CINCINNATI – Colts head coach Shane Steichen will play his starters for about a quarter and a half in Thursday's preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The extended opportunity for the Colts' first-team offense and defense comes after a lengthy joint practice on Tuesday with the Bengals. The Colts and Bengals worked through plenty of situational drills – red zone, third down, two-minute, etc. – and then will use Thursday night as one final tune-up ahead of opening the regular season Sept. 8 against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"Some guys might play less, some guys might play more, but want to get those guys out there and run around on Thursday night," Steichen said. "... Obviously you want to be smart with these guys in the preseason because we got a long season ahead of us, but we're excited to get those guys out there on Thursday."
When the clock hits zero at Paycor Stadium Thursday night, the Colts will have 17 days separating them from that massive season-opening AFC South showdown. Steichen's decision to play his starters against the Bengals – as he did in last year's preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles – comes with one eye on being as ready as possible for the Texans in Week 1.
"After this Thursday night we got 17 days until we kick off against Houston, so this is a big day," Steichen said. "We gotta get the players ready to roll and go out there and play and get that game-like experience before Week 1 gets here."
View the best photos from the joint practice session with the Cincinnati Bengals
LB Segun Olubi #50
Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers and Mike Epps
Mike Epps and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers
LS Luke Rhodes #46
CB Clay Fields III #34
S Marcel Dabo #42
LB E.J. Speed #45
S Nick Cross #20
Gus Bradley Defensive Coordinator and CB Kenny Moore II #23
Cato June Assistant Linebackers
CB Chris Lammons #35
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
CB Chris Lammons #35
S Ronnie Harrison Jr. #48 and CB Darrell Baker Jr. #39
Carlie Irsay-Gordon Vice Chair/Owner and DT Raekwon Davis #98
DE Laiatu Latu #97
DE Laiatu Latu #97
61 DE Levi Bell
DT Eric Johnson II #93
DT Eric Johnson II #93
DT Grover Stewart #90, DT Adetomiwa Adebawore #95 and DE Laiatu Latu #97
LB Zaire Franklin #44 and LB Grant Stuard #41
DE Dayo Odeyingbo #54
69 DE Derek Rivers
Shane Steichen Head Coach
Richard Smith Linebackers/Run Game Coordinator and LB Zaire Franklin #44
LB Zaire Franklin #44
LB Grant Stuard #41
LB Austin Ajiake #58
DT Raekwon Davis #98
LB Craig Young #49
Shane Steichen Head Coach
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
LB Austin Ajiake #58
Shane Steichen Head Coach
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
DT Raekwon Davis #98
TE Kylen Granson #83, TE Jordan Murray #84 and S Michael Tutsie #38
WR D.J. Montgomery #2 and LB Jaylon Carlies #57
CB Ameer Speed #37
LB Craig Young #49
LB Zaire Franklin #44
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
Joe Burrow and QB Sam Ehlinger #4
C/G Will Fries #75, G Dalton Tucker #68, C Ryan Kelly #78, C Danny Pinter #63, G Quenton Nelson #56, T Bernhard Raimann #79 and G Arlington Hambright #64
C Ryan Kelly #78 and G Quenton Nelson #56
C Ryan Kelly #78
QB Anthony Richardson #5
LB Zaire Franklin #44
QB Anthony Richardson #5
DT Grover Stewart #90
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
DE Laiatu Latu #97
WR Alec Pierce #14 and WR Adonai Mitchell #10
QB Joe Flacco #15
TE Eric Tomlinson #49, WR Alec Pierce #14 and LB Craig Young #49
RB Trey Sermon #27 and QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
RB Jonathan Taylor #28 and QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
69 DE Derek Rivers, WR Derek Slywka #13 and S Trevor Denbow #43
