The Colts are awaiting the news on Gary Brackett's x-rays to his ankle. The positive is it is not his knee. The negative is x-rays to an ankle could suggest a break or a severe sprain. One thing is certain about Brackett: He will not play against the Bengals this Sunday. Replacing him at MLB is Freddie Keiaho. Sliding over to replace Keiaho at WILL is Clinton Session and jumping in to replace Session is Tyjuan Hagler. That is a pretty good group of LBers, and if Brackett is out for a few weeks, they should hold the fort nicely. Backing up Keiaho are Philip Wheeler and Buster Davis.

The other injury of note is to DT Keyunta Dawson. He has a pulled hamstring and is likely out a few weeks. Dawson, an under-sized DT at 260 pounds, has played the under tackle spot most of the season. For an under-sized kid, he has played extremely well. But, with Dawson on the mend, look for the Colts to FINALLY activate DT Daniel Muir and actually PLAY him. Why the Colts have deactivated a quality DT for 10 of 12 weeks when the DT position is THE weakest position on the team right now, I have no clue. But, the positive is Antonio Johnson is starting to develop into a good NT for this team. He had 6 tackles against the Browns, and he has done a fine job helping the Colts stop the run. Since Johnson started playing, the Colts have surrendered a respectable 113 yards a game on the ground. Many of those games have been without Bob Sanders. Prior to Antonio Johnson playing, the Colts surrendered 143 yards rushing on the ground.

Speaking of Bob, it seems "The Chuck Norris of the NFL" is slated to return this week against the Bengals. As always, the key to Bob coming back is him playing well and staying on the field week, after week, after week. If Bob plays, that is a big boost to the entire defense, especially with Brackett is out.

Bob Sanders after his fourth quarter INT against the Patriots last night Photo:Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Wins feel good unless, of course, there is something sinister beneath the surface that eats at you. I'll never complain about beating anyone, let alone the Patriots. The Colts have now beaten them 4 of the last 5 games. Remember when they used to own us? Remember the old days when just any old Patriots QB would start and beat the crap out of the Colts: Hugh Milen, Scott Zollak... Tom Brady. Well, those days are over, thankfully. Even without Tom Brady this year, the Patriots have an excellent rushing attack, solid defense, great special teams, and they do not beat themselves.

Until last night.

A Patriots team that all season did not commit stupid penalties did so last night. TE David Thomas shoved a player well after the whistle on a key fourth quarter drive. It turned a 3rd and 1 into a 3rd and 16. The Patriots failed to convert, and that was pretty much the ballgame. The Pats also missed on a sure TD when Jabbar Gafney pulled a Rache Caldwell and dropped an easy pass, placed right into his hands, in the third quarter. 

For a change, the Colts caught the breaks. The Pats didn't. Let's all do a happy dance.

But under the surface lies a deeper concern: After three weeks of good run defense, the Colts gave up 140 yards to 3rd and 4th string Patriots running backs. Laurence Maroney is done for the year. Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan were deactivated because of injury. The Patriots should have managed only 40 something total yards rushing minus those players. Instead, they ran wild. Prior to the game, Tony Dungy deactivated NT Daniel Muir.

Why was he deactivated? We don't know.

Muir was not hurt, but yet did not play. This makes absolutely no sense, and seeing as how a nobody RB like Jarvis-Green-Whoeverthehell ran for nearly 4 yards a carry on the Colts, deactivating your best NT makes about as much sense as asking Peyton Manning to throw left handed for the game, just for gits and shiggles.

Add to that the mind-numbingly bad play by the linebackers on 3rd down. I mean, OH MY GOD... it was awful. It did not matter if it was 3rd and 8 or 3rd and inches, the Pats converted. Draw plays, screens, Cassel running... garbage stuff that should be sniffed out and destroyed when teams run it against us. If I am calling the EXACT play the Pats are running from at home pre-snap, that means the players on the field should know what is coming too. How many times did the Pats run out of the shotgun. They gained, like, 6 yards a carry every time. WTF? TACKLE. THE. GUY.

