Indianapolis Colts Football

CONTINUITY ON OFFENSIVE LINE STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE

Heading into the Sunday’s game between the Colts and Browns, no one on Cleveland’s starting offensive line had ever missed an NFL start.

The five players combined for 190 starts in their 15 years of NFL experience.

Compare that to an injury-ridden Colts offensive line that was starting the same five players together it had the previous week for the first time all season.

Bruce Arians saw a jump from Week 6 to 7 with his offensive line and is hoping that continues.

“The communication was (better),” Arians said. “It was easier at home than it has been on the road but it was better. It showed up in the running game more than anything.”

The Colts attempted 37 rushes on Sunday afternoon which was seven more than the high from the first five games.

It wasn’t just the attempts that were a season high for the Colts. They turned those carries into 148 yards rushing with 10 of the 37 attempts resulting in first downs.

A balanced Colts offense sits just fine with quarterback Andrew Luck and the rookie knows the continuity among the offensive line is key.

“I think it’s great, especially for the o-line guys knowing who is next to them, knowing their calls, their tendencies, how they operate,” Luck said. “Hopefully we can build off last week’s performance which they did a great job and continue to get better.”

The offensive line might even benefit from a little depth this weekend as offensive guard Joe Reitz was a full participant in practice on Wednesday.

Reitz was the starter at left guard during the preseason but due to a leg injury, he is still waiting to make his debut.

For now, left guard Jeff Linkenbach will continue to start but Arians loves having some options up front.

“He’s going to get more practice time. His reps will grow in practice,” Arians said of Reitz. “Right now I don’t know if we’re ready to make any switches, we’re playing pretty well in there. He’d have to knock my socks off on the practice field to make me take Jeff Linkenbach out of there right now.”

Heading into this week’s matchup with the Titans, the Colts are expected to carry that same starting five of LT-Anthony Castonzo, LG-Linkenbach, C-Samson Satele, RG-Mike McGlynn and RT-Winston Justice on the offensive line for the third straight game.

“I think it’s important to have that continuity. It needed to happen some time,” Justice said with a laugh on Wednesday. “It’s good to have the same guys out there. It’s more important to play with the same person next to you,”

MORE THAN FIVE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN? NOTHING NEW TO ARIANS

During training camp, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was asked about the importance of developing depth along the offensive line.

“You’ve got to have seven guys and if you think you’re just going to play with five, that doesn’t happen,” Arians said. “That’s Godsend if that ever happens. We went to the Super Bowl with seven offensive tackles and four quarterbacks in Pittsburgh.”

“The next man standing, the next man in line, he jumps in and he plays. There’s no drop off. There’s never an excuse for an injury. If you’re a backup, you’re one of the most valuable players on the team.”

Just two weeks into the regular season, the Colts have experienced every part of what Arians said back in August.

-Left tackle Anthony Castonzo is the only penciled in starter who has been at his normal position for each of the first two games.

-At left guard, Seth Olsen has started both games for Joe Reitz (leg).

-At center, Samson Satele left the Vikings game late in the second quarter with a knee injury and was replaced by right guard Mike McGlynn.

-At right guard, when McGlynn slid over to center, newly signed lineman Trai Essex played the final two-plus quarters on Sunday.

-At right tackle, Jeff Linkenbach has been playing there since Winston Justice exited the Bears game with a concussion.

Through eight quarters of the regular season, the Colts have already used seven different players along the offensive line with Reitz still waiting to make his season debut.

Head coach Chuck Pagano talked about his beat up offensive line and their availability come Sunday.

“(Satele) saw the doctor, the MRI came back and it was negative so he’s just got some bone bruising in there but he’ll be day-to-day,” Pagano said. “We anticipate him being available for the game but you never know. If Satele isn’t able to go, then McGlynn will get the nod at center.”

During the 2010 season with the Eagles, McGlynn was the starting center for 14 games after starter Jamaal Jackson went down in the season opener.

“It’s a challenge just because we haven’t worked together and guys are just coming in,” McGlynn said of the ever-changing line. “It’s tough, but there’s not going to be any excuses come Sunday.”

