This past spring, Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano told his players to be ready to hit the ground running when training camp practices began.
The reason was simple. With five preseason games on the docket this year, including an Aug. 7 meeting with the Green Bay Packers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, there wasn't going to be a lot of time to spend on getting in shape or learning the playbook.
That type of work should have been done during the Colts' organized team activity workouts and mini-camp practices. Pagano told the players in early June that it would be up to them to be physically ready and up to speed with the team's offensive and defensive systems.