I'm also sick of the "we need better gap control" crap. Somebody just hit someone. Just do something! I'm not going to kill Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis because Cassel's drops were 3 steps and the ball was gone. My beef is with Brackett (who was as bad last night as I've ever seen), Session (who is lost in coverage), and Hagler (who is still getting himself back into playing form). The linebackers last night were an embarrassment, and they better kiss Peyton Manning's size 15 feet all day Tuesday after their film sessions, because Peyton was the reason the Colts won this game.

Peyton is back

Photo: Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Yes, I think it is safe to say Peyton Manning is back. He was angry. He was determined. He was not going to let another team walk into his house and crap on his new carpet. Peyton dominated the Patriots defense; had them guessing all night. Despite a d-line that is known as one of the best, Peyton was hardly touched all night long (and unlike Matt Cassel, Peyton's drops were 5 to 7 steps). He picked apart the Patriots, and did so without a consistent running game (again).

Having Bob Sanders return was also a big boost. The secondary fed off his energy, and they played very well. Tim Jennings (the new whipping boy for fans) continued to play strong. Notice how I said continued? Jennings is a fine CB, and all the bitching and moaning about him is no different than the bitching and moaning against Charlie Johnson (who is an excellent o-lineman) or Rob Morris. Once Hughes and Hayden return, this secondary will be fine. The Giants won a Super Bowl last year with a much, much worse secondary. They are the least of my worries.

Oh, and another game, another clutch Adam Vinatieri FG. This time from 52 yards out. Money. Again, fans who say they have "lost their faith" in Adam are simply spoiled fans who do not appreciate greatness when it plays for their team. Without Vinatieri this season, the Colts would be 2-6 right now. Kickers like him do not grow on trees, folks. If you think this team would be just fine with a scrub like Jay Feely or Nate Kaeding kicking their FGs, you simply don't know what you are talking about and need to go sit in the corner. Adam's kick looked good from 60 yards. His kickoffs have been outstanding all season. Special teams play, in general, has very nearly rescued this club.

Adam Vinatieri is money, and anyone who disagrees is flat out wrong. It is literally that simple. I don't know how many more examples I need to show in order to prove that point.

So, while this recap might sound a bit angry despite a win, it is because I am tired of seeing the same. damn. thing. occur every 3rd and long. This team is too good to have mistake after mistake like those occur. The defense has to do its job and get the opponent's offense off the friggin field. The Colts have the #1 red zone offense this year in the entire NFL. Did you know that? Despite all the injuries, when the Colts get in the red zone, they score TDs! The problem is the offense does not get the ball enough because they defense is too busy dry-humping the opponent when they should be blasting them off the field.

At some point, and hopefully soon, the Colts need to man up and take charge of themselves. If this means benching a team captain like Gary Brackett to send a message, so be it. Something needs to happen. The passing game is on track and the special teams are finally good. The defense now needs to catch up, or they will get booed LOUDLY in their home stadium.

All that said, I'm happy for the win, even though I don't sound it. Hey, some of you like it when I get angry. A few of you have said I've been a little too Sally Sunshine of late. Well, you folks now have your wish. I'm mad, despite the win. That said, both the Colts and Patriots will make the playoffs this year. Right it down, and woe to the teams that play them. Despite my angry recap, both teams are as well coached as it gets, and while the pretenders are having their day in the sun now, the real high caliber NFL teams are finally getting healthy enough to flex a bit. When December and January come, the Colts and Patriots will be in the mix. If anyone is writing them off, they are a fool that will soon get their ass handed to them.

Thanks again to MaPatsFan and the folks at Pats Pulpit for continuing to stoke the best rivalry in all of sports. Our teams will meet in the playoffs this season. With this win and the Jags and Texans losing, the Colts have finally created some separation in the AFC South. Next week, it doesn't get any easier: The Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Colts, in their entire history, have never won in Pittsburgh. Never. It is never easy, but when you want to be great, it shouldn't be easy.