Justice was a full participant at practice on Wednesday and his return to the line would give the Colts another veteran presence to protect Luck.

Injuries Force Colts Offensive Line to Show Versatility

Heading into the 2012 season, the Colts offensive line was full of question marks. How quickly would the new starters like Winston Justice and Samson Satele gel with Anthony Castonzo and the other returning Colts’ linemen? Could this unit that lacked depth stay healthy enough to keep prize quarterback Andrew Luck healthy?

Already two games into the season, we seem to have an answer to those questions. After struggling against the Chicago Bears in week one, the Colts faced down injury and showed their versatility and their resolve in the 23-20 win against the Minnesota Vikings.

The news wasn’t good to begin the game, with starting right tackle Winston Justice being declared inactive with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered last week. In his place, veteran Jeff Linkenbach stepped up into a starting role he previously held. If the best compliment to an offensive lineman is never hearing your name called, Linkenbach had a successful day. He and the rest of the Colts’ line held the Vikings, one of the NFL’s best units at rushing the passer, to two sacks, one of which was more a result of Andrew Luck holding the ball too long than the line’s inability to protect him.

Leading that effort was second year left tackle Anthony Castonzo. A week after facing the Bears’ Julius Peppers, Castonzo lined up across from the Vikings’ Jared Allen most of the afternoon. The Vikings defensive end already ranks 20th all-time on the NFL’s sack list. Thanks to Castonzo, Allen couldn’t add to that number on Sunday.

After the game, Castonzo was proud of the effort put forth by him and his linemates:

“It’s really awesome to start of the year that way, with two elite pass rushers…I feel like I held my own against both. It’s a great launching pad for the rest of the season.”

On the shift in personnel required by Justice’s injury and Samson Satele going out with a knee injury just before the half, Castonzo said he was confident in the abilities of those pressed into action.

“Next man up is our motto. Somebody gets hurt, the next guy has to come up and do the job.”

One who did two jobs on Sunday was Mike McGlynn. McGlynn started at guard, but when Satele went down, he moved over to center, a position he hadn’t played since a playoff game against Green Bay in 2010 when he was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. McGlynn felt good about his performance, but admitted it was a challenge for him to take over that role in the middle of a game after not getting many reps there during the week.

“It’s a big transition because you have to direct the line, which directs the whole offense. It’s something I’ve always been comfortable with (playing center)…I think I did some good things, but I’m sure I’ll see on film some things that need to get fixed.”

The extent of Satele’s injury is unknown at this time, so it’s unclear whether McGlynn will be back at center next week against Jacksonville. McGlynn’s move to center also brought in newcomer Trai Essex who filled in competently at guard.

Both Andrew Luck and Bruce Arians have to be encouraged by the progress and versatility shown by their offensive line in the Colts’ initial victory of 2012.

SOME NOTES ON THE BENGALS

-Similar to the Colts, the Bengals are fighting injuries heading into the preseason finale. The Bengals held 16 players out of action against the Packers last week.

-That number included defensive end Carlos Dunlap, linebacker Rey Maualuga, and cornerbacks Jason Allen, Adam Jones, and Dre Kirkptarick.

-In last week’s 27-13 loss against the Packers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 12-of-22 for 154 yards, an interception and two rushing touchdowns.

-Bengals outside linebacker Dontay Moch leads the NFL with 3.5 sacks through three games of the preseason. Colts linebacker Jerry Hughes is right on his heels with 3.0 sacks.

-The Colts and Bengals is the closest geographical matchup among cities in the AFC at 110 miles. The Browns and Steelers come second at 137 miles.

-The Colts and Bengals have met in the preseason in 20 of the 21 past seasons.

-Former Colts defensive end Jamaal Anderson (2011) is now with the Bengals.

-Colts general manager Ryan Grigson was drafted by the Bengals in 1995.

-Colts offensive guard Mike McGlynn (2011), cornerback Korey Lindsey (2011) and defensive tackle Jason Shirley (2008-2011) all spent time with the Bengals.

