ANDERSON —
Robert Mathis enjoys the idea of being called an outside linebacker who can still rush the quarterback. Dwight Freeney, on the other hand, would rather be referred to as a pass rushing defensiveend who will drop back in pass coverage on occasion.
Such is life on an Indianapolis Colts defense that is in the midst of a massive change in philosophy and style. The Colts, who have utilized a traditional 4-3 scheme (four linemen and three linebackers) for 18 years has changed to a 3-4 hybrid system (three linemen and four linebackers).
Mathis and Freeney have thrived as hands-on-the ground outside pass rushers. Freeney’s 102.5 sacks is a franchise career record, and he’s also forced 43 fumbles. Mathis, meanwhile, has accumulated 83.5 career sacks with 39 forced fumbles.
They’ve been quite the wrecking crew for Indianapolis over the years. But now, with new coach Chuck Pagano and first-year coordinator Greg Manusky leading the way, the Colts hope to show a new, more aggressive look on defense.
“From a standpoint of a pass rush, we know what [Freeney and Mathis] can do. From a sense of dropping a little bit [in pass coverage], it’s a little foreign to them. But I think over the last couple of months, we’ve been to [organized team activities], mini-camps and things of that nature. They’ve gotten a feel for it and they’re going to continue to get better during training camp,” Manusky explained recently. “So we expect great things from a pass rush like they always have. But now, it’s going to transform a little bit when they have to drop in space. It’s something new, something exciting.”
The defensive changes have excited Mathis, who opined a few times last season how he would like to play in a 3-4 defense like what the Baltimore Ravens employ at some point in his National Football League career. Freeney, meanwhile, is intrigued by the changes that are in store.
“You’ve got to buy in. You have to shift yourself out and buy in. I bought in all the way. I bought in after we went 2-14,” Mathis voiced Monday. “Everybody is hungry and ready to hunt. Everybody is having fun. You just have to get the grind out of the way, and that’s camp. So we’re going to do that and then we’ll be on our way.”
The biggest adjustment that the former fifth-round draft 2003 draft pick has encountered has been getting used to play standing up rather than getting down into a three-point stance.
“It’s very new uncharted territory for me. But I’m learning it, getting it, and enjoying the process. Space, coverage, and just being up. Seeing a whole different world that I’ve never seen before,” Mathis admitted. “Came up here in the offseason for the OTAs, tried not to miss a day. And just honed in on the minor details.
“It’s becoming more and more comfortable each day. I’m able to see a lot more than I did back in OTAs, and I’m able to react a lot quicker to it.”
As for Freeney, he’s still getting used to the idea that he’s going to be standing up for part of the game.
“It’s always been down. I’ve been doing the same thing for 10 years,” the Pro Bowl defensive end pointed out, adding that he plans to enjoy the transition. “It depends really on the position, the formation, our call. I get to play around with it a little more.
“It’s actually kind of fun and could actually help me because when you have your hand in the ground you can’t move. So sometimes in the game, I’ve liked to widen out a little bit. That’s a lot when you have your hand in the ground. But now you get to move, now you can play with your alignment. It kind of gives the offensive tackle some problems.”
That’s the deciding factor for Freeney, who many observers figure isn’t cut out to play in a 3-4 defense on a regular basis. He aims to prove his detractors wrong.
“You don’t know where I’m going to be at. The offensive tackle, it’s not easy for him. It creates some hesitation for the offensive tackle too. It’s not always about me. [The offensive tackle] has more things to worry about. There could be a guy blitzing in that B gap so he might not kick out as fast. There’s certain things he has to worry about, not just if I’m getting off the ball the same way,” Freeney voiced.
“[The Colts defensive coaches are] going to allow me to a lot of what I’ve done. You’ll see me with my hand down, that’s going to happen and they have allowed me so far to able to do so. There’s going to be situations where I can’t have my hand down. It’s fine. But most times you are probably going to see my hand down. It’s really not going to be a big difference.”
