As if an 0-12 record wasn’t bad enough, the Indianapolis Colts continue to be hampered by injuries in 2011. The team has already played the whole season with quarterback Peyton Manning(notes). They seem to lose more and more players every week and this week is no different.

In the loss to the Patriots on December 4, Indianapolis may have lost two of their best defensive players remaining. Pat Angerer(notes) left the game early with a knee injury and Jerraud Powers(notes) left the game with an arm injury. Angerer is second in the NFL in tackles after missing the game and Powers is the best cornerback on the roster.

The defense lost Gary Brackett(notes) and Melvin Bullitt(notes) to season ending injuries very early in the season. Eric Foster(notes) has been a key on the defensive line and has been missed since he suffered a gruesome injury early in the season. Rookie defensive tackle Drake Nevis(notes) has missed a large portion of the season with a back injury. In a year where the play of the defense has been very inconsistent, these players make up the most consistent players at their positions on the roster.

While it can be argued that the team has been lucky enough to have healthy seasons from both Dwight Freeney(notes) and Robert Mathis(notes), they can’t do everything by themselves. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was recently fired and replaced with linebackers coach Mike Murphy. This change is unlikely to have a major impact for the rest of this season but was more made as a statement. As bad as Coyer had done, the injuries the team has suffered has made the job even more difficult this season.

At this point in the season fans are ready to finish the last four games and move on. A winless record doesn’t make anyone happy and Colt fans have had about enough. The injuries will allow the team to get a look at more players that could play a role in the future of the organization. As a fan, I can only hope that everyone injured can rehab and return for a much better season in 2012.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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The beginning of the Indianapolis Colts season in 2011 has been so bad that it seems like it should be up for an NFL record. There are plenty of new fans that saw the Super Bowl earlier in the year and decided to become dedicated to the team this season. Little did we know that Peyton Manning(notes) single-handedly held this team together. Now, at the end of week 8, we realize that the worst moments in Indianapolis Colts’ history may be taking place right now.

The Colts have a brief history with losing

All teams have a few losing games. Previously, for many fans, the absolute worst Colt’s moment happened in 1995. Called one of the “Top 5 Hail Mary Plays” of all times, in 2010 we see a hint of what is to come in 2011 in the final play of the Steelers versus Colts game. In this loss for Indianapolis, were we watching history repeating from the 1995 AFC Championship or foreshadowing the future?

The Colts without Peyton Manning

The latest news is that Peyton Manning may still return in 2011 to his team. In the meantime, there have been plenty of pleas to the coaches from commentators about how to change the game for the better without him. For example, Pat Kirwan pleads with the Colts like a person that is begging for their life. His main objective? To explain all of the reasons that the Colts will continue to fail without Peyton Manning.

As usual, Kirwan says exactly what everything else is thinking in one of the most uplifting videos about the Colts this season. However, his early September advice fell on deaf ears. The Colts continued to lose every single game and soon included one tragic injury after another.

Eric Foster’s(notes) injury seals Colts’ fate

Before game eight, Eric Foster dislocated his ankle in a gruesome pile up on the field. Sadly, this is just one of many injuries that have had the domino effect on this team. According to the Rapid Reports for the Colts at the CBS.com website, Eric Foster’s nasty ankle accident has permanently benched him for the entire 2011 season. Recent injury reports have included 10 players and even temporarily captured Joseph Addai(notes) with a hamstring injury that took him out of the Titans game .

Week 8 and holding

When the NFL game highlights were posted for the Colts versus the Saints on October 23, they left a depressing comment next to the score. The 62-7 win for the Saints means that the Colts finished 0-7 in week 7 for the first time since 1997. Sadly, at the mid-point of a 16 week season, the eighth consecutive loss at the end of the Titans October 30 game means we can kiss hope goodbye for a 2011 Colts comeback. The only possibility we can rely on at this point is that 2012 will have us all cheering again.

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Terre Haute, IN —
Time is running out on the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts have made the playoffs every year since 2002. Indianapolis has had double-digit victories for the past nine seasons as well. 

But with Jim Caldwell’s team off to an 0-5 start, those admirable streaks could come to a screeching halt very soon.

That’s why Sunday afternoon’s road trip to Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium is extremely important.

The Bengals, even with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton running the show on offense, has managed to piece together a 3-2 won-loss record.

