TORONTO - 

Who knew that Peyton Manning’s pain in the neck was contagious? It’s turned into an injury that took down the big players in the Indianapolis Colts’ front office.

It’s been hardly a secret for the past decade that Manning’s brilliance as a quarterback was central to the Colts’ steady string of successes, including a Super Bowl title.

Nobody realized, though, how quickly the house of cards constructed by vice-chairman Bill Polian and his son Chris, the club GM, would fall apart without Manning. Both were dismissed Monday.

“It’s a new era,” said owner Jim Irsay during a late-afternoon press conference.

“We’re moving into exciting times by my estimation. The search for a GM begins immediately. We have not talked to any teams or potential GMs yet. This is not like ’97 where we replaced the GM in matter of hours. It will be a matter of time, possibly a couple of weeks.”

After a season without Manning, who has had three neck surgeries in the last year, produced two victories and a chance at the Next Big Thing — Andrew Luck — Irsay came to the conclusion that maybe it was time for some new blood in the Colts’ executive suite.

“It was time,” said Irsay. “It was the right decision to make. Fourteen years is a long time in this league. It’s an intuitive decision. A lot goes into it.”

And, once Irsay gets rolling on this franchise renewal process, the broom could get even broader. He said Monday that head coach Jim Caldwell’s status is still under review.

So, less than 24 hours after the Colts put the capper on a 2-14 season with a loss in Jacksonville, Irsay sent the Polians packing, with the potential for vets like Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Diem and Robert Mathis, (all free agents) to follow in the not-too-distant future.

You might even be able to add Manning’s name to that list. The Colts have to decide whether to pick up Manning’s $28-million option in March and if this turns into a total rebuild, then what would Irsay want with a 36-year-old superstar quarterback with health concerns?

That becomes especially problematic if he has Luck waiting in the wings to be the centrepiece of the next generation of Colt excellence.

As far as Bill Polian is concerned, he was the architect of many moves in the late ’90s and into the new century that created the framework around which Manning could work his magic. His hiring of Tony Dungy was a coup, along with the trading of Marshall Faulk and the subsequent draft of Edgerrin James. The Colts won at least 10 games in every season but one from 1999 through 2010.

Unfortunately, the last five Indianapolis drafts have not produced many impact players as the core of the team got older. Still, Polian can be proud of his record that has earned him NFL Executive of the Year honours six times.

He built Super Bowl teams in both Buffalo and Indianapiolis, with a stop in Carolina in between where he constructed a team that went to the NFC title game.

The Colts were a broken franchise when Polian arrived in 1997 but he ended up with the No. 1 draft pick that he used to select Manning, an immediate star, over Ryan Leaf, a massive bust.

It is difficult to predict how the Manning/Luck situation is going to play out. If Irsay, or his new GM, is able to confidently judge that Manning is going to be able to stand the rigors of regular NFL play again, then there is no reason why Luck couldn’t take a backup role for a season or two before growing into the role as Manning fades into the sunset.

Manning has suggested that he could work with a young quarterback.

“I think I can co-exist with any player I’ve ever played with,” Manning told reporters on Sunday. “I think I’ve always been a good teammate in that way.”

The elephant in the room is not so much Luck but the $28 million that must be paid to Manning early in March as part of his contract. There has been talk of a renegotiation — but not by Manning.

The alternative would be to cut Manning but it would be a very sad way to part company with somebody who was, and remains, an Indianapolis icon.

The futures of Wayne, Saturday and Mathis, as well as several other high-priced veterans, probably rest with Manning.

If he is back and ready to play, then the expectation will be there to contend. But if he’s not in the picture, then many of those veterans will not be there, either, as the rebuild begins.

That’s all the news for today.

What are your opinions.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)

Bill Polian used his first draft pick in Indianapolis on Peyton Manning.

Not getting an adequate backup for Manning at some point over the next 13 years cost Polian and his son, Chris, their jobs.

Less than 24 hours after finishing a 2-14 season with Manning on the bench, team owner Jim Irsay started the housecleaning by firing the architect of the Colts’ success and his hand-picked successor. Coach Jim Caldwell is safe, for now, though the evaluation continues.

The moves caught Colts players off-guard.

”Shock, man, just shock,” safety Antoine Bethea said after finding out the Polians were gone. ”I knew there were going to be some things happening, but I didn’t expect them to come so soon.”

While swift moves are common right after the season for struggling NFL teams, stability has been a key part of the Polian regime.

Since making Manning the top overall pick in 1998, the Colts have celebrated 141 regular-season wins, 11 playoff appearances, six division titles, two AFC championships and one Super Bowl title. During that span, there have been only three head coaches, two offensive coordinators and one family making the personnel moves.