Go Colts!

With the sort-of news that LT Tony Ugoh has been benched, maybe the Colts will make a trade for a LT rather than a DT.

Yes, bad joke. I know.

In any case, today is the trading deadline. Barring any kind of miracle, late minute offer, the Colts will likely not trade for a DT. After shutting down Baltimore's running attack this past weekend, the Colts might feel more confident in their current bunch. Tony Dungy stated in his Monday press conference that the Colts would explore options, but trading for (or signing) someone who does not know their system is unlikely. This coupled with the shaky injury status of the RB position makes a trade for a DT even more unlikely.

Maybe next week, at Green Bay, we may get our first look at DT Daniel Muir. We will likely get SAM LBer Tyjuan Hagler back from the PUP, which should go a long way to shoring up the run D even more. Clint Session played well at SAM against Baltimore, but he has not been consistent.

Some links to get you through the Friday afternoon lull:

• PhilB is not optimistic about Kelvin Hayden's knee injury (Tip to Matic). I'm numb to injuries now. If we can get through one game without losing someone for a significant period of time, I'd almost consider that more of a win than an actual win.
  
• Another AOL Fanhouse comment that makes absolutely no friggin' sense:

  Peyton Manning is like the Phil Mickelson of football and that should be self explanatory.

  Uh, it isn't, unless you are suggesting Phil Mickelson is the greatest golfer of his generation. If you are, your comment makes you sound even stupider than I thought possible. Stick to reporting sports. Lose the comedy (and the pathetic attempts to compare golf with pro football).
• I managed to eek out a win in the Stampede Blue Fantasy Football League. I thought True_Blue had me, but this past Monday I had the Vikings defense and he had Adrian Peterson. Peterson did nothing, and the Vikes defense scored 19 points. I won 114-99. 
• I won in my league against Fanhouse as well. My opponent left DeAngelo Williams on his bench.
• 18 to 88 has their 18 plays up from last weeks Texans game. Always an enjoyable read.
• I don't know WTF is up with Tony Ugoh. It seems the Colts are starting Charlie Johnson at LT over him. Ugoh dressed against the Texans. When you dres, that means YOU CAN PLAY. Yet, Ugoh did not play, and Johnson is getting murdered out there because he is NOT a left tackle. I don't think this is an injury. I think he was benched and the Colts don't want to talk about it.
• Ugoh aside, it is nice to see Pollak and Richard in there. These two were excellent picks by Polian. We may be a bit snake bitten on the d-line, but Polian has done a very good job totally rebuilding Indy's offensive line. Now they need to gell and get some consistency.
  
• Will be see Daniel Muir play this week? According to shake n bake's injury report update, Muir practiced. He should play.
• And finally, aslo from PhilB (same link as above), Philip Wheeler will start at SAM backer this weekend. If the run defense improves with Clint session not starting at SAM, that tells us something. I still maintain Session is one helluva linebacker... at WILL backer. Not SAM.

Go back and listen to Tony Dungy's press conference from Monday and you will hear some very troubling statements. Not troubling in the sense that OMG we are toast, but troubling in the sense that certain characteristics that are NOT characteristic of the Colts occurred during the Jaguars game. In Dungy's own way, he was very critical of the defense. Here are some things that jumped out at me (paraphrased):

• Several missed tackles by defense
• The team relaxed, lack of hustle overall
  
• Players spending too much time worrying about who is not there
• Got frantic, panicked a bit when things starting falling apart
  
• Not playing until whistle blows, swarming to the ball

Again, these are all traits that we do not normally see or hear about regarding the Colts. The opposite was on display against the Vikings the week before. Despite tremendous adversity, they did not panic, played hard for 4 quarters, and won the game. This time around, that wasn't the case.

That, my friends, is troubling.

So, what does this mean? Well, factor in that the Colts have several inexperienced players now playing on defense. Inexperience can bred inconsistency. Remember when we said all those young, experienced starters from last year were returning, and that was going to make this defense better?

