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The Challenge Of Stopping J.J. Watt

Intro: Thursday is coordinator’s day at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Here are some updates from Pep Hamilton and Greg Manusky along with the Thursday injury report.

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INDIANAPOLIS – Preparations for the Colts last home game of 2014 carried on Thursday with a two-hour practice indoors.

The injury report for Thursday saw seven guys missing practice.

Here are some headlines from coordinators Pep Hamilton and Greg Manusky talking to the media on Thursday afternoon:

Pep Hamilton on trying to contain J.J. Watt:

"He's going to make his plays. We just can't allow him to change the game."

Bowen's Analysis:* *The first question, and the subsequent four inquires, to Hamilton on Thursday was about Watt. Hamilton joked that he hopes the Texans use Watt on offense all day Sunday to tire the All-Pro defensive end out when he comes back over to his normal side of the ball.

The Colts will also be employing a new right guard, in all likelihood, on Sunday. With Hugh Thornton out of the lineup, guys like Khaled Holmes, Lance Louis, A.Q. Shipley and Xavier Nixon are all in the mix at right guard.

Greg Manusky on the play of Mike Adams this year:

"A class guy that understands defenses and just is a savvy player on the back end.

"An astute individual that understands defenses and has made some plays over the last couple of weeks."

Bowen's Analysis: With the Pro Bowl voting stirring up discussions across the NFL, Mike Adams deserves plenty of consideration. In June, no NFL team wanted Adams. Now, he's leading the league in forced turnovers.

Manusky said Adams took that lack of respect in June with "vigor" and has just been a true pro in his 11th NFL season. In trying to explain his reason for seven turnovers forced, Adams says he's always been taught to run to the ball and takes that to heart. Adams is currently fifth in fan voting for the Pro Bowl (at the safety position) with players being announced on December 23.

Greg Manusky on stopping Arian Foster:

"He has a great ability on that third step to cut and plant and redirect. Great eyes, great vision."

Bowen's Analysis: In the next two weeks, the Colts will see arguably the game's best two running backs in Foster and DeMarco Murray. It starts with Foster this weekend. It's going to be a heavy dose with no team in the NFL running the ball more than the Texans.

Since October, Foster has averaged 5.1 yards per carry in five of seven games. In talking with Mike Adams today, the Colts safety praises how Foster just reads and reads defenses before making the cut that Manusky talks about. The Colts also must account for Foster out of the backfield with him having 33 catches on the season.

INJURY NOTES

Here's the injury report from Thursday's practice:

-DNP- Sergio Brown (illness), Darius Butler (illness), T.Y. Hilton (rest), LaRon Landry (illness), Joe Reitz (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (knee).

            -The sick bug has gone from the linemen last week to the defensive backs this week. The secondary depth will be something to watch on Friday's injury report.

-LIMITED- Erik Walden (knee).

            -Walden has been on the injury report pretty much all year long and was back on the field Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice.

-FULL- Mike Adams (back), Vontae Davis (concussion), D'Qwell Jackson (ribs), Xavier Nixon (foot) and Andy Studebaker (hamstring).

            -Davis was out of a red jersey on Thursday and practiced as a full participant as he wraps up the concussion protocol.

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