The problem in Indianapolis was losing, which came in bunches this season.

”I felt that it was time for a change, that there was a need for a change,” Irsay said, flanked by his three daughters. ”Bill had entered a role where he was less involved, but still quite a bit involved because of the lockout and Peyton’s injury and the losing streak. He was around a lot more than he probably anticipated or I did. But it really was a question about both situations. I thought that it was time to change the personnel department on the football side of things that wasn’t involved with the coaching.”

Bill Polian declined to comment when The Associated Press contacted him by phone, but did issue a statement through the team.

”I’m grateful for all the support the fans have shown us in good times and bad,” Polian said. ”Indianapolis has been a wonderful place to live and work. Most of all, I would like to thank the players coaches and staff who have played the pivotal role in this magnificent journey. I will miss them all.”

Those players became increasingly dismayed with Polian’s comments, particularly those made on his weekly radio show. And the most vocal critic was Manning, probably the only person in the organization with more leverage than the team’s vice chairman.

Manning missed the entire season with a neck injury after signing a five-year, $90 million deal in July, about six weeks before he needed his third neck surgery in 19 months.

When Polian told listeners to his show that he and Manning had discussed drafting his eventual successor and that Manning was ”OK” with it, the four-time league MVP later said he and Polian had never discussed the 2012 draft and it would be inappropriate for him to have those discussions. And just before Christmas, Polian told reporters that Manning would fail his season-ending physical. Following Sunday’s 19-13 loss at Jacksonville, Manning said: ”That’s news to me.”

An even bigger problem was that the lack of a backup plan.

With Manning struggling to come back from May surgery on his neck, Indy brought 17-year veteran Kerry Collins out of retirement in late August with a $4 million contract. He didn’t last a month.

Collins was replaced by Curtis Painter, who started well but struggled badly after Bill Polian said he felt ”vindicated” by Painter’s success.

The Colts lost their first 13 games, finished with the second-fewest victories since the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984 and wound up with the No. 1 draft pick.

Bill Polian repeatedly said he should be blamed if there was a talent deficiency.

Chris Polian, who was named the team’s GM four years ago but didn’t start making the day-to-day decisions until this season, got caught in the crossfire. He was seen leaving the team complex Monday afternoon, just about the time word leaked of the firings.

”To think that just less than less than two years ago we were getting ready to go to Miami and play in a Super Bowl, and we were cleaning off the confetti from the turf in Lucas Oil Stadium, it has been a very sharp decline,” Irsay said. ”Even after going 10-6 last year, if people had said you would have the No. 1 draft pick and go 2-14, nobody would have believed it.”

Irsay has not established a timeline for finding a new general manager, though he said he would start contacting other GMs and teams Monday night.

No decision on Caldwell is expected to be made until after the GM is hired, though players have overwhelmingly supported him.

”One thing about Jim is that he’s a stand-up guy, and guys respect that,” cornerback Jerraud Powers said. ”He’s a great coach, a good guy, and it was unfortunate situation this year. But he never lost the locker room.”

In fact, Irsay said, there’s a good chance Caldwell will be back.

Whoever replaces Polian faces an abundance of decisions in a major rebuilding effort.

Manning never played after undergoing his third neck surgery in 19 months, a fusion of two vertebrae to fix a damaged nerve that was causing weakness in his throwing arm.

He did, however, start throwing to teammates in mid-December and received good reviews from both Bill Polian, who was watching, and running back Joseph Addai, who was catching balls. Doctors familiar with the procedure who did not treat Manning say he should return to a high level of play now that the fusion has healed.

If he is healthy, Irsay has promised to bring back Manning regardless of the $28 million bonus he is owed in March, potentially putting two franchise quarterbacks — Manning and Andrew Luck — on the same roster.

”I think I can co-exist with any player I’ve ever played with,” Manning said Sunday. ”I think I’ve always been a good teammate in that way.”

If Manning returns, Irsay might be more likely to bring back former Pro Bowlers Robert Mathis, Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne, all of whom are now in their 30s, and keep other key high-priced cogs in the Colts’ success such as Brackett and safety Melvin Bullitt.

But the Polians will no longer be making those decisions.

”Bill and I had a chance to have a second meeting and to have some tears and a hug, and that was good,” Irsay said. ”It’s extremely difficult. Walking out of the locker room in Jacksonville that was a hard walk, and it’s hard because my affection for them is deep.”

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INDIANAPOLIS —
The game — Indianapolis Colts (2-13, 1-3 AFC South) at Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11, 2-3 AFC South), EverBank Field (Grass), Jacksonville, FL, 1 p.m. (EST).

