Colts' injuries have silver lining

While it remains to be determined whether we'll ever see Corey Simon again -- he's slated to return after the Oct. 15 open date -- the number of injuries the Colts have suffered this season could serve them well later in the season. As I wrote in my column today, the depth can only be helped by backups, such as former starter Mike Doss, gaining more playing time:

The more players the Colts use, the more the team builds on locker-room camaraderie. The Colts remain unique within the NFL in their ability to rally as a team and avoid some of the backbiting and jealousies that sometimes work their way into a locker room. “Guys feel like more of a part of the team when they’re out there playing and involved in the game,” linebacker Gary Brackett said. “Anytime we have a situation where other guys are playing and we’re not missing a beat, that’s a great feeling.”

The Colts should beat the Jets on Sunday, because I don't see the Jets being able to contain the Colts' passing game and the continued excellence of Marvin Harrison. I'm guessing this will be the week Harrison or Reggie Wayne, or both, finally added a touchdown pass to their impressive early stats.

The Colts' biggest question -- run defense -- might not be answered yet since the Jets' running game is nearly non-existent.

Freeney ready for J-E-T-S!

Defensive end Dwight Freeney was a rookie when the Colts were waxed by the New York Jets 41-0 in the first round of the playoffs in 2002. He doesn't necessarily have nightmares about it, but he remembers the day well.

"That was the worst game I recall ever playing in the NFL. From the first snap to the end, I just heard the crowd -- 'J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets Jets!' I still hear it, every time I go there. Even if we play the Giants, I still hear it."

Freeney will keep that in the back of his mind as the Colts try to beat the Jets in the New Jersey Meadowlands on Sunday. While he's off to a slow start statistically (no sacks), he says his only concern is wins. To hear more from Freeney, check out my column in today's News-Sentinel.

Colts do what they have to do

The Colts' win over the Jaguars wasn't pretty. The first half, in fact, was almost the worst bad dream possible: Jacksonville ran through the defense like it wasn't there and all Peyton Manning and the offense could do was chill on the sidelines.

In the world of division contenders, however, a win is a win.

Here's how I saw the various areas of the Colts' game:

Passing game: Manning's completion percentage was a rare under-.500 (14 of 31), but at least one of those Marvin Harrison vs. Rashean Mathis incompletions could have been called for interference or caught by Harrison if Mathis had kept his hands off. The overturn on the Reggie Wayne reception seemed questionable from most angles and Colts coach Tony Dungy compared it to Troy Polamalu's play in the playoffs. But Manning made the plays he needed to make -- finding Dallas Clark for the TD, and Wayne's clutch catch at the goal line was pure determination.

Running game: This took a step backward, but the Colts didn't spend as much time developing it, probably because of the urgency of playing from behind or tied. Dominic Rhodes had a couple nice carries, but still seems to lack a quick burst. Joseph Addai had only three carries. It's not necessarily good when your most memorable run is by Manning.

Pass defense: Once the Jags were in catch-up mode, the Colts got better pressure on Byron Leftwich. The secondary played well despite the absence of Bob Sanders. Give credit to Mike Doss, who played as if his career depended on it. That sense of urgency comes with losing your starting position.

Run defense: Stinks.

Special teams: The Colts survived the absence of Adam Vinatieri. Fortunately, no clutch field goals were needed. After making a poor decision to come out of the end zone on a deep kickoff, Terrence Wilkins did what he was paid to do by returning a punt 82 yards for the touchdown. Good blocking on the return by everyone, including Jason David with the final blow on punter Chris Hanson.

Coaching: A great move by Dungy to call for Manning's bootleg. A refresher coaching course is needed this week on tackling running backs, unless Maurice Jones-Drew really is the next Barry Sanders.

Bad blood boiling

There's some bad blood boiling for the Colts-Jaguars game, based primarily on the fact the Colts have what the Jags want (AFC South supremacy). But, there's also the fact that play has gotten rougher and rougher as the two teams become closer and closer in talent level. In my column today, I wrote about how the Colts must be ready for the Jaguars' rough play.

"There's not a lot of love lost between the two teams," Colts center Jeff Saturday said.

