Live results and observations for 8/6 evening Camp.

[Legend of Luck]

So here are the top things I pulled away from todays practice.

 

1. If anyone is getting nervous due to this talk of a "power running team" and wanting to focus on the run more, rest assured, we will be passing PLENTY this year. Sure, its training camp, and they dont want to run a bunch of run plays all day, but the amount of passing plays to run plays today was 5;1. And instead of "running" plays, I think that our offense will have a lot of checkdowns and passes out of the backfield.

 

2. Griff Whalen WILL BE ON THE FINAL ROSTER. PERIOD. IT IS NO LONGER A QUESTION. All crazy emphasis aside, the dude just makes plays all day. Multiple big plays and 3 touchdowns today, one of those coming on a 20 catch and run from a Luck pass. Whether its with the ones, twos, threes, or the pee wee league down the street, the dude is a friggin baller. We have a diamond in the ruff with this kid, and as long as he stays healthy, he will make an impact on the field for us this year. He is really almost an Austin Collie clone.

 

3. DHB participated in individual drills and seemed to be fine. He had a blue wrapping up his injured leg. No limping or anything, made some very impressive catches off fade routes and such. I assume they held him out of team practice due to not wanting him to get tangled up with somebody else and exasperate the issue. He was on the jug machines before practice. His hands are clearly improving.

 

4. T.Y. Hilton is a STAR. He is the colts version of Percy Harvin. This will be a huge, breakout year for him. His biggest issue last year was the number of drops he had, but that has been his biggest focus this offseason, and no matter where the balls were thrown today, he caught EVERYTHING. Huge play after huge play. Touchdown after touchdown. Cant tell you how impressed I was today.

 

5. I saw someone mention Lucks inability to throw the fade: this is simply not true. Andrew threw a number of PERFECT fades today, but it just so happened that 2 of them that were for Reggie were incomplete. One was overthrown, the other looked like Wayne had been interfered with. 

 

6. Sambrano had great plays and awful plays today. Mostly good, but one really stands out. During 11/11, Luck had rolled out of a play action, looking for a deep pass, Sambrano was furthest down the field, but he quit running. He must have assumed it was a run play, but Luck threw to him, and the ball was clearly ahead of Sambrano. Not the type of work ethic I would expect from a guy trying to earn a job. Dissapointing.

 

7. Our TE's made great plays today, but were somewhat inconsistent with their hands. Now to be fair, their drops only occured with defenders draped all over them, but its just something I noticed. Only one drop from Reggie today during individual drills, none from TY, or even DHB during indiviual drills, but the TE's had a pair each. For those of you who play fantasy football, Fleener looks like he will be awesome this year. He had a number of big big plays, 15, 20, 30 yards, on the sideline, in the middle of the field, hes gonna be everywhere this year. Big statistical year for him.

 

8. For as much success as Luck had today, the defense had a good day too. The 1s stopped the offense on 6/9 redzone plays. They were able to establish pressure, and some great blitz schemes today. No picks, but a couple batted balls and very tight coverage.

 

9. Not really much to say about our O-line, but I dont know if thats good or bad. They gave up one sack (the first team O-line that is, backups gave up quite a few), but only allowed for pressure on a few occasions. Luck actually had quite a few plays today where he had all the time in the world to make his throws. So hopefully, the line is better than before.

 

10. As far as non-starters go, Brazil and Palmer looked good today, but I think Kerwyn Williams stood out most. He has game breaking speed and soft hands. Jeremy Kelly looked good in indiviual drills, but became invisible during team play. Bunch of drops from Dominique Jones. Not much from Cunningham. Nothing from Delone Carter and only small bits of Donlad Brown. Ballard had almost all the work with the 1s, execpt for the few plays where they had Brown out wide in a five wide set.

 

I hope my coverage today gave you guys who cant make it a chance to see what today was really all about. I tried to get something from every play. If you have a question just hit me up. Let me know what you think.

[Gavin]

Toler got beat by TY twice today for td's also if I remember right

[Superman]

 

Great job with this write-up. Thanks for doing this.

