Reggie Hayes, sports columnist for The News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne, Ind.,
gives his unique spin on The Indianapolis Colts.

Saturday, December 30

Vinatieri tweaks knee, expected to play

The Colts aren't as injury-free as they looked earlier this week, with kicker Adam Vinatieri missing practice on Friday. However, Vinatieri is listed as probable with a knee injury for Sunday's game against Miami. Dallas Clark told reporters he's ready to go, and that will be a psychological lift for the offense, particularly with Brandon Stokley gone for the season and newcomer Ricky Proehl still bothered with a hamstring. Ryan Lilja, Rob Morris and Bob Sanders all missed practice on Friday. Of those three, Morris is most likely to play.

In my column today, I wrote about some perspectives on the Colts -- glasses half-full or half-empty -- heading into the final regular season game against Miami.

Thursday, December 28

The incredible shrinking injury list?

Most weeks, the Colts' injury report tells us little. Everyone with the slightest hangnail seems to be listed as questionable. But, Wednesday's report had a different feel. Only five Colts were listed, the smallest number of "injured" this season: Dallas Clark (knee), Dwight Freeney (shoulder), Ryan Lilja (knee), Ricky Proehl (hamstring) and Bob Sanders (knee). Clark and Freeney both participated in practice.

While it would be better to have a healthy Sanders for the ailing defense, it's good news to have Clark back on the field. The offense might not need a jolt -- it's operating at a high level right now -- but the more weapons the better if it comes down to a shootout in the playoffs.

Although the locker room was fairly empty during media interview time on Wednesday, those who were there seemed as upbeat and positive as possible after the Houston debacle.

"This game is kind of big for us to get us rolling into the playoffs," cornerback Jason David said. "We're going to play a good game, I think. We have a lot of stuff we have to sharpen up after looking at last Sunday's film, but I think we should be ready."

Monday, December 25

Looking for a positive?

Generally speaking, I'm optimistic when it comes to the Colts. You cover the team long enough, you see the amazing things Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne can do and you figure any game is winnable. That glass is half-full mindset is fairly impossible to conjure after the 27-24 loss to the Texans.

The Texans talked after the game about how this was one of the defining wins in franchise history. It might be a defining loss for the Colts' season:

Passing game: Manning was as productive as possible, completing 21 of 27 for 205 yards and three touchdowns. But he can only do so much with limited touches. Harrison (8-112, two TDs) has been on a nice roll.

Running game: Joseph Addai carried 15 times for 100 yards, 6.7 a carry. He is a big-time back, and a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate. Rhodes' fumble should end his streak of starting games -- it's foolishness giving him the first carries when Addai is playing like this.

Pass defense: It was fine, considering...

Run defense: This is the worst unit in NFL history, if not longer.

Special teams: Terrence Wilkins has been one of the best surprises of the season. See, there's a positive note.

Coaching: Until they find a way to field a professional defense, they deserve any criticism that comes their way.

This season isn't over. The Colts have Miami this Sunday, and probably will find a way to outscore the Dolphins at home. But playoff expectations are, justifiably, the lowest they've been since Jim Mora was screaming "Playoffs?!?"

Wednesday, December 20

Colts' Pro Bowl story: No D

It's great to see Reggie Wayne finally receive some recognition as a receiver in his own right, and not just as Marvin Harrison's running mate, with his selection to the AFC Pro Bowl team. The Colts' offense is well-represented by the two receivers, quarterback Peyton Manning, center Jeff Saturday and left tackle Tarik Glenn (pictured, lifting Wayne).

Wayne should have made the Pro Bowl last season, but his value as a receiver can no longer be denied. Harrison heads to his seventh straight Pro Bowl, a tribute to his continuing excellence as a receiver. His performance against Cincinnati -- playing through injury -- was his best of the season. The Colts are optimistic Harrison, who has "tingling" in his left hand, will play at Houston this Sunday.

But it's a telling fact of this season that not a single Colts defensive player made the list, after three (Dwight Freeney, Cato June and Bob Sanders) were picked a year ago. There's not a better indication of the struggles the Colts have had this season than that fact.

Tuesday, December 19

Now that's more like it

It's simplistic, but not erroneous, to say that the Colts-Bengals game came down to emotions. The Colts were back home, embraced by their fans and eager to erase the embarrassments of the last couple weeks. Mission accomplished. From the first sack by Dwight Freeney, the Colts disrupted the Bengals' offense, and established an attack mode, something that's been lacking most of the season.

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning and the offense returned to form in the 34-16 win. The breakdown:

Passing game: Manning was 29 of 36 for 282 yards, and could have had more. If he'd had all season to work with Ricky Proehl, they probably would have connected on the one pass that ended up behind Proehl. Manning had a great quote, saying he came into the game thinking two things: No. 88 and No.87. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne proved again that when they're at their best, they are the best 1-2 (1-1A) receiving punch in the NFL. Harrison hurt his finger, but he'll be back.