The Steelers wrote the script on how to attack the Colts with their playoff win last year and every team that has the personnel to mimic that approach will do it. Jacksonville has that style of team, from their ball-control offense to their ability to pressure the quarterback. The best attribute in the Colts' favor is their ability to remain cool under pressure. They can't afford to let themselves be drawn into a pushing, shoving, personal-foul heavy skirmish.

Watch for Jags linebacker Mike Peterson to do a lot of barking, given his history as a former Colt and his passion for beating the team that let him get away. The Colts' best answer will be for Peyton Manning to methodically march for a couple of first-half scores. Given the Jags' performance against Pittsburgh on Monday when they swarmed and punished Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, that'll be easier said than done.

Colts await Freeney's fate

Dwight Freeney missed practice today while nursing a pain in the rear. The Colts list him as questionable for the Jacksonville game because of what President Bill Polian described on his radio show as a "gluteus muscle." Freeney wasn't available for interviews today. Unless he's in a hospital room Sunday, I would expect he'll find his way onto the field. Freeney loves the big-game spotlight, and he's played through pain effectively before.

The Colts are also waiting to find out the severity of kicker Adam Vinatieri's groin injury. They brought former backup kicker Martin Gramatica in for practice, but will wait to see if they need to sign him for the game on Sunday.

Worries for Jacksonville

Jacksonville looked impressive, especially on defense, in their 9-0 win over the Steelers last night. There's little question they'll be the toughest opponent the Colts have over the next month. But the biggest problems for the Colts are injuries, particularly to defensive end Dwight Freeney and kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Freeney took himself out of the Houston game with a leg injury and Vinatieri hurt his groin, adding to an already sore foot. Freeney, Vinatieri and wide receiver Brandon Stokley (ankle) are awaiting results from examinations before the Colts can decide whether they'll be available.

It'd be nice to have Stokley on the field, but Freeney and Vinatieri are of larger concern. Freeney's presence alters offensive game plans even when he doesn't make a tackle. As for Vinatieri, the Colts have no other field-goal kicker and the Jacksonville game could easily come down to three points.

Schemes and game plans are important the next few days, but the Colts' injury report could ultimately have the most significant impact on this Sunday's showdown.

Colts impressive, Texans or no Texans

The Houston Texans are lousy. So any success the Colts had in their 43-24 win on Sunday must include an opponent disclaimer. However, a look back on the main areas of the Colts' performance can't help but be encouraging:

Passing game: Peyton Manning delivered in a major way, with 400 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball around and hitting eight different receivers. Marvin Harrison proved once again that he's still the best receiver in the game, no matter who gets the most hype. There were a couple breakdowns in protection, leading to pressure and sacks. A penalty erased one TD pass and Reggie Wayne had a rare drop in the red zone. Highlight moment: Brandon Stokley coming off the bench for a touchdown catch on his first play of the season. Too bad he left hurt again.

Running game: A good step forward from Week One. I like how Joseph Addai attacks the holes and fights for the extra yardage, even though he fumbled at the goal line during one fight.

Pass defense: Four sacks on David Carr is about average for the Colts against the Texans. However, Carr actually had a good game, hitting 22 of 26 for 219 yards and three touchdowns. The Colts displayed some vulnerability in the secondary.

Run defense: It was better without Tiki Barber to deal with, but the Colts still gave up 4.7 yards per carry. A step forward, but not a giant leap.

Kicking game: Adam Vinatieri shows why he's the best. But he left the game with a groin injury. He already had a foot injury, so he's battling health issues. Hunter Smith's a great punter, but his extra-point attempt didn't go so well. The Colts may have to temporarily sign a kicker if Vinatieri is unable to go this week.

Coaching: On offense, I like the new formations, particularly the use of two running backs in the passing game. Addai's first touchdown came out of that formation, which fooled the Texans. (Not always that difficult to fool, I know.) Take out the fourth quarter on defense and that was solid, too.

This week's home game with Jacksonville comes at a good time for the Colts to see how good they can be against a quality opponent. The Jags, however, have a shorter week after tonight's tough MNF game against the Steelers.

