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INDIANAPOLIS – The hype train is rolling into Westfield, Indiana.
Yes, the Cleveland Browns and their football talented circus will be at Grand Park on Wednesday and Thursday for joint practices.
A pair of two-hour sessions, both in full pads, between the Colts and Browns will preceed the two teams meeting Saturday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week Two of the preseason.
“It’s going to be great,” Anthony Castonzo said of the upcoming joint practices. “The way we look at it is we kind of have three games against them because practice, that’s basically like a game (with) just that kind of speed.
“So I think we’re going to get a lot better in those three days.”
What should fans be watching for during the joint practices?
Different Competition Leads To Better Evaluation
There’s a reason why so many teams and personnel people around the NFL want to take part in joint practices during Training Camp.
Simply, there’s just an uptick in intensity at practice when going against another team. Plus, you can accomplish a lot with reps and variety of looks on two practice fields, in a pair of two-hour practice sessions.
After 14 practices against yourself (plus 13 spring practices as well), Colts players know every little tendency of the guy lining up across from them.
Now, Anthony Walker won’t be calling out certain plays pre-snap, when facing Jacoby Brissett and the offense.
It’s just a better evaluation period for staffs as they try and replicate more of the unknown you get on Sunday’s in the fall, versus the predictability of continually practicing against your own team.
Elite 1-on-1 Matchups
I wish I had 5 sets of eyes this week.
I want to watch Myles Garrett vs. Anthony Castonzo, T.Y. Hilton vs. Denzel Ward, Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry vs. Kenny Moore/Pierre Desir/Quincy Wilson/Rock Ya-Sin, David Njoku vs. Darius Leonard and Joel Bitonio vs. Denico Autry.
These are some awesome head-to-head battles against Pro Bowl/All Pro type of talent.
Like was mentioned above, you just can’t get this quality, at so many different spots, in one practice.
Cornerbacks Better Be Ready
If you were picking a position group for the Colts that has had the best camp so far, it might be the cornerbacks.
Well, for the next two days, they won’t be going up against a backup quarterback. And the top two receivers across from them will be Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry.
The likes of Kenny Moore, Pierre Desir, Quincy Wilson and Rock Ya-Sin should be salivating at such an opportunity. Frank Reich is eager to see them tested against the talented Browns skill guys.
Cornerback is going to be a difficult position for the Colts to cut down this month, but this week will be a very good barometer for the bunch.
Will The Colts Offense Find Its Rhythm?
For a myriad of reasons, the Indy offense has struggled more often than not this camp.
Cleveland’s defense isn’t known as a juggernaut, but they have some talented guys who will test a Colts offense dealing with a few key injuries.
This will be an important couple of days for Jacoby Brissett, as he again gets the starting work with Andrew Luck out.
Baker Mania
You know there will be a good amount of orange in the stands at Grand Park, given the proximity of the Browns and all the mania that surrounds Baker Mayfield and company.
Most non-Browns fans are probably sick of the Cleveland hype train chatter this offseason, but the reality is this: Baker Mayfield is a very talented quarterback.
And it’s QBs like Mayfield, who the Colts will see a lot in 2019. And while Mayfield and the Browns aren’t on the 2019 regular season slate for the Colts, this is a QB that Indianapolis is likely to see for years to come if they want to be among the AFC’s elite.
