INDIANAPOLIS —
A time for a bit of reflection and some extra time to heal up. That’s how the Indianapolis Colts hoped to use the bye week. Indianapolis was one of two National Football League teams, along with Pittsburgh, to have an early week off to the season.
Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano had two days of practices last week and then gave the team four days off to rest and think about the 1-2 start to the Colts’ season.
During the two days of workouts, Pagano and the Indianapolis coaching staff set about trying to figure out what went wrong in last week’s 22-17 home-field loss to Jacksonville, as well as what’s happened of the course of the first three games, and attempt to fix as many problem areas as possible.
Pagano welcomed back several players who have been absent from the team’s line up due to an array of injuries — inside linebacker Pat Angerer (foot), outside linebacker Dwight Freeney (ankle), offensive guard Joe Reitz (knee).
All three could end up starting Indianapolis’ Oct. 7 home game with Green Bay if things continue to go well.
The extra time will also hopefully allow cornerbacks Vontae Davis (ankle) and Justin King (groin) some time to rest and return to the practice field when practices resume on Monday.
Angerer, in particular, could really help a defensive unit that has been inconsistent. He hasn’t played since fracturing his right foot on the first play of the preseason opener with St. Louis in mid-August.
“He’s had a tough go. It’s been a long time since he’s played football and it’s been hard on him, real hard on him. But we had him back [during practice last week] a little bit,” linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald said late last week.
“We worked him in individuals so he’s with the guys and doing work with them so he looked good. He’s going to be rusty. It’s just a matter of him being out so long that he’s going to have to work himself back in a little bit.”
Early-season positives
Despite the loss for most of early portion of the season, and now the remainder of the year, of veteran wide receiver Austin Collie, the Colts passing offense has come along a lot quicker than most anticipated.
Having another veteran, Reggie Wayne, around certainly helps. Wayne is off to the fastest start of his NFL career in terms of receptions and reception yardage through three games. He is working well with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck.
But Donnie Avery, who was the first receiver taken in the 2008 draft by St. Louis, has really come on and been a valuable addition. Avery appears to be all the back from a serious knee injury that helped to curtail his career with the Rams and Tennessee Titans.
There has also been a big improvement overall in special teams play, especially in kick and punt coverage as well as in kickoff and punt returns. Second-year safety Joe Lefedge has become a special teams ace as a gunner on punt and kickoff coverage. Lefedge’s duties are strictly on special teams for now despite putting together a pretty good rookie season on defense in 2011.
Perhaps the biggest positive has come from the quick maturation of Luck, who has been as good as advertised.
“With Andrew, it’s kind of, to me I look at [bye week] as the end of training camp officially. Everything has been pushed back, we’ve had to accelerate everything so fast in these first three weeks of the season and now we’ll take a good hard look at what we’re doing rep-wise and how many throws we’re getting him and some of those things and we’ll have to cut back on some of those things,” quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen said.
“But without him being here this offseason, we really had to do a little extra work and pre-work and pre-practice work and post-practice work and just make sure that he was up to snuff. I think it’ll be fun to just go back and sit down and take a deep breath and say ‘Okay, where is he? What do we need next? What do we need to do next and where do we need to cut back?’ Because he can’t keep this pace for the whole 16 weeks, it would be tough to keep this pace up.”
Luck’s ability to learn and adjust to what he sees, particularly in game situations, has been an eye-opener.
“He just comes to work and punches in and works and has been so steady, so he doesn’t surprise me. But usually with a rookie, you kind of expect some ups and downs and some confusion or frustration or some of those things. But he’s just been steady. After a mistake, he just comes back and works again and keeps trucking. He’s been excellent from the sideline,” Christensen said.
“I think just the football maturity-wise that has been so impressive to me that he’s been so even keel, especially for your first time through this thing, and especially with the little offseason that he’s had, I think that’s been the impressive thing that there hasn’t been surprises. The surprise has been that there hasn’t been surprises. So that’s a compliment to him.”
Early-season negatives
Where to start. There’s been the Colts’ inconsistent run offense as well as the inconsistent defense. Injuries have also played a big factor in how Indianapolis has responded through the first three games of the year.
