PHX Reporter

Mother Nature timed it perfectly. At 6 p.m., when the Cardinals and Colts were starting their second joint practice in Westfield, Indiana, the rain began to pour. The downpour persisted for more than half of the 80-minute session, significantly altering the atmosphere compared to the previous day.

There were notable moments during the practice. Initially, focus was on the Cardinals' defense due to the location of the media tent. However, both teams converged on one field for a final two-minute drill as the rain subsided.

The Colts' first unit began with 1:12 on the clock and approximately 75 yards from the end zone. After a few completions, Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V broke up an Anthony Richardson pass. A subsequent play saw Sean Murphy-Bunting called for pass interference inside the 10-yard line, leading to a Richardson touchdown run.

The Cardinals' first-team offense struggled. Despite Marvin Harrison Jr. drawing a pass interference call, Kyler Murray overthrew Greg Dortch and other passes failed to secure a first down.

"We still have a lot of work to do," wide receiver Greg Dortch said. "This is just a steppingstone for where we want to go."

A second drive started poorly with a false start and concluded with an incomplete end zone throw between Murray and Michael Wilson.

"There were some ups and some downs, but we got a lot out of it," said Cardinals center Hjalte Froholdt. "It's easy to get frustrated in some of these practices... I have all the trust and belief in our offense."

In subsequent drills, Desmond Ridder threw an interception while Clayton Tune managed several completions but fell short of scoring. Former Colt Darren Hall ended his sequence with a pass breakup.

"It felt a little personal, a little emotional driven," Hall said about his performance.

Darrell Baker Jr., who intercepted Ridder's pass, tossed it towards the Cardinals sideline where it glanced off GM Monti Ossenfort.

Both teams typically play in domes making rain irrelevant during actual games. Nonetheless, Froholdt noted that facing adverse weather conditions can be beneficial preparation.

"It's good to face some adversity with some weather conditions," he said.

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon acknowledged mixed results from Wednesday's practice but emphasized learning from standard operating procedures rather than game planning specifics.

"You're not gameplanning like a game," Gannon said. "(Offensive coordinator) Drew (Petzing) said it best... we have to be able to handle and think on the run."

The Cardinals will conduct their usual pre-game walkthrough on Friday before facing off against the Colts again on Saturday night. Colts coach Shane Steichen announced that starters including quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco would not play.

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