Out the window.

With Ed Johnson gone, that theory went up in smoke... kind of like Big Ed's career. Also factor in that Clint Session is playing out of position. He is not a strong side LBer. I don't care what kind of talent he has. Is he a quitter and a wuss like Gilbert Gardner? No, of course not. He just does not have the body type and the skills to play LBer over the TE. Clint is a WILL backer, or weak side LBer, and in the future he might be a better option over Freddie "KO" Keiaho. We've also got a 3 technique DT (Eric Foster) playing nose tackle. Because of these deficiencies, the Colts have had to play man-to-man coverage, shaking them out of their comfort zone (Tampa 2 defense). 

To fix this, here are some suggested changes (because, you know, Bill Polian is so reading this blog right now):

• Bench Clint Session and start Philip Wheeler at SAM. Nothing against Clint. I'm a big Clint fan and think he has what it takes. He's just not a SAM backer, just like I am not Will Smith, Captain Kirk, or Michael Jordan circa 1992. Wheeler has the body type, speed, and power to play SAM in Cover 2. He can hold down the fort until Tyjuan Hagler returns. Hagler's scheduled return is Week 6-ish.
• Rotate in Daniel Muir and Lajuan Ramsey more at NT. Foster is a gutty kid, and he was a solid find, but he is not a NT. God bless him for trying. He can be a real force if he were allowed to play 3 technique, especially against the run. Muir needs to get healthy (or he needs to get cut) and Ramsey more comfortable. That is what the bye week is for. These two guys need to be the full time players at NT, and lock down that position. Right now, it is killing us.
• Tackle drills in practice. Waaaaaaaaaaay too many missed tackles. Too many guys going for the big hit, and not bringing down the ball carrier. We know these guys can swarm and bring down big, tough backs. We've seen it many times. However, every once in a while, they forget that football is about tackling, not hitting. They need to be reminded.
• Cut anyone, and I mean anyone, who quits or slacks off in a game. The Colts just cut their best DT for smoking weed. If they were willing to do that, they should be willing to flat out terminate a player's services if he plays with a lack of urgency. They need to stopped fretting over who they don't have (Bob, Ed, Quinn, Tyjuan, etc.) and do the job they are paid millions to do. If they can't do that, cut them and find someone who can.

I think it is safe to say that the established veterans on defense (Dwight Freeney, Gary Brackett, Robert Mathis, Marlin Jackson, etc.) are not the kind of players who would display a "lack of hustle" in a key game. So, the microscope is now on other players, like Freddie, Clint, Philip, Melvin, Jennings, and others. We shall see if  lack of hustle is a continuing problem. Hopefully, it isn't.

Camp is closing soon. Colts City has been taken down. Yesterday was the last day for camp fundamentals work, which is the core focus for all Colts camps. Today, they focus a bit more on game-planning for the Falcons, but what that really means is a lot of film work, walk-throughs, and rehab for the injured guys. Fewer fans are in the stands for camp, watching players work and progress. And after Friday, camp breaks and all practices are in Indianapolis. Some next week will be in Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Lube, as I call it. The "Luke" is too boring for me, and I have to mock (a little bit) a stadium with the word oil in it.

Some wrinkles the Colts are working on in camp involve receiver end-arounds (Dallas, Gonzo, and Pierre) and running backs passing the football near the end zone (Dom got a crack at it). But as camp winds down, I'm starting to collect my thoughts, and come to grips with the fact that summer is almost over and FOOTBALL IS ALMOST HERE! OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!

The Colts will practice at "The Lube" next week.

