Impresses with tough running

McGowan churned out a "handful of big gains" on the ground during the Colts' joint practice session with the Patriots on Tuesday, Joel Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Erickson notes that the New England defense stymied both Jonathan Taylor and McGowan throughout the first half of practice, but the Colts' ground game was more effective when the session shifted to the red-zone portion after a special-teams period. McGowan, a seventh-round rookie out of Kentucky, has been serving as the Colts' No. 2 back behind Taylor for most of camp while DJ Giddens has been sidelined by a hamstring injury and has drawn positive reviews for his physical running style. McGowan could still have the early edge for the top backup role even if Giddens is able to get back on the field in the near future, though the performance of both players over one more joint practice and three preseason games will carry the most weight when it comes to depth-chart slotting.