Tag: Braden Smith

Indianapolis Colts’ OT Braden Smith downgraded to questionable vs Jets

The Indianapolis Colts announced that OT Braden Smith has been downgraded to questionable vs. the Jets. Here’s what you need to know.

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Saturday ahead of the team’s Week 11 matchup with the New York Jets that right tackle Braden Smith has been downgraded to questionable for a personal matter.

Indianapolis is already without left tackle Bernhard Raimann, who was ruled out on Friday with a knee injury, as well as Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, both of whom have been on injured reserve.

This has left the Colts to rely on three rookies with Matt Goncalves at left tackle, Tanor Bortolini at center, and Dalton Tucker at right guard.

Now if Smith can’t go, the already shorthanded Colts offensive line would likely have to rely on Blake Freeland at right tackle.

Freeland was a healthy scratch during the first handful of games this season. He competed with Goncalves this summer for the swing tackle for but was beat out by the rookie.

Last season, with Smith missing time due to injuries, the Colts leaned heavily on Freeland, who was a rookie at that time, with him playing 701 snaps. He finished the year ranked 80th out of 86 offensive tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.

Awaiting the Colts’ offensive line is a Jets’ front that will enter the game ranked ninth in pressure rate, according to Pro Football Reference, and features, Quinnen Williams at defensive tackle and Will McDonald at defensive end, whose 39 pressure ranks among the most this season.

Whether it be Smith or Freeland, the Colts right tackle will likely see quite a bit of Haasan Reddick, who primarily lines up on the left side of the defensive front.

Jaguars vs. Colts: Thursday injury reports

Jaguars vs. Colts: Thursday injury reports

The Jaguars and Colts each saw some key contributors in upgraded action in Thursday’s practice compared to Wednesday’s, a good sign for both squads as they prepare for their Week 5, AFC South matchup at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

Find Jacksonville and Indianapolis’ Thursday injury reports for Week 5 below.

* indicates status upgrade from previous practice

Jaguars injury report

  • RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder) — limited
  • RB Travis Etienne Jr. (shoulder) — limited
  • WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
  • TE Evan Engram (hamstring) — limited
  • DE Josh Hines-Allen (concussion) — limited*
  • LB Devin Lloyd (knee) — limited*
  • LB Yasir Abdullah (neck) — limited
  • CB Jarrian Jones (shoulder) — limited
  • S Darnell Savage Jr. (quadricep) — limited

Analysis: Jaguars starting defenders, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen and linebacker Devin Lloyd, were upgraded to limited Thursday after being nonparticipants in practice Wednesday.

They joined every other player on Jacksonville’s injury report in being limited Thursday, marking the only changes to the Jaguars’ list.

Colts injury report

  • OT Braden Smith (knee) — full*
  • LB Zaire Franklin (illness) — full*
  • LB Grant Stuard (heel) — full*
  • QB Anthony Richardson (oblique) — limited
  • RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) — did not practice
  • C Ryan Kelly (neck) — did not practice
  • DE Kwity Paye (quadriceps) — did not practice
  • CB Kenny Moore (hip) — did not practice

Analysis: Three Colts, starting offensive tackle Braden Smith and linebacker Zaire Franklin and backup linebacker Grant Stuard, were upgraded to full participation Thursday after being sidelined on Wednesday.

Starting Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson remained limited, while starting running back Jonathan Taylor did not practice for a second consecutive day.

T.J. Watt struggles in Week 4: History will have to wait another week

T.J. Watt will have to wait until Week 5 against the Cowboys for a shot at history, after being shutdown by Braden Smith in Week 4.

There is no singular reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers lost their matchup against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4.  All facets of the offense and defense had their struggles, including the great T.J. Watt, who was looking to become the second-fastest player to achieve 100 career sacks.

On 30 passing plays by the Colts, the Steelers managed to sack the quarterback a measly two times.  Watt, unfortunately, wasn’t involved in either of the two.