Having said that, after watching practices, pre-season games, and listening to contacts and people within the Colts, I have a few thoughts about the roster. Some of these thoughts you already know, but I'll say them anyway because, well, I'm a blogger. It's what I do:

• One area of concern for the Colts is linebacker. Lots of fans are whining about DT, but I think they just don't get it. I also think they have their heads stuck in 2006. The DTs are fine. LBer is the concern. Too many injuries and not enough depth. Tyjuan Hagler is out until October because of an injury that still annoys me. Clint Session is back, but I don't think he'll make a good SAM backer. Session is a WILL, or weakside, backer. We probably won't see Philip Wheeler again until October, or late September. This means the Colts have only Freddie Keiaho, the starting WILL, backing up MLB Gary Brackett. That's not good. There's a lot of uncertainty, health-wise, with his area and it concerns me.

I'm worried about the linebackers.
Photo via static.nfl.com

• Barring some kind of miracle performance this weekend, I have to say I have very little, if any, faith in Jim Sorgi. He just is not an NFL QB, and you have to have someone who can play the position in the event something happens to Peyton Manning. I refuse to accept the dumb excuse Well, if Manning goes down the season is tanked anyway. So why bother? It's simply a defeatist attitude that has no business in Colts Country. If anything happens to Manning, the Colts have to have someone who can step in and make plays. Someone with experience, a good arm, and a solid understanding of the offense. So far, only Quinn Gray has shown me he has the potential to do those things, but he's been far from perfect. But at least Gray has experience stepping in as a back-up. He knows the AFC South (played for both the Jags and Texans before coming to Indy) and has a strong arm. I think it's a long shot that Sorgi gets canned because the Colts seem to like him, but this was his chance to prove he was a solid back-up, and he's failed.
• We know the Colts have great depth at WR this season, but the depth at TE is also looking impressive. Gijon Robinson is now pretty firmly entrenched as the #2 TE in the 2 TE set, but Jacob Tamme has looked damned good in camp and pre-season. The Colts might enter-change them depending upon the down and distance. Tamme just seems like money in the redzone. Tom Santi is now running and doing conditioning drills. Remember, he had the same knee surgery as Peyton. So, we should expect to see Peyton throwing passes in practice next week.
  
• I feel fine with the pass rush going into the season. Dwight Freeney is healthy and Marcus Howard is looking more and more like a 5th round steal. Howard has given LT Tony Ugoh fits all throughout camp. The two have really battled, and it has paid off with Howard looking impressive in pre-season. With Robert Mathis back to normal and Raheem Brock returned to DE, the position is deep with guys who can get to the QB. The Colts are also experimenting with blitzing the SAM backer more, which plays to the strengths of guys like Session and Wheeler. I feel very good about this area, which was so thin last season it cost Indy another championship.
  

Marcus is the real deal.
Photo via i.a.cnn.net

• Charlie Johnson looks like he's poised to start at OG over rookie Mike Pollak when the season starts.
• I feel oddly comfortable about the special teams this year. In fact, this is as comfortable as I've ever felt with this area. I'm so used to worrying myself silly over this unit. But, there are strong, tangible reasons to feel good about the special teams. I truly think Adam Vinatieri is in the best shape of his life, and for the first time in three years he's healthy. Colts.com did an article about the special teams unit recently, and this quote from Vinatieri caught my attention:

  "Our team obviously has good offense, defense and we’ve had OK special teams the last few years, but we’ve been kind of average in those phases," Vinatieri said. "We’ve kind of taken it upon ourselves to help our coverage teams by kicking the ball even further or higher.

  "There are 11 guys on the field, but if we can do our job even a little bit better, it helps everybody else do theirs, too. It really is a team effort and until I kick every ball through the uprights and make every kick a touchback, there really is room for improvement. I’m sure Hunter would say the same thing.

  "The more hang time and the more fair catches we can make those guys do and the more touchbacks that I can do, it’s only going to help our chances."

  If you want to know about "intangibles," look no further than Adam Vinatieri. This is a kicker (a potential HoFer) assuming responsibility, working to make himself better, and assuming a leadership role. Could you ever see Mike Vanderjagt doing this? Obviously, Adam is being generous when he says special teams have been "OK." Truth is they've stunk worse than Peter King's toilet after a late night Mexican chili dinner. So, rather than blame others (his position coach, his QB, his coverage guys, his linemen), Adam got himself into great shape and is now routinely booming the ball into the back of the endzone on kickoffs.

