7 takeaways from Colts’ first joint practice with Bears
The Indianapolis Colts hosted the Chicago Bears for the first of two joint training camp practices Wednesday at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield.
The two teams will square off for practices leading up to the preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET. As expected, there were some highs and lows for the Colts throughout this joint session.
This was rookie Anthony Richardson’s first practice since it was made public that he will be the starting quarterback moving forward.
Here are seven takeaways from the first joint training camp practice with the Bears
Injuries and Attendance
RB Zack Moss (arm), WR Breshad Perriman (undisclosed), WR Vyncint Smith (undisclosed), TE Jelani Woods (hamstring), TE Mo Alie-Cox (ankle), TE Drew Ogletree (shoulder), C Ryan Kelly (foot), DT DeForest Buckner (foot), LB Segun Olubi (head) did not practice due to injuries.
RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) remains on the PUP list and has an excused absence away from the team due to a personal matter.
RG Will Fries (calf), WR Ashton Dulin (undisclosed), WR Malik Turner and DE Genard Avery (undisclosed) left practice early due to apparent injuries.
RT Braden Smith (knee) returned to practice after missing the preseason opener.
Efficient day for Anthony Richardson
On the first day since being named the starter, Richardson had an efficient day of work in 11-on-11 drills against the Bears defense. It was noted that most of the work was underneath routes as Chicago took away the deep concepts. His work in 7-on7s (no pass rush) wasn’t as efficient.
Here’s what Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle said about Richardson’s first day of joint practice:
Quarterback Anthony Richardson had an efficient day overall, completing 15-of-19 passes (78.9%) in 11s to Michael Pittman Jr. (4), Kylen Granson (3), Josh Downs (3), Evan Hull, Alec Pierce, Kenyan Drake, Juwann Winfree, and Deon Jackson. It was a lot of underneath work, as downfield shots were mostly taken away. Entering the final period of 11s, Richardson had only one incomplete pass. His day of 7s was much shakier, at one point sailing a pass to Downs over the middle of the field, which was intercepted by Chicago safety Eddie Jackson.
Arthur mentioned the interception in 7-on-7s was likely due more to miscommunication than a typical poor pass.
Offensive line issues
The Colts were without starting center Ryan Kelly, who is dealing with a foot injury, which means Danny Pinter was in to replace him. They also saw starting right guard Will Fries leave practice early due to an apparent calf injury, which he got wrapped up by the training staff. Arlington Hambright, who has spent most of the camp working as the second-team left tackle, replaced Fries at right guard.
On top of that, it appears the unit as a whole struggled in pass protection during team drills, and they failed to get the run game going, which has been an issue throughout camp.
It should be noted that left tackle Bernhard Raimann and right tackle Braden Smith had strong days against the Bears edge rushers.
Josh Downs shining
The momentum is building for the rookie wide receiver. Currently in a battle with Isaiah McKenzie, who also had a solid day, for the starting slot role, Downs continues to stack strong days together. This is coming off an impressive outing during the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Here’s what Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star said about the performance Downs gave Wednesday:
An instinctive player with an excellent feel for where the holes will open in zones, Downs has been a frequent target for Richardson and Gardner Minshew throughout training camp, and he was dominant at times against Chicago’s secondary.
Working alongside Pittman and Pierce for the second consecutive day, Downs caught four passes in six plays in 7-on-7, and he also made three catches in 11-on-11, including two critical catches to finish off the “call-it” series against Chicago.
A crafty route runner with plucky hands and a knack for playing bigger than his size, Downs will take over the starting slot role sooner rather than later. It may even be Week 1 if he continues this trajectory.
Strong day for young safeties
There have been plenty of question marks in the safety room this offseason between injuries and the development of Nick Cross, but the starters had a strong day against Justin Fields and the Bears offense. Both Cross and fellow second-year safety Rodney Thomas II recorded interceptions against Fields in team drills.
Here’s what Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star said about their day:
Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II both turned in interceptions on Chicago’s dual-threat quarterback. Cross’ came on a deflection off the hands of Bears tight end Cole Kmet, but he had to dive to make the play.
Thomas’ came when Fields tried to make an explosive play happen. He rolled out to the right after not finding a receiver open and then uncorked a deep post throw, but by then, Thomas had his eyes locked on Fields and made a dead sprint to steal the ball out of the air in front of the receiver.
While Thomas was a massive surprise in 2022 as a seventh-round pick, Cross has been developing nicely throughout camp following a disappointing rookie campaign.
Pass rush shows up
Two Colts players stood out when it came to the pass rush against the Bears offensive line. Third-year edge rusher Kwity Paye and free-agent signee Samson Ebukam both had strong days consistently getting after the quarterback. Considering they are the projected starters, that’s an encouraging sign.
Another pick-six for Darius Rush
Coming off his preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills, which included a pick-six, Rush followed that up with another Wednesday against the Bears offense. Working against former Colts quarterback P.J. Walker, Rush nabbed an interception and brought it to the house for a would-be score. The fifth-round pick continues to make plays and is building momentum toward carving out a role this season.
Moore vs Moore
There was a particularly noteworthy battle between Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II and Bears new wide receiver DJ Moore as they lined up across from each other several times. It was a back and forth battle, but Moore II had a handful of strong reps against the perennial 1,000-yard receiver. It’s good to see Moore II getting back to his usual ways after a disappointing campaign in 2022.