Indianapolis, meanwhile, has come close the last four weeks — losing games by eight, three, seven and four points. Last week’s 28-24 defeat to Kansas City was especially frustrating as the Colts squandered two 17-point leads in the second quarter.

Even though Caldwell’s crew has dominated the series with Cincinnati in recent years, the Colts know Sunday’s game will be a real battle.

“Anytime you’re 0-5, you’ve just got to stick together, and we’ve got a good group of guys in here. We’re going to stick together. We’re a family, and we’re going to keep fighting,” middle linebacker Pat Angerer said prior to Wednesday’s practice session.

“They’re a good team, and their [offensive] line is very, very good. They are huge all across the board, and they’re a big, physical team. The quarterback [Andy Dalton] is really versatile. He can run, he can pass. He’s young guy, but he’s been doing a good job.”

The Colts will most likely face Cincinnati without running back Joseph Addai and cornerback Jerraud Powers due to hamstring issues.

Offensive guard Ryan Diem, who has been recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered three weeks ago, might be back in the Indianapolis lineup.

Muir back — Former Colts defensive tackle Dan Muir is back with the team, having signed a free agent deal on Monday.

With injuries sidelining Eric Foster (lost for the season with a dislocated right ankle) and rookie Drake Nevis (out indefinitely with back issues), Indianapolis’ defensive line depth was hurting.

Enter Muir, who has spent the last five weeks watching the Colts from his living room in suburban Indianapolis. A starter with the team for the past three seasons, he was not re-signed last spring and subsequently signed with the St. Louis Rams.

His stint with the Rams lasted until the end of training camp, when he was released. Muir sat by the phone at home waiting for a call from Colts officials that he had a feeling would be coming.

“It was tough.  It was tough watching and being at home knowing I could help.  It was tough, but I’m just looking forward to getting this thing started, coming in and doing my job to help,” Muir said Wednesday.

“I watched everything.  I definitely see where I can come in and help at the [defensive tackle] position.  Just coming in and working, that’s what I know how to do. Just work.”

Even though he was with the Rams during the preseason, Muir’s attention was still in Indianapolis.

“This is where I am comfortable. I know all the guys here. Not just the players, but the training staff, the equipment guys and [the media].  It’s just good to be back.  It’s comfortable.  I feel like [I am).] home,” he said.

“You just have to come in here and go to work, just like they’re doing.  Come in here and learn the next team you’re playing and go out there to win football games, not to lay down or do anything out of the ordinary.  Just come in and go to work.”

Injury list –  Sitting out Wednesday’s workout were Addai (hamstring), Powers (hamstring), offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo (ankle), defensive end Dwight Freeney (rest), and defensive tackle Drake Nevis (back).

Quarterback Kerry Collins (concussion) and offensive guard Ryan Diem (ankle) both saw limited work. Tight end Brody Eldridge (knee) went through a full workout.

(Sports Network) – Both the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs were
playoff teams a year ago, but each seems to be a substantial long shot to get
there this season.

While the Chiefs were finally able to record their first win of 2011 last week,
the injury-riddled Colts return to Lucas Oil Stadium for Sunday’s clash between
these two early disappointments still in search of an elusive initial victory.

Two-time defending AFC South champion Indianapolis is off to its first 0-4
start since the still-unavailable Peyton Manning’s 1998 rookie campaign, and
hasn’t began a season with five straight losses since the pre-Manning era of
1997. The sputtering Colts have come closer to breaking into the win column
more recently, however, taking a lead deep into the second half in each of
their last two outings.

Indianapolis held a seven-point advantage late in the third quarter of Monday’s
matchup at Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers rallied for two unanswered touchdowns
to pull out a 24-17 decision. One week earlier, the Colts were up by three
points on reigning AFC champion Pittsburgh entering the fourth quarter before
being dealt a tough 23-20 defeat on a last-second field goal.

“I think we’re close,” said Colts quarterback Curtis Painter. “We’re just
scratching for a win here and I think everyone’s playing hard. I don’t think
we’re going to quit. I think we’re going to continue to battle and hopefully
get over that hump this next week.”

Indianapolis appears to have a beatable opponent in a stumbling Kansas City
squad that’s lost seven of its last nine games on the road dating back to last
season and fields one of the league’s least threatening offenses. Minus All-Pro
running back Jamaal Charles due to a year-ending ACL tear back in Week 2, the
Chiefs have averaged a mere 12.3 points per game and are last in the NFL in
first downs made (49).

