Stampede Blue
Westfield, IN — The Indianapolis Colts enter the second week of preseason play with more questions than answers. Following a preseason opener against the Ravens that brought attention to a national audience, the Colts needed to rebound in a big way to instill confidence in their fanbase.
Saving the quarterback discourse for later, Indy’s overall health has entered concerning territory as of late. Going into the weekend’s slate of practices and following their preseason opener, the main concerns surrounding the Colts’ health rested in the hands (pinkie) of Anthony Richardson, as well as the unfortunate blow to the once-was deep cornerback room as rookie CB Justin Walley was ruled out for the season after tearing his ACL in the joint practice with Baltimore.
Unfortunately, after both practices this weekend, that concern materialized into a CVS receipt of nagging injuries. To quickly recap, here are the four players who either left practice early today or sat out altogether: WR Alec Pierce (groin), CB Kenny Moore II (knee), DE Kwity Paye (groin), & Nick Cross (hip flexor). Head coach Shane Steichen was not able to provide any update on the severity of said injuries, but the sheer volume is enough to worry.
Even though LB Zaire Franklin ramped up his rehab this weekend, participating in team period drills for the first time this summer, second-year LB Jaylon Carlies (knee, TBD) has yet to practice in the month of August. With so much left to iron out before the regular season arrives, this injury bug is the last thing this Colts team needed.
As for the quarterback competition, Daniel Jones appears to be taking a lead in the race. It’s by no means a landslide, but Anthony Richardson’s recent injury has seemingly dampened expectations for the latter half of training camp.
Regarding Richardson, it was indeed promising that he suited up for this weekend’s practices. He struggled efficiency-wise during his first practice back, reverting to his old self at times with some off-target throws in team periods, but the velocity and reformed decisiveness remained a steady constant.
The first practice in question was a red zone-heavy affair in which Daniel Jones shined, going an efficient 5-6 through the air, though context is needed. Jones’ run with the starters came in high RZ (from the 20 going in), whereas Richardson’s came in low RZ (from 10 going in). It’s no secret that Richardson desperately needs to improve as a passer the closer he gets to the goal line, but I feel it’s important to note that difference, given Jones had much more room to work with and the subsequent quick-hitting pass concepts played heavily in his favor numerous times.
Richardson was indeed inefficient in his first showing back, though I’d argue he had just as many highlights as he did lowlights. I can recall two truly horrid misses, but I also remember a dropped TD from Michael Pittman Jr. in 11-on-11 and two TDs to AD Mitchell in 7-on-7 play. Richardson also had a...