Taking the last topic first, the Colts have, once again, been hit hard by the injury bug as several key players — Reitz, Freeney, Angerer, Collie, Davis, center Samson Satele, offensive tackle Winston Justice — have all been sidelined.
Collie is done for the year with a torn right patellar tendon and also suffered from the effects of a concussion.
The running game has been non-existent at times. The defense is still trying to learn the new 3-4 hybrid system, so inconsistency there is somewhat expected.
Cornerback Jerraud Powers and safety Antoine Bethea both admit that learning a new defense — the Colts had been a 4-3 defense since 1992 — hasn’t been as hard as getting accustomed to so many new teammates.
Nearly two-thirds of the Indianapolis roster has been turned over since the end of the 2011 season. That can make for some anxious moments on the practice field and, consequently, on game days.
“There really hasn’t been anything that’s tough. I think we’ve gone through the toughest part. Well, I guess we’re still going through it now. Playing with one another. When you have those veteran teams and you have those veteran players who’ve have been out there playing with one another for a long time, you know where this guy is going to be [on the field],” Bethea voiced.
“So we’re kind of going through that now, getting comfortable with one another on the field. All that [we] can really do is get better with playing time. So week in and week in, we’ll continue to get better with that.”
Powers agrees, saying that the locker room atmosphere is different with a younger group of players around.
“The toughest thing I had to adjust to was learning new names. I’ve been in several [defensive] schemes since college, so I knew that wouldn’t be a tough part,” he said.
“I could learn a scheme. But it was like ‘now who’s this guy beside me’ in the locker room, ‘who’s this new guy, who’s that new guy.’ So getting that team comadrie and having to start a whole new bond of trust and a whole new bond of brothers that you haven’t even met or don’t even know. That was probably the toughest thing. But other than that, they made it an easy transition.”
Colts
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Feels good: Indianapolis wide receiver Reggie Wayne acknowledges the crowd's applause afte he scored against the Minnesota defense in the first half of the Colts' game against the Vikings Sunday in Indianapolis. (Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza)
Discussion
Colts enjoy bye week to rest, reflect on start of new era
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
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Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway. -
Werner at top of game
Bjoern Werner was a late comer to football. But after being selected in the first round of the 2013 National Football League draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Werner realizes that he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in a relatively short amount of time.
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Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round
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Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
As the 2013 NFL draft gets underway tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts are continuing their wait-and-see stance in regard to the first-round pick.
The draft begins at 8 p.m. — televised by the NFL Network and ESPN — with the Kansas City Chiefs making the night’s first selection. Teams will have 10 minutes to make their decisions during the first round. Indianapolis will have the 24th overall pick in the first round.
There will be only one round tonight. The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with seven minutes allotted per pick in the second round and five minutes allowed in the third. The final four rounds are slated to begin at noon Saturday with four minutes between selections.
As it stands now, Indianapolis does not have a second-round pick. It was traded to Miami last fall in exchange for veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. But second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has nut ruled out the possibility of trading down from the first round if the Colts aren’t satisfied with the players available. -
Direction clear for Colts in 2013 draft
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Colts veteran among those excited to see Luck's growth in 2013-14
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Heyward-Bey feeling fortunate to hook up with Luck
Add one more player to the list of veteran free agents signed by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed to a a deal with the Colts late Monday evening. Bey, who played collegiately at Maryland, was the seventh player selected in the first round of the 2009 National Football League draft. -
Colts sign nose tackle
Another day, more player signings for the Indianapolis Colts.
Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin agreed to terms with the Colts on Tuesday evening and officially signed with the team Wednesday. Franklin (6-1, 315) is a 10-year NFL veteran with stops in Baltimore (2003-06), San Francisco (2007-10), New Orleans (2011) and San Diego (2012). -
Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
The Indianapolis Colts’ roster moves just keep coming.
While the Colts haven’t yet added that big-name wide receiver that team owner Jim Irsay hinted at in tweets over the weekend, Indianapolis has addressed one area on offense.