Kansas City did come through with its best output of the season in last
Sunday’s matchup with visiting Minnesota, however, with struggling quarterback
Matt Cassel throwing for 260 yards and kicker Ryan Succop connecting on five
field goals to lead the way in a 22-17 triumph over the reeling Vikings.

The Chiefs hope to build off that encouraging performance when they face a
depleted Indianapolis defense that surrendered 466 total yards to the
Buccaneers on Monday and could be without three of its top four defensive
tackles for this week’s tilt.

Of course, no injury has affected the Colts more than the two neck surgeries
Manning has undergone over the past five months. The absence of the four-time
league MVP has not only impacted the perennial contenders in the standings, but
a once-formidable offense has generated the third-fewest yards and a subpar
15.8 points per game over the first four weeks.

The Colts did record a season-best 318 total yards in the Tampa Bay loss,
however, with Painter hooking up with wide receiver Pierre Garcon on a pair of
long touchdown passes in his first career regular-season start. The third-year
signal-caller is expected to be under center for this contest as well, with
aging veteran Kerry Collins still recovering from a Week 3 concussion and
ineffective in the team’s first three games.

SERIES HISTORY

The Colts took a 10-7 advantage in their overall regular-season series with
Kansas City by virtue of a 19-9 win at Lucas Oil Stadium during Week 5 of the
2010 campaign, and have prevailed in seven of their last eight encounters with
the Chiefs. Including the playoffs, Kansas City is 0-5 all-time in Indianapolis
and hasn’t beaten the Colts on the road since Dec. 21, 1980, a 38-28 decision
at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The Chiefs’ last win of any kind in this set
took place in 2004, when the team outlasted Indianapolis in a 45-35 shootout.

Indianapolis has also won all three postseason games between these teams,
claiming a 2006 AFC First-Round Playoff at the RCA Dome and besting the Chiefs
by a 38-31 score at Arrowhead Stadium in the 2003 Divisional Round. The Colts
also came through with a 10-7 home victory over Kansas City in the 1995 AFC
Divisional Playoffs.

Last year’s meeting also marked the first head-to-head matchup between
Indianapolis’ Jim Caldwell and Kansas City’s Todd Haley, as well as both head
coach’s only previous game against his counterpart’s respective team to date.

WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL

Kansas City averaged an NFL-best 164.2 rushing yards per game during last
year’s surprise march to an AFC West title, but that was with the dynamic
Charles around for a full season. The 2011 Chiefs haven’t been nearly as
potent in that area, with neither the declining Thomas Jones (111 rushing
yards) nor diminutive Dexter McCluster (164 rushing yards, 17 receptions)
providing much of a sustained spark. That’s forced Haley to have to rely more
on the arm of Cassel (688 passing yards, 4 TD, 5 INT), who’s shaken off two
poor performances to begin the season with a pair of good efforts in his last
two. The 2010 Pro Bowl alternate has also been able to hit on more big plays as
of late, with top target Dwayne Bowe (16 receptions, 292 yards, 2 TD) eclipsing
the 100-yard mark in two of the team’s last three tests and offseason addition
Steve Breaston (10 receptions) posting season bests of four catches and 91
receiving yards in the Minnesota win. Kansas City still needs to improve within
the red zone, however, as the offense had all sorts of trouble crossing the
goal line against the Vikings and has scored touchdowns on just 3-of-10
possessions inside the opponent’s 20-yard line to date.

Indianapolis enters this contest ranked a lowly 28th in both scoring defense
(27.0 ppg) and against the run (133.0 ypg), and the team was gashed for 192
yards on the ground by the persistent Buccaneers on Monday. Injuries up front
have been a contributing factor to that lack of success, as starting defensive
tackle Fili Moala (ankle) has missed two straight games and rotational pieces
Eric Foster (12 tackles) and Drake Nevis (16 tackles) were forced to exit this
past week’s loss, with Foster suffering a season-ending dislocated ankle.
Steady middle linebacker Gary Brackett is also done for the year, though young
fill-in Pat Angerer (50 tackles) has performed ably in his place and weakside
starter Kavell Conner (43 tackles) has been active in run support as well, with
the fellow second-year pro notching 18 tackles against Tampa Bay. There have
been few big plays produced by the secondary, however, therefore it’s critical
that the excellent edge-rushing duo of ends Robert Mathis (8 tackles, 3 sacks)
and Dwight Freeney (6 tackles, 2 sacks) can make their presence felt on Sunday.
The all-star tandem has accumulated four sacks and forced a pair of fumbles
over the last two weeks.