Coverage ­ CBS Sports (Spero Dedes, Steve Beuerlein); Colts Radio Network (Bob Lamey, Will Wolford, Kevin Lee); Sirius NFL Radio Channel 113 (Colts), Channel 112 (Jaguars); XM NFL Radio Channel Channel 233 (Jaguars).

The coaches — Colts: Jim Caldwell (26-21, 3rd year); Jaguars: Mel Tucker (1-3, 1st year). Jim Caldwell has a 3-2 career coaching record against the Jaguars. Tucker is Jacksonville¹s interim head coach and has never faced Indianapolis in his current role.

The series — 22nd regular-season meeting. Colts lead series, 15-6. The Jaguars have posted wins in two of the last three matchups. Indianapolis, though, has won four of the past six and six of the past 10 meetings. The Colts have a 7-3 record against Jacksonville in road games. Six of the last eight games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Seven of the last eight meetings have been decided by 10 points or less. Eight of the last eight matchups have been decided by 14 points or less. Jaguars PK Josh Scobee has provided the margin of victory for Jacksonville in three of the series meetings (53 yards with 0:38 left on 10/24/04; 51 yards with 0:04 left on 9/21/08; and 59 yards with 0:05 left on 10/3/10).

Noting it ­ QB Dan Orlovsky has completed 34-of-58 passes for 326 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions over the past two weeks in wins over Tennessee and Houston. Orlovsky has a 95 passer rating in fourth quarter as a Colts starter in 2011ŠRB Joseph Addai had two rushing touchdowns in his last meeting at JacksonvilleŠWR Reggie Wayne needs 113 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the eighth consecutive season. Wayne has 887 receiving yards this seasonŠWayne has caught two touchdown passes in his last two games, wins over AFC South rivals Tennessee and HoustonŠWR Austin Collie has hauled in four touchdown receptions in his past four meetings with the JaguarsŠDE Robert Mathis has registered three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his last two gamesŠMathis needs 1.5 sacks to reach 10 for the fifth time in his NFL career.

Did you know? ­ With Minnesota winning last Saturday against Washington, it’s down to Indy and the Rams as to who will get the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. But draft positioning is the farthest thing from the mind of the Colts.

Did you know 2? ­ The Colts have never been swept by an AFC South opponent since the division came into existence in 2002. The Titans and Texans fell the last two weeks and Jacksonville is up next.

Did you know 3? ­ WR Pierre Garcon needs 75 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the first time in his NFL career. Garcon has six touchdown receptions this year, which ties his single-season best (2010).

Did you know 4? ­ DE Dwight Freeney has recorded nine career sacks against Jacksonville. DE Robert Mathis is aiming for his third straight game with a sack against the Jaguars.

Stat of the week ­ Reggie Wayne has 1,599 receiving yards against the Jaguars, the most against any opponent.

The game plan –  Finish. That’s the goal heading into the Jacksonville game on Sunday.

Finish with a sweep of AFC South teams after knocking off Tennessee and Houston the last two weeks. Finish on offense when you’re in the red zone.

Find a way to punch the ball into the end zone. And finish on defense. Finish the turnaround that started in the second half of the loss to Baltimore.

Simply put, the Colts must be able to have a sustained running game while taking advantage of passing situations. Defensively, Indianapolis has to be able to slow down the Jaguars running game. And they must find a way to force mistakes by a rookie quarterback.

Key matchups –  Colts WR Reggie Wayne vs. the Jaguars secondary. Wayne usually plays well against Jacksonville and he has played well over the last two weeks in wins over the Titans and Texans. Depending on how his offseason contract negotiations go, Sunday’s game with the Jaguars could very well be Wayne’s last in an Indianapolis uniform.

Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert vs. the Colts’ pass rush. Indianapolis didn’t do a bad overall job against Gabbert earlier in the season, although there were some crucial breakdowns in the second half of that game that allowed the rookie signal caller to break free of the pocket and make some plays downfield. That can’t happen on Sunday.

Colts run defense vs. Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew is considered to be the best running back that Indianapolis’ defense faces on a regular basis. He has been tough for the Colts to stop completely. They’ve slowed him down some on occasion, but Indianapolis — who came very close to drafting Jones-Drew in 2006 and teaming him with RB Joseph Addai — has yet to completely shut him down.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Colts defensive end Robert Mathis couldn’t care less about the No. 1 draft pick. All he wants is another win.

Some of Indianapolis’ die-hard fans are urging the team’s brain trust to take a different tack, benching starters and losing Sunday’s season finale at Jacksonville so it can get the top pick.

“It’s better not to respond to that at all,” Mathis said when asked about the fans’ plea. “We play to win.”

The stakes are high.

Since moving to Indianapolis in 1984, only the 1991 Colts (1-15) produced fewer than three wins.

