Colts Notes: Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Taking a look at what Chuck Pagano said in his press conference today...

INJURY UPDATE:

• On Pat Angerer being placed on injured reserve yesterday, Pagano said that Angerer was battling through a knee injury this season and that he "wasn't making progress" and so in the best interests of Angerer's long-term future the Colts decided to place him on injured reserve and let him get his knee healthy.  MY TAKE: Angerer certainly has been struggling with the injury throughout the season, but at the same time I believe that Pagano really was considering Angerer a "healthy" inactive Sunday.  At this point in the season, healthy is a relative term for every player and I think that the move was more football oriented than injury, but the team also decided to place Angerer on IR - perhaps helped by the fact that Kavell Conner played well replacing him?  Either way, if Angerer's injury was significant enough to warrant being placed on IR, it begs the question of why he wasn't on the injury report, but at the same time if he didn't miss practice, why should he have been?  Everybody is dinged up at this point in the year, and if Angerer is toughing it out, the Colts shouldn't have to put it on the injury report.  As long as no practices were missed or limited, I don't see any issue with him not being on the injury report.
• Asked about center Samson Satele's status, Pagano said that they would rest him today and that he will likely go tomorrow.  The question on Satele's status was followed up with a question of who will start at center this Sunday, and Pagano answered that "we'll do what's best for the team and what gives us the best opportunity to win the game."  MY TAKE: This is a very interesting and likely telling change of tunes from Pagano, as last week he said that no starter would lose their spot due to injury.  This week, he said that the Colts will do whatever is best for the team.  If the Colts are healthy enough to do it, I expect Mike McGlynn to start at center again this week.
• Pagano said that Donald Brown would be practicing today.  He said that the signing of Shaun Draughn was not because of Brown's injury but rather because they only had three running backs anyway, including Brown.  About Draughn, Pagano said: "We ended up signing Shaun Draughn you saw to give us some depth at the running back position. Special teams-wise, he was in Kansas City a year ago with coach Mac (Tom McMahon), our special teams coach, so there's some familiarity there. Give us a little lift there."  MY TAKE: Good news regarding Brown.  He has become a very important part to the Colts offense.

OTHER NOTES:

• On utilizing the no-huddle offense early in games (like they did last week against the Texans), Pagano said: "It was good to see us get going first and foremost. However we got to get the job done, we'll utilize what we have to utilize... If we feel like that's the way we can get things done and move the chains, then we'll do it."  MY TAKE: Do it.  It works.  Run the no-huddle shotgun offense early and often.
• Talking about the Chiefs turnaround, Pagano said that he thinks they were minus-27 at this point last year in turnover margin and this year they are plus-21.  Knowing that, he said that it is easy to see why they have turned around from 2-14 to 11-3 in just one year. MY TAKE: Very easy to see why.  The Chiefs were a talented 2-14 team, but even still the turnaround has been remarkable.  In basketball they always tell you that the second most important statistic (behind points) is rebounds, and the same could be said of football and the turnover margin.  It very well might be the second most telling statistic to success and wins (behind only points).
• On playoff seeding, Pagano said that: "we'll never look past anybody, obviously, but if we take care of business, we don't have to stay at number four. We can go as high as who knows. If a lot of things happen. Certainly we know if Baltimore wins out, you can be the number two if we win out. I guess there's a scenario where you could get even higher than that. But again, our total focus, our guys know it, they understand it, but our total focus is on just preparing this week and try to play the best we can and go win this football game."  MY TAKE: The perfect response.  First and most importantly, the Colts have to take care of themselves and win their remaining games.  That's what the focus has to be.
• On Jamaal Charles, Pagano said that "he drives the bus... everything runs through him."  Pagano called him "first and foremost public enemy number one" and described him as a "rare, rare, rare athlete."  MY TAKE: Jamaal Charles had an incredible game last week and is having an incredible season.  He won't win it, but he should at least be in the MVP discussion (although if anyone but Peyton Manning wins it, there's something wrong with the award).  The Colts certainly need to prepare for Charles and make sure they know where he is at all the time, as Pagano said during his press conference.
• Pagano added quite a bit of humor into his press conference today, which was good to see and entertaining to listen to.  Here's a series of lighthearted exchanges after Pagano was asked about if he has trouble keeping track of players' names with all of the roster shuffling: "Oh, I'm doing pretty good. We got the best PR guy in all of football in Avis (Roper). [Reporter: Is he paying attention today?] Absolutely, he can name them all right now. We just signed a new practice squad linebacker, right? Avis knows who it is. His name is Darin Drakeford and he played at Maryland. And he got in at about probably I think 3 a.m. He caught a flight at about 10 p.m. last night from Dulles (Va.) and made it here and got a physical and made it to the walkthrough. [Reporter: What number will he wear?] What number's he wearing? He'll be in 49. You want to know where he's lockering in there? (laughs) Shoe size?"  MY TAKE: So what shoe size does he wear, coach?  But seriously, I'm impressed with the knowledge he had of Drakeford not too long after he was signed to the practice squad.  And it was a funny exchange and great to see the humorous side of Pagano come out again.  I guess a win will do that to you.
• Pagano talked quite a bit about Andrew Luck's running and called it "instincts," adding that, "he's got "it." He's big. He's fast. He's strong. He's durable. He's got that sixth sense, he knows exactly the clock in his head is always ticking. He knows where to go with the ball and when it doesn't happen and when it breaks down, the guy's a threat."  Pagano again added some humor when asked about whether Luck will ever learn to slide, responding: "Umm, at some point. (laughs) What's the local baseball team we have down here? [Reporter: The Indians. You going to send him over there to learn to slide?] Yeah, we might in the offseason. It's that or him and Clyde (Christensen) in Clyde's back yard with a slip'n'slide."  He was then asked if they coach Luck to slide, and he said that, "I think it's been mentioned a time or two around here, yeah."  MY TAKE: Funny stuff from Pagano again.  Although, seriously, Luck does need to work on his slides.  They're terrible.

PRACTICE REPORT:

Practice report courtesy of colts.com:

FULL PRACTICE:

• LaVon Brazill, WR (foot)
• Donald Brown, RB (neck)
• Greg Toler, CB (groin)

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