The Indianapolis Colts got their first taste of real football Wednesday t the Grand Park Sports Campus as they hosted the Detroit Lions for a joint training camp practice.
It was a physical day of pads against Dan Campbell’s squad. There were plenty of ups and downs from the Colts’ sideline and even a few skirmishes throughout team drills.
We put together a quick roundup of the news, notes and highlights from the joint practice.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Day 12 of Colts training camp:
1
Attendance and Injuries
- LB Shaquille Leonard (back) remains on the PUP list and did not participate Wednesday.
- WR Mike Strachan (knee) was removed from the PUP list Tuesday and took part with the second and third-team offense.
- CB Anthony Chesley, WR Keke Coutee (groin), LB Jojo Domann, OT Dennis Kelly (knee), S Will Redmond, CB Isaiah Rodgers (concussion), S Armani Watts and DT Chris Williams (lower leg).
2
Brutal news for Andrew Ogletree
The Colts got hit with some unfortunate injury news Wednesday as Ogletree suffered a torn ACL during practice. It was a non-contact injury, and most knew it right when it happened. Even head coach Frank Reich said after practice to the media that the injury didn’t look good. Ogletree will miss what could have been a promising rookie season.
3
Matt Ryan, first-team offense dominate
Matty Ice was in prime form Wednesday. There’s no other way to put it. Whether it was 1v1, 7v7 or full team drills, Ryan had no issue finding his receivers against the Lions’ first-team defense.
According to Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle, it was the best day of camp for Ryan.
In 11-on-11s, he was 10-of-12 passing (83.3%) with three touchdowns on three straight throws in the red zone from the 10-yard line. He had completions to Pittman (4), Alie-Cox (3), Granson, Pierce, and Dulin. His touchdown throws were to Pierce, Pittman, and Dulin. Whether it was 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s, or 11-on-11s, Ryan was calling the shots.
It was a much more encouraging showing that the Colts are meshing better against an actual NFL team.
4
A top rookie
Colts rookie wideout Alec Pierce had his way with the Lions defense. It didn’t matter if it was Jeff Okudah, Amari Oruwariye or DeShon Elliott. Pierce was winning battles all over the field. It was the type of day the Colts wanted to see from their potential No. 2.
5
A few skirmishes
Given the competitive and physical nature, joint training camp practices typically hold their fair share of fisticuffs. It was no different Wednesday between the Colts and Lions, especially in the special teams work.
Here’s a description of the day from Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star:
Joint practices always bring a little more juice out of players, and the first day certainly showcased that physicality. In the punt portion, gunners ran full-speed down the field while defenders smacked into them, and each group had a little jawing to do afterward.
But of the three mini skirmishes that broke out, only one seemed to go anywhere more than initial talk. Colts tackle Jordan Murray threw down Lions defensive end Austin Bryant after Bryant cracked one of the Colts’ skill players, but it quickly defused. Ashton Dulin got into it with a blocker on punt team but only briefly. Pittman Jr. got slammed down late after a deep catch across the middle, and a pile started to shove as a couple of punches were thrown but didn’t seem to land.
As these two teams continue to compete, expect the physicality to raise plenty on Thursday.
6
What's next?
The Colts and Lions will hold their second joint training camp practice Thursday before the second preseason game on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