• Injury list — Rookie wide receiver Griff Whalen (foot), inside linebacker A.J. Edds (knee), offensive guard Ben Ijalana (knee) and inside linebacker Jerry Brown (knee) sat out Monday’s afternoon practice.
Edds tweaked his left knee midway through Sunday afternoon’s workout and left the practice early. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday but the results have not been determined. Ijalana, meanwhile, was also scheduled for an MRI after apparently re-injuring the same left knee that sidelined him for most of the 2011 season.
Brown was wearing a knee brace during Monday’s afternoon practice. The nature and extent of his injury was not known.
• Luck’s day — Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck unofficially completed 28 of 37 passes for three touchdowns and did not throw an interception in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills Monday afternoon.
Luck had touchdown passes to rookie wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, rookie tight end Coby Fleener and veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne. He very nearly had a fourth touchdown toss, this one to wide receiver Donnie Avery, but the ball was batted away in the back corner of the end zone by cornerback Jerraud Powers.
Hilton’s catch and run was the play of the day as Luck fired a 40-yard pass down the left sidelines. The first-year player from Florida International caught the ball in stride and took it the rest of the way for the TD.
Second-year safety Jermale Hines also returned an intercepted Drew Stanton pass for a touchdown.
• Pads on today — The Colts will break out pads for the first time today. NFL teams have to wait four days after camp starts, including two days in shorts and helmets, before they can conduct a full-contact practice.
“I can’t wait until [this afternoon]. I’ve said it before. [Today] is when the rubber meets the road. When you are in shorts, you get to see athleticism. You get to see guys run around. The mental part you get and you understand. You’re always saying is that we’ll find out a lot about everybody when we put the pads on,” Pagano said.
• No to the Steelers — A fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers was spotted in the grandstands wearing a jersey of his favorite team during Monday afternoon’s practice.
“It’s kind of our motto that you either all the way in or all the way out. It took some prying. It wasn’t easy. But we saw it early [in the workout]. Zibby [safety Tom Zbikowski] saw it and said, ‘Coach, we have to do something about that.’ So I went over there. He was a huge [Bruce] Arians fan, obviously, and [running back] Mewelde Moore [both former Steelers],” Pagano explained.
“With a little bit of coaxing and a brand new Andrew Luck jersey, I said, ‘Look, you’ve got to put on this jersey. If you do, you get to stay. If you don’t, we’ll have to escort you out of here.’ He wanted to stay and see practice and then meet Bruce and [Moore] afterwards. So it was a good deal.”
The Colts coach was asked if the fan would have really been told to leave.
“Absolutely,” the Indianapolis coach said with a smile and a laugh. “He was a Steelers fan. I would have gotten a lot of cheers [from the approximately 1,800 Colts fans in attendance Monday afternoon].”
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Mathis, Freeney must anchor unrecognizable defense
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has quickly earned a reputation as someone who isn’t afraid to shake things up a bit.
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Deacon Jones of famed Fearsome Foursome dead at 74
David “Deacon” Jones, the original sackmaster, has died.
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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.
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. -
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Close to 300 fans, many of whom watched Leonard take the Maroons to the 2010 IHSA Class 2A state championship, rode on charter buses to watch him battle the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis last week. -
Update: Ravens dismiss former South standout Cam Cameron as offensive coordinator
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Leonard has moment for highlight reel, but Pacers come away with victory
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Titans to sport new look vs. Colts
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Lions present many challenges for Colts
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Wild card looking mighty doable right now: Colts improve to 7-4 with win
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‘Resilient’ label fits Colts
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Do-or-die Bills next for Colts
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How will the Colts rebound vs. the Bills?
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Colts healthy entering key road game
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Colts, Patriots renew rivalry for 10th straight year
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Times have changed
A lot has changed for the Indianapolis Colts since a 22-17 home loss to Jacksonville on Sept. 23.
For starters, that’s the only game the 1-7 Jaguars have won this season. Indianapolis, meanwhile, has posted wins in four of its last five games and is rolling along with a 5-3 record.
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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Not pretty, but Colts take win
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Colts wish linebackers could play more at same time
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