  That's pimp-tastic-awesome folks. Again, this is our kicker. This is what leadership really is.

This man is a pimp. A total, uber-pimp.

I'll sate the obvious here: If the Colts field a solid-to-good special teams unit this season, this team will be scary good. The only weakness this team has ever had consistently in the Dungy era is special teams, in particular the coverage units. If the Colts have finally managed to turn that around, this will be THE team in the NFL in 2008. I'm starting to think they have turned that corner; that special teams is no longer a weakness.

I'm starting to get really, really excited for the 2008 season.

It's a bit sad that Michael Coe's season is over. Last year he battled with a shoulder injury, spent all off-season rehabbing it, and came into camp ready to go. Then, on one of the camp days MasterRWayne and I attended camp, he slipped on a kickoff return and injured his knee. Prognosis is 2 months, which means that Michael Coe would be back and ready to play by November, latest. But to hold only 52 active players between Kickoff Weekend and November is not realistic. Thus, Coe was IRed.

This is a big positive for players like Keiwan Ratliff, Brandon Foster, and maybe even Kenton Keith. The Colts are 5 deep at corner, not including Ratliff and Foster. They might consider carrying 4 RBs. It's doubtful, but possible. I think Ratliff keeps the spot. He's had a solid camp and pre-season thus far. With Coe getting IRed, the Colts picked up a rookie LB waived from Houston: Marcus Richardson out of Troy.

At 6'0, 250 pounds, Richardson seems ideal for SAM backer in the Cover 2. Curiously, this move was made and not a move to sign veteran LBer Rob Morris. However, at first glance, Richardson fits what the Colts like in LBers: tough, hard-worker, fast, top intangibles, and a team leader. Richardson was a fan favorite at Troy, it seems. His speed and work ethic will serve him well in the Cover 2, and unlike camp fodder like Victor Worsley (who is hurt) Richardson might have a good chance to catch on with the team. God know the Colts need some healthy LBers.

Marcus Richardson, in the foreground, is about to kill this Cowboy.

Now, onto camp.

Just like Colt Homer did the previous day, coltsfanawalt attended camp and offered his impressions of what happened. One particular incident caught me attention:

We saw Clint Session lay out Joseph Addai in a rotating drill of pass rushing/blocking. Everyone made noise about it. Addai stepped aside and took off his helmet. Then when Session was due up again, [Addai] cut in front of the other back to get another crack at #55. Pretty cool to see. And Session looks good.

It's called competition, folks. And it's nice to see Clint and Joseph go at it without the end result being a fist fight and someone with a broken nose.

Another funny observation:

Watch out for Howard  Mudd. He drives like a maniac. I'm just sayin'.

Howard Mudd on a golf cart is like Tony Stewart at the Brickyard. He drives like a maniac, and looks like he's trying to run people over (even though he really isn't). Maybe when Manning gets back, Mudd's golf cart can get retired to the pond.

For the last few months, we all have made lists of questions we hoped would get answered by the time Kickoff Weekend rolls around. We looked for answers to these questions in the draft, mini-camps, free agency, and now training camp. After attending camp and getting "insider" info from people in the know within the team and fans still attending camp, I've got a pretty good idea of how this roster is shaping up. Mind you, I'm providing these insights with big, blue-tinted glasses. I could be dead wrong about everything, but in years past I've been pretty much on the money when it comes to evaluating talent. Just ask Bears fans. Also keep in mind that much of my opinion is formulated from information I trust, and I very much trust my own two eyes.

