Practice Notes: How Colts defensive depth players are maximizing their increased playing time
“Defense coordinator Gus Bradley talked about the trio’s increased snap total on Tuesday, citing their hard work on the practice field as the reason.
“We have stated that we attempt to assign males roles in this unit. Let me start there. We want to include them in the game if they perform well in practice and demonstrate this to us. Overall, I believe it’s really good for morale, particularly for the unit’s morale. It does require some compromise. Some guys wish to play the entire game there. to keep players developing and guys feeling new
We want to give them a role if they perform well,” Bradley stated. “I believe that Eric Johnson is experiencing an increase in his role. Tomi, like Zay Land, is also getting some opportunities. If they keep demonstrating that if you perform well in practice, we’ll find a way to get you onto the field to see what you can contribute. I believe that is the most important lesson of all. In addition, I believe that as a result of it, guys are playing and supporting one another.
Land can personally attest to the positive effects that a solid practice week can have on Sundays. He learned he would play against the Panthers after missing seven of the team’s opening eight games due to injury.
“I just felt like I had a really good week and before the game, coach Gus told me I had worked really hard for this moment, being able to dress up and stuff,” Land stated. “I just wanted to take advantage of the chance to present myself in the best possible way.
Defensive line coach Nate Ollie is one person who has personally witnessed the progress Land, Johnson II, and Adebawore have been making.
Ollie, who is well aware of the frustrations that can arise when a player doesn’t get as much playing time as they would have liked, stated that his group’s goal is to take advantage of every opportunity.
“Basically, the main thing we say is, don’t count the reps, make the reps count,” said Ollie. “So, you enter and complete five reps, and they’re excellent five reps? You could get ten in the next game. You may receive fifteen reps if you receive ten excellent reps.
In Olubi’s case, a knee injury forced MIKE linebacker Zaire Franklin to miss a game for the first time in his career. This was Olubi’s first time ever starting in the starting lineup.
Olubi claimed that he sought advice from his coaches and teammates in order to ensure that he was performing at his peak on Sunday.
“Asking a lot of questions, sometimes too many,” saidi Olub. “I know some guys who are like, ‘Hey man, cool out [with the questions],’ but not necessarily too many. I definitely have some of that, but it seems like I just try to be too prepared and ask too many questions when I’m unsure of something.
anything I’m going to say this because, although they advise you to prepare like a starter, you may not know how to do so if you have never been a starter. That was one of the things I watched Zaire for and asked my coaches about, along with other questions. I was just curious how you get ready for a game on Sunday. That has been really beneficial to me as we move forward.
Practice report and update on Thursday
The team resumed full practice on Thursday following a walkthrough on Wednesday.
The team is traveling to Germany this evening in order to get ready for their game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The practice report for Thursday