 

If Whalen stays healthy, and DHB continues getting comfortable, our receiving corps won't be an issue. Outside of Wayne, we'll be young, but we seem to have a lot of guys with upside. Hilton's potential is through the roof. I'm not going to get carried away with DHB, but if he can take a step forward with a new team, he could be a big deal for us this year. Whalen rounds it out nicely, along with whoever gets that 5th/6th spot. I like our receivers.

 

I also like the good news about the tight ends. We have a couple of studs. Hopefully Fleener's strong camp carries over to the regular season. He didn't have a good camp last year, so this signifies a big step for him. Allen is awesome.

 

It's been a long time since we had a strong secondary. I hope this is real.

 

No telling on the offensive line. I'm cautiously optimistic. I'll be looking at the first unit very carefully on Sunday.

 

I'll also be looking for Kerwynn Williams to make a mark in the return game.

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to write all this up.

[CR91]

great stuff. thanks a lot

[Legend of Luck]

 

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to write all this up.

 

Thank you. My pleasure. I am glued to my computer screen any day there is a practice, dying to get live updates, so I knew that if I was gonna be there, I was gonna bust my butt and deliver for my fellow colts fans! 

[GAColtsFan]

So here are the top things I pulled away from todays practice.

 

1. If anyone is getting nervous due to this talk of a "power running team" and wanting to focus on the run more, rest assured, we will be passing PLENTY this year. Sure, its training camp, and they dont want to run a bunch of run plays all day, but the amount of passing plays to run plays today was 5;1. And instead of "running" plays, I think that our offense will have a lot of checkdowns and passes out of the backfield.

 

2. Griff Whalen WILL BE ON THE FINAL ROSTER. PERIOD. IT IS NO LONGER A QUESTION. All crazy emphasis aside, the dude just makes plays all day. Multiple big plays and 3 touchdowns today, one of those coming on a 20 catch and run from a Luck pass. Whether its with the ones, twos, threes, or the pee wee league down the street, the dude is a friggin baller. We have a diamond in the ruff with this kid, and as long as he stays healthy, he will make an impact on the field for us this year. He is really almost an Austin Collie clone.

 

3. DHB participated in individual drills and seemed to be fine. He had a blue wrapping up his injured leg. No limping or anything, made some very impressive catches off fade routes and such. I assume they held him out of team practice due to not wanting him to get tangled up with somebody else and exasperate the issue. He was on the jug machines before practice. His hands are clearly improving.

 

4. T.Y. Hilton is a STAR. He is the colts version of Percy Harvin. This will be a huge, breakout year for him. His biggest issue last year was the number of drops he had, but that has been his biggest focus this offseason, and no matter where the balls were thrown today, he caught EVERYTHING. Huge play after huge play. Touchdown after touchdown. Cant tell you how impressed I was today.

 

5. I saw someone mention Lucks inability to throw the fade: this is simply not true. Andrew threw a number of PERFECT fades today, but it just so happened that 2 of them that were for Reggie were incomplete. One was overthrown, the other looked like Wayne had been interfered with. 

 

6. Sambrano had great plays and awful plays today. Mostly good, but one really stands out. During 11/11, Luck had rolled out of a play action, looking for a deep pass, Sambrano was furthest down the field, but he quit running. He must have assumed it was a run play, but Luck threw to him, and the ball was clearly ahead of Sambrano. Not the type of work ethic I would expect from a guy trying to earn a job. Dissapointing.

 

7. Our TE's made great plays today, but were somewhat inconsistent with their hands. Now to be fair, their drops only occured with defenders draped all over them, but its just something I noticed. Only one drop from Reggie today during individual drills, none from TY, or even DHB during indiviual drills, but the TE's had a pair each. For those of you who play fantasy football, Fleener looks like he will be awesome this year. He had a number of big big plays, 15, 20, 30 yards, on the sideline, in the middle of the field, hes gonna be everywhere this year. Big statistical year for him.

 

8. For as much success as Luck had today, the defense had a good day too. The 1s stopped the offense on 6/9 redzone plays. They were able to establish pressure, and some great blitz schemes today. No picks, but a couple batted balls and very tight coverage.

 

9. Not really much to say about our O-line, but I dont know if thats good or bad. They gave up one sack (the first team O-line that is, backups gave up quite a few), but only allowed for pressure on a few occasions. Luck actually had quite a few plays today where he had all the time in the world to make his throws. So hopefully, the line is better than before.

