INDIANAPOLIS – Each week, readers of Colts.com can submit their questions to have a chance of them being answered in our Wednesday or Saturday mailbag.
With the abundance of questions in recent weeks, we will have two mailbags each week. This one comes via a weekend edition (here’s the Wednesday version from this week).
Here is this weekend's collection:Troy Click (Greenwood, IN)
Why doesn't the NFL preseason schedule resemble the regular seasons? A majority of the games are on Thurs. Fri. and Sat. and yet only one (The Colts Eagles game) is on Sunday. Thank You.
Bowen: I think the answer to that is the more you can spread out games, the more eyes you can get looking at the NFL each week. This first two weeks of the preseason, you are correct in that games are all over four nights. For Colts fans around the country, they should love being on Sunday afternoon. That time slot allows for the game to air nationally on NFL Network (Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST). Once you get into Week Three of the preseason, the schedule gets condensed to just the weekend. Then in Week Four, every game is played on Thursday night (for competitive reasons leading into the regular season).
Johnathon Clyde (Kansas City, MO)
Will Daniel "Boom" Huron get some starts during the regular season
Bowen: If Frank Gore stays healthy, I don't see Boom Herron receiving any starts in 2015. You brought Gore to Indianapolis for a reason and that's to be the starter. I am intrigued to see what the role is for Herron in 2015. He had a very nice Training Camp in Anderson and is a great complement to what Gore brings between the tackles. Will Herron earn a couple of series a game, while Gore rests? Will Herron play in a third-down role? Those are all questions that Pep Hamilton must decide on in how to use his backup running back. We did get a question about Herron as the team's current starting kick returner. Ball security is always special teams coordinator Tom McMahon's No. 1 priority. Herron had a few fumbles last season but the Colts obviously feel comfortable about him back returning kicks. When you look at how many touches Herron had in 2015 compared to his fumbles, the percentage was pretty small for a guy who likely won't be receiving anywhere near that amount of touches in 2015.
Larry L (Muncie, IN)
I was at camp on Wednesday of this week and noticed something I've seen before but still haven't figured out. What do the orange, green, and red caps mean on the helmets of some players?
Bowen: Larry, good question. In camp, the offense wears blue jerseys and the defense wears white jerseys. Those caps represent scout team players for when the offense and defense divide up into just their unit on one side of the field. With each unit wearing the same jerseys, the caps on the helmet helps the offense/defense identify who is on the scout team offense/defense (since they are all wearing the same jersey color). Slipping on these caps is a lot easier compared to having players put on an entire different jersey color to represent the difference between the offense and defense.
David P (Florida)
I know after the draft everyone seemed very high on Henry Anderson, however since training camp I have heard next to nothing about him. Any idea on how he is progressing or does he seem to just be a depth player at this point?
Bowen: In trying to evaluate players during Training Camp, it's much easier to judge players further away from the ball, versus those in the trenches. Training Camp life is just not made for linemen to truly shine. Anderson, the Colts third-round pick from Stanford, has been getting plenty of reps and has been in the backfield on several occasions. He's definitely a player I'm going to have my eye on in the preseason. For now, Anderson is a guy who will provide plenty of depth in a few spots up front. Even if Anderson doesn't start in 2015, a reserve role on the defensive line could still see 20-30 snaps a game.
John Avery (Houston)
Thanks for the Camp Notebooks!! Good to hear there's been consistency on the starting OL in camp... question is now that they're in pads... what's your take on how the starters are performing so far? Are they giving Andrew time? Are they creating holes for RBs? Don't hear enough from that perspective. Look forward to seeing how much work they'll get in Philly.
Bowen: Similar to the question above, it's hard to truly judge how the line is doing when pass rushers can't really touch the quarterback in camp. Officials at practice typically blow plays dead when there are free rushers at the quarterback. I can't recall more than two or three of those instances all camp. The first-team line has received ample work together though in Anderson and that can't be taken for granted. This time last year, the Colts were already onto a new starting guard (following Donald Thomas' quad injury) and were about to have a new center (following Khaled Holmes' injury in the preseason opener). Now we will see what happens with some pretty good fronts coming at them in the preseason (Philadelphia and St. Louis, in particular).