Braden Smith, who was initially questionable to play in the contest versus Pittsburgh this week, made Watt a complete non-factor in the game, just as he did in 2022.

https://twitter.com/CodyTalksNFL/status/1840495557456072805

However, let’s not get it twisted, Steelers Nation.  T.J. Watt is still one of the greatest defensive players in the NFL today and will look to bounce back to achieve history in Week 5.  The entirety of Pittsburgh will shoulder the loss, and look to rebound against a tough matchup at home against the Dallas Cowboys next week.

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Colts RT Braden Smith will be active vs. Steelers

Colts’ right tackle Braden Smith will be active against the Steelers after being listed as questionable on Friday.

The Indianapolis Colts will be without center Ryan Kelly against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but some good news is that they will have right tackle Braden Smith.

Smith would miss practice on Wednesday and Friday of last week, listed with knee injury. He was designated as questionable coming into this game.

Smith will face a difficult task on Sunday, lining up frequently across from Steelers edge rusher TJ Watt, who as we all know, has game-wrecking abilities. Watt spends most of his snaps lined up on the left side of the defensive front, which will match him up with Smith.

Completely stopping Watt isn’t often accomplished, so the goal may be to contain him so that he doesn’t take over the entire game. To provide Smith with some help, the Colts could utilize tight end chips and double-teams.

The Colts found success running the ball last week and will have to do the same this week, although those yards may not come easy against a Steelers defense allowing just 3.6 yards per rush.

Struggling in the run game will put the offense behind the sticks, allowing Watt and the Pittsburgh pass rush to pin its ears backs–obviously something the Colts’ offense wants to avoid.

Steelers-Colts matchups to watch: T.J. Watt vs. Braden Smith

T.J. Watt, one of the NFL’s best, will take on the Colts’ reliable right tackle, Braden Smith, in a matchup that could be history defining.

T.J. Watt has a shot at making history in Week 4, needing only half a sack to do so. However, his focus will be on the matchup with the Colts’ reliable right tackle, Braden Smith, in a battle critical to both his legacy and the Steelers’ potential 4-0 record. 

Smith has had a strong start to the Colts’ 2024 campaign, only allowing 3 pressures in Week 1 and one sack in Week 3. He has struggled against faster edge rushers like Chicago’s Montez Sweat, and he now faces the challenge of stopping T.J. Watt, something few have managed this season. 

Watt has been dominant in 2024, averaging one sack, one-and-a-half quarterback hits, and over two pressures per game. He aims to use this momentum to help push the Steelers to 4-0, and reach 100 career sacks in Week 4.  

The Steelers’ pass rush and the Colts’ offensive line will clash in a violent and physical battle this Sunday, Sept. 29th, at 1 p.m. EST. With both vying for a better spot in the AFC race to the top, the Watt and Smith matchup will be critical for both teams’ success. 

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Colts OT Braden Smith returns to practice on Thursday

After missing Wednesday’s practice, Colts right tackle Braden Smith was back on the practice field on Thursday.

Indianapolis Colts’ right tackle Braden Smith was back on the practice field Thursday after not practicing on Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/NateAtkins_/status/1839354873651007696

Smith was on the injury report with a knee injury. He did not practice last Friday either with what was called knee soreness but did play every snap this past Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Smith did have offseason surgery.

Once practice is over, we will find out if Smith was a full participant or if he was limited. But it appears that Smith not practicing is more so about giving his knee some rest than anything else.

Smith, along with the rest of the Colts’ offensive line, is off to a good start this season. Over 87 pass-blocking snaps, Pro Football Focus has credited Smith with only four pressures, including just one over the last two weeks, and one sack.

In the run game, Smith has the seventh-best run-blocking grade among all tackles by PFF’s metrics.

As alluded to, the Colts offensive line unit as a whole has been a strength of this team this season. By ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric, the Colts rank third and in run-block win rate, they rank first through three weeks.

The Colts offensive line will face a difficult test this week against a very good Pittsburgh Steelers defensive front.

Colts Michael Pittman, Braden Smith banged up but expected to play

Colts’ WR Michael Pittman and OL Braden Smith did not practice on Friday, but Shane Steichen seems optimistic that they’ll play.

Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver Michael Pittman and offensive lineman Braden Smith did not practice on Friday after being available on both Wednesday and Thursday.

According to head coach Shane Steichen, both are banged up but they are expected to play. Pittman is dealing with a back and calf injury and Smith with knee soreness, according to The Athletic’s James Boyd.

https://twitter.com/HolderStephen/status/1837176245009739988

After dealing with injuries last season, Smith had offseason knee surgery. We do knot know if it’s the same knee that he is experiencing soreness with.

Through two games, Smith is playing at a high level. In ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric, Smith ranks 19th among all offensive tackles. In their run-blocking win rate metric, he ranks eighth. Collectively, the offensive line has been a bright spot for this Colts team.

For Pittman, it’s been a quiet start to the season. He’s been targeted 14 times, catching just seven of those passes for 52 yards–or just 7.4 yards per catch–with no touchdowns. He’s also been credited with a drop by PFF and has caught only 1-of-5 contested catch opportunities.

Laiatu Latu was back at practice today after missing the previous two days. Julian Blackmon, Matt Gay, Josh Downs, Kenny Moore, and Rodney Thomas were all full participants on Thursday.

The Colts will release their final injury report with designations on Friday afternoon.

Colts RT Braden Smith returned to team drills during Tuesday’s practice

Colts’ right tackle Braden Smith returned to team drills during Tuesday’s practice for the first time after offseason knee surgery.

During Tuesday’s training camp practice, Colts’ right tackle Braden Smith returned to 11-on-11 drills for the first time this offseason.

According to Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan, Smith is still being eased in as he didn’t participate during the full 11-on-11 period.

Smith missed offseason programs after undergoing knee surgery, and up until Tuesday’s practice, he had only been going through the individual drills during training camp.

Smith dealt with injuries for much of the 2023 season, appearing in only 10 games. Early on, it was a hip injury that kept him out, but Smith would deal with a lingering left knee injury throughout the year that never quite allowed him to get to 100 percent.

“Coming out of the offseason, had successful surgery,” said Smith back in May when meeting with reporters. “Had some stuff, you know, did some rehab this offseason, feel like I’m in a pretty good spot. Strength is coming back. Just making sure I can get through the season healthy and make sure we’re being smart with things.”

However, when on the field, Smith was still able to play at a high level. He didn’t allow any sacks last season, ranking sixth among all offensive tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.

In the run game, the Colts averaged 4.6 yards per rush with Smith on the field, according to Joel Erickson, and only 3.9 yards per carry without him.

Bowen added that with Smith back with the starters, it allowed rookie Matt Goncalves to work at left tackle with the second team offense, while Blake Freeland was at right tackle. Goncalves and Freeland are both competing for the Colts’ swing tackle role.

With Smith healthy, the Colts are returning all five starters from last season, a unit that ranked top-10 in pressure rate and yards per carry.

This unit, again, should be one of the better offensive lines in football, and as GM Chris Ballard said earlier this offseason, when it comes to success for a young quarterback, it all starts up front.

“Like I said, protect,” said Ballard. “Block and protect. Just look through the league, just look through the playoff teams and they all can block and protect. I think that’s critical. So that’s one.

“I remember Andrew (Luck) used to tell me all the time, ‘Chris, let’s get me protected. Give me guys who can catch it and get to the right spot, and I’ll make the rest work.’ Most of the good ones that’s how they roll. Do you want the superstar out there? Absolutely. But protection, to me, is always first and foremost.”

Colts’ Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith ranked among CBS Sports’ top 20 OTs

The Colts’ Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith were ranked among CBS Sports’ top 20 offensive tackles heading into 2024.

Indianapolis Colts’ left tackle Bernhard Raimann and right tackle Braden Smith made an appearance on CBS Sports’ ranking of the top 20 offensive tackles entering the 2024 season.

Smith would come in at No. 10 on the list and Raimann at No. 14. The Philadelphia Eagles were the only other team to have both their tackles ranked in the top 14.

Smith would deal with lingering injuries last season that limited him to only 10 games. However, despite never quite being at 100 percent, Smith continued to play at a high level.

When starting, Smith didn’t surrender any sacks in 2023 and ranked sixth among all tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric. With Smith, the Colts’ offense averaged 4.6 yards per carry but only 3.9 yards per rush when they were without him.