-New Colts wide receiver Kashif Moore was cut earlier this week by the Bengals

ARIANS TALKS PRESEAON OPENER, LUCK, BALLARD AND INJURIES

The start couldn’t have been scripted much better for offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

One play. Twelve seconds. Sixty-three yards and a touchdown for the first offensive snap of the 2012 preseason.

“An easy completion to Donald (Brown) but Dwayne Allen made an unbelievable effort block and Anthony Castonzo made a great block. The whole group just executed to perfection. Donald just had to run. It was a nice way to start,” Arians said.

Sunday’s offensive production stayed consistent through all three Colts quarterbacks, as the 38 points scored are the most Indianapolis has scored in the preseason since 1989.

Like any coach striving to get better, Arians is still searching for that complete performance offensively.

“I thought we played fairly fast. Obviously, made some explosive plays but we lacked consistency,” Arians said. “There were so many plays out there to make. (We) didn’t handle some of their blitzes well so we’ve got a lot of improvement to do. We’ve got to run the ball better and each week just continue to improve.”

It’s the running game that Arians was focused on following Tuesday’s practice as the Colts are dealing with a banged up backfield.

The Colts had four healthy running backs during practice on Tuesday and then signed running back Alvester Alexander later in the evening to provide some depth.

Arians has said he wants to see ‘physicality’ out of the running game and he stressed the need for the small things out of his backs.

“Four yards or more, don’t be dancing around and trying to make long runs,” Arians said of his running backs. “Get positive yardage, block linebackers and safeties in pass protection and play all around football. We have quality guys at the position and it’s high competition right now to get guys on the field.”

One player that Arians said will see some extended workload this week is rookie running back Vick Ballard.

With running backs Delone Carter and Mewelde Moore nursing rib injuries, Ballard saw some extra playing time on Sunday against the Rams and his offensive coordinator has liked what he’s seen from the rookie.

“I’ve been really impressed with (Ballard),” Arians said. “I like his pass protection too. I think he’s improving in that area. The sky’s the limit with that kid.”

While Arians expects Ballard to get more action this week, he will be doing it behind a different offensive line.

Offensive guard Mike McGlynn suffered an ankle injury against the Rams and is expected to miss some time.

Finding more than five bodies along the offensive line is a must according to Arians over a taxing 16-game regular schedule.

“You’ve got to have seven guys and if you think you’re just going to play with five that doesn’t happen,” Arians said. “We went to the Super Bowl with seven offensive tackles and four quarterbacks (in Pittsburgh). The next man standing, the next man in line, he jumps in and he plays. There’s no drop off. There’s never an excuse for an injury. If you’re a backup you’re one of the most valuable guys on the team.”

An established, well-oiled running game will go a long way to making things easier for quarterback Andrew Luck.

The rookie had an impressive debut in front of home fans at Lucas Oil Stadium but to his offensive coordinator who has seen him for the better part of the last three months it was nothing he didn’t expect.

“Nothing surprises me about him anymore,” Arians said. “I kind of expect it now and I think it surprised other people. I wouldn’t have anticipated anything else from him.”

Mike McGlynn Hoping This Deja Vu Continues

New Colts offensive lineman Mike McGlynn is noticing some parallels between his 2011 season in Cincinnati and this one, his first as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

McGlynn was picked up off waivers by the Bengals prior to the beginning of last season. There McGlynn was going to a team breaking in a rookie quarterback with a young receiving corps and new offensive coordinator. It was a team coming off a losing season having jettisoned many of its stars from previous years (Carson Palmer, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco). Most thought it more likely the Bengals would draft Andrew Luck than make the playoffs.

Sound familiar?

Cincinnati, with Mike McGlynn starting most of the season at guard, surprised everyone and made the playoffs as a wild card team last season behind rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. McGlynn thinks that this year’s Colts team could similarly surprise people.

“The strides we’re making with our personnel have been great… Andrew is a unique player. I’ve never been around a guy like him at the position.”

That’s pretty high praise from a lineman who not only blocked for Andy Dalton last season, but has also protected Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick.

