Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox was not on the practice field Friday after not being on the injury report during the first two practices of the week.
Afterward, head coach Shane Steichen would tell local reporters that Alie-Cox is dealing with a hip injury, but added that he’ll be alright for the Colts’ matchup with Denver.
However, Alie-Cox is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Denver.
Among the Colts’ tight ends, Alie-Cox leads that position group in snaps this season. Known more for his blocking abilities, Alie-Cox ranks sixth among all tight ends this season in PFF’s run-blocking grade.
He also leads the Colts tight end room in both receptions and receiving yards as well, although overall, Indianapolis has gotten minimal contributions in the passing game from that unit.
Alie-Cox and the other Colts’ tight ends will have to play an important role in limiting the Denver defensive front. This is a defense that ranks top-five in pressure rate on opposing quarterbacks and yards per rush allowed.
As is always the case for the Indianapolis offense, success will start with the run game, and we all know how important time in the pocket is for any quarterback.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky also said recently that the Colts’ wide receivers and tight ends are going to need their “best game of the season” against Denver, which means no dropped passes, something that has been an issue as of late.
(This article was updated to provide additional information.)