Colts face division rival Titans this Sunday
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen discusses the team’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
- Defensive end Samson Ebukam has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Titans with a knee injury he suffered last weekend against the Chargers.
- Starting cornerback Jaylon Jones is ‘close’ to returning, head coach Shane Steichen said, but he won’t be activated for Sunday.
INDIANAPOLIS – Colts starting wide receiver Josh Downs has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and is “ready to go” for Sunday’s home game against the Tennessee Titans, head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Friday.
Steichen also said that defensive end Samson Ebukam, who left last Sunday’s road game at the Chargers with a knee injury and who the Colts head coach called “week to week” on Wednesday, has been ruled out for Sunday against the Titans after not practicing this week. Fellow defensive end Tyquan Lewis, who also left Sunday’s game in Los Angeles with a groin injury and who Steichen called “day to day” earlier this week, was not yet ruled out for Sunday’s game.
Lewis missed all three practices this week, and Steichen said “we’ll see” when asked Friday if he would play. The co-team leader in sacks this season with three is questionable to play on Sunday, according to the Colts’ Friday injury report.
Starting cornerback Jaylon Jones, whose 21-day window to return from the IR the Colts opened earlier this week, will not be activated for Sunday’s game, though Steichen said his progression continues to “look good.” Jones first injured his hamstring during training camp and re-aggravated the injury in Week 1 during special teams action. He can be activated at any point between now and Nov. 12.
“He’s close. He’s close. We’ll see how next week goes,” Steichen said of Jones’ health.
The Colts have a pair of previously-injured offensive skill players who appear to be on the mend in receiver Ashton Dulin and running back Tyler Goodson, both of whom practiced fully this week after landing on the inactives list for last weekend’s win over the Chargers. Dulin missed practice last week with a chest injury, and Goodson injured his groin in Week 4 and has missed the previous three games. Neither player carried a status designation on Friday’s injury report.
Steichen was also asked for an update on quarterback Anthony Richardson, who suffered an orbital fracture during a freak accident while using a stretching band during pre-game warmups Oct. 12 and who was subsequently sent down to IR.
“I don’t know. Right now, I just know he’s recovering,” Steichen said.
Titans struggling with injuries to stars
The Titans, who the Colts beat in Week 3 on the road 41-20, will be missing arguably their two biggest stars Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Friday, Tennessee ruled both star wideout Calvin Ridley as well as vaunted defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons would be out for Sunday’s divisional matchup. Simmons exited last weekend’s 31-13 loss to the Patriots in the second quarter with a hamstring injury, and the veteran defensive lineman, who has registered 4.5 sacks this season, ranking int he top-15 in the league, did not return and did not practice this week.
Ridley’s own hamstring injury he suffered in the first half of a game two weeks ago against the Raiders has continued to linger, forcing the wideout to miss last weekend’s game and miss practice each day this week. Both Ridley and Simmons played a month ago in the teams’ first matchup, with Ridley hauling in a single catch on seven targets for 27 yards. Simmons registered three tackles in the game but did not record a sack.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