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

Though the Colts’ offense still didn’t come close to reaching Manning-esque
standards in Monday’s setback, the insertion of Painter (341 passing yards, 2
TD) in place of Collins (481 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) did bring about some
positive results. The 26-year-old did not commit a turnover against the Bucs
and found the speedy Garcon (14 receptions, 295 yards, 2 TD) for touchdown
strikes of 87 and 59 yards, while finishing the night with 281 passing yards.
Painter did complete only 13 of his 30 attempts, however, and was sacked four
times behind a shaky offensive line that will be without both promising left
tackle Anthony Castonzo (ankle) and backup Ben Ijalana (knee, out for season)
on Sunday. Veteran Ryan Diem, sidelined the past two weeks with an ankle
sprain, is uncertain to play as well. With that in mind, Indianapolis may lean
more heavily on the running-back pairing of Joseph Addai (230 rushing yards, 1
TD, 8 receptions) and rookie Delone Carter (103 rushing yards), while Painter’s
passes to Garcon and mainstays Reggie Wayne (18 receptions, 255 yards, 1 TD)
and Dallas Clark (13 receptions, 1 TD) may be of the shorter variety.

Painter will get to take his shots at a Kansas City stop unit that ranks just
25th in pass efficiency defense and has surrendered 10 touchdowns through the
air thus far, tied for the most in the league. The Chiefs are also banged up in
the secondary, with valued strong safety Eric Berry tearing his ACL in the
opener and top cornerback Brandon Flowers (19 tackles, 2 INT, 8 PD) dealing
with a sore ankle, though he was able to play effectively last week. Outside
linebacker Tamba Hali (25 tackles) came through with a big day against the
Vikings, with the 2010 Pro Bowl honoree amassing a pair of sacks and being
credited with five quarterback pressures. He’s accounted for four of the team’s
unimpressive season total of five sacks, and should draw plenty of attention
from the Indianapolis blockers come Sunday. Inside linebackers Derrick Johnson
(23 tackles, 4 PD) and Jovan Belcher (26 tackles) anchor a run defense that did
permit 151 yards on the ground to Minnesota last week, but held the dangerous
Adrian Peterson to a reasonable 80 yards on 23 attempts. The Chiefs still rank
just 26th overall against the run (130.0 ypg) for the year, however.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Quarterback play. Neither of these teams possess much of a running game to
speak of, therefore whomever wins the head-to-head battle between Cassel and
Painter will most likely be celebrating a victory with his teammates on Sunday.
Though Painter was an improvement over the slumping Collins in his starting
debut, he’ll need to complete more than 43 percent of his passes to give the
Colts their best shot, while Cassel needs to follow up last week’s strong
showing with another for the Chiefs to make it back-to-back wins.

The pass rushers. There are game-changing defenders on both sides of this
matchup in Indianapolis’ stellar combo of Mathis and Freeney and Kansas City’s
one-man wrecking crew of Hali. In what should be a close contest, how
successful each team is in neutralizing these impact rushers could go a long
way towards determining the outcome.

Red-zone efficiency. Both the Colts and Chiefs have been among the league’s
worst in producing touchdowns in the red zone, while Kansas City’s defense has
been one of the poorest in preventing the opposition from crossing the goal
line in those situations. Whichever team can come up with seven points instead
of three on its drives stands the best chance of winning.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

These participants may not be playoff-caliber any more, though that still
shouldn’t prevent this game from offering at least some intrigue. Both teams
come in with remarkably similar problems, and neither seems to hold a clear
advantage over the other. The Colts are at home, however, and the Chiefs don’t
usually play their best football away from Arrowhead Stadium, and Indianapolis
still has a few playmakers on offense that should present a challenge to the
Kansas City defense. If Painter can make a few plays and keep his mistakes to a
minimum, as was the case in his first starting opportunity, the Colts appear to
have just enough healthy talent left to finally get back on the winning track.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Colts 20, Chiefs 16

The Sports Network

INDIANAPOLIS – Peyton Manning is getting closer to being his old self.