The Colts (2-13) have never finished with a losing record in AFC South play, and the last time anybody beat the Colts twice in the same season was 2007 when San Diego won at home in the regular season and in Indianapolis in the second round of the playoffs.

A victory over the Jags (4-11) would keep all of those streaks intact and allow the Colts to take a three-game winning string into next season, something they haven’t done since the 2006 Super Bowl-winning run.

The message coming from the top is simple: Keep on winning.

“We’re not going after anything but a win in Jacksonville, look at the last half century of SupBowl winners — how many had 1st pick,” Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter late Tuesday night.

Fans have a different view.

A win, coupled with a loss by St. Louis (2-13), would drop the Colts from the No. 1 overall slot down to No. 2, and likely out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Most expect the Stanford quarterback to go in that top slot, whether the Colts or Rams have the pick or trade it.

The possibility of losing the No. 1 pick didn’t even seem plausible three weeks ago when the Colts were still winless. Two wins in five days, over division rivals Tennessee and Houston, and an extended break after last Thursday’s win have suddenly created doubts.

It’s not the first time the Colts have faced such a predicament. After going 0-10 in 1997, Indy won three of its next five, then needed a loss at Minnesota in the season finale to secure the No. 1 pick. It worked out with the selection of Peyton Manning, and the die-hards believe it would all work the same way again this year.

The Jags have a hand to play in this, too.

With Maurice Jones-Drew a near lock to win the league’s rushing title and an interim coach running the team, a Jags loss would not just help their draft position but could also prevent the Colts from taking another franchise quarterback they’d have to face twice a year for more than a decade.

“That’s not a part of my thinking at all,” Jaguars interim coach Mel Tucker said.

Indy’s players and coaches are saying the same thing.

Still, Colts fans point to 2009 when the team benched most of its key players early in the second half of Game 15, throwing away a chance at a perfect season. In the regular-season finale, most of the starters were yanked early at Buffalo. Back then, Bill Polian, now the team’s vice chairman, said the perfect season was not a goal but winning the Super Bowl was.

The Colts also lost to New Orleans in the title game.

Now, with seemingly nothing to gain and everything to lose, those who covet the No. 1 pick argue Indy should do the same thing.

Don’t count on it.

“In this locker room, everyone wants to be in there,” said Curtis Painter, who replaced Manning against the Jets in 2009. “Back then, I think the guys wanted to play then, too. Every guy wants to play and there’s certainly no difference this year.”

Notes: The Colts practiced Wednesday without starting quarterback Dan Orlovsky after his wife delivered triplets. That temporarily put Curtis Painter back in the charge of the starting offense, a tradeoff some Colts fans are willing to make given the circumstances. To their dismay, coach Jim Caldwell said Orlovsky, who has won two straight, should return to practice Thursday and should play Sunday.

What do you guys think about this.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The Indianapolis Colts piled up wins for more than a
decade. Their victory Sunday might go down as one of their most memorable.

After 14 straight losses, 50 weeks without a win and 14 years between
non-Peyton Manning victories, the Colts don’t have to worry about 0-16 anymore.
They’re 1-13.

Dan Orlovsky threw a touchdown pass and had the key block to spring an
80-yard touchdown run that sealed Indianapolis’ 27-13 victory over Tennessee,
giving Orlovsky the first win of his NFL career.

“To finally get one, and in the aspect of a lot of certain situations, it
feels great,” Orlovsky said. “I’m very humbled to be a part of it. I’m happy
for a lot of people on this team, for a lot of people in this organization. It
is a lot better than the feeling we have had lately.”

And for a change, the Colts had plenty to smile about.

Orlovsky had lost his nine previous NFL starts including the season-finale
in Detroit’s 0-16 season. He’s the first quarterback not named Manning to win a
game for the Colts since December 1997 when Jim Harbaugh was the quarterback.

Brown ran 16 times for a career-high 161 yards, tying Tom Matte’s franchise
record for longest run, set in 1964. The breakout performance might also
temporarily quiet some of Brown’s biggest critics, who have labeled him a
first-round draft bust.

Indy’s much-maligned defense forced three turnovers, scored a touchdown on
Jacob Lacey’s 32-yard interception return and stopped Tennessee (7-7) on fourth
down with less than 2 minutes left so Orlovsky could run out the clock with the
traditional kneel-down.

Even coach Jim Caldwell got some support.

“I just want to say how happy I am for Coach Caldwell, our coaching staff
and for our players for how diligently and spectacularly they’ve worked and
prepared through all this difficulty,” team vice chairman Bill Polian said.

But the celebration was muted. After the last defensive stop, Indy’s players
and coaches simply raised their arms as the remaining fans cheered loudly.

The good news was that Colts avoided becoming the first team in franchise
history to go 0-14.