So, all that crap said, here's a few answers to some of your burning questions (this is a monster post, which I needed to place on the flip):

Continue reading this post »

Based on camp reporters from TheMatic and Aerostar193; articles posted on the Tribune Star and Indy Star websites, ESPN's own "blog"; and camp reports posted on ColtFreaks.com, I'll do my best to piece together early observations of players many of you have questions about. I'll cite the sources at the end of article:

• Philip Wheeler hurt is knee yesterday. After practice he was seen on the sideline with an ice wrap around his knee. This is a somewhat positive  sign that the injury is not too bad because if it was a pulled or torn tendon or ligament, he likely would not have been on the practice field sideline with ice on the knee. Apparently, the knee is "sore." Dungy elaborated on the injury (somewhat):

  "Wheeler has just irritation in the knee and [it’s] a condition he’s had that flared up. We’re hoping that it’s not too serious. Melvin Bullitt did have a little sprained thumb that they’re going to have to work on. He’s probably going to miss a few days, but nothing that should hold him out more than a week," the Colts coach said, adding that he doesn’t know how long Wheeler may be sidelined.

  
  
• Day 2 saw the running backs stand out as the players put the pads on for the first time in weeks. The backs working with the starting unit are Addai, Rhodes, and Mike Hart. Noticeably absent from working with the starting unit: Kenton Keith. They are using Hart the way the used James Mungro from 2002-2005. Hart is small, but hits the gaps in the line hard and with explosion. He is essentially a hybrid short yardage back, fullback.
  


• Mike Hart got his bell rung by Freddie Keiaho on one play. Fans in the stands cheered "Welcome to the NFL, rookie!"
  


• Most have said Roy Hall has looked impressive. The only person I've read who was not impressed with Hall is Aerostar193, which is not to say Aerostar193 is wrong in his assessment. Everyone else though has raved about Hall.
  


• Equally impressive has been Pierre Garcon. His routes are very crisp and his movement fluid. He is drawing comparisons to a young Marvin Harrison in terms of body type and route running.
  


• Speaking of Marvin Harrison, the early assessment of his work at camp is that the old Marvin is back and the league better "watch out." Roy Hall and Pierre Garcon, two young players, were amazed at how fast and well conditioned Harrison has looked:
  

  "Marvin looked excellent," Hall said. "He didn’t miss a beat. He looked extremely healthy. His knees looked fine. He’s running faster than ever. He looks good. I was excited to see him back out there and happy to see him out there. Marv was just out there being Marv, catching the ball and making big plays. He’ll continue to do that throughout the season."

  "I don’t see anything wrong with him," Garcon noted. "He’s quick and fast, extremely fast."

  Both Dominic Rhodes and Jeff Saturday, who have played with Marvin Harrison for over 7 years, say Harrison has a big chip on his shoulder because people have written him off because of his age.


• Eric Foster has drawn a ton of praise from both offensive and defensive coaches. He is especially stout against the run. More and more, Foster looks like a keeper and another undrafted rookie gem for Polian.
  


• Rookie DE Marcus Howard and second year LT Tony Ugoh have gone at it the last two days. During drills, the two are battling against each other extremely hard. Ugoh has had trouble dealing with Howard's great speed and Howard has had problems getting past Ugoh's arms. Howard's speed has been the eye-popping "wow" many at camp have noticed. He seems unblockable unless you have someone fast enough to match him.
  


• Clint Session was not at Day 2 practice because of a personal issue. Because Tyjuan Hagler, Philip Wheeler, and now Session were unavailable, the Colts used Ramon Guzman at SAM. Guzman played special teams and DE last season. No details on how he looked.
  


• Jacob Tamme has been practicing his long-snapping for special teams. Tamme has also looked good blocking. Some have even questioned why blocking was a knock on him in college. He has looked solid blocking in drills and scrimmages. Seems the #2 spot is now Tamme's to lose.


• Mike Pollak worked at OG for the starting unit on Friday, but so did Charlie Johnson. PhilB at the Indy Star still think Pollak will win the job. Pollak did not practice Saturday, and Johnson took most of the snaps at OG.
  


• Most media have praised Jim Sorgi and how well he's looked in camp. PhilB still thinks Sorgi holds onto the ball to long, which has always been Sorgi's problem. Still, most have said Sorgi is leaps and bounds better than Gray and Lorenzen, but much of that has to do with Sorgi having known the offense for 4 years.
  