He’s cracking jokes, having fun at the expense of reporters and he even got the OK from his doctors to be on the sideline Sunday to watch the Colts host the Chiefs. He shrugged off talk about a losing season or whether Indianapolis will be in the running to draft Andrew Luck.

Too early for that, he says.

And too early to know whether he has any shot at playing for Indy again this season.

Still, Manning was full of smiles Thursday as he said his recovery from his latest neck surgery is going well. He is clearly eager to be back down among his teammates on game day instead of up in the press box.

“I had two hot dogs up there in Tampa and Indianapolis,” Manning cracked, referring to the past two weeks. “But the press box gave me a bad vibe.”

Perhaps that’s because Manning had grown weary of the Colts’ four-game losing streak to open the season and the second-guessing that has come with it. Many have wondered how healthy Manning will be when he returns or whether he’ll ever resemble the four-time league MVP again.

There are indications he just might.

Manning has taken on a larger role with his team since the surgery Sept. 8, the third time in 19 months he went under the knife for a neck injury. He has been involved in team meetings, strolling briskly around the practice fields and even advising coaches and players, including the two guys trying to replace him as best they can.

Until this week, doctors had barred him from going anywhere near the sideline during games.

Manning said the decision to ease that restriction demonstrates the recovery is going well, well enough to keep him optimistic that he could even make it back, at least to practice, later this season.

“I think you have to have hope until the doctors rule you out,” he said. “We’re having a lot of injuries so if they (the Colts) come to me and say they have to make a move, I won’t fight them on that.

“The good Lord is calling my plays and I’m not allowed to audible at this point, so I have to listen to the doctors,” he added.

Bill Polian, the vice-chairman, and Chris Polian, the general manager, want to keep Manning on the active roster as long as possible so he can at least return to practice this season. Team owner Jim Irsay believes Manning could be back to practice in December.

The Colts have desperately missed their leader. The offence has struggled to score touchdowns or dictate the tempo, and it’s left the Colts in an 0-4 hole for the first time since 1998. They need a win Sunday against Kansas City (1-3) to avoid their first 0-5 start since 1997.

“You know I’m the only guy to be 0-4 on this team, and what a thrilling win that one over the Chargers was, right?” Manning recalled, referring to his first NFL victory. “Was that the fifth game? Yeah I thought so, so I’ll be like all true Colts’ fans, hoping for a win Sunday.”

Manning said the current plan is to take X-rays every four weeks so doctors can monitor how he is healing. He confirmed that he was doing more in terms of activities this week, though he declined to get into specifics.

“He’s getting better,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “He’s working hard on his rehab and is doing everything the doctors are asking him to do.”

Still, Indy’s sour start has prompted talk about the Colts possibly joining the sweepstakes to draft Luck, the Stanford quarterback, next year. If that happened, Luck, who has attended and helped at Manning’s annual summer quarterback camp, would become the eventual successor to the Colts’ career passing leader.

Manning downplayed such talk, saying it’s too early to talk about how the Colts will ultimately fare this season.

In the meantime, Kerry Collins, Manning’s original replacement, is still trying to recover from a concussion he sustained when he was hit by Steelers’ linebacker James Farrior.

“When I look back over my (NFL) career, I can probably remember having a half-dozen or more small ones,” Collins said. “I’ve never had a lot of big ones and this one has hung around longer than any of them.”

Collins did individual work at Wednesday’s practice and was expected to do the same Thursday but still has not been cleared to play. Curtis Painter, who threw two TD passes against Tampa Bay on Monday night, is preparing to make his second straight start this weekend.

Manning is still trying to get used to being out after making 227 consecutive starts, including post-season games — the second-longest streak by an NFL quarterback behind only Brett Favre.

He’s just excited to be getting close to the action again this weekend.

“It’s a new experience for me,” Manning said. “People ask, how are you handling it? I’m learning.”

Notes: Colts safety Melvin Bullitt was scheduled to have surgery Friday on his right shoulder. Bullitt has already been placed on injured reserve, ending his season. … Defensive tackle Eric Foster, who dislocated his right ankle in a gruesome scene during Monday night’s loss at Tampa, was scheduled to return to Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon, two days after undergoing season-ending surgery in Tampa.