 

10. As far as non-starters go, Brazil and Palmer looked good today, but I think Kerwyn Williams stood out most. He has game breaking speed and soft hands. Jeremy Kelly looked good in indiviual drills, but became invisible during team play. Bunch of drops from Dominique Jones. Not much from Cunningham. Nothing from Delone Carter and only small bits of Donlad Brown. Ballard had almost all the work with the 1s, execpt for the few plays where they had Brown out wide in a five wide set.

 

I hope my coverage today gave you guys who cant make it a chance to see what today was really all about. I tried to get something from every play. If you have a question just hit me up. Let me know what you think.

I'm stuck in Florida and see tons of Bucs & Fins fans.  sure wish I could be at camp & go to games. Thanks to great people like you, we out of state fans can get our COLTS fix everyday, Thanks 

[alawai]

Thank You!

[AntonMcG]

Great write up. Seems like everything is coing together nicely.

 

However, and I am not trying to be a killjoy, we should remember that camp success often does not translate to regular season. Jerry Hughes is the prime example of this. Brazill outperformed Hilton in camp last year. Vaughn looked excellent in camp last year but was found out in the regular season.

 

And that is just last year.

[SteelCityColt]

Great write up. Seems like everything is coing together nicely.

 

However, and I am not trying to be a killjoy, we should remember that camp success often does not translate to regular season. Jerry Hughes is the prime example of this. Brazill outperformed Hilton in camp last year. Vaughn looked excellent in camp last year but was found out in the regular season.

 

And that is just last year.

 

We all know that the reason Jerry Hughes failed was not being given a fair chance, his good showing in TC last year surely supports this notion Brazill obviously "celebrated" finishing TC a bit too much and as for Vaughan..... umm.... someone stole his neck leaving him with the inability to turn his head?

[SteelCityColt]

So here are the top things I pulled away from todays practice.

 

I hope my coverage today gave you guys who cant make it a chance to see what today was really all about. I tried to get something from every play. If you have a question just hit me up. Let me know what you think.

 

Edited for brevity. 

 

Thank you for an excellent write up, it's been really good getting reports from the field of battle.

[Smonroe]

Nice job.  Really appreciate the thoughts.

 

I'm going to throw a little bit of a damper on the elation.   If anyone watched Hard Knocks last year the Dolphins had a receiver they nicknamed 7/11 because he was always open.  He was, like Griff, the star of their early camp.  By the end of the preseason, he was cut and put on the PS.  Then cut from there.

 

I'm not saying Griff will turn out like that.  I just don't want to get my hopes up too high until we see him, and the rest of the unproven players, in real competition.  Down deep, I'm hoping he's our Wes Welker and TY is our Percy Harvin.  Heck, might as well throw DHB in as our Megatron.

 

That's a nice fantasy anyway.

[Legend of Luck]

Thank you again for all the kind words, its all for you guys.

 

 

Nice job.  Really appreciate the thoughts.

 

I'm going to throw a little bit of a damper on the elation.   If anyone watched Hard Knocks last year the Dolphins had a receiver they nicknamed 7/11 because he was always open.  He was, like Griff, the star of their early camp.  By the end of the preseason, he was cut and put on the PS.  Then cut from there.

 

I'm not saying Griff will turn out like that.  I just don't want to get my hopes up too high until we see him, and the rest of the unproven players, in real competition.  Down deep, I'm hoping he's our Wes Welker and TY is our Percy Harvin.  Heck, might as well throw DHB in as our Megatron.

 

That's a nice fantasy anyway.

 

I can understand the comparison, but there is a big difference. I watched that hard knocks and the type of players theses guys are are completely different. 

 

A few quick points:

 

1. He has earned glowing praise not only from reporters, but from players and coaches alike. Chuck said hes making himself "necessary", which, when it comes to making a team, is the most important thing a player needs to be.

2. He is listed as a number one receiver behind Reggie and Brazil at the moment, that shows how much versatility the staff sees in him. He can play all receiving positions.

3. He has a ton of chemistry and familiarity with Luck and Pep since he played with both of them in college.

4. He is overall a more complete player. Runs great routes, good vision downfield, excellent hands.

5. Griff was most likely going to make the team LAST YEAR had it not been for his injury.

 

Honestly, as much as its been said, the best comparison that we can make for him is Austin Collie. 

