INDIANAPOLIS – It was a chilly, but clear morning in Indianapolis as the Colts headed outside for the last practice of the week.
The Colts continued to get more good news on the injury front regarding Reggie Wayne and Vontae Davis.
Here's a rundown of what Chuck Pagano and Dwayne Allen had to say to the media on Saturday:
Chuck Pagano on what he saw from Reggie Wayne at practice
"Looked good, he looked good. Ran great routes, caught the ball extremely well, blocking. He looks good."
Bowen's Analysis: Chuck Pagano said that Wayne is a go for Monday night. Wayne returned to practice on Friday and Saturday and was a full participant each day.
The elbow clearly hindered Wayne as the Bengals game moved along back on October 19 so these two days of practice were key to see how that has improved. The blocking aspect of things is another area to watch for Wayne trying to extend his arm/elbow to engage blockers.
Reggie Wayne on trying to move into the bye week at 6-3:
"This Monday night couldn't get here fast enough.
"I think I can speak for the team on that. After the game last week, we would have played when the plane landed."
Bowen's Analysis: For the third time in the Chuck Pagano era, the Colts will be on the spotlight of Monday Night Football. They will face a Giants team that is in dire need of a victory to maintain striking distance within the NFC East.
The Giants are a difficult bunch to read. With nearly half of NFL games being decided by one possession or less, the Giants are a true outlier. None of their seven games (3-4) have been within 10 points. The Giants begin a stretch of three straight Indianapolis opponents who will be coming off of bye weeks before taking on the Colts.Dwayne Allen on what he saw from Reggie Wayne at practice:
"It's great to have him back.
"He's one of our leaders, one of our offensive leaders. He's always able to lend some veteran insight on things."
Bowen's Analysis: Chuck Pagano said on Saturday that besides the obvious on-the-field implications of having Wayne back, the 14-year vet brings something that players continually feed off of.
With Trent Richardson also returning to the lineup, the Colts will have their full assortment of skill players back for the eighth time in nine games this season. That was a far cry from what we saw last year and having healthy guys like Allen, Wayne and Ahmad Bradshaw back is a major reason why this offense has flourished in 2014.
INJURY NOTES
Here is the Colts final injury report of the week:
-OUT- Arthur Jones (ankle), Josh McNary (ankle) and Erik Walden (quad).
-Jones misses Monday night after playing against the Steelers. Chuck Pagano said Jones rolled his ankle against the Steelers while taking on a double team. The big man had sat out five straight games due to a high ankle sprain. Walden is a key loss at the outside linebacker position.
-PROBABLE- Ahmad Bradshaw (rest), Vontae Davis (knee), D'Qwell Jackson (toe) and Reggie Wayne (elbow/rest).
-Davis practiced full all week long and will return to the playing field on Monday night.