C/G Will Fries #75, G Dalton Tucker #68, C Ryan Kelly #78 and G Quenton Nelson #56
RB Jonathan Taylor #28 and QB Anthony Richardson #5
Joe Burrow and QB Anthony Richardson #5
Shane Steichen Head Coach and Gus Bradley Defensive Coordinator
Joe Burrow and QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and Joe Burrow
DE Kwity Paye #51, S Julian Blackmon #32 and LB Zaire Franklin #44
Justin Hamilton Assistant Defensive Backs
LB Zaire Franklin #44 and S Nick Cross #20
LB Zaire Franklin #44, S Julian Blackmon #32 and DE Kwity Paye #51
C Danny Pinter #63
LB Zaire Franklin #44, S Julian Blackmon #32 and DE Kwity Paye #51
QB/WR Jason Bean #8
C Ryan Kelly #78, C/G Will Fries #75, G Quenton Nelson #56 and QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Joe Flacco #15
Brian Mason Special Teams Coordinator, CB Jaylin Simpson #30, TE Kylen Granson #83 and Laquon Treadwell
QB Joe Flacco #15
QB Sam Ehlinger #4
WR Alec Pierce #14
QB Anthony Richardson #5
T Braden Smith #72 and QB Anthony Richardson #5
K Matt Gay #7
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
C/G Will Fries #75 and C Ryan Kelly #78
QB Anthony Richardson #5
WR Alec Pierce #14
C/G Will Fries #75
P Rigoberto Sanchez #8
G Quenton Nelson #56
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
WR Alec Pierce #14
LS Luke Rhodes #46
RB Evan Hull #26
LS Luke Rhodes #46
RB Evan Hull #26
RB Evan Hull #26
RB Evan Hull #26
TE Eric Tomlinson #49 and RB Evan Hull #26
67 C Mike Panasiuk
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
TE Jordan Murray #84
TE Will Mallory #86
C/G Will Fries #75
C Ryan Kelly #78
TE Eric Tomlinson #49, G Quenton Nelson #56, WR Alec Pierce #14 and C Ryan Kelly #78
TE Will Mallory #86
TE Will Mallory #86
TE Will Mallory #86
TE Will Mallory #86
WR Ashton Dulin #16
TE Will Mallory #86
QB Joe Flacco #15
TE Will Mallory #86
WR Ashton Dulin #16
WR Ashton Dulin #16
WR Ashton Dulin #16
LB Jaylon Carlies #57
G Dalton Tucker #68 and QB Joe Flacco #15
C Danny Pinter #63 and G Dalton Tucker #68
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
QB Joe Flacco #15
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
QB Anthony Richardson #5
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
TE Jordan Murray #84
QB/WR Jason Bean #8, QB Anthony Richardson #5, QB Sam Ehlinger #4 and QB Kedon Slovis #17
TE Jordan Murray #84
QB Sam Ehlinger #4
C/G Will Fries #75 and C Ryan Kelly #78
WR Juwann Winfree #9
TE Will Mallory #86, WR D.J. Montgomery #2, RB Evan Hull #26, WR Anthony Gould #6 and QB Joe Flacco #15
QB Anthony Richardson #5
WR Juwann Winfree #9
QB Anthony Richardson #5
WR Anthony Gould #6
DE Laiatu Latu #97
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
DT Jonah Laulu #74
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
WR Alec Pierce #14, WR Adonai Mitchell #10, QB Anthony Richardson #5, TE Kylen Granson #83 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
WR Adonai Mitchell #10 and TE Kylen Granson #83
QB Anthony Richardson #5
S Marcel Dabo #42 and S Nick Cross #20
WR Josh Downs #1, WR Juwann Winfree #9, WR Tyrie Cleveland #12 and RB Trey Sermon #27
TE Kylen Granson #83
QB Anthony Richardson #5
TE Kylen Granson #83
DT Adetomiwa Adebawore #95 and DT DeForest Buckner #99
S Marcel Dabo #42
S Nick Cross #20
S Nick Cross #20
S Trevor Denbow #43
RB Evan Hull #26
DE Genard Avery #92
DE Dayo Odeyingbo #54 and DE Kwity Paye #51
TE Mo Alie-Cox #81 and TE Drew Ogletree #85
DE Isaiah Land #55
DT DeForest Buckner #99
DE Laiatu Latu #97 and DT Grover Stewart #90
S Julian Blackmon #32 and CB Kenny Moore II #23
QB Kedon Slovis #17
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
G Dalton Tucker #68
CB Dallis Flowers #21
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
RB Trey Sermon #27 and RB Jonathan Taylor #28