It’s not just the football side that has McGlynn excited for this season. He couldn’t be happier to have made the move up I-74 to Indianapolis.

“The city is awesome. I love everything about it! This is one of classiest organizations I’ve ever been a part of.”

McGlynn, a self-described “blue collar guy who brings his lunch pail to work,” is fighting for a starting guard spot on the rebuilt Colts offensive line. Thus far he’s gained the majority of the snaps with the first team, but he knows his real test will begin Sunday afternoon when the Rams start going after Andrew Luck.

If McGlynn and his fellow linemates can keep Luck upright, the Colts will have an outstanding opportunity to emulate the surprise season the Bengals put together last year.

OFFENSIVE LINE ALL SHARE A COMMON GOAL

Perhaps no unit on the Colts roster was happier to have a full offseason in 2012 than the offensive line.

Injuries riddled the offensive line throughout the 2011 season and four new veteran faces made their way to Indianapolis via free agency or trade this offseason.

As the first week of training camp is nearing a close, the new faces along the line are pleased with the progress they are making.

“So far, I think it’s going good,” offensive tackle Winston Justice said. “I still think we have a lot to work on, but so does every other offensive line in the NFL. I just think we have guys that want to get better and that’s all you can really ask for at this point.”

Justice was acquired via trade during the offseason and has started 31 NFL games with the Philadelphia Eagles in his six NFL seasons.

A day after trading for Justice on March 14, the Colts made another move along the offensive line in signing offensive guard Mike McGlynn.

The combination of Justice and McGlynn provided some continuity for the two as they spent three seasons together in Philadelphia.

“I played with Winston (Justice) in Philly so that’s a familiarly to me that’s been a smooth transition,” McGlynn said.

Getting the line to gel together is always a vital key for any group, but takes on added importance in protecting a rookie quarterback. That will still be the case come September but even McGlynn admitted this quarterback isn’t your typical rookie.

“Normally, yes but with Andrew (Luck) he’s not the normal quarterback,” McGlynn said. “Normally with a rookie there’s growing pains, but this guys sharp and he’s on his game.”

Protecting for Luck will be goal number one for the unit and Justice is glad that this unit all shares the same objective.

“The best thing we have is a drive to be better,” Justice said. “I think this group really puts the team first and we just want to be the best individual players we can be and the best line we can be too.”

The four new faces along the offensive line have a combined 25 years of NFL experience and they will mix with some young returnees who are early in their NFL careers.

When asked if the normal amount of time for an offensive unit to feel organized is around a year, McGlynn is hoping this line has higher expectations.

“I think that’s fair, but we don’t want to look at it that way. We want it right now,” McGlynn said. “Like I said, we’ve got that chip on our shoulders. Nobody is expecting anything out of us so we want to make sure these guys in this room are ready to go so we can surprise a lot of people.”

Colts Finish Ninth OTA of Off-Season

By Kevin Bowen, Colts.com

The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up their ninth of 10 OTA’s Wednesday afternoon under another blue, sunny sky at the Indiana Farm Bureau Practice Facility.

As the OTA’s are coming to a close, the Colts will break for the summer following a week of mini-camp starting next Tuesday.

The Colts will then gather on July 28th as players will report to training camp in Anderson, Indiana before embarking on the 2012 season.

Coach Chuck Pagano called Wednesday’s practice ‘productive’ and knows that despite not being in full pads yet these OTA’s are very beneficial for the team’s development.

“They are digesting everything that we’re giving them, we are making progress and they are working the process,” Pagano said. “(I am) extremely pleased with where we are at.”

Wednesday’s two-hour practice began with some special teams work before the club broke up into positional groups.

A majority of the final hour of practice was spent working on offense versus defense and saw some spirited plays on both sides of the ball.

For the offense, wide receiver Austin Collie made a pair of difficult touchdown receptions in the corner of the endzone.

Rookie tight end Dwayne Allen had the highlight of the afternoon with a juggling touchdown catch that included a celebratory chest bump from offensive guard Mike McGlynn.

Defensively, linebacker Pat Angerer showed that he can be more than just one of the top tacklers in the NFL as he intercepted a pass intended for newly signed running back Deji Karim.

