The Indianapolis Colts will take on the New England Patriots in their preseason opener on Thursday, but first, the two teams will hold a joint practice on Tuesday.
So what should we be watching for as this practice takes place?
Joint practices can be quite valuable. They provide game-like reps for starters who may not see preseason action and give the Colts new looks to contend with on both sides of the ball. Everything that has seemingly been established up to this point in training camp will be tested.
That said, here are five things to be on the lookout for.
Daniel Jones performance
By all accounts, Jones’ return to the practice field following an Achilles injury has been encouraging. For the most part, he’s been efficient, has found some success pushing the ball downfield, and has shown that he can move outside of the pocket. Although he will still be in a red jersey, continuing to perform at that level with an opposing pass rush challenging him will be an important test.
Who steps up at wide receiver
Alec Pierce is still sidelined, and we could potentially see Josh Downs return to practice. But with the depth of this unit in question, who is able to step up at make consistent plays? Ashton Dulin seems to be the favorite for the WR3 role. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has flashed big-play potential with the second unit, while Laquon Treadwell has been sidelined with an injury.
Pass rush production
More pass rush production from those around Laiatu Latu is a must this season. To accomplish that, we saw heavy turnover at the defensive end position, but whether that turns into more pressures and sacks remains to be seen. Arden Key appears to be ahead of Jaylahn Tuimoloau in the competition for the starting role with Latu, while Micheal Clemons will provide rotational depth. Can this group generate steady pressure? That is one of the bigger question marks surrounding this team.
What’s the linebacker rotation look like?
With CJ Allen still potentially sidelined, who starts at linebacker for the Colts? Presumably, Akeem Davis-Gaither will be one of the starters, and my other guess would have originally been Bryce Boettcher, but he was buried on the team’s unofficial depth chart behind Austin Ajiake and Jaylon Carlies. Lou Anarumo said recently that in-season we could see a rotation at linebacker.
Big test in the kicking competition
I assume that we will see the kickers get some opportunities as well. Up to this point, Blake Grupe has the clear lead over Spencer Shrader. Will he maintain that advantage, or can Shrader close the gap?
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 5 things to watch for in Colts’ joint practice with Patriots
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