CB Kenny Moore II #23
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
Laquon Treadwell
LB Zaire Franklin #44
Shane Steichen Head Coach
TE Drew Ogletree #85
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
Shane Steichen Head Coach
CB Ameer Speed #37 and CB Jaylon Jones #40
DT Raekwon Davis #98
LS Luke Rhodes #46
DT Adetomiwa Adebawore #95
DT Eric Johnson II #93
TE Mo Alie-Cox #81, RB Zavier Scott #34, TE Kylen Granson #83 and LB Liam Anderson #47
DE Laiatu Latu #97 and DE Tyquan Lewis #94
WR Josh Downs #1
S Nick Cross #20, S Trevor Denbow #43, CB Ameer Speed #37 and S Marcel Dabo #42
TE Mo Alie-Cox #81, RB Zavier Scott #34, CB Kenny Moore II #23 and LB Liam Anderson #47
Chris Ballard General Manager and Mike Epps
LB Segun Olubi #50
T Matt Goncalves #71, C Danny Pinter #63, T Braden Smith #72, G Dalton Tucker #68 and G Arlington Hambright #64
DE Laiatu Latu #97, DT Eric Johnson II #93 and 61 DE Levi Bell
DT Eric Johnson II #93
Raekwon Davis makes his preseason debut
Davis spent the first three and a half weeks of the preseason on the active/non-football illness list after his pre-camp physical turned up high blood pressure. The hulking defensive tackle was removed from the NFI list on Monday and participated in his first preseason practice Tuesday in Cincinnati.
"We're going to work him back in slowly," Steichen said. "We have a plan for him, we're going to monitor him, but we're excited to have him back for sure."
For Davis, missing time during training camp was frustrating, but he's appreciative of the Colts' athletic training staff for identifying and addressing what could've been a serious issue.
"I'm so grateful for EB (Erin Barill), (Dave) Hammer and Kyle (Davis) just to catch that type of problem," Davis said. "We've been saying so much with high blood pressure, with heart attacks and things like that, so it's a great thing they caught that. It was a hassle just to get back. But I'm back, trying to work my way up, trying to work my way back in shape, stay in the playbook, just do everything I could do."
The Colts signed Davis as a free agent in March with the expectation he could rotate with DeForest Buckner or Grover Stewart on the interior of their defensive line, keeping those top-line guys fresh while playing at a high level himself. While the Colts will ease him back into things, Davis feels ready to do whatever he needs to get ready for the season – including playing Thursday night against the Bengals.
"Hell yeah," Davis smiled, "I'm ready to go."
News & Notes
- Tight end Jelani Woods will be out for a while with a toe injury he sustained in Saturday's preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Steichen didn't have an exact timetable for the third-year tight end's return.
- Center Tanor Bortolini (toe) and cornerback JuJu Brents (nose) did not participate in Thursday's practice, but Steichen indicated neither player will miss extended time.
- Wide receiver Ashton Dulin (hamstring) returned to practice.
- Quarterback Anthony Richardson threw touchdowns to tight end Kylen Granson and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell during seven-on-seven.
- Quarterback Joe Flacco floated a completion to tight end Will Mallory early in 11-on-11. Later in practice, Flacco scrambled twice on a move-the-ball drive: The first was a significant gain, and the second was for a touchdown.
- Richardson completed passes to wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce during a move-the-ball 11-on-11 period.
- Linebacker Zaire Franklin blew up a play with quick pressure on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during 11-on-11.
- Defensive end Kwity Paye had a drive-ending "sack" of Burrow later in 11-on-11.
- Safety Nick Cross broke up a Burrow pass in 11-on-11.
