INDIANAPOLIS – The clock was approaching 3 a.m. on Monday morning by the time the Colts were back in Indianapolis and ready to get some much needed sleep.
In coming back from London and playing a game the very next week, the Colts will stick to a pretty similar Monday-Saturday schedule as they would have for a normal game.
On Monday, Chuck Pagano met with the media and spoke on using more pace offensively, having Arthur Jones back from suspension and not wanting the bye week after London.
**INJURY NEWS
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- CB-Darius Butler (hamstring): Pagano hopes to have Butler back to practice on Wednesday. Butler has missed the last two games with a strained hamstring.
- OG-Denzelle Good (back): Look for Good to be limited at Wednesday's practice. Good, the team's starting right guard, has missed the last two weeks of action, but did practice a bit late last week.
- OG/C-Jonotthan Harrison (appendectomy): Pagano said Harrison is still "down" after last week's emergency surgery. Not sure on his status for the week.
- WR-Donte Moncrief (shoulder): Pagano says Moncrief is doing better. Moncrief is now in his third week of an injury that was expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks.
- OT-Joe Reitz (back): Like Good, expect Reitz to be limited at Wednesday's practice. Reitz was inactive for Sunday.
Chuck Pagano on using more up-tempo:
"It's something we will continue to have dialogue about and talk about it as a staff."
Bowen's Analysis:* *With Andrew Luck at quarterback, the Colts have had plenty of success in utilizing more pace, or an up-tempo style, within a game. Now, this has often come with the Colts trailing late in games. When asked on Monday if the Colts would look into using such tempo earlier in games, the head coach called it a "great question."
The disadvantages or counters to implementing such a style would be it limits the personnel you can get on the field at the skill positions. It's clear though the Colts will have talks about going more no-huddle when their game plan preparation ramps up the next day or so. Is this the cure to lack luster starts for the Colts?
Chuck Pagano on having Arthur Jones back from suspension:
"He's on the exempt list, so we basically have a week to get him back in the fold."
Bowen's Analysis:* *Arthur Jones was back in the building on Monday, off his four-game suspension to start the 2016 season. The Colts do have a weeklong exemption they can use on Jones. That means they do not have to bring him up to the 53-man roster until a week from Monday, allowing the team to gauge where Jones is at physically in practice.
We did see a healthy Jones participate throughout Training Camp and he played in the final three preseason games. The ankle injury should no longer be an issue for Jones. It's more of a conditioning standpoint for Jones, and the Colts will be able to evaluate that in practice this week. It is a very deep defensive line group right now for the Colts and the health is there, too.Chuck Pagano on the eight-hour flight home from London:
"It was a long time to sit and reflect.
"We spent a long time watching that (Jaguars game) over and over and over and over again, which is not a bad thing."
Bowen's Analysis: The beauty of 2016 technology is that the Colts could put in some serious work on the flight home from London on Sunday night and into Monday morning. The early prep has started on Chicago, with the Colts not having their bye week immediately after playing in London (the Colts are the first such team to do that in 14 previous games in London).
Chuck Pagano was pretty clear on Monday that he is glad his team will not have to wait this week to get back on the field. From an injury standpoint, it is a good thing the bye week isn't right now. Outside of Donte Moncrief, the Colts do not have really any multi-week injuries.