• Tim Jennings has looked good. Damn good, in fact. He appears more comfortable as a Cover 2 corner, making quick reads and reacting fast. The entire Colts secondary has impressed, with Dante Hughes, Michael Coe, Brandon Condren, and TJ Rushing also standing out. The Colts seem to have an excellent secondary this season. Condren had an INT in morning practice on Saturday.
  


• Raheem Brock will move back to DE, and only play DT on passing situations. The Colts are worried that starting Brock at DT every down will indeed wear him down. Expect to see more of Brock starting at DE against teams that like to establish the run first. Robert Mathis will start at DE if teams like to throw early. Keyunta Dawson is now starting at DT along with Big Ed Johnson.


• Dungy is concerned that players are not used to practicing in pads:

  "I told the team afterwards [that] we have to learn how to practice in pads," the Colts coach said. "What we’re trying to do, you know, we’ve gone three months now and then the first two [training camp] practices [in jerseys and shorts]. So we’ve got to learn how to hit, deal with the contact and get done what we need to do without blowing each other up. So that’s something you always have to learn."



• RB Clifton Dawson made several excellent plays during Day 2 practice.  He had two 15 yard sweeps for TDs, and broke several long runs in the morning practice. Joseph Addai and Dom Rhodes also had some excellent long runs in afternoon practice.


• Not a peep about Kenton Keith. Not one single, solitary bit of news about how well (or poorly) he practiced. That's not good for Kenton, especially with the other RBs looking so good.


• Samuel Giguere caught a 45 yard TD from Jared Lorenzen. Giguere has noticeably been working hard.


• Freeney and Sanders have rehabbed while the rest of the team has done drills. Both are running fast. Freeney has been spinning and making moves. Between the two, Sanders looks the most ready to return.


• Rookie TE Tom Santi had the exact same operation on his knee Peyton Manning did, only two weeks earlier. Santi has been seen at camp walking with a limp and a back of some kind on his knee. If Santi is the measuring point, we will likely not see Peyton Manning practice until the week of August 18th. Manning is still not at camp.


• People have raved over Indy's receiving corps. Hall and Garcon were mentioned above, but Devin Aromashodu has also impressed. With so many receivers looking good, the Colts might carry 5 or 6 WRs into the regular season, with two of them (Hall and Giguere, perhaps) possibly playing special teams as gunners.


• No information as yet as to who is returning punts and kicks.

Whew! Folks, this is the most information I've ever received about any stretch of training camp. Now, more than ever, people have a vested interest in what is going on at Terre Haute, and their desire to report that info back to fans is unrelenting. Special thanks to people like Aerostar193 and TheMatic for giving us first hand accounts just for Stampede Blue readers. Sources for all information bulleted are below. Click the links and read more:

ColtFreaks.com

IndyStar Blog

Tribune Star Article #1

Tribune Star Article #2

Colts.com

Areostar193's Fan Post

TheMatic's Twitter Fan Post

Colts DT Quinn Pitcock has not attended training camp, and has been excused for personal reasons. A rumor, peddled by the National Enquirer... er, sorry, PFT and Mike Florio, says Pitcock was on his way to Terre Haute in his car for camp. While on the road, he decided he was "done with football." He turned his car around and headed back to Indy. Again, I have no idea if this rumor is correct or not. Florio peddled all kinds of rumors during the Philly shooting that involved Marvin Harrison, and none of those rumors were true.

The Tribune Star has actual news on the subject, with quotes and stuff:

No update on Pitcock — Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock was not available for the second straight day. Dungy hopes to have some information on his status early next week.

“Don’t know exactly [when Pitcock will be back]. He’s just excused for some personal things that he’s taking care of. When he gets back, he’ll be back,” Dungy said.

Clint Session was also excused because of personal reasons.

There are lots of updates from yesterday's camp. I will post them shortly.