INDIANAPOLIS – As if it needed to be tested further, the secondary depth was dealt two more blows on Monday.
Starters Patrick Robinson (concussion) and T.J. Green (MCL sprain) have been added to the injury report after leaving Sunday's loss to the Lions.
The Colts met on Monday to go over what went wrong in Week One. The team will have its mandatory off day on Tuesday, before reconvening on Wednesday for practice.
On Monday afternoon, Chuck Pagano met the media after reviewing the film of their 39-35 loss to the Lions.
**INJURY NEWS
**
- DE-Henry Anderson (knee): This will be Anderson's fourth straight week of practice. His reps are increasing. Sounds like more reps, with full pads, is still a hurdle to clear for Anderson. Pagano admitted Anderson is getting closer to game action, but would not commit to a specific return date for the second-year defensive end.
- CB-Darius Butler (ankle): Pagano said he thinks Butler will return to practice on Wednesday, which would be much needed with Patrick Robinson in the concussion protocol. If Butler is healthy this week, he could provide a body at safety or cornerback.
- CB-Vontae Davis (ankle): No update on Davis, which isn't a good sign for him getting back to work this week.
- S-Clayton Geathers (foot): Geathers worked out on Monday and should be practicing on a limited basis this Wednesday. If Geathers isn't ready to go on Sunday, then Winston Guy is the likely option to start next to Mike Adams. The Colts will explore all options at safety over the next 36 hours, before practice for Denver begins.
- S-T.J. Green (knee): An MRI revealed a mild MCL sprain for the starting rookie safety. He will be listed as week-to-week. Green left Sunday's game after getting rolled up on during the second quarter.
- CB-Patrick Robinson (concussion): After leaving Sunday's game during the second quarter, Robinson is in the concussion protocol.
Chuck Pagano on if he had any second thoughts to taking a timeout on offense with 1:15 remaining against Detroit:
"No regrets.
"We weren't guaranteed a touchdown. First and foremost, to even give us a chance (to win), we had to score a touchdown."
Bowen's Analysis:* *Pagano was asked about this scenario and then knocking the ensuing kickoff through the end zone for a touchback. The head coach said he has seen kicks in play at the end of half/end of game situations come back to burn him before as a coach, hence why he told Pat McAfee to go ahead and boot the kickoff from midfield through the back of the end zone. As far as the timeout, Pagano said the Colts talked about taking more time late in that final touchdown drive, but he believed the timeout was necessary to make sure the offense was in order for the necessary touchdown.
In the end, the Colts had their chance to defend 25-30 yards of turf with 37 seconds remaining. When Matthew Stafford escaped on first down to find Theo Riddick for 19 yards, the Lions were closing in quick on field goal range. As defenders said on Sunday and again on Monday, 'we had a chance and couldn't finish it off.'
Andrew Luck speaking for the first time on being "limited" during practice:
"There's a plan that's been in place for a long time and it may not be perceptible to the causal observer, but I think it's a great plan.
"If I need to be on the injury report, because that's what the rules say, then hey I'm on the injury report. So what?"
Bowen's Analysis: This was Luck echoing what we heard from Ryan Grigson and Chuck Pagano last week. Clearly, Sunday showed that Luck is anything but limited when the pads are put on. It was a very strong return to regular season ball for Luck, finishing the afternoon with no turnovers and converting all four red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.
Now, about those slow starts. The Colts have to do a better job on early downs (on both sides of the ball). On Sunday, the Colts' first four drives ended after not converting a third-and-15, a third-and-eight, another third-and-eight and a third-and-21. Those are obviously not ideal conversions from a down and distance standpoint. We saw the Colts find success when using tempo on Sunday. Is that the recipe in Week Two on the road, where a fast start is more than desired, but will not come easy at all?
D'Qwell Jackson on the injuries piling up across the defense:
"You just kept seeing bodies on the ground. You were just hoping and praying you weren't next."
Bowen's Analysis: On one drive Sunday, the Colts had three players go off the field with injuries. Two of them, safety T.J. Green and cornerback Patrick Robinson, did not return. Mike Adams and Jackson did not want to hear the excuses though. Speaking Monday after evaluating the film, both guys said how 35 points should be more than enough to finish off a victory. The reality though is the injuries are to the point where veterans on that side of the ball have never seen it so bad in the back end in any previous NFL season.
What that meant on Sunday was plenty of finger pointing from Mike Adams in motioning guys into the right direction during the second half. Adams was playing with guys who have hardly seen any defensive action with the Colts. Looking ahead to Denver, the Broncos did not show really any hurry-up in their opener with new quarterback Trevor Siemian. Will they bring a new plan of attack against a depleted Colts' secondary?