Running game: Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai combined for 102 yards rushing -- a solid, necessary number. Addai suffered an ankle sprain on his 41-yard run that set up a touchdown, but coach Tony Dungy said he doesn't believe it's serious.

Pass defense: Three sacks by Dwight Freeney, another sack by Raheem Brock and multiple hurries on Carson Palmer. The band-aid secondary of Matt Giordano and Dexter Reid did a nice job, with Giordano's hit on Chad Johnson joining Freeney in setting the tone.

Run defense: Yes, there was one. Amazing. Encouraging. Clearly, Rob Morris (seven tackles, five solos) jumped at the chance to get back in the lineup, and he performed well. The Colts could still use the fast-closing Bob Sanders. We'll see.

Special teams: Terrence Wilkins' rare fumble led to the Bengals only touchdown. Otherwise, it was a solid night and the combination of Adam Vinatieri's kickoff placement and coverage limited the big plays.

Coaching: Dungy seemed more intently into this game than any in recent times, whipping out that challenge flag early. The offensive decision to rely on the short passing game the Bengals were allowing proved perfect to racking up the points and eating the clock.

Overall, it was the Colts' best game since their win at New England. With the Texans and Dolphins ahead, this could end up being a strong finish, raising (false?) hopes of a playoff run again. The Colts remained flawed, but they looked inspired Monday night. If that can be sustained, anything is possible.

Monday, December 18

AFC South champs, without any drama

Nothing like an anticlimactic clinching of the AFC South to complete a rough stretch for the Colts. The Colts won 10 games, so it's not accurate to say they backed into the title, but since the clinching came with the Jags' loss to the Titans, it feels a little like it. I'm not sure this will have any real effect on the Monday Night Football game against Cincinnati tonight. The Colts have plenty of motivation just to prove they aren't as inept as they looked at Jacksonville.

"Everybody's going to be watching to see how we respond to our two-game skid," linebacker Cato June said. "We have to go out there and get the job done and not worry about what people are saying. ...It's Monday night, so you're always going to be up for that game."

Offensive tackle Tarik Glenn agrees.

"Monday Night Football is a national stage and there's a lot of hype to it," Glenn said. "We get to showcase what we've been doing in Indianapolis. The last couple weeks we haven't been doing too well, but this is a great opportunity for us to come into a playoff atmosphere and play some good football."

One bit of good news on the injury front: right tackle Ryan Diem (groin) was upgraded from questionable to probable on Sunday, as were running backs Joseph Addai (foot) and Dominic Rhodes (wrist) and wide receiver Aaron Moorehead (back).

Thursday, December 14

Stokley gone for good?

Brandon Stokley confirmed to the Indianapolis Star what was reported earlier this week -- that he'll miss the rest of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon. The questions are whether he'll be able to rehabilitate it in time for next season's training camp, and whether the Colts will bring him back next season. He has had one great season with the Colts (2004 with 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns) in four years in Indianapolis. His tendency to be injury-prone won't help his case, and he commands a large salary if he returns.

Peyton Manning could use the vintage Stokley, always going across the middle, taking hits and holding onto the ball. Stokley is 30 now. That's not old, but it's not young, either. He's at a crossroads in his career, and I'd say it's probably 50-50 whether he'll still be with the Colts next season.

Tuesday, December 12

Stokley likely out

Brandon Stokley suffered an apparent ruptured Achilles tendon and is likely to be out for the rest of the season. I can't imagine a more frustrating season than the one Stokley has experienced. An ankle problem kept him out early, and after he came out of that, he suffered a knee injury. He has never been able to get in the lineup and get into the groove that he often has with Peyton Manning.

Stokley is one of the most open, approachable players in the locker room and it was hard to watch him struggle the last two games, dropping two balls he normally catches. But, this season seemed jinxed from the start. Let's hope he has a good recovery and comes back next season as the valuable receiver he is when he's healthy.

Monday, December 11

Best Colts tackle of the day


I'm not the only one to post this, but it was too good to ignore.

Now that hurts


The 44-17 debacle in Jacksonville has no easy answers. The Colts' run defense has been atrocious all season. Everyone knew that. The Jags simply decided to go where no team had gone before: An all-out running attack with no second thought to getting fancy with the passing game. Why stop running if the Colts aren't going to stop you?

We should have seen this coming. The Colts have been dead last in run defense all season. Super Bowl-bound teams do not finish dead last in run defense. In fact, they're usually in the Top 5-10 in run defense. But, because the Colts kept winning, it was too easy to marginalize the glaring problems on defense.

