INDIANAPOLIS – Three Colts Pro Bowers observed Wednesday's practice due to injuries.
In both Green Bay and Indianapolis this week, the injury reports will be monitored very closely with some important names appearing after each team had their first practice of the week on Wednesday.
Here is the Wednesday notebook with T.Y. Hilton sharing his thoughts about possibly missing just the third game of his five-year NFL career:**
INJURY NOTES**
- S-Mike Adams (groin): Adams played through a groin injury on Sunday. Adams missed Wednesday's practice and Chuck Pagano said the safety will be evaluated again on Thursday.
- TE-Dwayne Allen (ankle): For the first time in two weeks, Allen was back to practice.
- DE-Henry Anderson (knee): Anderson practiced for a second straight Wednesday. Despite practicing last Wednesday, Anderson still missed Sunday's loss to the Chiefs.
- CB-Vontae Davis (concussion): The team's No 1 cornerback is in the concussion protocol. Davis has had concussions before in both 2014 and 2015.
- Denzelle Good (knee): With Good out on Wednesday, the Colts were down three of their top six offensive linemen.
- T.Y. Hilton (hamstring): Hilton did not practice on Wednesday, a day that Pagano called a "rest day" for his star wideout. The full update on Hilton is below.
- DE-Kendall Langford (knee): The Colts are shutting Langford down for a period of time.
- OLB-Curt Maggitt (ankle): Maggitt got back to practice Wednesday, after missing the previous two weeks.
- G-Jack Mewhort (tricep): After practicing last Wednesday, Mewhort has missed the last three practices. Chuck Pagano did not give a timetable for how long he thinks Mewhort will be out.
- OT-Joe Reitz (concussion): Reitz is in the concussion protocol after leaving Sunday's game early.
- WR-Chester Rogers (hamstring, foot): Rogers, if healthy, is this team's punt returner. Rogers returned to practice on Wednesday.
T.Y. Hilton on if he will be ready to play this week:
"My body is hurting right now, so it's just about getting healthy so I can help my team.
"If I can't go, my job is to make sure I get them ready."
Bowen's Analysis: The hamstring of T.Y. Hilton could lead him to missing just the third game of his 70-game career. Hilton said on Wednesday that the injury came during the first drive of Sunday's loss---a game in which he played through the injury and had only one catch in six targets. Hilton has played through a variety of injuries before, but a hamstring is always a concern for a player whose game is so predicated on speed.
With the bye coming next week, you wonder if that will play into the availability of Hilton for Sunday? The other two games Hilton has missed in his career were Week One of his 2012 rookie season and Week 16 of 2014 in Dallas. The good news if Hilton can't go? The team has Donte Moncrief back and Jacoby Brissett practiced on Wednesday.Chuck Pagano on the challenge of defending Aaron Rodgers this week:
"He scrambles and still throws frozen ropes down the field."
Bowen's Analysis: Aaron Rodgers has the best passer rating in NFL history. He comes into Week Nine off back-to-back pretty impressive performances, with Green Bay really needing those efforts. With virtually no running game being used due to injuries, Rodgers has thrown 94 passes the past two weeks, has completed more than 70 percent of those attempts and has tossed seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
Rodgers is a rare breed in being equally dynamic outside the pocket as he is between the tackles. Of course, the Colts' difficultly in defending Rodgers this week could be even more complicated with Vontae Davis in the concussion protocol. The Colts' open field tackling has to be on par this week with Green Bay using shorter passes as an extension of a run game that has had to adapt here in 2016.
Scott Tolzien on the aura of playing at Lambeau Field:
"It's a unique atmosphere. I think people will be shocked driving in on the bus and seeing that's the biggest building in town. Most stadiums are in the middle of a city and this is in the middle of a suburban neighborhood.
"It's like having Lambeau Field in the backyard here."
Bowen's Analysis: Scott Tolzien was a backup quarterback in Green Bay from 2013-15. You can bet Tolzien is a resource for the Colts' defenders this week, given how much time he's spent with Aaron Rodgers the past three years.
One point that both Tolzien and Erik Walden (another former Packer) made on Wednesday is how Green Bay just doesn't beat itself. The Packers are second in the league in committed penalties and the top team in third-down efficiency. Given the circumstances of this week (i.e. Rodgers' stellar play through the air plus Davis' injury and going into one of the NFL's toughest places to win) this might be the hardest game the Colts will have in all of 2016.**
INJURY REPORT**
Here is Wednesday's injury report:
-DNP: S-Mike Adams (groin), CB-Vontae Davis (concussion), OG-Denzelle Good (knee), RB-Frank Gore (rest), WR-T.Y. Hilton (hamstring), DE-Kendall Langford (knee), OLB-Robert Mathis (rest), G-Jack Mewhort (tricep), OT-Joe Reitz (concussion)
*-LIMITED: TE-Dwayne Allen (ankle), DE-Henry Anderson (knee), OLB-Curt Maggitt (ankle), WR-Chester Rogers (hamstring, foot)
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