Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich addressed the media on Wednesday for the first time since training camp officially opened at the end of July.
Though it was less about football and more about the surrounding topics of working through a pandemic, there were plenty of takeaways from the virtual press conference.
Here are six things we learned from Reich’s presser on Wednesday:
The new normal
As COVID-19 shapes the 2020 season for the NFL—and every other sport—Reich has his team preparing for what will be the new normal. Wearing masks, distancing as much as possible and simply having the mindset that the pandemic is ongoing will be part of this new normal.
“It’s good to see this group, especially good to see this group with training camp upon us,” Reich said. “Obviously, I think we all have been looking forward to this day of getting started back to football even though it will be not a normal training camp and not normal in any way, but it will be what we call a new normal, right? Many times in life and in football you’ve got to get ready and sometimes you have to make adjustments, and get ready for new normals.”
The third-year head coach says the organization has been preparing for a while at their practice facility.
“We’ve all been doing that for a while and we are doing that here at the Indiana Farm Bureau (Football Center) and as the Colts organization,” Reich said. “It’s been really fun to get to see the players, especially the rookies right? Many of them (it’s) the first time seeing them face to face – albeit with a mask on, but it’s been good.”
Not letting COVID be a distraction
While some teams have to deal with the fallout of players opting out of the 2020 season, the Colts have yet to see that happen. It could change, but Reich is making sure that while the players are there working, it is important to keep the virus in mind. However, it shouldn’t become a distraction for those who have chosen to be there.
“The good thing is that we feel we have the players and the organization that has the maturity to not allow this to be a distraction, to understand it’s real, to understand we have a responsibility, but not allow it to be a distraction,” said Reich. “It becomes much easier to do that when you are really focused on the right things. So that is what our job is as coaches and players is to focus on the right things and then just follow the new normal and the new protocols and get to work.”
The virus will be at the forefront of everything the Colts do throughout the season, and it should. But they are also focusing on getting back to the playoffs as long as the season is still in order.
Healthy tension
The Colts players have been working out all offseason in preparation of training camp but a ramp-up period is still needed before practices get truly physical.
Reich uses the term “healthy tension” in regards to how the team will get the players prepared for the physical practices and eventually the games over the next two weeks.
““I like to use the term healthy tension a lot. I’ve used that a fair amount with our team. A lot of time we look at tension as a bad word, but I think that healthy tension can be a good thing,” Reich said. “So in relation to what you’re saying Chap (Mike Chappell), on one hand I really trust our guys to come in and are in shape and ready to go. So, we are in one regard have the mindset of we’re pushing forward. We have a schedule. The schedule already has a built in – there is a ramp up built in the schedule.”
Regardless of the protocols, Reich wants his players ready to go all-out whenever they are working together.
“My mindset is when we are in a period, when we are in a phase, you’re taking the reins off and you’re going hard. You’re being physical, you’re playing hard, you’re playing fast. Everything in the schedule is built to protect them from overdoing it,” said Reich. “I feel confident about that. So, our job will be to push, understanding the schedule is built the way it is and then we will adapt as needed as we go.”
A challenge for UDFAs
This will be even more challenging for the undrafted rookie free agents who joined the team a few months ago in hopes of cracking the roster. The Colts will reduce the 90-man roster to 80 players by Aug. 16 and then once again to the typical 53-man roster before the season.
Reich understands it will be a tough challenge for the UDFAs at camp.
“I think without question the more reps you can see of a guy, the better. We all think we are pretty good evaluators in this building so naturally I think we feel confident we’re going to be able to figure out who it is that should make our team and who is going to help us the most,” Reich said. “But realistically, does it hurt them? Yeah, realistically it does hurt them a little bit.”
Even so, Reich and the coaching staff will try to make the practices as game-like as possible to give everyone a fair shot.
“Right now we have a plan, if all things work out which it looks like they are working with Pete (Ward) and Chris – just going through all the details there – we will go down to Lucas Oil (Stadium) twice to kind of get that routine. We will try to make those practices as game-like as we can as well,” said Reich.
Competitive advantage?
Every team will have setbacks throughout the process of preparing for the season. Whether it’s directly related to COVID, new players joining the team or just the overall distractions that come with the outside world. But Reich feels his team is well-adjusted mentally to work through them.
He feels in some ways, the Colts have and advantage.
“So, a lot of it is still to be learned. Do we have as good of a handle on it as we would if we had the offseason with them in person? Of course not. You know I like to be optimistic, but that would be unrealistic to say that. Here’s what is to our advantage though, every team has new pieces,” said Reich. “But when I look at least to start on offense. Who are the new pieces? Who are some of the new pieces we have? Well, the quarterback – we all know that story. I know the quarterback. He knows the offense. He knows our coordinator. So, I feel good about that.”
The quarterback position will be the biggest question mark for the Colts. But Reich is confident the lost offseason won’t negatively impact the chances of Indy being a successful team.
Getting help from other coaches
The Colts are in an unprecedented time having to sift through a lost offseason. While most teams want to keep everything in-house, Reich hasn’t been afraid to reach out to other coaches around the league to see if there are better ways to combat the virus.
“It’s been a good spirit of camaraderie. We are figuring this out together, sharing ideas and how we are handling things, what are the protocols and where are there little nuances, how are you handling this, how are you handling that – just talking through roster dynamics and stuff like that. I think it’s been encouraging,” Reich said. ” It’s not surprising to me, but those conversations have been good and have been helpful. I’ve gotten one or two good ideas from other coaches and I hope I’ve given them one or two good ideas. So, it’s been good conversation.”
If the league wants to have a season, they will have to come together at least in this regard. Combating the virus will be almost as important as preparing for the season because they need to make sure there is a season to prepare for.
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