| WESTFIELD Peyton Manning Jersey , Ind. — Indianapolis Colts receiver Deon Cain waited a lifetime to show he could play in the NFL. One innocuous cut on a routine route in last year’s preseason opener put his dream on hold.Now, 12 months later, the former Clemson standout looks as good as new. He’s still turning heads with his playmaking ability, still competing for a top-three spot on the depth chart and now is leaving an indelible impression on the locker room after returning from a torn ligament in his left knee.“Early on, he was about what I expected. And right now, he’s exceeding my expectations,” offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni said after watching Cain in another dazzling training camp practice. “Nobody knows his body like him, but I really do see that confidence (in the knee) coming.”Confidence never has been a problem for Cain.The high school quarterback changed positions after complaining to an all-star camp coach the receivers were too timid.He spent his first two seasons in college fighting with Mike Williams and Artavis Scott to catch Deshaun Watson’s eyes before a breakout junior season put him on the radar of pro scouts.Colts general manager Chris Ballard considered Cain talented enough to overlook a failed drug test in 2015, which led to his suspension for the College Football Playoff, and another suspension that kept him out of spring practice. Ballard drafted Cain in the sixth round, No. 185 overall. Cain returned to his home state of Florida last summer to work out with Hall of Famer Randy Moss.He made an immediate impact — until he fell to the ground in Seattle.“One of the traits Deon was flashing was an ability to really win against press coverage, and that’s really an attribute at this level,” coach Frank Reich said after announcing the injury. “But we know we’ve got something special in Deon Cain. He’s a good guy who can become a great player.”The rookie who appeared to be positioned as the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver in Indy’s rotation spent the rest of last season in rehab with the first major injury of his career. The Colts also kept him out of their offseason workouts and figured Cain wouldn’t completely regain his form until midseason.But after working out again with Moss in the summer, Cain arrived at training camp without a knee brace or a worry.“I’m really feeling good, but I’m trying to stick to the routine — a few days of practice, a few days of maintenance,” he said.52<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:Greetings from Westfield: Colts training camp 2019AP | Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved.So far, Cain has aced each successive test.He got up quickly after his knees hit the ground hard enough to send dirt flying during the first week of camp. In Thursday’s loss to Buffalo, he caught two passes, took a couple of hits and then dropped a pass he thought should have gone for a touchdown. On Saturday, he caught a handful of long balls at practice, demonstrating the skill, poise, body control and attitude Moss helped teach.“He told me Al Woods Color Rush Jersey , ‘Whenever the ball is in the air, it’s your ball, so go get it,'” Cain said.The difference this year is Cain faces a much tougher battle.With four-time Pro Bowler T.Y. Hilton entrenched in the No. 1 spot and free agent Devin Funchess expected to be the second starter, established veteran Chester Rogers is trying to hold off Cain and Daurice Fountain — another second-year player who has played well in camp — for the No. 3 job.Rookie Parris Campbell, a third-round pick, already has missed the last week with a hamstring injury and is expected to miss more time after Reich told reporters Monday that Campbell had a setback in his recovery.The Colts also like Zach Pascal and Marcus Johnson, who both finished last season with Indy, and there’s not enough room on a 53-man roster to keep all eight.Cain and his competitors will have another chance to show what they can do Wednesday and Thursday in joint practices against Cleveland, and Cain doesn’t intend to make it any easier on the Browns than he has on his teammates or coaches.“I know everyone wants to make this roster as much as me,” Cain said. “It’s been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, so I’ve just got to focus on doing my job because I’ve never been around so much talent.”100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck has a one-track mind.With two regular-season games left, the Indianapolis Colts‘ quarterback insists he’s paying no attention to playoff possibilities, scoreboards or other teams’ schedules. Instead, he’s focused on the only thing he considers important this weekend — beating the New York Giants on Sunday.“I’ve been a part of teams where you sit and say, ‘We need this to happen with this.’ It doesn’t work like that,” Luck said. “You’ve got to handle your own business.”Few teams can match what the Colts (8-6) have done lately. They’ve rebounded from a 1-5 start to win seven of eight and put themselves back in the postseason hunt. After losing their first two home games, they’ve won five straight at Lucas Oil Stadium, and if they can beat the Giants (5-9), they could control their own playoff path.Coach Frank Reich doesn’t do business that way, though.The former NFL quarterback simply asks his players to do their jobs: Keep two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and Offensive Rookie of the Year contender Saquon Barkley in check; prepare for the possible return of Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr.; and expose the holes in New York’s defense.New York, meanwhile, hopes it can continue a strong second half after starting 1-7. While winning two of three and four of six, the Giants already have knocked off NFC North champion Chicago and playoff hopeful Washington. They will be playing spoiler at Indianapolis.“You’re chasing wins https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Erik-Swoope-Jersey ,” Manning said. “We’re football players and this is what we do. We play football, that’s our passion, that’s our job, and we’re going to go out there and do it well and be able to celebrate some wins.”It won’t be easy.Indy pitched its first shutout in four years while rushing for 178 yards against Dallas’ No. 3-ranked run defense last week. Luck is playing the best football of his career and the defense looks as stout as it has in almost a decade.The combination has made Indy a trendy pick as the team nobody wants to play, and if the Colts can win their last two, they could end a three-year playoff absence. But the Colts know they must stick to the plan.“I am just very convinced there is no other way to approach it,” Reich said. “I have been around a lot of good coaches, a lot of good players, (and) that is just what I have come to believe, experience and learn. There can’t be any wavering from that (focal point).”SACK HAPPYIt’s been feast or famine when it comes to sacks for the Giants. They had 14 in the first 11 games and then picked up five each in the next two weeks against Chicago and Washington.The added pressure resulted in four interceptions, including touchdown returns by linebacker Alec Ogletree against the Bears and Curtis Riley against the Redskins. Things got back to the norm in last week’s shutout loss to Tennessee when New York had one sack and no interceptions.Facing the Colts might not help. Indy has allowed just 16 sacks this season, tied for fewest in the league.TACKLE WATCHRookie linebacker Darius Leonard acknowledged he was “heartbroken” not to make the AFC’s Pro Bowl team this week despite leading the league with 146 tackles.And he hopes to take out his frustration on the Giants this weekend. Leonard says his weekly goal is to get 25 tackles, though he’s upped the ante this week by saying he’s hoping to finish with 40. If he hits either mark, Leonard will break Jeff Herrod’s 27-year-old franchise record for tackles in one season.Leonard needs 15 tackles to move past Herrod (160).BARKLEY REBOUNDSPro Bowl running back Barkley was held to 31 yards on 14 carries in the loss to the Titans, his second-lowest total this season. The rookie ran for just 28 yards against Dallas in Week 2.The second pick overall in the draft also had 56 yards from scrimmage last week, marking the second time in 14 games he’s been held below 100.Despite the bad game, Barkley is third in the league in rushing with 1,155 yards and he is not looking for a break even though the Giants have been eliminated from playoff contention.“I would love my workload to be whatever it can be to help the team win,” Barkley said. “I’ve said multiple times, if that’s 10 carries or if that’s 40 touches. I bumped it up to 40 this time.”THE COMEBACK KIDLuck’s comeback season has been better than expected.His completion percentage (67.3) is at a career high and he’s six completions away from a career best in that category, too.What else? Luck heads into the final two games needing 810 yards and seven TD passes to break his previous career highs.100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta |
