INDIANAPOLIS —
The big question for the Indianapolis Colts as they prepare for Sunday's home game with Buffalo is a pretty simple one.
Can the Colts, now 6-4 for the season and still in the hunt for an AFC wild-card spot, rebound from last week's 59-24 loss to New England?
Interim coach/offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, for one, believes they can.
“It’s a process. We talk about the process all the time. It has to be consistent every week. Win, lose or draw you put that behind you Monday night and you move on,” Arians explained Wednesday.
“If you bask in the sunlight of a win, you’re going to get beat. If you pout and worry about getting beat, you’ll get beat again. It’s back to work. The Buffalo Bills are a great challenge and we need to protect our home turf and get win number seven no matter what the cost.”
Despite fielding a team that has undergone so much turnover on its roster from last year to this season, Indianapolis has been able to rally each week after losing to Chicago (41-21), Jacksonville (22-17), and the New York Jets (35-9).
Can the Colts do it again? Arians thinks they can and offers up some reasoning why.
“I think it talks about the veteran leadership in our locker room. They’re the best I’ve been around and they’re continually harping on these young guys on what it takes to win and we’re going to come back,” he explained.
“Fortunately, we were able to come back home after those losses and win. This is another one that we need to make sure that we take care of this home field advantage that we have and the 12th man again needs to be outstanding like they’ve always been, especially against [the Bills] offense.”
Arians is wary of Buffalo's quick strike ability on offense.
“They’re explosive. They’ve got a lot of speed. [Running back] C.J. Spiller can score at the drop of a hat. [Quarterback] Ryan’s a streaky player, Fitzpatrick, I mean he can really get on a roll,” he said.
“They’ve got speed. They can spread you out much like New England. They get it out quick. They’re hard to sack. They probably lead the league in screen yardage. I mean they’ve got every type of screen known to man. Middle screens, running backs are devastating on screen passes and they do a very good job of their screen game. They are the best in the league. I think they’re averaging 11-yards per completion on a screen.”
An opportunistic Bills defense, meanwhile, is on the mind of rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. Buffalo has intercepted eight passes while also forcing nine fumbles so far this season.
“I realize [that] if you look at all losses, it’s turnovers that have killed us, especially on my end, whether it’s fumbles or interceptions,” Luck said before Wednesday’s workout.
“I realize that I’ve got to cut down on those if we want to have a chance to win. Hopefully we can improve on that.”
• Arians thankful – The Colts’ interim coach was asked Wednesday what he was most thankful about this year. His response was a pretty good one.
“Oh gosh. I’m thankful for the Pittsburgh Steelers letting me go to be here,” Arians said with a smile. “Truthfully, I couldn’t think of a better place to be at this point in time and to have felt more needed probably in my entire life. So thank you Pittsburgh.”
After eight years with the Steelers, five as the team’s offensive coordinator, he was forced out by Pittsburgh’s front office at the end of the 2011 season.
• The hug at New England – Late in last week’s loss to the Patriots, Arians went over and hugged Luck. He also quietly gave him a pep talk.
“I told him that the guy he replaced [Peyton Manning], his first game in New England. I was standing there with him and it was almost déjà vu,” he explained Wednesday. “It was an ugly game and go back out there, there’s three minutes left, we’re going to sling it and see what you can learn from every throw. He’s got so much grit that he knew exactly what I was talking about.”
• Injury list – Cornerback Vontae Davis (knee) and rookie tight end Coby Fleener (shoulder) both got back on the practice field Wednesday. Davis and Fleener have both been sidelined since getting hurt at Tennessee on Oct. 28.
Wide receiver Donnie Avery, who left the New England game with a concussion, also participated in the workout. Defensive end Cory Redding (hip) said Wednesday that he wants to play this week.
“There’s really no new news to bring. Cory is getting better [but did] not practice [Wednesday]. We expect him to get out there by Friday. Fleener is limited in practice. We’ll see how the week goes. Vontae Davis [is] also is limited. We’ll see how the week goes with those guys. Everybody else is ready to go,” Arians said.
Free safety Antoine Bethea missed practice with an ankle injury Wednesday. The remainder of the official daily injury report included Davis (did not practice), Redding (did not practice), outside linebacker Dwight Freeney (rest, did not practice), Avery (full practice), running back Donald Brown (knee, full practice), rookie nose tackle Josh Chapman (knee, full practice), Luck (knee, full practice), Fleener (limited practice), and cornerback Teddy Williams (hamstring, full practice).
• Roster moves — Tight end Dominque Jones was signed to the active roster Wednesday. Jones had been waived earlier in the season and had been playing with Miami.
Rookie offensive guard Justin Anderson — who was activated off the reserve/physically unable to perform list on Monday and waived on Tuesday — was signed to the practice squad on Wednesday.
Running back Alvester Alexander was waived off the practice squad on Tuesday. Cornerback Marshay Green, waived Friday, has also been signed to the practice squad. Tight end Kyle Miller was released Monday and has since signed with the Dolphins.
• Sold out — The Colts-Bills game has officially been declared a sell out and will be televised locally.
Indianapolis officials, however, do anticipate some visiting team returns from Buffalo. Those visiting team returned tickets do not count against lifting the NFL’s mandated television blackout. Those tickets will be made available through normal channels.
Tickets are available for the two remaining regular season home games at the Lucas Oil Stadium ticket office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000 or at www.ticketmaster.com
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How will the Colts rebound vs. the Bills?
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Seeking elite status
Many stages are set in the long-running drama that is the Indianapolis 500.
The 97th running on the famed oval today has the potential to provide a new four-time champion in Helio Castroneves or Dario Franchitti.
A win for either driver would tie them for the all-time lead in the Indy 500 as A.J. Foyt (1961, ’64, ’67, ’77), Al Unser 1970-71, ’78, ’87) and Rick Mears (1979, ’84, 88, ’91) are atop that mountain with four wins a piece.
While Castroveneves starts in the middle of row three, he and his team won the pit stop competition on Carb Day. The last time Castroneves won the pit stop competition, he won his third Indy 500.
“The field is so close and we have at least 20 cars that are capable to win this race,” Castroneves said. “My previous win, it was actually won on that as well. We were able to execute in the right time and they were able to put me in a very good opportunity to execute.” -
Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions. -
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. -
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. -
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 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. -
Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
A week ago, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano said it was a priority that the team retain the services of punter Pat McAfee.
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' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine
Back and ready to go.
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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. -
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Titans to sport new look vs. Colts
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Do-or-die Bills next for Colts
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Times have changed
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Many Colts point to that loss in the third week of the season. Indianapolis led 14-3 at the half and were ahead 14-13 after three quarters of play.
In fact, the Colts led 17-16 with 0:45 remaining in the game. That’s when Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert connected with speedy wide receiver Cecil Shorts III on an 80-yard pass play that resulted in the final margin of victory.
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