INDIANAPOLIS – The injury bug has again hit the secondary of the Indianapolis Colts.
On Monday morning, Chuck Pagano announced that Vontae Davis will be "week-to-week" after suffering an ankle injury during practice last Thursday.
What all did Pagano have to say on Monday, as his Colts get ready for another home preseason game on Saturday night?
INJURY NEWS
- DE-Henry Anderson (knee): He's coming off the PUP list and will be back at practice on Tuesday.
- CB-Vontae Davis (ankle): Week-to-week with a medial sprain. Davis suffered the injury last Thursday in practice.
- OT-Joe Haeg (ankle): Week-to-week after injuring his ankle against the Ravens. Haeg was the Colts' top reserve lineman after two weeks of the preseason.
- S-Stefan McClure (hamstring): Day-to-day after injuring his hamstring against the Ravens.
- ILB-Sio Moore (hamstring): Still week-to-week after getting hurt against Buffalo.
- CB-Patrick Robinson (groin): Day-to-day after injuring his groin following three snaps against the Ravens.
- OG-Hugh Thornton (ankle): Still week-to-week.
No update on Clayton Geathers (foot) and Kendall Langford (knee). Both timetables for those guys have their availabilities for Week One in question.
The Colts are expected to get the following players back to practice on Tuesday: CB-Jalil Brown (foot), CB-Darius Butler (hamstring), WR-T.Y. Hilton (hamstring) and WR-Marcus Leak (quad).Chuck Pagano on the current injury situation at cornerback:
"It's not pretty. It's a little scary right now."
Bowen's Analysis:* *In the past week, not one of the Colts' top six cornerbacks have been completely healthy. The latest injury news has the Pro Bowler Davis week-to-week, putting him in jeopardy of possibly missing the start of the regular season.
Right now, the Colts will likely turn to Darius Butler, Tay Glover-Wright and Jalil Brown---depending on when Patrick Robinson (groin) can return to action. After those three, D'Joun Smith and Tevin Mitchel are rounding back into being fully healthy. Smith was on a pitch count during Saturday's game versus Baltimore. He played 15 snaps. The Colts do have a handful of undrafted cornerbacks still on the roster with Purdue's Frankie Williams standing out to Pagano. With all the injuries at corner, Pagano said the Colts will have to get creative in who their primary pass defenders will be the rest of the preseason, and possibly into the regular season.
Chuck Pagano on the rehab of defensive end Henry Anderson now coming off the PUP list:
"(Defensive line coach Gary Emanuel) went to watch a couple of his workouts and thought that he looked better than he ever looked.
"Now, it's just a matter of getting back into one-on-one type situations, two-on-one type situations and we've got to be smart about that."
Bowen's Analysis: This was the good news on the injury front from Monday. Anderson is coming off PUP, nearly three weeks before the start of the regular season.
From a movement standpoint, Anderson is really pleased with where he is at and is actually a little lighter than the 300 pounds he played at last season. It's the engagement with offensive linemen and absorbing of double teams that will now test Anderson. Up until now, everything has been controlled in Anderson's rehab. That will change in practice settings.
Chuck Pagano on what he wants to see out of his starters this Saturday night versus Philadelphia:
"We'd like to get a good half of football and, try to come out, go through a halftime procedure, go through the appropriate adjustments and open the third quarter.
"That's what you put down on paper and you see how it goes."
Bowen's Analysis: Per usual, the plan is to have starters play into the third quarter on Saturday night in Week Three of the preseason. That could change depending on the flow of the first half. The offense should look like the starting unit coming in the regular season. It's the defense that will look different when the Lions arrive on Sept. 11.
Pagano would like to have guys "blow out their lungs" on Saturday in what is likely their final action of the preseason. Again, the first round of roster cuts come next Tuesday (Aug. 30). That will trim the roster from 90 players to 75. A 75-man roster will travel to Cincinnati on Thursday Sept. 1 for the preseason finale. Final roster cuts to 53 players will come two days later, on Saturday, Sept. 3.**
ROSTER MOVES**
On Sunday, the Colts made a few roster moves. They signed free agent tight end Mike Miller and waived tight end Emil Igwenagu.
They also signed free agent guard Eric Herman and tackle Keith Lumpkin. The corresponding moves came by waiving guard Donovan Williams and waiving-injured tackle Kevin Graf (ankle). If Graf clears waivers, he will revert to the Colts Injured Reserve List.