The bad news: They’re still playing for the No. 1 draft pick, which goes to
the team with the worst overall record and will have to do it without Manning.
Polian ruled him out of the last two games just minutes after the victory.

“It (winning) means a lot, but we’re a proud ballclub so one game out of 13
or 14, we still have a ways to go,” defensive end Robert Mathis said.
“Everybody held the fort today. We just kept chopping wood and the tree fell
today.”

For Tennessee, it’s an inexplicable loss that could keep them out of the
playoffs.

By closing the season with three straight wins, the Titans could have
controlled their own destiny. Now, they’ll probably have to win their last two
and get help.

“In the first half, we played uninspired football on the offensive side of
the ball and we still had a 6-3 lead because the defense played very well,”
Titans coach Mike Munchak said. “You have to run the football and we couldn’t.
Not only could we not run it, we were losing yards and that put us in a tough
spot. The turnovers start creeping in and (Jared) Cook fumbles the one that
could’ve been the chance to get something going then the interception happened.
That’s really what killed us.”

There were plenty of other problems, too.

Matt Hasselbeck returned from his calf injury but didn’t play well,
finishing 27 of 40 for 223 yards with no TDs and two interceptions. Chris
Johnson ran 15 times for 55 yards. And when Jake Locker got the Titans back in
the game after relieving Hasselbeck, the defense couldn’t corral Brown.

Locker’s 7-yard TD pass to Nate Washington with 3:43 left got the Titans to
20-13.

But on Indy’s next offensive play, Tennessee’s defense appeared to have
Brown cornered in the backfield. That’s when Brown reversed field and Orlovsky
jumped in front of the defender closest to him, running a basketball pick. It
was just enough to get Brown a wide-open lane, and he sprinted right through it
80 yards for Indy’s longest run since Matte in 1964.

“He was about to go down. Akeem Ayers came in there for the tackle. Donald
just got out of it. I went in for the tackle, and the quarterback cut me off,”
safety Michael Griffin said. “From there I don’t know what happened, but we
have to tackle better.”

Indy opened the scoring with a 47-yard field goal that ended a of more than
500 minutes in which the Colts never had the lead

Rob Bironas answered with two field goals before halftime to give the Titans
the 6-3 lead.

This time, Indy needed only about 10 minutes to retake the lead. Orlovsky’s
18-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne made it 10-6. Lacey followed that with his
interception return and Vinatieri made it 20-6 after Indy forced a punt
following a muffed kickoff that went out of bounds inside the 1.

Locker’s TD put the game back in doubt, but Brown wrapped it up with the
long run.

“You just feel like a dark cloud has been removed for the time being, of
course,” the excited Mathis said. “Back to work Tuesday, trying to do it
again.”

Notes: Colts running back Delone Carter left in the first half with an
undisclosed forearm injury and did not return. … The Titans are 0-4 at Lucas
Oil Stadium. … Locker was 11 of 16 for 108 yards with one TD after relieving
Hasselbeck. … Johnson had eight catches for 54 yards.

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Indianapolis —
The Indianapolis Colts defense is preparing to face a two-pronged offensive attack when the Tennessee Titans visit Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday.

Either veteran Matt Hasselbeck or rookie Jake Locker will get the start at quarterback and both offer specific skills that could give the Colts problems.

Hasselbeck is not known as a scrambler out of the pocket but can keep plays alive with his mobility behind the line of scrimmage. Locker, meanwhile, can present all sorts of issues with his legs and his arm.

“You have to assess both [Hasselbeck and Locker. Hasselbeck has been around for a while and the reports are that we think he will be there and be ready to go,” coach Jim Caldwell previewed Thursday.

“So that’s what we’ll prepare for. But, also, we’ll take a look at Locker as well, and make certain that we get prepared for him also.”

Hasselbeck is nursing a sore left calf that he hurt in last week’s home loss to New Orleans. Locker has been getting most of the work behind center this week but Titans first-year coach Mike Munchak is going to wait before formally announcing a starter.

Hasselbeck started and went the entire way in Tennessee’s 27-10 win over the Colts at Nashville’s LP Field on Oct. 30. Locker, though, remains a bit of a mystery.

The former University of Washington quarterback, who has been bothered by a sore chest, saw extensive playing time against the Saints last week after Hasselbeck left with the calf injury. It would be his first regular-season NFL start if he got the call Sunday.

“[Locker is] very fast and he’s pretty explosive outside of the pocket, as was demonstrated last week on his touchdown run. But he can also throw the ball,” Caldwell said.

“He made some impressive throws as well. He’s got good touch, and I just think he’s a pretty complete guy. So he does pose a lot of problems for you.”

Johnson running well — Despite the Colts’ problems in stopping the run against the rest of the league over the years, the team has done a pretty good job in the past at slowing down Tennessee running back Chris Johnson.