[Legend of Luck]

Great write up. Seems like everything is coing together nicely.

 

However, and I am not trying to be a killjoy, we should remember that camp success often does not translate to regular season. Jerry Hughes is the prime example of this. Brazill outperformed Hilton in camp last year. Vaughn looked excellent in camp last year but was found out in the regular season.

 

And that is just last year.

 

As far as the TY/Brazil thing, last year in camp, TY has said he lacked confidence, but he grew as the season went on. The difference in this situation is that they had Griff in camp last year and he looked great last year too. Thats why the hype around him has been so huge. Even before training camp started, people were asking about Griff.

 

2 years in a row is not a coincidence or just happenstance. Griff has skill and the team will keep him. 

[Smonroe]

Thank you again for all the kind words, its all for you guys.

 

 

 

I can understand the comparison, but there is a big difference. I watched that hard knocks and the type of players theses guys are are completely different. 

 

A few quick points:

 

1. He has earned glowing praise not only from reporters, but from players and coaches alike. Chuck said hes making himself "necessary", which, when it comes to making a team, is the most important thing a player needs to be.

2. He is listed as a number one receiver behind Reggie and Brazil at the moment, that shows how much versatility the staff sees in him. He can play all receiving positions.

3. He has a ton of chemistry and familiarity with Luck and Pep since he played with both of them in college.

4. He is overall a more complete player. Runs great routes, good vision downfield, excellent hands.

5. Griff was most likely going to make the team LAST YEAR had it not been for his injury.

 

Honestly, as much as its been said, the best comparison that we can make for him is Austin Collie. 

 

Oh yeah, I get all that, I'm just saying that he hasn't really been tested yet.

 

I thought when he played in the preseason last year he looked great.  To me, he plays "bigger" than his body type.  I'm pretty sure the Colts IRed him to hide him, so I'm guessing other teams noticed him too.

 

But there's still a matter of seeing how he does when a starting NFL safety hits him a few times.  Just trying not to get too excited right now.

[Legend of Luck]

Oh yeah, I get all that, I'm just saying that he hasn't really been tested yet.

 

I thought when he played in the preseason last year he looked great.  To me, he plays "bigger" than his body type.  I'm pretty sure the Colts IRed him to hide him, so I'm guessing other teams noticed him too.

 

But there's still a matter of seeing how he does when a starting NFL safety hits him a few times.  Just trying not to get too excited right now.

Thats understandable. Just a few more days and we will get our first peak at live action!

[lollygagger8]

Thanks for that excellent write-up....you transported me from behind this lame old keyboard and put me right in the seat next to you. 

[AntonMcG]

As far as the TY/Brazil thing, last year in camp, TY has said he lacked confidence, but he grew as the season went on. The difference in this situation is that they had Griff in camp last year and he looked great last year too. Thats why the hype around him has been so huge. Even before training camp started, people were asking about Griff.

 

2 years in a row is not a coincidence or just happenstance. Griff has skill and the team will keep him. 

 

The fact remains, in relation to confidence and other things that make players exceed or underwhelm expectations, that time and time again players have turned up in TC and disappointed from then on.

 

I have been around athletes my whole life who have looked like superstars in practice/training but could not perform in competitive action. Some people are just not mentally equipped, over have a physical limitation that only gets found out when things are real. The examples of this are endless.

 

I was not talking about Whalen specifically, I love what he brings and hope he succeeds... but the nature and history of TC dictate that not all the guys who star out there now will do the same come September... it will help them get on the 53 though.

[Legend of Luck]

Thanks for that excellent write-up....you transported me from behind this lame old keyboard and put me right in the seat next to you. 

Thank you

 

The fact remains, in relation to confidence and other things that make players exceed or underwhelm expectations, that time and time again players have turned up in TC and disappointed from then on.

 

I have been around athletes my whole life who have looked like superstars in practice/training but could not perform in competitive action. Some people are just not mentally equipped, over have a physical limitation that only gets found out when things are real. The examples of this are endless.

 

I was not talking about Whalen specifically, I love what he brings and hope he succeeds... but the nature and history of TC dictate that not all the guys who star out there now will do the same come September... it will help them get on the 53 though.