OTA’s will come to an end on Thursday for the Colts and after next week’s mini-camp players will look towards the end of July when the intensity is taken up a notch.

“Training camp, I think is going to be a big thing for us once we put the pads on because a lot of times once you start hitting, once you start really playing football that’s the best way to learn the system yourself,” safety Tom Zbikowski said.

Zbikowski is used to the new defensive system having been a part of the Baltimore Ravens defense for the past four years.
His knowledge has spread to another member of the secondary as veteran corner Jerraud Powers is trying to help his fellow corners learn a new system.
Even though the Colts are just in shorts and helmets right now, Powers knows that the value of OTA’s extends past the playing field and into the meeting rooms.
“Guys got a great idea of what this system is and what they’re supposed to do in it and how it’s supposed to function,” Powers said. “Once we get this little break that’s coming up in a week or two, when we get back to (training) camp it’s not a foreign language to anybody and we can just jump back into it.”

PLAYER QUOTE OF THE DAY

Cornerback Jerraud Powers on hopefully having rookie quarterback Andrew Luck at mini-camp next week:

“I can’t wait just to have him in, see what he’s about and see how he’s going to conduct this team. He’s the leader. He’s our quarterback, so he’s the one everybody is going to look up to and I’m pretty sure he’s going to do a good job doing it.”

COACH QUOTE OF THE DAY

Head coach Chuck Pagano on the team’s running back position:

“Right now, Donald (Brown) has been taking the lion’s share of the first-team reps. We are mixing in the other guys, with Darren (Evans) getting some reps, of course Delone (Carter) has been out, and getting the young guy, (Vick) Ballard, in there. So they have a rep count, a pitch count so to speak, and we are trying to balance (the reps) out.”

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS WAIVE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN JAKE KIRKPATRICK

The Indianapolis Colts waived offensive lineman Jake Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Colts on July 29, 2011. He was released following training camp. Indianapolis then re-signed Kirkpatrick as a free agent on March 8, 2012 prior to his release today.

Below is an updated 2012 offseason media schedule for the Indianapolis Colts.

Exact times of practices and media availabilities will be announced the week prior to all activities.

June 12 – 14: Veteran mini-camp

*         Player availability each day

*         Head Coach Chuck Pagano available on Tuesday, June 12 and Wednesday, June 13

*         Colts coordinators available on Thursday, June 14

Offensive Line Presents Versatile Options

By Kevin Bowen, Colts.com

Of all the units on the Colts roster to see an influx of new talent this offseason, the offensive line received the most veteran additions with a trio of lineman made the move to Indianapolis.

Center Sampson Satele (6 years), guard Mike McGlynn (5 years) and tackle Winston Justice (7 years) all bring together ample NFL experience to a unit that is trying to blend it’s young talent around them.

Offensive line coach Harold Goodwin talked about each of the new additions and what they will bring the Colts in the trenches:

On Satele: “He’s been in the battle. He’s been in the wars. For him to come in, it’s just transitioning the terminology to what he’s heard in the past and flipping it over. He’s been great because he’s a smart football player and anything I teach him he picks up right away.”

On McGlynn: “He’s a huge leader in the room and a powerful, smart football player.”

On Justice: “We have a flexible guy who can play right tackle or play left tackle.”

The unit was a little undermanned on Wednesday afternoon with first year players Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana both sidelined along with guard Joe Reitz.

Castonzo and Reitz saw extensive action on the line last season and with them sidelined the veteran returnee came in the form of third-year pro Jeff Linkenbach.

“As far as the guys who’ve been here, Jeff (Linkenbach) is doing a great job. (We’re) kind of bouncing him around from tackle to guard, just trying to find him a home because I think he’s maybe one of our top five or six lineman.”

Goodwin said that even though the line is ever changing during the month of May he expects that to change come training camp.

“I know I’m kind of bouncing them around a little bit, but I just told them ‘stick with me’ and once we get to training camp and have healthy bodies we can start slotting guys into a single spot and go from there,” Goodwin said.