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.

Dan Orlovsky and the Indianapolis Colts gave their fans a glimmer of hope last week against the New England Patriots, but after returning to same general area of the country to face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14, things didn’t go so well.

Beyond the 24-10 final score in Baltimore’s favor, the box score is pretty grim from the perspective of a Colts fan. Actually watching them on TV wasn’t any better.

I don’t think anyone in their right mind expected the Colts to compete for any length of time against the Ravens. To the Colts’ credit, they never even allowed their fans to get their hopes up in this one, so it wasn’t a letdown or a heartbreaker of any sort. Early in the second quarter, the Ravens were already up 17-0, had outgained the Colts 180-10, and had 13 first downs to one (on a penalty) for the Colts.

It just went downhill from there for Indianapolis.

As it turns out, the Ravens’ defense is a bit better than the second-string Patriots defenders, and it now looks painfully like Orlovsky’s 15 minutes of fame are contained entirely within the 4th quarter of the Pats game. Against Baltimore, Orlovsky looked like he had been possessed by Curtis Painter.

Before the garbage-time touchdown march against the Ravens’ cheerleaders and food vendors who were playing a prevent defense and only using six people on the field at a time, Orlovsky was 9-of-25 for 60 yards, an interception, three fumbles (he didn’t lose any of them), and a 27.9 passer rating. That’s pretty much an average day for Painter. I was under the mistaken impression that Orlovsky might actually be better than that. The garbage drive got his yardage total up to 137, his passer rating up to 53.4, and the Colts’ point total up to 10.

I probably shouldn’t be so hard on Orlovsky. After all, the Ravens defense is really good. Who’s to say that Painter would have passed for any more than, oh, say, 20 or 25 yards and 9 interceptions?

I’m guessing that the Colts’ coaches and management yelled at Orlovsky for “almost” winning a game last week and for nearly thwarting the team’s Suck for Luck strategy, so Big Dan took a crash course from Painter on how to look completely incompetent. Orlovsky appears to be a quick study.

He certainly didn’t get any help from his teammates, though. The rushing attack, as usual, was pathetic. Donald Brown had 28 rushing yards on 9 carries. Joseph Addai carried it twice for 16 yards, and one of his runs was for 15. Delone Carter picked up 6 more incompetent yards on 5 carries. And that was it: 50 yards of rushing. Awesome.

Reggie Wayne made an awesome leaping one-handed catch in the end zone. I nearly forgot about that. It was really cool to see! Those one-handed grabs are a thing of beauty. Never mind that Wayne was 5 yards out of bounds when he caught it. It was a really great catch.

Orlovsky snapped the 11-consecutive-game streak of losing the time of possession battle last week against the Pats, but the Colts are back to being on the short end of that stick again. The Ravens held the ball for just over 36 minutes in the game to the Colts’ 24 minutes.

Um, let’s see. What else isn’t new? Oh, I know: the Colts still have no run defense. Ray Rice ran for 103 yards and a touchdown. I guess I should be happy that he didn’t pick up 204 rushing yards, as he did last week against the Cleveland Browns.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, offensive lineman Ryan Diem went down with some sort of leg injury. It was one of those plays where he immediately dropped like a rock, clutching his knee with a grimace on his face. The replay showed that his leg was rolled up on, and he left the game. So the Colts may be without another starting offensive lineman next week against the Tennessee Titans. That’ll be awesome.

In other AFC South news, the Houston Texans—led by their third-string quarterback (a rookie, no less)—scored a touchdown with 2 seconds left to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, then waited as the New Orleans Saints beat the Titans. The Texans are now AFC South champions and in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. That’s what their third-string quarterback can do.

Ours? Not so much.

The author is a resident of central Indiana and a long-time Colts fan. You can follow him on Twitter at @RedZoneWriting and on Facebook.

