A Rundown of Friday's Happenings at Training
Camp
Two days from Friday, the Colts will finally see a different color jersey lining up across from them.
For the defense, specifically the defensive backs, Sunday can't come fast enough.
The defensive backs often are put on an island in training camp. One-on-one drills where the defensive back is lined up against the receiver with no other help can be a very humbling experience.
It does not help that the Colts possess one of the deepest wide receiving units in the NFL, and compounding the problem is that the receivers are having the ball thrown to them by four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning.
"He will make some throws when we are in great coverage, and he will put it where only a receiver can catch it or it's going to be an incomplete pass," defensive back Jerraud Powers said. "We will go back and say 'Man, that's just Peyton, let's just try and go back and get him the next play.'"
Powers and the rest of the defensive backs take solace knowing that going against this group can only make them better.
"It's fun competing against those guys because it is an elite group," Powers said. "We are pretty deep at the receiver position and with Peyton leading those guys, it is fun competing every day because it is so competitive. (We) are trying to figure out Peyton and what he is thinking. It gets very competitive going against Peyton."
It's said that defensive backs should forget the last play and just focus on the next. Powers and his fellow backs, though, go right to the source of their frustration in training camp to find out what just happened.
"If they do something that confuses us, we go right to Peyton and (ask), 'Was this an option route? What were you thinking right here?'
"That whole (offensive) group is going to make us better. He (Manning) treats every situation like a game, and he never has a lull part of practice. Everything he does, he is in game-like mode, and that forces us to be in game-like mode. That is going to help us out a lot."
In the end, Powers knows that there are very few quarterbacks in the league like Manning.
"It is fun going against him because he is the best. If we can make plays against him, we can make them against anybody."
PLAY OF THE DAY
In 11-on-11 work, QB-Tom Brandstater threw a pass downfield intended for WR-Blair White. The pass was tipped by DB-Jamie Silva, and as White was trying to control it, he knocked it up in the air before LB-Vuna Tuihalamaka came down with the interception for the defense.
NOTE OF THE DAY
The Colts have won 10 or more games for eight consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in NFL history.
CALDWELL SAYS
"A big thing is we're looking for effort and execution. We have been focusing in more on their performance rather than results, in terms of the scoreboard. Obviously we go out to win every single ball game, but I want them to focus in on their responsibilities, their duties. If we get that right and we take care of those little things, everything else will take care of itself." – Caldwell on what he is looking for on Sunday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I definitely think so. I think whenever you have a collection of guys who've been there for that long, and experienced guys, experience counts for a lot in the NFL. We showed a lot of big strides early last season. Compared to last year, we were learning a defense and it was fairly new to all of us. This year we know what to expect, and we have a lot of those veteran guys back there and more experienced guys up front, and we should be better."– DE-Dwight Freeney on if this year's defense has the potential to be one of the best he has been on.
CAMP SCHEDULEThe Colts held two practices on Friday. The first practice began at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 10:45 a.m. The second practice started at 3:30 and ran two hours. Saturday's schedule calls for one practice, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
WEATHER REPORT
The weather in Anderson on Friday was sunny skies and a high of 94 degrees according to weather.com. Saturday's forecast calls for possible isolated thunderstorms and a high of 92 degrees.