In six career games against Indianapolis, Johnson has rushed for 408 yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee has a 2-4 record against the Colts games that Johnson has played. He has averaged 68.0 rushing yards per game, 32.0 receiving yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry.

Still, as evidenced by recent games against the rest of the NFL, the fleet-footed runner is still a dangerous weapon in the Titans’ offensive arsenal.

“[The Titans are] taking advantage of his skill set, and I think he’s back in his groove,” Caldwell said. “He looks pretty good to me. He’s still just as explosive as ever. They’re getting the ball in his hands quite a bit, both in the passing game and also handing it to him as well. He’s still like lightning in a bottle.”

Injury list — It’s still uncertain whether weak side linebacker Philip Wheeler (foot) will be available for Sunday’s game. Wheeler was injured in the second half of last week’s loss to the Ravens.

“He is day-to-day,” the Colts coach said.

Caldwell said the same thing about tight end Dallas Clark (burner) chances of playing against the Titans.

Clark, who had missed three game with a broken fibula, was injured in last week’s loss to Baltimore.

“Dallas is day-to-day and hopefully he’ll continue to improve,” he added. “He’s improving, but we’ll see how fast.”

Wheeler, Clark, defensive end Jamaal Anderson (groin), linebacker A.J. Edds (ankle), defensive end Robert Mathis (knee), and center Jeff Saturday (rest) did not practice on Thursday.

What do you guys think about this.

INDIANAPOLIS —
The Indianapolis Colts defense is preparing to face a two-pronged offensive attack when the Tennessee Titans visit Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday.

Either veteran Matt Hasselbeck or rookie Jake Locker will get the start at quarterback and both offer specific skills that could give the Colts problems.

Hasselbeck is not known as a scrambler out of the pocket but can keep plays alive with his mobility behind the line of scrimmage. Locker, meanwhile, can present all sorts of issues with his legs and his arm.

“You have to assess both [Hasselbeck and Locker. Hasselbeck has been around for a while and the reports are that we think he will be there and be ready to go,” coach Jim Caldwell previewed Thursday.

“So that’s what we’ll prepare for. But, also, we’ll take a look at Locker as well, and make certain that we get prepared for him also.”

Hasselbeck is nursing a sore left calf that he hurt in last week’s home loss to New Orleans. Locker has been getting most of the work behind center this week but Titans first-year coach Mike Munchak is going to wait before formally announcing a starter.

Hasselbeck started and went the entire way in Tennessee’s 27-10 win over the Colts at Nashville’s LP Field on Oct. 30. Locker, though, remains a bit of a mystery.

The former University of Washington quarterback, who has been bothered by a sore chest, saw extensive playing time against the Saints last week after Hasselbeck left with the calf injury. It would be his first regular-season NFL start if he got the call Sunday.

“[Locker is] very fast and he’s pretty explosive outside of the pocket, as was demonstrated last week on his touchdown run. But he can also throw the ball,” Caldwell said.

“He made some impressive throws as well. He’s got good touch, and I just think he’s a pretty complete guy. So he does pose a lot of problems for you.”

I I I

n Johnson running well — Despite the Colts’ problems in stopping the run against the rest of the league over the years, the team has done a pretty good job in the past at slowing down Tennessee running back Chris Johnson.

In six career games against Indianapolis, Johnson has rushed for 408 yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee has a 2-4 record against the Colts games that Johnson has played. He has averaged 68.0 rushing yards per game, 32.0 receiving yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry.

Still, as evidenced by recent games against the rest of the NFL, the fleet-footed runner is still a dangerous weapon in the Titans’ offensive arsenal.

“[The Titans are] taking advantage of his skill set, and I think he’s back in his groove,” Caldwell said. “He looks pretty good to me. He’s still just as explosive as ever. They’re getting the ball in his hands quite a bit, both in the passing game and also handing it to him as well. He’s still like lightning in a bottle.”

n Injury list — It’s still uncertain whether weak side linebacker Philip Wheeler (foot) will be available for Sunday’s game. Wheeler was injured in the second half of last week’s loss to the Ravens.

“He is day-to-day,” the Colts coach said.

Caldwell said the same thing about tight end Dallas Clark (burner) chances of playing against the Titans.

Clark, who had missed three game with a broken fibula, was injured in last week’s loss to Baltimore.

“Dallas is day-to-day and hopefully he’ll continue to improve,” he added. “He’s improving, but we’ll see how fast.”

