INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts were back on the practice field Thursday for a two-hour session preparing for the Bills.
Thursday was coordinators day to meet the media following a sunny, and steamy, day on the practice field.
Here are a few sound bites from offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on Thursday:
Greg Manusky on Vontae Davis shadowing Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins on Sunday afternoon:
"Yeah, that's a possibility."
Bowen's Analysis:* *This topic first surfaced back at Training Camp when Chuck Pagano was asked about the next step for Vontae Davis. Normally, Davis occupies the right cornerback spot within the Colts defense.
If the Colts end up having Davis shadow Sammy Watkins on Sunday, it makes plenty of sense. The hierarchy of Bills wide receivers has Watkins clearly No. 1 on the depth chart. That, coupled with Greg Toler "week-to-week" with a neck injury, adds up the possibility of having Davis go into "follow Watkins around mode" on Sunday.
Greg Manusky on how Robert Mathis has looked in practice:
"Right now, he looks real good. He's got juice, has spark, has fresh legs."
Bowen's Analysis: On Wednesday, Pagano said Mathis was receiving around 15 reps during the team portion of practice. Manusky clearly seems pleased with what he's seen from No. 98 in a practice setting.
Manusky feels that Mathis is close to "football shape", looking similar to the player we last saw in 2013. If Mathis does indeed play on Sunday, you have to think his pitch count will be monitored extremely close. The Colts have quality depth at outside linebacker, allowing them to ease Mathis back into action.Pep Hamilton on the offense finally being together for extended game action:
"I'm confident that we have some explosive football players on our offense.
"I feel good about the unit that we are going to put out on the field on Sunday."
Bowen's Analysis: At no point during the preseason did we see the entire Colts offense together on the field. We will on Sunday though, with a healthy skill group at Andrew Luck's disposal.
There are so many questions Colts fans are curious to see in just how this offense will operate in a game setting. The first look comes in Buffalo, where an attacking mindset has to be there to combat the assertive Bills defense.
INJURY NOTES
Here is the injury report for Thursday:
- DNP: Vick Ballard (hamstring), Greg Toler (neck), Bjoern Werner (knee)
-Both Ballard and Toler sat out a second straight day of practice. Their statuses for Sunday are obviously in serious jeopardy. Werner has sat out practice a couple of times in the preseason due to his knee.
- LIMITED: Nate Irving (knee), D'Qwell Jackson (toe), Robert Mathis (Achilles), D'Joun Smith (knee)
-The Irving and Mathis injury watches will probably be the closest ones to keep an eye on leading up to kickoff.
- FULL: Sheldon Price (concussion)
-Price could definitely play on Sunday, especially if Toler misses Week One.