Clark looks better than ever

Dallas Clark's worth to the Indianapolis Colts should increase this season, particularly in light of the early questions about the running game. In my column today, I take a look at Clark's value.

I remember when he was picked by the Colts with their No.1 pick (24th overall) in 2003. Some people questioned the choice of a tight end, given the defensive needs on the team. But in his time with the Colts, Clark has become a much better blocker and his hands keep getting more reliable. His touchdown catch against the Giants was worthy of his more renowned teammates at wide receiver, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

Clark's other assets are his versatility and his attitude. He's one of the most positive players on a team filled with plenty of upbeat personalities. Look for this to be his best season yet.

Run-defense blues

My latest Colts' story touched on the Colts' inability to stop the running game of the New York Giants in their opening-night win, which I also wrote about in my game column from Monday. Allowing 6.6 yards per carry clearly is unacceptable. But there may not be reason to panic yet.

For starters, the Colts continue to wait for Corey Simon to return to health and add that run-stopping presence that he was hired to accomplish. And, it's important to remember that Tiki Barber remains one of the Top 5 running backs in the league. He broke his own franchise record last season with 2,390 total yards, the second-highest total in NFL history. This wasn't some journeyman the Colts were having trouble tackling.

If it continues this week against the Texans, then the concern levels can be raised to high alert.

Can Colts do more with less?

The Colts are not the team they were a year ago. The loss of running back Edgerrin James guarantees that. But can they still win the Super Bowl? I pose that question, and some possible answers, in my column, "Can Colts Do It?" today.

An excerpt:

The Colts may very well still be the best team in the NFL, top to bottom, from players to coaches to front office to owner. When it comes to entertaining football, few peers are even in the discussion. But they’re undeniably leaner in depth and talent.

Will the Colts reach the Super Bowl? Can they do more with less? Let me know what you think. I also ran a piece on the Colts' primary rivals for this season. How would you rank the AFC contenders?

Rookie rising

While most Colts fans are interested to see whether Dominic Rhodes or Joseph Addai ultimately win the job as starting tailback, an equally interesting battle is taking place in the secondary.

Rookie safety Antoine Bethea has been the most impressive newcomer to the roster -- Adam Vinatieri excepted -- and he's pushing Mike Doss for the spot alongside Bob Sanders. Doss' lingering lower leg problems have limited his practice time. But the Colts have also been taking a close look at Doss' effectiveness and whether he's the right player for the job. Bethea's strong camp has given them, if nothing else, the kind of healthy competition that should make the secondary stronger.

And speaking of injuries, the Colts had 25 players listed as "questionable" for the Giants game this Sunday night, including Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark, Montae Reagor, Gary Brackett and Gilbert Gardner. Expect them all to play, and play well.

As Freeney said Wednesday, "That first game comes along, you're ready to go. I don't care if you have one leg -- you hop out there and try to play."

Peyton vs. Eli is great pregame fun

As Reggie puts it in his column in today's News-Sentinel, Dwight Freeney doesn’t give a hoot for the Manning vs. Manning hype – he plans to sack a Manning for once.

Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney figures a little party crashing ought to get him some prime face time on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Talk about it here, on Reggie's blog.

Quarterback concern

The Colts' decision to release Shaun King surprised some, since King took more reps than any other quarterback during the preseason, and backup Jim Sorgi has been ailing with right shoulder problems. But, the decision was primarily a financial one, based on the fact King is a vested veteran. If he was on the opening-day roster, the Colts would have been responsible for paying him his entire salary ($585,000). However, they can re-sign him after the first game and pay him a pro-rated salary, depending on how long he's with the team. Coach Tony Dungy has already indicted King could return.

Indianapolis counts on Peyton Manning, who has missed only one play due to injury in his entire career, to remain so healthy any backup quarterback is a luxury. He is an iron man, but one freak blow like that suffered by Carson Palmer last year can take anyone out. Look for King to remain on speed dial for the Colts, just in case.

Is seeing believing?

Reggie began his column today in The News-Sentinel with these words:

Believe your eyes or believe Tony Dungy.

Those are the choices when it comes to assessing the Indianapolis Colts’ rushing game in the preseason.

Read the rest of his column, Is seeing believing?, and comment here on his blog.