WESTFIELD — For the first time in training camp, the No. 1 Colts offense turned in a clunker from start to finish.
Daniel Jones wasn’t able to get anything going. When Jonathan Taylorbotched a catch on the first throw of the day, it ended up being an omen, a sign of what was to come in a practice packed full of scrimmage-type situations.
Jones finished 4 of 11, threw interceptions on back-to-back plays and took a couple of “sacks,” a performance that partially bore the responsibility of the offensive line and receivers. For example, Laiatu Latu got his hand on the first interception Jones threw, deflecting it into the arms of Mekhi Blackmon for the turnover. A badly-blocked screen resulted in a pass breakup for Austin Ajiake.
Veteran wide receiver Laquon Treadwell also missed a few opportunities to help out Jones. When the Colts defensive line jumped offsides, giving Jones a free play, Treadwell got a step on the cornerback but failed to run through the ball, leaving it to bounce harmlessly off his fingertips. Two plays later, Jones admittedly underthrew a deep ball to Treadwell down the middle that free safety Camryn Bynum picked off, but Treadwell also didn’t do much to make a play on the ball, allowing Bynum to make the pick easily.
Things didn’t get much better in the red zone. After a Taylor run picked up 9 yards on first down, Jones fumbled the next snap — the first time he’s fumbled in training camp — and then took a “sack” from onrushing linebacker Jaylon Carlies.
All in all, Jones is having an excellent training camp, better than anybody could have expected coming off the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in December.
But Sunday was not his best day.
Backup QB battle resets
Anthony Richardson, who played well in the team’s preseason tie against the Patriots, got the first chance to move the No. 2 offense.
Instead of building off that performance, Richardson had a rough day. Richardson’s first pass of the day in 11-on-11 drills was intercepted; Richardson stared down Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who was covered well by Jaylon Jones. The throw hit Jones in the chest.
Richardson’s second throw was also a misfire, going behind Westbrook-Ikhine on a crosser over the middle. Two plays later, Richardson pulled the ball down and ran, but it looked like he might have been sacked on the play.
The former starter got one more chance in practice. Steichen likes to insert unplanned opportunities into practice, sudden-change situations to mimic the unpredictability of games. This time, he gave Richardson and the No. 2 offense a red-zone opportunity against the starting defense.
Cam Taylor-Britt and DeForest Buckner stopped Seth McGowan in the backfield for a loss on the first play, Richardson took a sack on the second play and the third was a screen to Coleman Owen, who barely made it back to the original line of scrimmage.
Riley Leonard, on the other hand, had a nice day. Taking over the No. 2 offense in a full drive, Leonard bounced back from a bobbled snap to throw one of his best passes of training camp, leading Drew Ogletree ahead of good coverage by Carlies for a big gain. Rookie Deion Burks took a tunnel screen and used his speed to pick up 20 more, and on the next snap, Leonard got a pass off ahead of an onrushing Micheal Clemons to Coleman Owen for another big gain.
Ulysses Bentley IV finished off the drive by outracing the defense to the corner for a touchdown. When Leonard got his chance in the red zone, he bounced back from two incompletions to find D.J. Montgomery for a touchdown, the offense’s only score of the day.
Kicking competition
Spencer Shrader’s 61-yard blast in New England seemed to inject new life into a competition that had been decidedly tilted toward Blake Grupe, but like the backup quarterback battle, Sunday’s practice went back to status quo.
Shrader opened the practice session by making four of six field goals. He made kicks from 28, 33, 45 and 47; Shrader missed from 41 and 50 yards. Making matters worse, he pulled both kicks to the left, the problem he’s been battling throughout camp.
Grupe made all six of his kicks from the same distances, extending a lead that has carried over to everything other than the preseason game. Grupe is now 33 of 36 in practices, while Shrader is 24 of 36 as he tries to come back from the torn ACL and MCL that prematurely ended his season.
Roll call
Rookie middle linebacker CJ Allen returned to practice after missing more than a week due to a hamstring injury.
Nose tackle Derrick Nnadi is also back.
Cornerback Charvarius Ward (back), wide receiver Anthony Gould (groin), running back DJ Giddens (hamstring), offensive tackle Luke Tenuta (knee) and offensive tackle Nolan Rucci missed practice. Undrafted rookie tight end Carson Towt went down hard with an injury at one point during practice, and Jones left after his interception with a wrist injury, although he returned with it wrapped later in the practice.
Quick hitters
Rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher picked up a fumbled exchange on an end-around to Burks and likely would have returned from a touchdown. … Right guard Matt Goncalves was flagged for a false start. … Clemons, who has quickness as an interior rusher, picked up a tackle-for-loss on Bentley in the red zone. … Tim Smith finished off the practice with a “sack.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Defense whips Colts QB Daniel Jones, offense as preseason narratives reset