The Colts Cut Out Friday Practice With Injury Worries High
Per Zak Keefer, the Indianapolis Colts cut out Friday practice. They plan to supplement it with a team walk through.
This is odd — Colts are not practicing today, instead conducting a walk through. Can't remember the last time they cut practice on a Friday (outside of Saturday game weeks).
Buckner, Pittman, Moore II and Pierce have all missed some practice time this week.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 16, 2022
What does this mean for the players who have been on the injury report this week? Fans are worried, Michael Pittman Jr., DeForest Buckner, and Kenny Moore II were all held out from Thursday’s practice. Player friendly head coach Frank Reich may be giving his stars some rest. But this may spell danger to the early part of the Colts’ season.
DeForest Buckner Does Not Like to Miss Games
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Out of the three players named, I believe Buckner has the best chance of finding the field on Sunday. Per Joel A. Erickson of the IndyStar,
“DeForest Buckner has always been an iron man.”
“Buckner has missed only one game in his seven-year career due to injury, has played more than 77% of his team’s defensive snaps in every season despite going through injuries.”
With his determination to find the field, Buckner will do all he can to be his best self come Sunday.
“A Rough Couple of Practices”
The team must have let out their frustration from Week 1 on each other, following the tie in Houston. Stephen Holder at ESPN tweeted:
Definitely odd. Here’s the deal: My understanding is the Colts had two unusually physical practices on Wednesday and Thursday, so they’re backing off today as they near game day. https://t.co/fGss8cmolv
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 16, 2022
This seems to be the cause of the reduced practice. The high level of physicality could be the reason Pittman Jr. and Moore II were downgraded before Thursday’s practice.
I believe like Buckner, these two will work as hard as they can to play a full game on Sunday. Both understand their importance to the team, and recognize their vital roles.
Can Alec Pierce Clear Concussion Protocol Before Sunday?
Now that the Colts cut out Friday practice, changing it to a walk through, does rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce have the opportunity to clear concussion protocol?
He is required by the NFL to have one full practice, as a part of the road to recovery. Does a walk through count as a full practice? My understanding is no. This would put Pierce on the inactive list for Sunday’s game in Jacksonville.
This puts pressure on Pittman Jr. to play through his quad injury. He needs to be on the field, even if he is only drawing double teams. The rest of the WR room, Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin, and Mike Strachan must improve on their Week 1 performances.
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