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had agreed Monday night to be the Colts’ primary back-up to second-year starter Andrew Luck. He officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the team Tuesday morning.
“We are very pleased to announce the signing of Matt Hasselbeck,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in a prepared statement. “His body of work, intangibles, and extensive league experience speak for themselves. Those factors, plus his familiarity with our offensive scheme, will make him a great asset to our team and its vision as we move forward.” -
Colts likely done signing free agents, for now
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Landry, Jean Francois join Colts defensive unit
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New York Jets safety LaRon Landry and San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois both signed contracts with the Colts. Landry, a strong safety who appears to be a bigger version of former Indianapolis Pro Bowler Bob Sanders, and the versatile Jean-Francois are expected to make immediate impacts on the Colts’ defensive unit. -
Colts introduce free-agent signees
What the Indianapolis Colts accomplished last season — posting an 11-5 record and earning an AFC wild-card berth with a young team plus having that kind of success without its head coach on the sidelines for 12 games — didn’t go unnoticed by players around the NFL.
That was especially true for the five veteran free agents who were added to the Colts’ roster Tuesday. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), cornerback Greg Toler (Arizona), outside linebacker Erik Walden (Green Bay), offensive guard Donald Thomas (New England) and linebacker Lawrence Sidbury (Atlanta) admitted as much Wednesday.
“I felt like this would be the best fit for me at this point in my career. I really liked what I saw was happening with the program here and the way things have taken shape. I feel like we have a really great team here and it’s on the rise. I really wanted to be a part of that,” Thomas said during a teleconference interview with the Colts’ media. -
Colts sign five free agents, filling needs at offensive line, cornerback
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Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt
An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards. -
Saturday thrilled to retire as a Colt
The 14-year veteran center in the National Football League put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in-between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — that Saturday earned his greatest rewards.
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Saturday to retire as Colt on Thursday
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Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
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McAfee, an unrestricted free agent who’s contract is due to expire March 12, was designated as the Colts’ franchise player Friday. The move allows Indianapolis extra time to work out a long-term deal for the team’s special-teams ace.
“He’s huge. He’s a major priority in free agency. Obviously, we’ve reached out and are working to get Pat re-signed,” Pagano said during the National Football Scouting Combine. “We saw what he did for us last year. He’s a great weapon, not only kickoffs and touchbacks. -
Colts GM enjoying time at combine
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Colts keeping eye on large crop of talented linemen in NFL Draft
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Colts' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine
Back and ready to go.
That’s the attitude Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is taking during the National Football Scouting Combine, which completed its second day of operations Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. During a wide-ranging press conference at the combine, Pagano confirmed that he is back to a full work regimen after missing 12 games last fall as he battled a rare form of leukemia.
After undergoing cancer treatments that featured heavy doses of chemotherapy, the second-year head coach was able to return to the sidelines for Indianapolis’ final regular-season home game against Houston and for the team’s AFC wild-card matchup with eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore. -
Colts looking forward to different approach to draft in 2013
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the first overall pick in the 2012 National Football League draft.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Colts would select former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the selection. While Indianapolis front office and player personnel officials certainly had to do their due diligence in preparing for the draft, the Colts find themselves this year in a bit different situation.
The team will have the 24th overall pick in the first round, which is a double-edged sword. Indianapolis picks lower in the round due to a successful season. But the pool of available can’t-miss talent isn’t quite as plentiful as drafting earlier in the round. -
Former Pro Bowl selection Freeney won't return to Colts
The news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts headquarters Friday afternoon was not totally unexpected. Team officials have confirmed that two veteran players – former Pro Bowl defensive end/outside linebacker Dwight Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie — will not be returning for the 2013 season.
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Colts’ new offensive coordinator will offer variety
Quarterback Andrew Luck running the Pistol offense? Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton lining up in the Wildcat?
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Colts moving on to the off season
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Baltimore ends Indy’s playoff run early
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Next up, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. -
Switching sides: Colts-Ravens matchup includes old friends on new teams
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Pagano prepares Colts for tough crowd in Baltimore
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Pagano marvels at Colt’s progress
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