Wheeler, Clark, defensive end Jamaal Anderson (groin), linebacker A.J. Edds (ankle), defensive end Robert Mathis (knee), and center Jeff Saturday (rest) did not practice on Thursday.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Indianapolis —
The game — Indianapolis Colts (0-12, 0-3 AFC South) at Baltimore Ravens (9-3, 4-0 AFC North), M&T Bank Stadium (Shaw Sportexe Momentum Turf), Baltimore, MD, 1 p.m. (EST).

Coverage –CBS Sports (Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker); Colts Radio Network (Bob Lamey, Will Wolford, Kevin Lee); Sirius NFL Radio Channel 06 (Colts), Channel 85 (Ravens); XM NFL Radio Channel 233 (Ravens).

The coaches — Colts: Jim Caldwell (24-20, 3rd year); Ravens: John Harbaugh (41-19, 4th year). Caldwell has a 2-0 record against the Ravens. Harbaugh is 0-3 in games against the Colts.

The series –  10th regular-season meeting. Colts lead the series, 7-2. Indianapolis has won every meeting between the two franchises since 2002 (six straight regular-season victories), including a pair of post-season victories (15-6, 2006; 20-3, 2009). The last time that the Ravens won a game in the series occurred in 2001 (39-27 in Baltimore). The Ravens’ two series victories came in 2001 and 1998 (38-31 in Baltimore). Indianapolis won the first game of the series, posting a 26-21 victory in Indianapolis in 1996. The Colts have a 3-2 regular-season road record against Baltimore, including a 17-15 decision at M&T Bank Stadium in 2009.

Noting it — The Colts are closing in on tying the record for the worst regular-season start in franchise history. Indianapolis is currently 0-12 for the year. The 1986 team lost its first 13 games of the season before running off a three-game winning streak to close out the year…Indianapolis is the third home for the Colts’ franchise. The team initially began operations as the Dallas Texans in 1952 before moving to Baltimore for the 1953 season. The team was in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983 before moving to Indianapolis for the start of the 1984 season…QB Dan Orlovsky had career-bests in passing yards (353) and quarterback rating (113.2) in last week’s 31-24 loss at New England…DE Dwight Freeney needs half sack to become the 26th player with 100 career sacks. Freeney has registered 99.5 sacks during his NFL career…DE Robert Mathis has had four sacks in his last five career games against the Ravens…Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron grew up and attended high school in Terre Haute (South HS). Cameron, the stepson of former Indiana State football coach Tom Harp, played football and basketball at Indiana University. He also served as head football coach at IU….Ravens coach John Harbaugh is the brother-in-law of Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean.

Did you know? — Counting post-season games, the Colts defense has registered six interceptions in their last three meetings with Baltimore.

Did you know 2? — RB Donald Brown is shooting for his third straight games with a rushing touchdown this season.

Did you know 3? — WR Reggie Wayne, with his 52 pass receptions this season, has caught 50 or more passes in nine straight seasons.

Did you know 4? — WR Pierre Garcon has registered single-season best in receiving yardage (805) and has tied his career-high in touchdown receptions with six.

Stat of the week — Including postseason games, RB Joseph Addai has three rushing touchdowns in five career games with the Ravens.

The game plan — Continue to improve on offense. And keep tweaking the defense.

The Colts want to try, if possible, to control the tempo on offense. Indianapolis did a pretty good job against the Patriots defense last week, but the Ravens offer up one of the better defensive units in the league.

Continue their development of the running game, which has shown signs of improvement since the beginning of the season.

Defensively, the Colts can’t afford the communication issues that allowed three second quarter touchdowns at New England.

Getting consistent play from the cornerbacks is paramount, especially since there is only one starter available from the beginning of the season.

Key matchups — Colts QB Dan Orlovsky vs. Ravens rush DE Terrell Suggs. Orlovsky showed pretty good pocket presence last week against New England but was still sacked twice. Suggs, meanwhile, is a one-man wrecking crew for Baltimore with a team-high 10 sacks, two interceptions and five passes broken up.

Ravens RB Ray Rice vs. Colts’ run defense. Rice is coming off a 204-yard effort against Cleveland last week. Indianapolis’ run defense is allowing 99 yards per game and is ranked 26th in the league.

Colts secondary vs. Ravens QB Joe Flacco. Indianapolis cornerbacks are beat up and the safeties, with the exception of Pro Bowl free safety Antoine Bethea, are largely inexperienced. Flacco has completed 240-of-434 passes for 2,895 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

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If Peyton Manning was playing football this season, the Baltimore Ravens would be talking about the importance of ending an eight-game losing streak against the Indianapolis Colts and their esteemed quarterback.

The Colts don’t have Manning, or even a single victory. So the Ravens are approaching Sunday’s game with caution, because they know all about the danger of facing a winless team this late in the season.