 

Yes, but that is my point. He will make the roster. And as far as contributing come september, I think your point works vice versa as well: If you dont look good in TC your probably not that good. So at least he has that going for him.

[AntonMcG]

Thank you

 

 

Yes, but that is my point. He will make the roster. And as far as contributing come september, I think your point works vice versa as well: If you dont look good in TC your probably not that good. So at least he has that going for him.

 

lol, I probably just sound argumentative at this stage, but I wouldn't say that either. There are those other types of guys (usually veterans or early round picks who are confident they are on the roster) who show flashes in TC but are generally inconsistent. However, when Game Day comes they are mentally prepared and everything comes together. How many times have we heard reports of an early-round draftee who was proving inconsistent, and written off at camp, who comes out and produces when the season starts?

 

It is crazy how many of both types of guys are out there.

[cjwhiskers]

lol, I probably just sound argumentative at this stage, but I wouldn't say that either. There are those other types of guys (usually veterans or early round picks who are confident they are on the roster) who show flashes in TC but are generally inconsistent. However, when Game Day comes they are mentally prepared and everything comes together. How many times have we heard reports of an early-round draftee who was proving inconsistent, and written off at camp, who comes out and produces when the season starts?

 

It is crazy how many of both types of guys are out there.

 

 I would hope there are none of those early round picks or vets on this team who slack at TC because they think they've already got a roster spot. But I agree, his TC success doesn't prove that he will be a good player come game time. However, thats not to say they aren't correlated because they are. From what I've read/seen Griff has the tools, drive, and mindset to be a contributor. The fact that he had a good preseason last year, coupled with a strong TC, and hopefully a good preseason this year will force us to keep him here. 

[AntonMcG]

 I would hope there are none of those early round picks or vets on this team who slack at TC because they think they've already got a roster spot. But I agree, his TC success doesn't prove that he will be a good player come game time. However, thats not to say they aren't correlated because they are. From what I've read/seen Griff has the tools, drive, and mindset to be a contributor. The fact that he had a good preseason last year, coupled with a strong TC, and hopefully a good preseason this year will force us to keep him here. 

 

I hope so, NFL is played fast though, much faster than anything he has ever played. He was undrafted afterall.

[southwest1]

Thanks for that excellent write-up....you transported me from behind this lame old keyboard and put me right in the seat next to you. 

 

Very eloquently stated there Lollygager. The best writers in any discipline do just that & Legend Of Luck is no exception to that rule. 

Thank you again for all the kind words, its all for you guys.

 

 

 

I can understand the comparison, but there is a big difference. I watched that hard knocks and the type of players theses guys are are completely different. 

 

A few quick points:

 

1. He has earned glowing praise not only from reporters, but from players and coaches alike. Chuck said hes making himself "necessary", which, when it comes to making a team, is the most important thing a player needs to be.

2. He is listed as a number one receiver behind Reggie and Brazil at the moment, that shows how much versatility the staff sees in him. He can play all receiving positions.

3. He has a ton of chemistry and familiarity with Luck and Pep since he played with both of them in college.

4. He is overall a more complete player. Runs great routes, good vision downfield, excellent hands.

5. Griff was most likely going to make the team LAST YEAR had it not been for his injury.

 

Honestly, as much as its been said, the best comparison that we can make for him is Austin Collie. 

That is indeed high praise Legend Of Luck. I sincerely hope that is not hyperbole or embellished language on your part. Let's hope that it is foreshadowing without the concussions naturally. Nice work! 

[southwest1]

So here are the top things I pulled away from todays practice.

 

1. If anyone is getting nervous due to this talk of a "power running team" and wanting to focus on the run more, rest assured, we will be passing PLENTY this year. Sure, its training camp, and they dont want to run a bunch of run plays all day, but the amount of passing plays to run plays today was 5;1. And instead of "running" plays, I think that our offense will have a lot of checkdowns and passes out of the backfield.

 

2. Griff Whalen WILL BE ON THE FINAL ROSTER. PERIOD. IT IS NO LONGER A QUESTION. All crazy emphasis aside, the dude just makes plays all day. Multiple big plays and 3 touchdowns today, one of those coming on a 20 catch and run from a Luck pass. Whether its with the ones, twos, threes, or the pee wee league down the street, the dude is a friggin baller. We have a diamond in the ruff with this kid, and as long as he stays healthy, he will make an impact on the field for us this year. He is really almost an Austin Collie clone.

 

3. DHB participated in individual drills and seemed to be fine. He had a blue wrapping up his injured leg. No limping or anything, made some very impressive catches off fade routes and such. I assume they held him out of team practice due to not wanting him to get tangled up with somebody else and exasperate the issue. He was on the jug machines before practice. His hands are clearly improving.

 

4. T.Y. Hilton is a STAR. He is the colts version of Percy Harvin. This will be a huge, breakout year for him. His biggest issue last year was the number of drops he had, but that has been his biggest focus this offseason, and no matter where the balls were thrown today, he caught EVERYTHING. Huge play after huge play. Touchdown after touchdown. Cant tell you how impressed I was today.

 

5. I saw someone mention Lucks inability to throw the fade: this is simply not true. Andrew threw a number of PERFECT fades today, but it just so happened that 2 of them that were for Reggie were incomplete. One was overthrown, the other looked like Wayne had been interfered with. 

 

6. Sambrano had great plays and awful plays today. Mostly good, but one really stands out. During 11/11, Luck had rolled out of a play action, looking for a deep pass, Sambrano was furthest down the field, but he quit running. He must have assumed it was a run play, but Luck threw to him, and the ball was clearly ahead of Sambrano. Not the type of work ethic I would expect from a guy trying to earn a job. Dissapointing.

 

7. Our TE's made great plays today, but were somewhat inconsistent with their hands. Now to be fair, their drops only occured with defenders draped all over them, but its just something I noticed. Only one drop from Reggie today during individual drills, none from TY, or even DHB during indiviual drills, but the TE's had a pair each. For those of you who play fantasy football, Fleener looks like he will be awesome this year. He had a number of big big plays, 15, 20, 30 yards, on the sideline, in the middle of the field, hes gonna be everywhere this year. Big statistical year for him.

 

8. For as much success as Luck had today, the defense had a good day too. The 1s stopped the offense on 6/9 redzone plays. They were able to establish pressure, and some great blitz schemes today. No picks, but a couple batted balls and very tight coverage.

 

9. Not really much to say about our O-line, but I dont know if thats good or bad. They gave up one sack (the first team O-line that is, backups gave up quite a few), but only allowed for pressure on a few occasions. Luck actually had quite a few plays today where he had all the time in the world to make his throws. So hopefully, the line is better than before.

 

10. As far as non-starters go, Brazil and Palmer looked good today, but I think Kerwyn Williams stood out most. He has game breaking speed and soft hands. Jeremy Kelly looked good in indiviual drills, but became invisible during team play. Bunch of drops from Dominique Jones. Not much from Cunningham. Nothing from Delone Carter and only small bits of Donlad Brown. Ballard had almost all the work with the 1s, execpt for the few plays where they had Brown out wide in a five wide set.

 

I hope my coverage today gave you guys who cant make it a chance to see what today was really all about. I tried to get something from every play. If you have a question just hit me up. Let me know what you think.

I like what you said regarding #9 regarding our offensive line "I don't know if it's good or bad." Too many writers professional or otherwise often try way to hard to act as though they themselves have all the answers. I like evaluators who can openly admit that something is uncertain, up in the air, & needs room for improvement like an incomplete grade. That really appeals to fans actually acknowledging an unfinished picture like a jigsaw puzzle with more than a few pieces missing. The circumstance does not spell disaster. It just takes time to see where all the pieces slide into place best that's all. 

 

The next time you see the Colts LIVE in action focus on our o-line. How well do they move as a cohesive unit? Are they thinking or reacting like it's 2nd nature? Are they creating consistent holes for our RBs & how decisive are our RBs in punching through those holes running north & south as opposed to east & west? 

 

You are under no obligation to do this Legend Of Luck of course. I am just curious how well our squad is improving in this area for this upcoming season. Thank you. BTW is Josh Chapman participating? How does the run stuffer look? 

