Colts’ OTAs Progressing Remotely with Daily Technology

Head coach Frank Reich sees positives in the different process, which consists of virtual meetings and monitoring player workouts. The Colts, like other NFL teams, are trying to make the most of the situation while facilities remain closed indefinitely.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich explained on Monday how the NFL’s new normal for offseason training activities is being handled through remote communication.

NFL rules stipulate that teams can communicate four hours per day, four days per week. Reich said the Colts use two of those daily hours on virtual meetings, then the other two hours on workouts.

“What we have been doing is taking a half-hour segment and presenting them for lack of a better way, continuing education,” Reich said in a Zoom video conference call. “Just continuing to instruct and teach the guys on the physical aspect of the game – whether it be nutrition, something in strength training. Rusty (Jones) and his staff will take a half-hour and just kind of teach the guys, let them take notes and just kind of stay on top of things.”

Usually this time of year, teams are working out together at facilities, which coaches consider an important part of the process in building team chemistry. Although facilities are closed indefinitely, Reich sounded upbeat about how the Colts are coming together, even if they aren’t physically in the same room.

“You know what? We are getting a ton done. This has been extremely productive,” he said. “We don’t get the camaraderie to the same level, but we even work at that. We work at that in the ways that we can. But from installation, our coaches are doing a phenomenal job, but we always tell the players these meetings are only going to be as good as they are engaged in the meeting. We try not to make it like lectures. There are install meetings – we are trying our best to be very interactive just like we were in the building.

“The guys are doing a great job. The coaches are doing a phenomenal job. The players are engaged. It’s been two weeks – I can just tell you that they’ve been incredibly productive. I feel extremely confident that if you went to the men and talked to our players you’re going to get that answer. ‘How worthwhile is this time that we’re spending on a scale of one-to-10?’ My guess is the grades are going to be very high.”

Workouts are monitored remotely with players’ hearts being monitored. But Reich said ultimately the process is based on trust. Players should want to do whatever is necessary to ensure they benefit. The coach checks those readings regularly.

“This isn’t, ‘Hey, I’m watching you.’ This is, ‘Hey, I’m interested in you,’” Reich said. “You guys know me, I’m a little bit of a numbers guy so I like to see these charts. Then I’ll show them to the team.

“Last week, I showed (offensive guard) Mark Glowinski (and) a run that he did and his chart and the different colors that show up on the chart and what that means. Have we talked about when you get into that 90 percent of your max heart rate that shows up red on the chart? We talk about the advantages of that. Really, the technology that we have can in some ways hold us accountable. Yeah, we’re holding them accountable, but I’m assuming the guys want to do this. The guys want to get into the red, so to speak. That’s what we’ve been talking about with them – ‘Hey, get into the red because there are things that happen in your body that only happen when you get there.’”

Some Colts were on Zoom and FaceTime with each other during workouts.

“One guy is running at one field and another guy is running in another city and at the start of each rep they go,” Reich said. “Then in between reps, a quick word and I think we’re just trying to have some fun with it.”

Through it all, Reich also places significant importance on how coaches can do their jobs better, in terms of player interaction.

“Well one thing I definitely want to get better at is I think I can do a better job supporting the coaches in all three phases,” he said. “I told the guys the other day, I felt like you gear so much energy and effort towards the players but part of being the head coach is coaching the coaches and holding the coaches accountable and being involved on every level as the head coach. I think I can do a better job there just giving coaches feedback along the way, encouragement along the way, observations.

“So that’s definitely one area that I think I can grow in. As far as offensively, just how do we eliminate those games where it feels like we get stuck? What happened in those games that we got stuck? Was it schematic? Did the defense have something on us that we didn’t know? Just taking a look back at some of those games. Trying to figure out, ‘Hey, when we get in a lull offensively, what gets us out of the lull?’ Studying those kinds of things as a play-caller and seeing it seems like. ‘When we did this that helped get us out,’ or ‘This didn’t work. What are those little things that gave us a spark? How can we do more of that?’ Those are a couple of areas that I’ve looked at.”

The NFL plans to release the 2020 regular-season schedule on Thursday.