Once training camps end, things start to return to normal for NFL franchises. Access to the media dips considerably at team headquarters and the first week of opponent preparations gets underway.
Up to this point in the preseason, Indianapolis spent little or no time on actually scouting their coming opponent. Even after working against one another in team practices last week, the Browns and Colts did very little (likely nothing) to actually diagnose film on one another and put together a plan to increase the odds of a win. Don’t let the pageantry of the shared practices fool you, this was another controlled scrimmage, where individual players were viewed in isolation and the goal was to see who was lining up in the appropriate spot, who was recognizing their assignments, and who put themselves in positions to make important plays.