[Legend of Luck]

I like what you said regarding #9 regarding our offensive line "I don't know if it's good or bad." Too many writers professional or otherwise often try way to hard to act as though they themselves have all the answers. I like evaluators who can openly admit that something is uncertain, up in the air, & needs room for improvement like an incomplete grade. That really appeals to fans actually acknowledging an unfinished picture like a jigsaw puzzle with more than a few pieces missing. The circumstance does not spell disaster. It just takes time to see where all the pieces slide into place best that's all. 

 

The next time you see the Colts LIVE in action focus on our o-line. How well do they move as a cohesive unit? Are they thinking or reacting like it's 2nd nature? Are they creating consistent holes for our RBs & how decisive are our RBs in punching through those holes running north & south as opposed to east & west? 

 

You are under no obligation to do this Legend Of Luck of course. I am just curious how well our squad is improving in this area for this upcoming season. Thank you. BTW is Josh Chapman participating? How does the run stuffer look? 

 

Yes, Chapman was on the field and I saw a few times where he broke through and got some pressure. 

 

I am with you on the O-line. The hardest part about yesterday was sitting in the section we were sitting in, it was hard to really get a good grasp on who was performing there. That almost seems way easier to do from TV camera angles. The preseason games will hopefully give us a clearer picture.

 

I can say, Luck only took one sack yesterday, and that was from Mathis. There was occasional pressure, but there were a few plays where he could stand and wait for his receivers to get open and he nailed big bombs to Wayne, Whalen, TY and Fleener. Now, whether or not thats just a product of "training camp effort" from both lines is hard to say, but to me, it looked like they played hard all day.

[Gavin]

Yes, Chapman was on the field and I saw a few times where he broke through and got some pressure. 

 

I am with you on the O-line. The hardest part about yesterday was sitting in the section we were sitting in, it was hard to really get a good grasp on who was performing there. That almost seems way easier to do from TV camera angles. The preseason games will hopefully give us a clearer picture.

 

I can say, Luck only took one sack yesterday, and that was from Mathis. There was occasional pressure, but there were a few plays where he could stand and wait for his receivers to get open and he nailed big bombs to Wayne, Whalen, TY and Fleener. Now, whether or not thats just a product of "training camp effort" from both lines is hard to say, but to me, it looked like they played hard all day.

I usually get a seat right in the middle of the bleachers, Im in a wheelchair so its not actually in the bleachers though, sometimes during offense vs defense practices Ill make my way down around the 10 yard line but at this point Im really just thinking the best judge of what we got in terms of players fighting for a roster spot is to wait till the preseason but I will tell ya one thing for sure and thats that our O Line scares the heck out of me

[jvan1973]

I usually get a seat right in the middle of the bleachers, Im in a wheelchair so its not actually in the bleachers though, sometimes during offense vs defense practices Ill make my way down around the 10 yard line but at this point Im really just thinking the best judge of what we got in terms of players fighting for a roster spot is to wait till the preseason but I will tell ya one thing for sure and thats that our O Line scares the heck out of me

they can't be worse than last year

[Gavin]

they can't be worse than last year

No, I expect them to be better

[Legend of Luck]

I usually get a seat right in the middle of the bleachers, Im in a wheelchair so its not actually in the bleachers though, sometimes during offense vs defense practices Ill make my way down around the 10 yard line but at this point Im really just thinking the best judge of what we got in terms of players fighting for a roster spot is to wait till the preseason but I will tell ya one thing for sure and thats that our O Line scares the heck out of me

 

My positive outlook on yesterday is that Luck could not have made so many amazing plays if the O-line was in shambles.

[Smonroe]

My positive outlook on yesterday is that Luck could not have made so many amazing plays if the O-line was in shambles.

 

Good attitude.  Realistically, we won't know how good (or bad) the O Line is until they start playing against other teams.  Still, I agree with Gavin and expect them to be better than last year.  Not to make an excuse, but we had a lot of injuries last season.  No consistency.

[Gavin]

My positive outlook on yesterday is that Luck could not have made so many amazing plays if the O-line was in shambles.

