WESTFIELD, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts returned to Grand Park Sports Campus on Wednesday to host the Atlanta Falcons for the first of two joint practices before their preseason game this Saturday.

It was a fully padded, nearly two-hour session that the teams feel brings arguably better value than preseason games because each side controls what gets worked on. Here's how the day went overall.

*Note: The Colts' offense and defense performed at the same time on two different fields, so I observed the offense today. There was a late 11-on-11 session where both teams' first and second-team offenses and defense took turns putting a drive together, so there are some limited notes on the Colts' defense.

— The following Colts players missed Wednesday's practice: wide receiver Alec Pierce (PUP-ankle), wide receiver Keenan Allen (just signed), wide receiver Anthony Gould (groin, missed last three practices), cornerback Charvarius Ward Sr. (back, missed last four practices), offensive tackle Luke Tenuta (knee, missed last three practices), offensive tackle Nolan Rucci (missed last three practices).

— Colts tight end Tyler Warren left during a session of 11-on-11s with a right groin injury. He was seen with an ice wrap around his thigh afterward. Will Mallory and Mo Alie-Cox got extra work after Warren left. Running back DJ Giddens, who had missed the last six practices with a hamstring injury, returned but only participated in position drills.

— The Colts officially announced their signing of Allen. They waived running back Roydell Williams in a corresponding move.

— The primary first-team offense was: QB Daniel Jones, RB Jonathan Taylor, WR Ashton Dulin, WR Laquon Treadwell, SWR Josh Downs, TE Tyler Warren, LT Bernhard Raimann, LG Quenton Nelson, C Tanor Bortolini, RG Matt Goncalves, and RT Jalen Travis.

— After having arguably his worst day of camp in the Colts' last practice on Sunday, Jones rebounded with one of his best on Wednesday, going 15-of-15 passing (100.0%). He had completions to Downs (4), Dulin (4), Alie-Cox (2), Taylor (2), Mallory, and running back Seth McGowan. Jones had two huge completions to Downs, one being a score of about 65 yards where Jones looked downfield on the left side to Downs, but a Falcons linebacker tipped it. Downs grabbed it out of the air and sprinted down the left sideline. Jones found Downs again later on a deep post of about 40 yards. In a game, Falcons cornerback Darren Hall would've likely knocked Downs' block off. Jones was also able to pull Atlanta's defense offsides multiple times.

— As good as the Colts' passing game was, the run game for the first- and second-team offenses was equally unproductive. Routinely, Atlanta front-seven defenders set up shop in the Colts' backfield. It was quite noticeable when the Colts' first-team offense was running to the right side.

— There were a couple of miscues from the Colts' first-team offense, when Jones was rushed up the middle for a would-be sack, and Alie-Cox also lost a fumble later after a catch.

— Colts quarterback Riley Leonard went 10-of-13 passing (76.9%), with completions to tight end Drew Ogletree, wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (2), wide receiver Deion Burks (2), receiver Coleman Owen (2), running back Ulysses Bentley IV, receiver Raylen Sharpe, and Mallory. Leonard received three sessions with the second-team offense. He'll start on Saturday against the Falcons and play throughout the first half before Anthony Richardson Sr. takes over and plays the second half.

— Richardson was 3-of-3 passing (100.0%), with completions to McGowan, Westbrook-Ikhine, and Mallory. Richardson received one session with the second-team offense.

— Former Colts edge defender Samson Ebukam, who signed with the Falcons this offseason, blasted McGowan on a run play where there was room for McGowan to run had he gotten past Ebukam.

— On one run play where Bentley was met in the backfield, he spun off it and ran into wide open space down the left side.

— The primary second-team offensive line was: LT Blake Freeland, LG Jalen Farmer, C Dalton Tucker, RG Geno VanDeMark, and RT Josh Sills. Tenuta would typically be the right tackle, and Farmer the right guard, with Rucci likely filling in for Tenuta.

— During 1-on-1s pitting Colts receivers against Falcons cornerbacks, the Colts had 19 wins compared to 7 Falcons wins. During this session, Treadwell had a long touchdown of about 40 yards down the left side against Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes.

— During 1-on-1s featuring Colts offensive linemen against Falcons defensive linemen, Raimann and Farmer really stood out. Farmer had a few wins, including one where he stonewalled Falcons defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell while he was attempting to spin. Raimann was routinely up against Ebukam. There were some ugly reps by Colts linemen in this session, as Nelson, Bortolini, and Goncalves each got beat handily in succession by Falcons linemen Maason Smith, Chris Williams, and Brandon Dorlus, respectively. Nelson did rebound well afterward in later reps. Brand-new Falcons edge rusher Za'Darius Smith also executed a beautiful cross-chop against Freeland for a win.

— The primary first-team defense was: DE Laiatu Latu, 3TDT DeForest Buckner/Colby Wooden, 1TNT Grover Stewart, DE Arden Key, MIKE Akeem Davis-Gaither, WILL Jaylon Carlies, CB Sauce Gardner, CB Justin Walley, SCB Cam Taylor-Britt, FS Cam Bynum, and SS A.J. Haulcy.

— In a late session of 11-on-11s, Walley jumped a short throw to the left side by Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for an interception and took it back for a touchdown, drawing an enormous reaction from his teammates and the crowd in the stands.

— During this late 11-on-11 period, the Colts had multiple defenders get to Tagovailoa up the middle for a would-be sack.

— Falcons running back Bijan Robinson showed an example why he's one of the best athletes in the sport, effortlessly scooping up a low pass with just his left hand while never breaking stride.

— Kicker Blake Grupe had another spotless day of kicking, going 5-of-5 on field goal attempts (100.0%) from 28, 33, 40, 47, and 54 yards. Spencer Shrader was 3-of-4 (75.0%), with makes from 33, 40, and 48 yards, and his miss from 54 yards, wide left. Since the mandatory minicamp in June, including joint practices and a preseason game, Grupe is 47-of-52 (90.4%), and Shrader is 35-of-51 (68.6%).

— Colts kickoff returners were (in order): Owen, McGowan, Burks, D.J. Montgomery, and Bentley. Owen busted a long one on his opportunity for roughly 40 yards, while Burks' went for about 30.