Colts defense feasts on offense’s sloppy day
WESTFIELD — The Colts offense went through some growing pains on the second day of training camp Saturday.
Indianapolis had two botched snaps, at least two plays that never got started due to an issue, two pre-snap penalties and at least two holding penalties.
When the Colts did get the play off without a hitch, the Indianapolis defensive line largely dominated the line of scrimmage. Defensive ends Samson Ebukam and Kwity Paye opened the practice by combining on a sack of Anthony Richardson in the first 11-on-11 period, then Paye and defensive tackle
DeForest Buckner appeared to sack Richardson on back-to-back plays in the second period.
Buckner and Grover Stewart each also made plays on Jonathan Taylor at the line of scrimmage.
“We’re going to have some corrections coming out of today,” Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “We’ve been working through some walk-through stuff, and sometimes you get going full speed and we’ve got to clean up the timing of things.”
Anthony Richardson completed 4 of 4 passes when he was able to get the ball out of his hands, including a nice downfield throw to Josh Downs that settled between Kenny Moore II and a charging Nick Cross. But his secondbest completion, a strike over the middle to Michael Pittman Jr. for roughly 20 yards, came after Buckner’s “sack.” The starter’s other two completions were short throws to Downs and tight end Mo Alie-Cox.
Working with the No. 2 offense in the absence of backup Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger didn’t have much luck, either. Under constant pressure from the team’s first-round pick, defensive end
Laiatu Latu, Ehlinger would have been sacked at least once on his dropbacks and probably took at least one more.
Ehlinger finished 2 for 3, his best throw coming on the move to tight end Kylen Granson for a big play over the middle.
For the most part, though, the Indianapolis defense ruled the day, taking advantage of an off day for the Colts offense.
“It’s Day 2 of training camp,” Cooter said. “We’re probably not pushing the guys hard enough with some of the stuff we’re teaching and installing and trying to do if we don’t have a few mistakes.”
Pierce vs. Mitchell
The highly anticipated position battle for snaps between third-year receiver Alec Pierce and second-round rookie Adonai Mitchell is off to a slow start.
Pierce has two catches on three targets in 11-on-11 work through the first two days, adding a grab on an out from Ehlinger on Saturday, then getting a ball batted away on a slant by rookie cornerback Jaylin Simpson.
Mitchell has only been targeted once in 11-on-11 drills, a missed opportunity from Richardson on Thursday, and doesn’t have a catch in 7-on-7 either. The two receivers are trading snaps with the first and second-team offenses at this point.
Rookie rising
Fifth-round linebacker Jaylon Carlies has the first interception of training camp.
Carlies picked off Ehlinger on Saturday, hauling in a 7-on-7 throw deflected into the air by cornerback Ameer Speed, and he spent a couple of periods lining up next to Speed and Zaire Franklin. When Carlies is on the field with Speed and Franklin, the rookie slides into the Will position, shifting Speed to the Otto, or strong-side, linebacker spot.
The rookie has the Colts coaching staff’s attention. A college safety at
Missouri, Carlies has the length and size to play linebacker in the NFL and give Indianapolis the kind of coverage skills that are hard to find at the position.
“What we can’t coach up is speed, change-of-direction, things like that,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “Maybe he hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to use his hands, to strike and shed, but we feel like: ‘Alright, we can coach that part up. … He has that mindset, he just has to develop that skill set.”
Injury report
Flacco did not attend practice because he was attending the funeral of former Ravens teammate Jacoby Jones, who died in New Orleans two weeks ago. Flacco and Jones spent three seasons together in Baltimore and won a Super Bowl.
Right tackle Braden Smith sat out his second consecutive practice as he finishes up his recovery from offseason knee surgery, defensive back Chris Lammons remains on the physically unable to perform list due to offseason ankle surgery and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis is still on the non-football/illness list due to high blood pressure.
Quick hitters
E.J. Speed opened training camp as an every-down starter for the first time in his career, and he made two of the first three plays on defense, pulling up on what would have been a huge hit on Downs, then running down Jonathan Taylor on the other side of the field on the next play. … Undrafted free agent quarterback Kedon Slovis had a couple of nice moments, finding rookie wide receiver Anthony Gould on a deep ball, then hitting tight end Jelani Woods over the middle. … Gould, Dallis Flowers and Downs handled punt return duties. … Warren Central product Michael Tutsie made a nice play in the flat on a throw from Jason Bean to Ethan Fernea. If it had been live, Tutsie would have blown up Fernea. … Tight end Eric Tomlinson made a nice catch on the sideline.