Smith underwent “successful” offseason knee surgery that has him in a “better spot” heading into the upcoming season. Smith was not on the practice field during offseason programs, and a timeline for his return hasn’t been specified.

“Coming out of the offseason, had successful surgery,” said Smith during OTAs. “Had some stuff, you know, did some rehab this offseason, feel like I’m in a pretty good spot. Strength is coming back. Just making sure I can get through the season healthy and make sure we’re being smart with things.”

After a strong rookie season from Raimann in 2022, he made another significant jump during his sophomore NFL season. Raimann would give up four sacks and 34 pressures, ranking 20th in pass-blocking efficiency and 12th in run-blocking grade out of 50 eligible tackles.

The experience gained over the last two seasons has played a crucial role in Raimann’s growth, and there is the opportunity to make another developmental leap this season. PFF had Raimann as a member of their All-Breakout team for the 2024 season.

In addition to that experience allowing Raimann to get comfortable with his role, the continuity along the offensive line and his outstanding work ethic have been two other key contributors to his growth.

“One of the hardest working guys I’ve been around,” said Ryan Kelly during minicamp. “I think truly that left tackle position I think, above and beyond everybody else, can be a little detailed, micro-oriented.

“I think for him, what he’s really trusting is his athletic ability, which is a big thing for him. He hasn’t played football since he was a little kid, so it’s been a short time compared to most.”

In addition to Smith and Raimann returning, the Colts will have their entire starting five along the offensive line back this season. Not only at the tackle position but as a collective group, the Colts are expected to have one of the best offensive line units in football.

Colts Braden Smith, Bernhard Raimann PFF’s third-best OT duo

PFF put together its ranking of the top 32 OTs and only two teams had their duo ranked higher than the Colts Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann.

Pro Football Focus recently released its list of the top 32 offensive tackles for the upcoming 2024 season. While these rankings were meant for individual players, the Colts were one of just three teams to have both their tackles listed in the top 16.

Braden Smith would come in at No. 15 on the list and Bernhard Raimann at No. 16. The only other teams to have both tackles ranked ahead of Smith and Raimann were the Lions, with Penei Sewell (No. 3) and Taylor Decker (No. 14), along with the Eagles, who had Jordan Mailata (No. 5) and Lane Johnson (No. 6).

Smith is coming off a season in which he dealt with various injuries, limiting him to only 10 games. However, when on the field, he was very good, ranking sixth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, not to mention that the Colts’ run game averaged 4.6 per rush with Smith on the field versus 3.9 yards without him.

Smith had offseason knee surgery that he is still recovering from, which kept him out of OTAs last week. A timeline for his return hasn’t been reported, but Smith did tell reporters that he is in a “better spot.”

“Coming out of the offseason, had successful surgery,” said Smith when meeting with reporters. “Had some stuff, you know, did some rehab this offseason, feel like I’m in a pretty good spot. Strength is coming back. Just making sure I can get through the season healthy and make sure we’re being smart with things.”

At left tackle, Raimann took a big jump in his second NFL season. Out of all tackles, Raimann ranked 20th in pass-blocking efficiency and had the 12th-best run-blocking grade.

Naturally, much of the attention this offseason has been in regards to putting more playmakers around Anthony Richardson. This is, of course, important, and the Colts prioritized that by drafting Adonai Mitchell in the second round.

But with that said, as GM Chris Ballard mentioned before the draft, consistent success for a young quarterback and the offense as a whole begins with the play of the offensive line.

“Block and protect,” said Ballard. “Just look through the league, just look through the playoff teams and they all can block and protect. I think that’s critical. So that’s one.

“I remember Andrew (Luck) used to tell me all the time, ‘Chris, let’s get me protected. Give me guys who can catch it and get to the right spot, and I’ll make the rest work.’ Most of the good ones that’s how they roll. Do you want the superstar out there? Absolutely. But protection, to me, is always first and foremost.”

Once again, along with Smith and Raimann, the Colts should have one of the better offensive line units in football. They return all five starters from a 2023 unit that ranked top 10 in both pressure rate allowed and sacks.