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London Trip Forces Colts To Alter Game Week Schedule

Intro: The Colts are bumping everything up a day this week before heading to London on Thursday evening. What does the early situation look like in an unusual week for the Colts?

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INDIANAPOLIS – In a normal game week, Tuesday for NFL players is the one day they are not mandated to be at the team's facility.

But this week is nothing but normal for the Indianapolis Colts.

Playing five time zones away in Week Four, the Colts have changed up their schedule this week before a game in London on Sunday.

The first injury report of the week will still be Wednesday, but what did Chuck Pagano have to say to the media on Tuesday, after a very light practice?

**INJURY NEWS

**

  • CB-Darius Butler (hamstring): Tuesday saw Butler do some light jogging on the rehab field. Butler missed last week's game after a grade one hamstring injury in Week Two.
  • OG-Denzelle Good (back): Good was back at Tuesday's "practice" after he missed all of last week. With Joe Reitz's status up in the air, the Colts would love to have Good return to the lineup.
  • WR-Donte Moncrief (shoulder): Moncrief is one week into an injury that was expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks.
  • OT-Joe Reitz (back): Reitz, who left Sunday's game late in the first half, was not seen at Tuesday's practice.
  • CB-Patrick Robinson (concussion): Robinson was in a red jersey at a very light Tuesday practice. We will see if Robinson can progress through the concussion protocol this week.

Chuck Pagano on playing in London this week:

"The theme is to keep the main thing the main thing and that's preparation, try to keep things as normal as possible from a preparation standpoint and practice standpoint."


Bowen's Analysis:* *This week is unlike anything the Colts have ever had to experience for a regular season game. The practice schedule has been moved up one day this week (Tuesday-Thursday, instead of Wednesday-Friday) and the team will board a plane on Thursday evening for their seven-ish hour trip to London.

The team will practice on Friday in London before their Saturday walk-through and then have Sunday's kickoff at 2:30 local time (9:30 a.m. ET) against the Jaguars. It's the 9:30 a.m. ET start that the Colts must adjust to. From a body clock standpoint, the Colts hardly ever practice at that hour and these guys haven't played a football game at that time since their Pop Warner days. In talking to players on Tuesday, they said sleeping on the plane Thursday night, plus not taking a nap in London on Friday is a must to adjust your body.

Chuck Pagano on Trent Cole heading to injured reserve:

"He gives us so much in both the run and pass game. You can't replace guys like Trent Cole."


Bowen's Analysis:* *This was the surprise on Tuesday. Cole played 31 snaps in Sunday's game, but aggravated a back injury that forced him to miss the Denver game two weeks ago. Pagano said surgery is a possibility for Cole, which would likely end his 2016 season (meaning he would not be a candidate for injured reserve designated to return).

The loss of Cole means Robert Mathis and Erik Walden will see Akeem Ayers and Curt Maggitt playing a little more behind them. From a starting 11 standpoint, this Sunday could be when the Colts have that entire group together. If Patrick Robinson is cleared for Sunday, the Colts will have their expected starting lineup healthy for Week Four. Now, the question becomes how will the Colts use Robinson with Antonio Cromartie and Vontae Davis excelling on the outside.

Chuck Pagano on Frank Gore challenging some of the NFL's top career rushing marks:

"Go back to last week, he played an integral part in that win and ran the ball extremely well.

"We are going to need more of the same stuff in this next ball game."


Bowen's Analysis: Frank Gore's 70 first-half rushing yards against the Chargers opened things up for the passing game to take over in the second half. The Colts took full advantage of San Diego's run-game struggles. 

With 88 rushing yards this Sunday, Gore will pass the likes of Marcus Allen, Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk and Jim Brown on the NFL's all-time rushing list. Not bad company for Gore. That Hall of Fame-company for Gore would push him into ninth place on the league's all-time rushing list. With Donte Moncrief out, continued production from Gore in the ground game is more than ideal.

A great Tuesday afternoon practice getting ready for the Jaguars this Sunday in London!

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