In non-Andrew Luck news, the Indianapolis Colts are set to host the Cleveland Browns for a set of joint practices starting Wednesday as both teams prepare for the second preseason game on Saturday.
Joint practices are always intense and while sometimes they can get a little too intense with the fisticuffs, the sessions can be a good measuring tool to see where the team is at this point in the preseason.
With two high profile teams coming together, here are six matchups to watch at the joint practices this week:
LT Anthony Castonzo vs. DE Myles Garrett
This is one of the marquee matchups that should be watched closely. Castonzo is still showing he can be one of the best left tackles in the game coming off of a consistent 2018 season.
Garrett is coming off of his best season yet since being selected No. 1 overall in 2017. His second season showed just how quickly he can become a force off the edge recording 13.5 sacks.
In what should be a matchup that will better both men, this will be a fun one to watch both in the practices and in the game on Saturday—even if both players are likely to see limited time.
CB Rock Ya-Sin vs. WR Odell Beckham Jr.
The first selection made by the Colts in the 2019 NFL Draft is likely to have plenty of chances to line up across from the Browns’ jewel offseason acquisition and one of the best wide receivers in the game.
Ya-Sin is enjoying a great start to training camp, showing off physicality and development at the position. It seems that he’s making some type of impact play each day when the pads come on.
On the field, Beckham Jr.’s talent knows no bounds. He’s a technician when it comes to route running and has proven to easily beat press coverage, man coverage and zone coverage with elite consistency.
CB Quincy Wilson vs. TE David Njoku
This matchup would be fun to watch, but it is all dependant on whether Njoku will practice this week. He’s reportedly dealing with a knee injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network and could be held out of the joint practices.
However, if he does practice, this will be a matchup to monitor. Both Wilson and Njoku have big seasons ahead of them. The Colts feel Wilson is a perfect fit for a dime package cornerback to cover tight ends, a role they believe suits him well for production.
Njoku is one of the more athletic tight ends in the NFL even if his production hasn’t been what the Browns want it to be since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
With both players needing to prove themselves to the team, this should be a fun matchup to watch if it comes to fruition over the coming two days.
CB Kenny Moore vs. WR Jarvis Landry
One of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL lining up across from one of the best slot wide receivers in the NFL is certainly a matchup to keep an eye on through the weekend.
The Colts made Moore the highest-paid slot cornerback in the league this offseason and for good reason. His physicality, length and ball skills have turned him quickly from an unknown undrafted free agent into a budding star.
For all of the jokes about Landry’s aDOT, the LSU product has turned in a wonderful career thus far and is still one of the top wide receivers in the league. He will be a strong matchup for Moore as one of the best inside wide receivers.
TE Eric Ebron vs. LB Mack Wilson
The Colts saw the return of Ebron to practice on Tuesday and unless they have plans to hold him out of the joint practice, he’s likely to keep preparing for the season.
Though he will relinquish the role of TE1 to Jack Doyle, Ebron is still going to be a big part of the offense, especially when it comes to the passing game. He found that ceiling in 2018 that many hoped he would in Detroit by leading the tight end position with 13 touchdowns.
Wilson, a fifth-round pick out of Alabama, will have a chance to prove he has a role in the middle of the Browns defense. If he can show the ability to put sticky coverage on one of the best receiving tight ends in the league, that could help his stock royally.
WR T.Y. Hilton vs. CB Denzel Ward
Enjoying what he said has been his best training camp, Hilton will be looking to continue that over the weekend. But he’s likely to see plenty of snaps lining up against one of the league’s up-and-coming shutdown cornerbacks.
Hilton appears to be injury-free after battling through some serious ailments during the 2018 season. He said Tuesday that he’s been near perfect catching the ball during training camp practices, recording 29 receptions on 30 targets.
Ward enters Year 2 looking to carry the Browns secondary. He had a solid rookie season en route to three interceptions and 11 passes defended while proving to be a shutdown corner in the making.
DT Denico Autry vs. G Joel Bitonio
They won’t line up across from each other all the time as Autry’s gap works both sides of the line, but when he and Bitonio do find themselves across from each other, it’s about as marquee of a matchup as you’ll find at training camp.
Autry, who had 9.0 sacks in 12 games in 2018, is dominating training camp proving to be nearly unstoppable working from the three-technique. He’s a crucial part to the pass rush generating pressure from the interior and will be looking to continue his strong camp against a formidable guard.
Bitonio appears to finally be consistently impacting the interior with consecutive 16-game seasons under his belt. When healthy, he’s one of the best guards in the league and should be a solid challenge for Autry this weekend.
