adding he thinks the Colts got a lot accomplished over the last couple weeks.

“We think that we had a really good camp. We think that things went well. We believe we got better. That’s the important thing. So now we have to show it. We get an opportunity [tonight] to perform against a very, very good football team. But, overall, our camp I think was very, very productive.”

• Roster moves — The Colts waived offensive tackle Corey Hilliard Wednesday and have re-signed offensive guard Tom Pestock.

Hilliard had been with the team since Nov. 17, 2007, when he was signed to Indianapolis’ practice squad. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive lineman, who attended Oklahoma State, was originally a sixth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2007.

Pestock, meanwhile, was an undrafted free agent who was added to the Colts’ roster last spring and was waived Aug. 13. He played at Northwest Missouri State.

• Sitting out — Listed as out for the Eagles game are safety Antoine Bethea (hand), defensive end Raheem Brock (hand), cornerback Michael Coe (groin), cornerback Kelvin Hayden (hamstring), defensive end Robert Mathis (calf strain), tight end Gijon Robinson (back), tight end Tom Santi (shoulder) and quarterback Jim Sorgi (hamstring).

Cornerback Marlin Jackson is expected to be available to play but has been nursing a sore right knee. He will most likely be a game-time decision as will running back Mike Hart (ankle), offensive tackle Ryan Diem (back) and defensive tackle Antonio Johnson (knee).

• Final attendance figures — The final attendance numbers for the two-and-a-half weeks of training camp are in. The Colts attracted the second highest number of fans since the team moved its preseason practices to Rose-Hulman in 1999 at 24,053 (for 22 total workouts). Those figures fell below the record-setting mark of 27,340 (30 sessions), which was set in 2007.

One record was set though as the team averaged 1,083 fans per practice session. That tops the average of 911 from the 2007 training camp.

• No word on camp for 2010 — Wabash Valley fans should expect another offseason of waiting to find out if the Colts will return for training camp next summer.

While the team is expected to be back in 2010, no official announcement is likely to be made until early next spring. Caldwell — as did his predecessor Tony Dungy — likes having camp at Rose-Hulman.

“I try to focus in on the here and now. I’m glad that we were here. We got the things accomplished that we liked to get accomplished. And what happens next year is next year. But we certainly love this setting. We certainly love the atmosphere. The people that are here do a tremendous job accommodating us. They do a great job with the facilities,” he said.

“They’re also very, very friendly. I think our team enjoys coming here. Certainly I know our staff [does]. And I appreciate it even more as a head coach. I appreciated it as an assistant, but more so as a head coach because of the fact that it is such a great area to come to and such great focus. And also the interaction with the fans is priceless.”

• No Vick — Recently signed quarterback Michael Vick will not make the trip to Indianapolis for the Colts game.

Vick was added to the Eagles’ roster earlier this week after sitting out the past two years due to his conviction on dog fighting charges.

• Caught in the middle — Colts fans just missed seeing Brett Favre quarterback the Minnesota Vikings and won’t get an opportunity to see Vick play this week.

Favre signed with the Vikings on Tuesday. Minnesota played at Lucas Oil Stadium last Thursday. Vick, meanwhile, isn’t eligible to play until the third preseason game.

• Welcome back Klecko — Former Colts defensive tackle Dan Klecko is now a backup defensive tackle for Philadelphia.

Klecko, a member of Indianapolis’ Super Bowl XLI team, signed with the Eagles as a free agent prior to the 2008 season.

• Son of former Sycamore to play against Colts — Quintin Mikell, Jr., a seventh-year safety for Philadelphia, is the son of former Indiana State linebacker Quintin Mikell. Sr. He will start at strong safety against Indianapolis.

The younger Mikell, who attended Boise State, spent part of his youth in Terre Haute and still has several friends living in the area. His father, meanwhile, currently resides in Danville, Indiana.

Quintin Mikell, Sr., was a starting inside linebacker for the Sycamores in the mid-1980s, playing for then-ISU head coach Dennis Raetz.

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