How does an NFL team deal with a steady stream of players going on the Reserve/COVID-19 list in the days before a game?
That's the question Episode 7 of "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" brings us inside the walls of the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center to answer. In a revealing – and telling – clip, offensive coordinator Marcus Brady informs head coach Frank Reich that All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson tested positive for COVID-19, ruling him out of the Colts' Week 16 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
"We're good," Reich tells his coaching staff. "… Love moments like this, right? I mean, I'm not happy about Q testing positive but I love overcoming those things."
Over in the offensive line's meeting room, O-line coach Chris Strausser tells his players after Nelson and right guard Mark Glowinski were ruled out with COVID that they'll be fine, too.
"By far the best group I've ever coached in terms of depth – starting five, depth behind that," Strausser says. "So we're good. We're good to roll, right? There's no question in my mind we're going to go in there and kick those guy's a—."
Fast-forward to gameday, and "Hard Knocks" gives us a look at two head coaches commiserating about the NFL's surge in COVID cases – which linebacker Darius Leonard, wide receiver Zach Pascal and safety Khari Willis became a part of on gameday.
"The guys that tested positive today tested negative when they first got up," Reich tells Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. "But then they weren't feeling well and so we had to go back and caught it the second time around."
One of the best parts of Episode 7, though, is the speech wide receiver T.Y. Hilton gave after the Colts revealed their seven Pro Bowl players. Hilton congratulated his teammates and told them to cherish the honor, but also made sure the Colts knew they couldn't rest on their laurels with the Cardinals looming – even if Arizona was coming off consecutive losses, one of which was to the Detroit Lions.
"What it also mean is we got the players," Hilton says. "What it also mean is we got the team. What it also mean is we got the coaches. We got the three major pieces to get to where want to get to. Now let's put the pieces to the puzzle and let's put it together.
"Last week? That was a great win. We gotta throw that s— out the window. Because this team we're about to play, they're coming off two losses. And they're at home. So they're gonna protect it. So if we want it, we gotta bring it. So we have to match their intensity – no, no. They gotta match our intensity from the get go. So let's bring that s—."
We've heard all year from players and coaches about how significant an impact Hilton's leadership has made on the Colts. "Hard Knocks" gave us an opportunity to see it.
Anybody else ready to run through a brick wall for T.Y.?
I couldn't quite hear all the lyrics to Colts Director of Football Research John Park's freestyle rap, but here's my best shot at them:
Colts climb steadily, stepping up the resume
Started at the bottom but responded with some better play
Satisfied, something we would never say
Gonna set the record straight, say Okereke
Single minded, all we know is 1 and 0
O-line gonna set the tone, Carson run the show
Zach, Ash, Alie-Cox, Pittman like what's up now
JT (??) gonna truck him for that touchdown
Kenny, D, Rock, X take the ball away
Z, Nyheim, Rigo, Luke, Isaiah with special play
Dominate the competition every day
(?) Buck, Grove, Stally, (??) Kemoko, Kwity Paye
On the cusp since we got (??)
Ready to bust these doors down, one percent better but must
We fear God not anyone we play
Colts gonna run the table all of the way
If anyone can fill in some of the blanks, shoot me a tweet @JJStankevitz. Either way.
The sixth episode of "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" features Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone and includes an incredibly moving moment after Saturday's win over the New England Patriots.
The fifth episode of "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" gives fans a look at what players were up to during last week's bye.
The fourth episode of "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" gives fans a look at what T.Y. Hilton has been through in 2021 and how he's impacting his team.
The third episode of "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" gives fans a glimpse at who Kenny Moore II is as a person as he and his teammates prepared to take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13.
The second episode of "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" tells the story of how important Sunday's game in Buffalo was to Frank Reich, offers an instructive look at how Jonathan Taylor handled his five-touchdown game and takes us inside Grover Stewart's kitchen.
The debut episode of "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" takes you into the lives of the Wentz and Leonard families, the gender reveals for the Glowinski and Kelly families and the Colts' 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
"Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts will debut Wednesday, November 17th at 10 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.
HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Indianapolis Colts are teaming up for the first-ever in-season presentation of HARD KNOCKS IN SEASON: THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. The multi-episode primetime edition of the 18-time Emmy-Award-winning series premieres November 17.
Colts vs Raiders – January 2 | 1 p.m.