Here's how I saw the loss, which I forced myself to watch to the bitter end:

Passing offense: It's hard to blame Peyton Manning when he hits his receivers in the hands and they don't make the play. On the other hand, Manning looked unusually panicked and forced several passes, including the interception that erased any last shred of Colts momentum.

Running offense: After losing three of four and two in a row, I think it's OK to start Joseph Addai and run him early and often. It's the Colts who need to control the clock now, in order to keep their defense off the field.

Pass defense: Not much to defend against the Jags.

Run defense: No.

Special teams: Did anyone see where Maurice Jones-Drew went?

Coaching: Unable to figure out how to stop the bleeding.

Are things as bad as they seem? Maybe. Maybe not. The Colts' confidence will be at an all-time low heading into the Monday Night Football appearance against the red-hot Bengals. It could, and probably should, mark the first time in a long time that the Colts have been underdogs at home. This season looks like it's headed for an ugly, disastrous finish.

The good news: They won't have to deal with the pressure of being Super Bowl favorites anymore.

Friday, December 8

Sound familiar?

The Colts held wide receiver Brandon Stokley and safety Bob Sanders out of practice on Thursday. This may not mean anything other than that the Colts are being cautious. Or, it may mean that the time has come to assume Stokley and Sanders can't be relied upon to contribute significantly down the stretch because of constantly lingering injuries. Also out of practice on Thursday were offensive tackles Ryan Diem and Charlie Johnson.

At any rate, disregard my previous post about the Colts' injury report providing reasons for optimism.

Thursday, December 7

Colts feeling good, health-wise

The Colts' first injury report of the week is also the shortest one of the year. Only eight players are on the list. At one point, they regularly listed 18 to 20. Of those eight, only tight end Dallas Clark is listed as out for Sunday's game at Jacksonville.

The others on the list are safety Antoine Bethea (shoulder), running back Dede Dorsey (quadricep), offensive tackle Ryan Diem (abdomen), defensive end Robert Mathis (knee), linebacker Keith O'Neil (ankle), safety Bob Sanders (knee) and wide receiver Brandon Stokley (knee). Stokley said Wednesday he expects to play.

Health has been an issue for the Colts, especially defensively. Having a relatively full roster back won't solve all their problems, particularly with the run defense, but it should help.

In looking over the numbers for my column today, I was a bit surprised to see that the Colts' offense statistically ranks almost dead even with a year ago. However, since the defense has slipped, especially against the run, the offense may have to be even more productive down the homestretch. Stokley can definitely help if he gets his rhythm back. Another key, which I didn't mention in today's story, will be the play of tight ends Ben Utecht and Bryan Fletcher. Clark is missed, for his toughness, quickness and pass-catching skills.

Monday, December 4

An unsettling loss

The Colts haven't had a bad regular-season loss in a long time, but the Titans game was an unqualified disaster. Indy blew a 14-0 lead before losing 20-17. They dropped passes. Stalled drives with penalties. Couldn't score after it was 1st-and-goal at the 1. Do I need to mention run defense? The Titans are hot, but the Colts have a history of winning games like this when they mean something, and they failed to clinch the AFC South.

I'm sure it was a long trip home:

Passing game: Peyton Manning's numbers would have been spectacular if not for the interceptions. He was 21 of 28 for 351 yards. I don't know that you can blame Manning for the recent picks, they've gone off his receivers' hands. Marvin Harrison's big day (7-172, 1 TD) wasn't perfect since he had a drop, too. Brandon Stokley couldn't hold his big pass on his first day back. Reggie Wayne needs more than three catches for the offense to thrive.

Running game: Mediocre. No runs longer than eight yards. An average of 3.4 per carry. Dominic Rhodes started strong but couldn't maintain. Joseph Addai was brought back to earth.

Pass defense: If Vince Young weren't so erratic, this might have been a bigger problem. As it was, the defense allowed Young to exploit them with big plays at the worst times. It was good to see Bob Sanders back in uniform, however.

Run defense: It's not going to get any better, folks, and it could end up biting the Colts hard come playoff time.

Special teams: Granted, it was a 53-yarder, but Adam Vinatieri missed it wide right with the same wind Rob Bironas used to win the game from 60 yards.

Coaching: Tony Dungy's decision to call timeout when the Titans lined up for the "punt" played into Jeff Fisher's hands, whether by ingenious Fisher plan or plain dumb luck. Dungy was afraid the Colts would have 12 men on the field. If so, that falls on the coaches' shoulders, too. Not their finest moment.

As Booger McFarland said after the game, the good thing is the Colts come back out next Sunday and play again. The bad news is it's in Jacksonville and the Jags are ready to pounce. Colts fans might need to brace for a rocky finish unless Manning & Co. put up monster numbers.