Blue
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- Mar 19, 2019
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» Safety Malik Hooker made a nifty play to prevent a quick pass to Campbell from going anywhere, downing the quick receiver around the line of scrimmage. Hooker was really the last line of defense in the area. It's these kinds of plays that Hooker told the media earlier in the week he's been working on increasing heading into his fourth season; everybody knows how good he is out in coverage as the "centerfielder," but he wants to also be just as impactful inside the box.
» For a second straight practice, safety George Odum made a solid play deep in coverage against Campbell. On Wednesday, Odum draped the receiver and picked off Rivers' pass attempt; this time, Odum had an all-out effort to knock Rivers' over-the-top pass attempt to the ground.
» We're seeing rookie Danny Pinter getting more and more work at center in recent days. Pinter's ability to adjust to new positions is quite impressive; he entered Ball State as a tight end, he moved to right tackle his junior year, and by last year he was an All-Mid-American Conference selection and considered by Pro Football Focus to be one of the best run blockers in the country. Now with the Colts, the fifth-round pick has moved inside, as he's taken plenty of snaps at right guard and, more recently, at center.
» Rivers looked very decisive in a red zone 7-on-7 drill, firing likely would-be touchdown passes to Nyheim Hines and Zach Pascal. Cornerback Tremon Smith, meanwhile, made a nice play in coverage to knock a Jacoby Brissett pass attempt to Dezmon Patmon straight in the air, and linebacker Matthew Adams came sliding in for a possible interception. We'll overrule it, however, as general manager Chris Ballard was standing right there behind the end zone and labeled it an incomplete pass. Brissett and Patmon would get their revenge on the very next play, however, as the rookie wide receiver was able to haul in a touchdown in the back corner against cornerback Jackson Porter.
» Practice ended with a lively red zone 11-on-11 period. It started from the 17-yard line, as Green sealed off the edge for a big Marlon Mack run. Shortly after, Rivers found Hines, but just as it looked as if the running back was possibly going to get to the end zone, he was met by cornerback Rock-Ya Sin, who playfully lifted Hines up in the air. Getting closer to the goal line, rookie wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. also had a touchdown reception on a quick in route against Smith.
» Funny moment at the end of practice, as the offense attempted a Hines run play on 2nd and Goal from the 3. There was a, let's say, slight disagreement between the offense and the defense about whether Hines got into the end zone before he would've been whistled down. The team turned to George Li — the Colts' Senior Football Strategy Analyst/Game Management — who had a good view of the play standing just out of bounds by the front pylon. Li signaled touchdown, drawing a little ribbing from the defenders. "George! No! George!" Ballard, for the record, did not believe it was a touchdown.
» Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone was also having his guys working hard on gunner work during those punt drills, both in coverage and defending the gunner with the return unit. This has been a specialty of the Colts' since Ventrone was hired back in 2018; since that time, the team ranks first in the NFL punt return average (13.2 yards) and third in the league in punt return average allowed (5.3 yards).
» The 1-on-1 reps between the pass catchers and the defensive backs took on a little bit more meaning Friday, as they were conducted inside the 5-yard line. The corners and safeties claimed an 17-11 advantage over the wide receivers and tight ends on this day, with a "win" being described as either a catch by the receiver or any other result for the defensive backs.
» Wide receiver Parris Campbell utilized a nasty double move to shake cornerback T.J. Carrie on his first 1-on-1 rep of the session. Carrie would rebound nicely, though, earning hard-fought wins over two other quick receivers in DeMichael Harris, Ashton Dulin, earning loud praise from cornerbacks coach Jonathan Gannon.
» Safety Khari Willis showed his persistence in a late 1-on-1 rep against Green, who appeared to come down with the football in the back-middle of the end zone for a touchdown, but Willis never stopped fighting, knocking the ball out at the very last second to force the incompletion as his defensive teammates swarmed him.
» Rookie quarterback Jacob Eason had a money throw on an early 11-on-11 rep to the tight end Green, who had a nice effort on the out route to hop in the air and snag the pass and stay in bounds. Whenever Eason unleashes passes like these, it's crystal clear why he was believed to have perhaps the best-overall throwing arm of any quarterback in this year's draft class.