Wide receiver Josh Downs (shoulder) did not participate in the Colts’ walkthrough on Wednesday, while left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee) was limited.
While head coach Shane Steichen has not completely ruled out Josh Downs, the Colts are bracing for the possibility of playing without one of their key targets this Sunday against the New England Patriots.
Downs suffered a shoulder injury during the Colts’ Week 12 loss to the Detroit Lions. Although he returned to the game, he did not take part in the team’s Wednesday walkthrough at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
“I think it’s going to be tough for him this week,” Steichen said. “I’m not ruling him out, but it may be challenging for him.”
Downs leads the Colts with 78 targets and 53 receptions, and his 594 receiving yards rank second only to Alec Pierce. When Downs missed the first two weeks of the season due to an ankle injury, rookie Adonai Mitchell played 64% and 59% of the offensive snaps, respectively, while Ashton Dulin played 24% and 43% in those games. Dulin left last week’s game against the Lions with an ankle injury and did not practice Wednesday, although Steichen mentioned that he’s “doing all right.”
More than half of Mitchell’s total snaps this season lining up in the slot—where Downs primarily plays—occurred during those first two weeks (34 out of 57). Mitchell has recorded 20 catches on 40 targets for 254 yards, with his best performance coming in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills, where he caught all six targets for 71 yards while Michael Pittman was sidelined with a back injury.
Wide receiver Alec Pierce also missed Wednesday’s walkthrough due to a foot issue, but Steichen indicated that “he should be all right.”
Center Tanor Bortolini (concussion) was another player who did not participate in Wednesday’s walkthrough.
On a positive note, the Colts received encouraging news on left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee), who was listed as limited in their Week 13 practice report. Raimann has been out since sustaining a knee injury in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills.
Leave a Reply