In 2007, the Miami Dolphins were 0-13 before Cleo Lemon connected with Greg Camarillo on a 64-yard touchdown pass in overtime for a 22-16 victory. It turned out to be Miami’s only win of the season.

This Baltimore team is far superior to that one, but the memory of that embarrassing defeat still lingers among those Ravens who played that day.

Asked if there was concern about playing the winless Colts, linebacker Terrell Suggs replied, “Yeah, because I lost to an O-fer team. A little slant route got us. This is the NFL, and (the Colts) are professionals. We expect them to line up and come up in here and play. They are just as big a threat to us as if we were playing anybody else.”

That loss to Miami was the lowlight of a season during which the Ravens finished 5-11. Head coach Brian Billick was fired soon after the final game, and owner Steve Bisciotti hired John Harbaugh to bring the team back into prominence.

Harbaugh has done exactly that. Baltimore reached the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, and this year the Ravens (9-3) are poised to capture the AFC North title and perhaps the top seed in the conference.

The absolute last thing the Ravens need is to lose at home against the struggling Colts (0-12).

“We have to win the football game to achieve what we want to do,” Suggs said.

What the Colts want to do is avoid becoming the second team in NFL history to finish 0-16. Playing without Manning, who’s missed the entire season with a neck injury, has been far too big an obstacle to overcome.

“Obviously, you don’t want to ever have a season this,” Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “Us especially, we are not used to this at all. We are used to making the playoffs nine years straight and all that. Winning records, and all of that. This is definitely a different feeling.”

Making up for the loss of Manning was tough enough, but the Colts also have been without linebacker Gary Brackett (shoulder) since the first week of the season, and safety Melvin Bullitt (shoulder) played in only the first two games.

“We’ve lost a lot of key guys at a lot of key positions,” Freeney said.

If the Colts are to pull off a monumental upset, they must duplicate some of their previous performances against the Ravens. Although Manning was certainly a factor in helping Indy go 8-0 against Baltimore since 2001, the defense was most responsible. The Colts haven’t given up a touchdown to the Ravens in three straight games, the last one a 20-3 win in the 2009 playoffs.

With Freeney on one end and Robert Mathis on the other, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco knows he won’t have the luxury of dropping back into the pocket and casually surveying the field.

“They have a lot of pursuit,” Flacco said. “They react to the ball quickly, and they’ve kept us out of the end zone because of that.” The Colts have also been tough against the run. Baltimore running back Ray Rice got 23 yards rushing in 2008, 71 in a regular-season game in 2009 and 67 in that aforementioned postseason defeat.

“That defense is very fast. We have not fared well against them,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve turned the ball over, we didn’t run the ball on them, we’ve gotten sacked, we’ve had plays for negative yards. It’s been a theme against that defense. So we’ve got our work cut out for us. We understand that.”

The biggest thing the Ravens have going for them is playing at home, where they’re 6-0 this season and have won 16 of 17. Baltimore will probably play a fourth straight game without injured middle linebacker Ray Lewis (right toe), but the league’s third-ranked defense is still plenty good enough to contain Dan Orlovsky, the Colts’ third different starting quarterback this season.

Most of all, the Ravens know they have to win to stay on course for the postseason.

“We know what we’re playing for. We know what they’re playing for,” Suggs said. “They are trying to get their first win; we are trying to pile these wins up and go on a playoff run. That’s what is most important to us. Here they come. Let’s do it.”

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Read More: Dallas Clark (TE – IND), Brody Eldridge (TE – IND), Terrence Johnson (DB – IND), Drake Nevis (DT – IND), Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens, Dec 11, 2011 1:00 PM EST

The Colts’ path to 0-16 got a little bit easier this week, as they have lost three more regulars for the season due to injuries. Colts DB Jerraud Powers (elbow), CB Terrence Johnson (ankle), and now DT Drake Nevis (lower back) were all placed on the injured reserve this week.

The good news is that tight end Dallas Clark was a full participant in practice and could play this weekend along with fellow tight ends Brody Eldridge and Ryan Mahaffey. 

Here is the full injury practice report from NFL.com: 

LB A.J. Edds (Ankle) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

WR Anthony Gonzalez (Groin) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

DE Robert Mathis (Not Injury Related)  – Did Not Participate In Practice –

C Jeff Saturday (Not Injury Related) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

WR Reggie Wayne (Not Injury Related) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

TE Dallas Clark (Fibula) – Full Participation in Practice –

TE Brody Eldridge (Hand) – Full Participation in Practice –

DE Dwight Freeney (Not Injury Related) – Full Participation in Practice –

TE Ryan Mahaffey (Concussion) – Full Participation in Practice –

LB Pat Angerer (Knee) —  Limited Participation in Practice –

LB Ernie Sims (Toe) – Limited Participation in Practice

That’s all the news for today.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

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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