Also by this author:

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Read More: Quinn Ojinnaka (OT – IND), Joseph Addai (RB – IND), Dallas Clark (TE – IND), Ryan Diem (G – IND), Dwight Freeney (DE – IND), Peyton Manning (QB – IND), Robert Mathis (DE – IND), Jeff Saturday (C – IND), Mike Pollak (G – IND), Joe Reitz (OT – IND), Kavell Conner (LB – IND), Pat Angerer (LB – IND), Brody Eldridge (TE – IND), Blair White (WR – IND), Terrence Johnson (DB – IND), Drake Nevis (DT – IND), Anthony Castonzo (OT – IND), Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts final injury report of the week came out on Friday as the team prepares for it’s game against the Atlanta Falcons this weekend. Quite a few players are listed as questionable for the home team, unfortunately, including Joseph Addai and Dallas Clark.

Clark, who is dealing with a knee injury, is a game-time decision after being one of the main options on offense last week after missing the blowout loss the week prior. Addai’s knee is also the reason he’s currently questionable after missing most of the last three weeks.

The only player for the Colts that is definitely out, aside from Peyton Manning, is guard Joe Reitz. Reitz started last week’s game, but had to be subbed out due to a knee injury and was unable to practice this week.

The remaining injury report is available below.

Opening the second half of the season, every Indianapolis Colts fan is questioning whether the team will win a game in the 2011 season. In their ninth game of the season the Colts will return back home after three consecutive road games and face the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have had a disappointing start to the season but are currently 4-3 and trail just the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. The Colts may be the most disappointing team through the first eight games of the NFL season.

It’s odd for Colts fans that after eight games instead of talk about the playoffs, we are hearing more about a winless season and possibility of earning the number one pick in the 2012 draft. The Colts are now 0-8 on the season and are heading in the wrong direction. After competing and being in a position to win games earlier in the year, the Colts have been beaten badly lately. They are coming off big losses in consecutive games against the Saints and Tennessee Titans.

Matt Ryan(notes), Roddy White(notes), and Michael Turner(notes) will provide no easy task for a struggling Colts defense. It’s surely possible that the Colts offense could get something going at home against an average Falcons defense. The Colts are likely to get several players back from injury this week. They should receive help on the offensive line with starters Anthony Castonzo and Ryan Diem returning from injuries. This can only help Curtis Painter(notes) and the running game of Joseph Addai(notes) and Delone Carter(notes) see improvement.

This game will present the Colts with a big challenge as they face another superior team. This week against the Falcons is unlikely to give the Colts a chance for their first win of the season. Fans have to admire that the team is still playing hard and trying to win. Jim Caldwell and his staff are continuously doing a poor job of getting the team prepared and putting them in a position to win games without Peyton Manning(notes). One of the biggest stories in this game could be whether the home crowd begins to turn on the Colts for the first time since pulling starters in week 15 of the 2009 season against the New York Jets with an undefeated record.

Prediction: Falcons 27, Colts 17

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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INDIANAPOLIS —
It’s becoming something of a monthly ritual.

Quarterback Peyton Manning, sidelined undergoing neck fusion surgery Sept. 8, meets with the Indianapolis Colts’ media corps once each month to discuss his ongoing rehabilitation process.

Manning spoke Thursday on a wide range of subjects, including the possibility of returning to the practice field before the end of the current season.

“Not a whole lot to report. Still waiting for the fusion to take place. That takes place, [surgeons] thought, between two and three months. Still going slow with that,” he said.

“I still have some of the same issues I had before the fusion as far as the nerves and the regeneration. Still dealing with that, the idea being that this surgery gave me the most stability for the nerves to regenerate. That’s still a process there.”

Albeit a slow, gradual process, Manning readily admitted.

“I kind of go a week at a time, try to get a little better each week. Still have some restrictions on what I’m allowed to do. I’m still positive about things improving. I still have some work to do,” he said.

“There’s really not a schedule and there’s really not a timeline. It’s sort of how I am at different check points. I really think I would say the first of December is probably the next check point. That will be three months from the surgery. See where I am from the strength standpoint at that time, from a conditioning standpoint. I just can’t give a prediction of where I’m going to be. I don’t think anybody really can because as I’ve said all along, this injury is one that is a little bit unpredictable.”

Manning still holds out hope of being able to return to practice at some point this year.

“If I was cleared and able to do that, it would be nice to be able to do that, to go out and participate in a team practice where everything is right there with you, even though you probably couldn’t do everything. So that’s a hope and a wish,” he said.

