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INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts (1-1) were back at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on Tuesday, preparing for Week 3 of the preseason and a game with the Washington Redskins, (1-1).
It will be a bit of a short week for the Colts as the road kickoff comes on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
Heading into the Redskins game, the Colts will bring with them an offense that leads the league at 31 points per game in the preseason.
Even with an offense that has seen some injuries at a number of positions, Head Coach Chuck Pagano is extremely pleased with the output the unit has been able to put up against St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
"Bruce (Arians) and the rest of the offensive coaches have done a tremendous job bringing a lot of young guys (together)," Pagano said. "There's some guys that obviously we've surrounded Andrew with, offensive linemen that you've brought in, the free agent guys are starting to mesh and gel. I feel really good about where we're at offensively."
The offense is expected to bolster its attack this weekend as wide receiver Donnie Avery is looking to make his debut in a Colts uniform.
Avery has been nursing an injury for the past two weeks, but is eager to provide another weapon for an already-potent offense.
"I've been on the sideline jumping up and down for two weeks. Now I get to go in there and sweat a little bit," Avery said.
With wide receiver Austin Collie leaving the Pittsburgh game in the first quarter and Avery also sitting out, the Colts' receiving group was extremely young.
Rookie receivers LaVon Brazill, T.Y. Hilton and Griff Whalen saw significant playing time with the first-team offense.
Along with a pair of rookie tight ends and a first-year running back seeing starting action, the Colts offense at times had just one skill player over the age of 23 on Sunday evening.
Reliable receiver Reggie Wayne was still out there Sunday evening, and it has been his guidance toward the receivers that has helped the position mature quickly.
"He's doing an incredible job," Whalen said of Wayne. "He's just got so much knowledge and experience. It's great to be able to go ask him things. He'll just point out little things here or there that are really helpful to us young guys."
While the offense has been lighting up the scoreboard during the first two weeks, the first-team defense has been keeping those numbers very small.
Outside linebacker Jerry Hughes has been one of the highlights of the new 3-4 hybrid defense by registering three sacks.
The change in scheme has served as a bit of an opportunity for the Colts' 2010 first-round draft pick, and the time is now to showcase his talents.
"Coming in from college, you get to get away with a lot more things, being a college player versus being a pro. Being a pro, it's a 9-5 job," Hughes said. "You've got to come in early, you've got to put in extra work to get (fluent) with the film, get (fluent) with the playbook, things like that. Once you kind of get that down and you're able to make that transition, things will come real smooth."
Come Saturday afternoon, Hughes will be one of a number of Colts defenders chasing around Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
The matchup of quarterbacks taken with the first two picks in April's NFL Draft will mark the first time that has happened in the preseason since 1999.
The hype surrounding the two playing on the same field together is something of no concern to Pagano.
"I'm sure there's going to be a lot made out of that," Pagano said of the matchup. "Like I always say, 'The enemy is always in your own camp.' It has nothing to do with who you're playing. So we've got to take care of the things that we can take care of, control the things that we can control and go out there and have a great practice today, tomorrow and Friday and get ourselves ready to take the next step."
PLAYER QUOTE OF THE DAY
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Outside linebacker Jerry Hughes on if the early success he has had during the preseason has helped his confidence:
"It's helped my confidence a lot, tremendously. First two years, I wasn't really doing much of anything so even though it's still the preseason, just going out there and helping the team win, going out there and playing with the guys is helping out."
COACH PAGANO SAYS
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Head Coach Chuck Pagano on how much expects his starters to play against the Redskins:
"We'll monitor and see how the first half goes. What you'd like to do is, like we did in the (second) game – play the half. In the (third) game what you'd like to do is get them through the half, then get in the locker room, make the adjustments and then have your starters come out and start the third quarter – have a series coming out, so that it isn't new on September 9. So that's what we're shooting for."
TRIVIA QUIZ
Tuesday's Trivia Question: Prior to this weekend, the last time quarterbacks taken with the first two picks in the draft met in NFL preseason action in 1999. When was the time before then?
WHO'S COVERING THE COLTS
Dan Pompei from the Chicago Tribune was in Indianapolis on Tuesday to take in practice.
CAMP SCHEDULE
The Colts were back on the two-a-day schedule on Tuesday with a 45-minute walk-through in the morning, followed by an afternoon practice at 1:30 p.m. The schedule for Wednesday is expected to be the same as Tuesday as the Colts prepare for Week 3 of the preseason.
WEATHER REPORT
It was another sunny afternoon in the state's capital as temperatures reached the low-to-mid 80s. More of the same weather is expected for tomorrow.
TRIVIA ANSWER
Tuesday's Trivia Question: Prior to this weekend, the last time quarterbacks taken with the first two picks in the draft met in NFL preseason action in 1999. When was the time before then?
Answer: The time before 1999 was in 1998, when the Colts' Peyton Manning met Ryan Leaf of the Chargers.
