INDIANAPOLIS – You asked them and we answered them.
Here's "Four-Down Friday" which is a weekly Twitter Q and A piece that will run every Friday.
This week's installment of questions focuses on the up-tempo style facing the Colts defense, the leading touchdown threat at the receiver position, Mike Adams starting and the offensive line play in 2014.
A great question that fantasy owners will be keeping close tabs on all season long. The top three candidates are clearly Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Hakeem Nicks with Andrew Luck not locking on one particular threat much more than the other.
For how prolific Wayne has been in his career, his touchdown numbers aren't in the same elite categories like receptions and yards. I think that will change a bit this year. To be better in the red zone, Luck will have to look towards Wayne and we already saw that a ton this preseason. Hilton is probably a safe bet because you know he's going to haul in several deep touchdowns. I like Nicks too, because he gives the Colts a dimension to their offense they haven't really had lately. I'm going with Wayne but I think it will be difficult to separate any of the three.
All signs point to Mike Adams as your starter on Sunday night. Sergio Brown returned to practice on Thursday (still in a limited role) and was not wearing the red non-contact jersey he donned on Wednesday.
Adams is a durable veteran with more than 70 NFL starts. Sunday night provides quite the Colts debut for Adams going up against his former team. The playing time for Adams and Landry together this preseason has been limited so Sunday night will be a major audition for the safety duo.
Fans should expect the same thing the coaches and staff are in 2014---an improved unit. Sure, the group is dealing with its fair share of injuries heading into Week One but there are pieces across the unit to form a cohesive five.
The abundant talent at the skill positions has been talked about endlessly this offseason and in order for them to flourish, that line must protect better in 2014. If you can get the continuity you are looking for from the interior spots, I see an improved line this season, which will ultimately contribute to a better football team.
That's going to be the task the next two weeks. How can the Colts manage their defensive substation packages and have the correct personnel on the field to try and slow down two of the most lethal attacks in the league?
From a conditioning standpoint, that's always a worry going out to Denver. Guys like Erik Walden, Jerrell Freeman, LaRon Landry have all recently missed practice time. It has been some of the hottest days of the summer the past week in Indianapolis, which is a nice preview for what the Colts could see in Denver on Sunday (temps in the 80s for a 6:30 local time kickoff) and in Jacksonville on September 21. The major key is keeping yourself ahead of schedule as a defense, force the Broncos into incompletions, third-and-long situations and that will hold Denver from establishing a rhythm and scoring with rapid drives.
