Colts Hope to Improve This Week in Preparation For
Buffalo
INDIANAPOLIS – Moving on.
That is what Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said on Wednesday the team is doing after suffering its first loss of the season last Sunday, and he said the team is focused in on its regular-season finale this weekend against the Buffalo Bills.
And with one game remaining on their regular-season schedule, the Colts have no plans of deviating from the preparation that has helped them to a 14-1 record this season.
With the number one overall seed in the AFC playoffs already secured, the Colts are hoping to steadily improve over the next few days leading up to the postseason.
This week, Caldwell said the Colts are "business-like, as usual" and are practicing hard before traveling to Buffalo later in the week.
The keys, according to Caldwell, are to "get better, to have intense preparation and to have improvement in a number of areas."
"The big thing is we want to get better," Caldwell said. "You take practice and look at it from the vantage point that there are certain things that are weaknesses that we want to make strengths. We isolated a few things that we want to work on and get accomplished over the course of practice, and that has been our focus."
The Colts coach said he is aware of the attention surrounding last week's loss, but said the team is moving forward.
"What's done is done," Caldwell said. "Nevertheless, I think it is more of how you react to what happened that will determine how you do in the future. That's something that's on the mind of our guys, and I think they are focused. It will serve them well."
Colts players seemed to think the same, echoing their head coach's sentiments Wednesday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, while saying they are focused on improving and working towards the start of the postseason.
Quarterback Peyton Manning summed it up best, "Every day is another opportunity to improve, and that's where our focus is."
Defensive captain and linebacker Gary Brackett said it is not unusual for teams to improve this late in the season and added that the players are approaching Sunday's game just like any other regular-season contest.
And although Caldwell said playing time for particular players will be determined a little later in the week, Brackett said that does not change the preparation leading up to the game.
"This week we are going to continue to work on the things we need to, continue to tackle better, limit mental mistakes and just keep that mental sharpness," Brackett said.
"Our preparation is always the same. In order for you to be successful, you have to prepare as if you're going to play the entire game. And that's true across the board."
ROSTER MOVES
The Colts announced Wednesday the team has activated wide receiver Sam Giguere to the active roster and waived quarterback Drew Willy.
Willy, who was the team's third quarterback last Sunday, has been signed back to the practice squad along with wide receiver John Matthews and linebacker Brandon Renkart.
Giguere originally signed with the Colts as a free agent in 2008 and has spent time on the club's practice squad the past two seasons.
INJURY REPORT
The Colts issued Wednesday's injury report with the following players listed as full participation in practice: RBs-Joseph Addai (shoulder) and Mike Hart (ankle), DBs-Antoine Bethea (foot), Aaron Francisco (hand) and Tim Jennings (ankle), LBs-Gary Brackett (foot) and Cody Glenn (shoulder), DT-Daniel Muir (shoulder), OG-Jamey Richard (shoulder), OT-Tony Ugoh (knee), K-Adam Vinatieri (right knee) and WR-Reggie Wayne (foot).
DB-Melvin Bullitt (shoulder) and WR-Pierre Garcon (hand) were listed as limited participation, while the following players were listed as did not participate in practice: RBs-Donald Brown (illness) and Chad Simpson (concussion), WR-Austin Collie (rested), DEs-Keyunta Dawson (knee), Dwight Freeney (rested) and Robert Mathis (quad), OG-Kyle DeVan (illness), OTs-Ryan Diem (elbow) and Charlie Johnson (foot), DTs-Antonio Johnson (shoulder) and Fili Moala (knee), DBs-Jacob Lacey (biceps) and Jerraud Powers (hamstring), TE-Gijon Robinson (knee) and LB-Clint Session (knee).
