INDIANAPOLIS -- Football is back — almost.
Yes, training camp in 2020 will look a lot different than in years past, but once the pads go on in the middle of August, the long wait will be over for Indianapolis Colts fans who have been patiently looking forward to catching their first real glimpse at general manager Chris Ballard’s revamped roster.
And make no mistake, those mid-August practices will be telling — perhaps more so than ever before. With the preseason eliminated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, coach Frank Reich has promised some competitive, high-intensity practices to ensure his team is ready for the season.
It will be during those practices we’ll start to see just how good this Colts team can really be.
The following is a countdown of the five most intriguing matchups we can’t wait to watch once those practice begin:
No. 5: LB Bobby Okereke vs. RB Nyheim Hines
After owner Jim Irsay mentioned Okereke among the team’s elite players just ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, the hype has been steadily building around the sophomore linebacker. The Colts love Okereke for many reasons, but high on the list are his length and athletic ability, which should serve him well in coverage. His matchups with Colts tight ends will be instructive, but it will be fascinating to watch him go 1-on-1 against a dangerous backfield pass-catcher like Hines. The shifty Hines can be devastating in and out of his breaks, so it will take a supreme athlete to keep up. The Colts believe they have that in Okereke.
No. 4: CB Xavier Rhodes vs. WR Michael Pittman Jr.
Welcome to the NFL, rook. During his first training camp, Pittman will face off with one of the biggest, strongest cornerbacks in the league in Rhodes. Look, after a tough season in Minnesota, there’s no doubt Rhodes needs to prove he’s still got the legs to start in the NFL. But he’ll still be a tough first matchup for Pittman, who didn't see many cornerbacks like Rhodes in college. The 6-4, 223-pound Pittman is used to dominating his opposition physically, and while he has the advantage over Rhodes, it’s only by a few inches and about 5 pounds. He’s been working all offseason with former NFL standout receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh on how to beat press coverage. We’ll learn quickly how well he learned those lessons.
No. 3: CB Rock Ya-Sin vs. WR Parris Campbell
The future of the Colts' perimeter goes head-to-head. Both entering their sophomore seasons with something to prove, Ya-Sin vs. Campbell will be a measuring stick for both. Now, before you highly attentive fans complain, yes, Campbell is expected to work more often in the slot with Ya-Sin primarily on the outside. But that doesn’t mean these two won’t go toe-to-toe in some one-on-one drills. And in those matchups, it will be Campbell’s speed and quick twitch explosiveness vs. Ya-Sin’s smooth hips and sharp instincts. The Colts need both players to stay healthy and take a big leap forward in Year 2. We’ll get a good look at how far they’ve come.
No. 2: DE Kemoko Turay vs. LT Anthony Castonzo
Some people might have expected to see Justin Houston’s name here rather than Turay. And while watching two Pro Bowl-caliber veterans go mano a mano will no doubt be fun, there probably isn’t much to learn. We all know how good both are. What we don’t know is exactly how good Turay can be. Before his season-ending ankle injury, Turay seemed to be on the cusp of sustained excellence. He registered 1.5 sacks and five QB hits in four games, capped by a tremendous effort against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Week 5. Now is the time to see how far along he is in his recovery from that injury. And a matchup against one of the league’s best pass-protectors should serve as a more than adequate test. If he shows the ability to get around a player of Castonzo’s caliber, let’s just say that with Houston, DeForest Buckner and the rest, quarterbacks round the NFL will have reason to fear the Colts' pass rush.
No. 1: DT DeForest Buckner vs. OG Quenton Nelson
A no-brainer selection here. This is the training camp tete-a-tete the world has awaited since the Colts acquired Buckner from San Francisco. (By the way, how proud must it make Ballard — a GM hellbent on building his team from the inside out -- that an entire fanbase cannot wait to watch a battle in the trenches?) Only two years into his career, Nelson already is considered by many to be the NFL's best guard. NFL players voted him the 29th best player in the league, the highest ranked guard in NFL Top 100 history.
Of course, Buckner cracked that list, too, at No. 56. The ex-49ers superstar has been heralded as a game-changer for the Colts -- someone who will wreck games from the interior and make the lives of his teammates a lot easier. Nelson is the type of guard built to neutralize such players. When these two meet for the first time, it will truly be a clash of young juggernauts.
Follow IndyStar Colts Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter: @jimayello.
"wait" - Google News
August 09, 2020 at 10:20PM
https://ift.tt/2XFTJht
Insider: 5 matchups we can’t wait to watch during Colts training camp - IndyStar
"wait" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35qAU4J
https://ift.tt/2Ssyayj
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Insider: 5 matchups we can’t wait to watch during Colts training camp - IndyStar"
Post a Comment