INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts had a "Victory Monday" to start Week 12 after evening their record at 5-5, maintaining their slim margin atop the AFC South.
With November coming to a close, the Colts did receive some grim injury news Monday when Chuck Pagano announced left tackle Anthony Castonzo suffered a sprained MCL late in Sunday's win.
Here is what Chuck Pagano had to say to the media on Monday afternoon:
Injury News
- S-Mike Adams (ankle): Listed as day-to-day. Pagano is hopeful to have Adams back at practice on Wednesday/Thursday.
- OT-Anthony Castonzo (sprained MCL): Week-to-week (more below).
- CB-Vontae Davis (hamstring): Day-to-day. Scans came back negative on his hamstring injury, which he suffered early in Sunday's fourth quarter.
- WR-Phillip Dorsett (ankle): Should get on the field this week with the trainers in his next step back. Dorsett has reached the four-week mark of an injury that had an original timetable of four-to-six weeks.
Chuck Pagano on the injury to Anthony Castonzo:
"You hate to lose anybody, especially your starting left tackle.
"He is a rock."
Bowen's Analysis:* *The "week-to-week" label Pagano gave to Castonzo on Monday means the stalwart left tackle will likely miss his first game with the Colts since 2011 (his rookie season). Castonzo has been exceptionally durable at left tackle, playing the most snaps of any NFL offensive linemen last season.
Pagano said on Monday that the Colts are still discussing how the line might look if Castonzo has to miss some time. When Castonzo exited following the two-minute warning on Sunday, the line looked like this: LT-Joe Reitz (moving over from RT), LG-Lance Louis (coming in off the bench), C-Khaled Holmes, RG-Hugh Thornton and RT-Jack Mewhort (flipping outside from his left guard spot). At the start of the year, we polled fans on the most "indispensable" Colts heading into the season. If Castonzo misses time, he will join Andrew Luck and Arthur Jones on that list of guys with Vontae Davis and T.Y. Hilton playing through several nagging injuries.
Chuck Pagano on the play of the special teams from Sunday:
"The kickers were outstanding.
"(Quan Bray) has swag and is fearless."
Bowen's Analysis: It's been an up and down year for the normally very sound Colts special teams group. On Sunday, they made numerous game-changing plays to secure the comeback victory.
The kickers were their All-Pro selves on Sunday, but the premier play didn't stop there. The downed punt from Donte Moncrief (in his only special teams snap) set up the D'Qwell Jackson pick six on the next play. Undrafted rookie Quan Bray is a "straight ahead, no dancing" return man who sparked the Colts on several plays Sunday. Nowadays, returns are few and far between in the NFL, so Bray's kick returns of 36 and 34 yards on Sunday shortened a normal length field for the offense.Chuck Pagano on the performance by rookie safety Clayton Geathers filling in for Mike Adams:
"He rose up and met the challenge.
"He brought a lot to our defense (Sunday)."
Bowen's Analysis: Without the quarterback of their secondary on Sunday (Mike Adams), the Colts defense discovered an imposing safety in Clayton Geathers. The rookie fourth-round pick had seven tackles and his pass deflection led to Dwight Lowery's first-quarter interception.
Pagano talked on Monday how Geathers was in the building extra early last week preparing for his first NFL start. Geathers brought "energy, physicality and passion" to the defense, with a definite ferocity in his tackling. When Adams returns, Geathers will likely go back to his role as a dime defender and special teams contributor. Geathers did show Sunday that the Colts might have a future starting safety in the 6-2, 215-pound Central Florida product.