“If I were to get cleared to play and felt good enough to play, the doctor said it was OK, yeah, I would absolutely love to because that’s how I’m wired. That’s my job and I miss not being able to do my job. Once again, that’s another prediction type of question. I just can’t really give you that answer as to where I am. In December, I can probably give you a more realistic answer with four games left. But, sure, would I like to? Absolutely, whether it was one game, two games or a couple plays. I miss playing.”

The four-time NFL MVP understands that a majority of the team’s fans and followers don’t think that it would be a good idea to try and play this year due to the Colts’ poor start this season.

“I know a lot of people like to provide their thoughts and they say, ‘Wow, he’d be crazy to do that.’ But this is all new to me. This is my first time dealing with it. All I know is I like playing. I enjoy being out there. I miss being out there in the huddle,” Manning said.

“When I’m on that sideline looking out at the huddle, even though I’m probably just 25 yards from the huddle, it feels like I’m a million miles away. To all of a sudden have a chance to be back out there, sure I’d like to do it.”

He artfully sidestepped questions about next April’s NFL draft and Andrew Luck, Stanford’s quarterback who is expected to be the first player selected.

“That’s a lot of speculation and I don’t think that’s fair to the players that are playing, to speculate on what draft choice the Colts will have. We might win eight in a row starting Sunday and I certainly hope that we do,” Manning said.

“It’s hard for me to speculate on things like that when I’m not playing and Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne, these guys are out there fighting for their lives, trying to win every game. We’ve never talked about what draft pick we were going to have before during the past 13 years, so I don’t think it’s fair to do [that] now.”

As for the upcoming offseason and his contract (Manning signed a five-year deal in August but the contract is actually a one-year deal with a four-year extension), he’d prefer to talk about those issues at a later date.

“The contract, I was the one that helped construct it in the manner that it is. It was my recommendation, that I wasn’t healthy when I signed the contract and if I’m not healthy in February, I think it’s fair for the Colts to be able to make their decision there,” Manning explained.

“The other reason for the December, the ability to possibly practice would be for the Colts to have a fair evaluation of where I am. We’re in full disclosure with each other.”

• Irsay also talks — Team owner Jim Irsay also held court Thursday afternoon the Colts media. Irsay discussed a myriad of topics, most of which related to Manning or the immediate future of the franchise.

“What you want to see is for him to keep making progress, to get back to the point where you can say he’s making all the throws and doing the things he needs to do,” he said. “The truth is it’s a slow progression and to say that he would hit a ceiling Dec. 15 or Jan. 1 and he’s not going to get any better, that’s really uncertain.”

As for his plans heading into next season and beyond, Irsay didn’t offer very much.

“I think it’s too early to bury this era,” he said. “I think to say that Peyton is done and the era is over is, to me, way, way too premature. I’ve always sort of known that era would be decided when Peyton is here. But I don’t feel like that era is done.

“We have not had this much uncertainty [about the future] in a long, long time, but I think it’s exciting. I’m more interested in getting back to greatness and having a chance to sustain it. I’m not interested in middling around at 8-8 or 9-7 and sneaking into the playoffs for the next decade.”

• Harrison added to Ring of Honor? — It’s not official yet, but all indications are that former Indianapolis wide receiver Marvin Harrison will be added to the team’s “Ring of Honor” at Lucas Oil Stadium.

No date has been set, but recent tweets from Irsay about Harrison and the Ring of Honor appear headed in that direction.

• Injury list — Thursday participation: DNP — LB Pat Angerer (knee), CB Terrence Johnson (hamstring), DE Robert Mathis (rest), WR Blair White (knee). Limited — OT Anthony Castonzo (ankle), DT Drake Nevis (back), OG Mike Pollak (hamstring).

Full — RB Joseph Addai (hamstring), LB Kavell Conner (rest), TE Dallas Clark (knee), OT Ryan Diem (ankle), TE Brody Eldridge (knee), DE Dwight Freeney (rest), OT Quinn Ojinnaka (shoulder), C Jeff Saturday (knee).