My thing is, I try to call it like I see it, sometimes thats more negative then positive to some people, I think the O Line performance will be the hardest to judge at this point until pre season because obviously our QB's cant be hit , Now Im not trying to steal any O Linemens thunder, I haven't gotten a real good look at them do to where I have been sitting mostly (Im coming to the conclusion that come next year I will have to invest in binoculars)but I just cant wait to see what they do against outside competition, right off the bat they will be tested but Marcell Dareus vs the Bills and then JPP in game 2 vs the Giants (if they both play given its the pre season). Like I said, Im not trying ti steal there thunder.....But I guess Im just not impressed yet

[Legend of Luck]

My thing is, I try to call it like I see it, sometimes thats more negative then positive to some people, I think the O Line performance will be the hardest to judge at this point until pre season because obviously our QB's cant be hit , Now Im not trying to steal any O Linemens thunder, I haven't gotten a real good look at them do to where I have been sitting mostly (Im coming to the conclusion that come next year I will have to invest in binoculars)but I just cant wait to see what they do against outside competition, right off the bat they will be tested but Marcell Dareus vs the Bills and then JPP in game 2 vs the Giants (if they both play given its the pre season). Like I said, Im not trying ti steal there thunder.....But I guess Im just not impressed yet

 I wont say Im impressed either.  Im just not panicking or worrying too much at this point. So far so good.

[Smonroe]

My thing is, I try to call it like I see it, sometimes thats more negative then positive to some people, I think the O Line performance will be the hardest to judge at this point until pre season because obviously our QB's cant be hit , Now Im not trying to steal any O Linemens thunder, I haven't gotten a real good look at them do to where I have been sitting mostly (Im coming to the conclusion that come next year I will have to invest in binoculars)but I just cant wait to see what they do against outside competition, right off the bat they will be tested but Marcell Dareus vs the Bills and then JPP in game 2 vs the Giants (if they both play given its the pre season). Like I said, Im not trying ti steal there thunder.....But I guess Im just not impressed yet

 

Just wanted to say that I never view your comments as negative.  They're always informative and realistic, IMHO.  

 

I'm psyched to see those preseason games, mostly to watch our backups.  I'm going to the Browns game, it's my first preseason game.   

[NewEra]

Great job, thx for the write up. Been glued to the forum since the starry if training camp. Love reading all the tweets and posts. Can picture watching the practice as I read.

[Carlos Danger]

How many picks does Vaughn have in TC so far.... Is it possible that he is turning a corner (... a corner) and will actually be good depth if Toler or Davis gets injured?

 

IDK how closely TC correlates with gameplay with regard to cornerbacks, but it seems like I hear good things about Vaughn every practice...

[Le Neon]

As far as the TY/Brazil thing, last year in camp, TY has said he lacked confidence, but he grew as the season went on. The difference in this situation is that they had Griff in camp last year and he looked great last year too. Thats why the hype around him has been so huge. Even before training camp started, people were asking about Griff.

 

2 years in a row is not a coincidence or just happenstance. Griff has skill and the team will keep him. 

 

Good point about TY.  You could really tell he gained in confidence and was a much improved player by the end of the season.  

[coltsfanatic24]

I really like #4 if TY can become as good as Harvin were going to be hard to stop on offense.

[JlynRN]

Great write up !!!  I appreciate the hard work you put into your article.  I'm ready for game to start, can't get here soon enough for me  LOL

[TKnight24]

Okay, guess no one saw my post so I'll ask again. Don't get an answer this time I'll just message a mod

DOES ANYONE ON THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS FAN FORUM KNOW IF THE CHAT ROOM WILL BE OPEN FOR SUNDAY'S GAME. TKNIGHT85 WANTS TO KNOW. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME & EFFORT. That is all, thank you

[NewEra]

Should be for a game right?

[NewColtsFan]

I usually get a seat right in the middle of the bleachers, Im in a wheelchair so its not actually in the bleachers though, sometimes during offense vs defense practices Ill make my way down around the 10 yard line but at this point Im really just thinking the best judge of what we got in terms of players fighting for a roster spot is to wait till the preseason but I will tell ya one thing for sure and thats that our O Line scares the heck out of me

 

Understood completely....

 

But I would add a note of caution, and that is this....

 

The o-line is typically the last thing that comes together in training camp.   Every year.    It just takes time and repetitions to get the timing and communication and cohesiveness down pat.    And with so many new faces brought in,  that's especially true this year.

 

Don't get me wrong,  I'm not saying our OL will be great....   only that they should be improved over last year.   And hopefully they'll improve over the course of the season.