Andrew Luck (Getty Images file photo)

MINNEAPOLIS — All that good luck the Indianapolis Colts received on the field these last two weeks could leave them with no Luck when the NFL draft rolls around.

The Colts won two straight games to tie with the Vikings and Rams for the league’s worst record and the chance to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick.

With Peyton Manning out for the year with a neck injury, the Colts lost their first 13 games of the season, and most figured Luck could start looking for an Indy-based realtor. Then a funny thing happened — the Colts started winning.

The Colts beat Tennessee two weeks ago for their first win of the season. No big deal, right? They still had a game on two-win teams in Minnesota and St. Louis and didn’t have to deal with the ignominy of going winless for an entire season.

Vikings fans were already dreaming of USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil coming in to protect Christian Ponder and clear a path for Adrian Peterson. With Sam Bradford under center, Rams fans were drooling over the prospects of bringing in Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon as a stud receiver.

Then the Colts went out and won on Thursday night against the playoff-bound Texans.

All of a sudden some Colts fans have an entirely different pain in their necks. Now all three teams are tied for the fewest wins in the league, with the Vikings and Rams still to play this weekend.

The Associated Press

High-level members of the Indianapolis Colts organization believe quarterback Peyton Manning will miss the season opener on September 11th against the Houston Texans. The signed NFL veteran QB Kerry Collins for insurance if Manning isn’t ready.

Manning is recovering from a neck surgery operation in May. It was his second neck surgery over the course of 15 months. At the time of the operation, doctors believed the quarterback would heal in time for the season but as Week 1 approaches, Manning’s status appears in doubt.

The injury puts Peyton’s streak of 227 consecutive NFL starts in question. He’s started every game since becoming the first overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1998 NFL draft. The durable quarterback also started every game of his college career after gaining the starting role in the fifth game of his freshman year at the University of Tennessee. It would be unfortunate if Peyton Manning’s streak ends in Week 1 of this season, he has started every game since October 1, 1994.

Kerry Collins had announced his retirement during the offseason lockout but the opportunity to play for the Colts brought him back to the NFL. Collins spent the last five years playing with the Tennessee Titans. In 2010, he played 10 games and had 160 completions for 1,823 yards and 14 touchdowns. Over his 17 year career, the journeyman quarterback also played for the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and Oakland Raiders.

The move to pick up Collins became necessary after the Colts’ backup quarterbacks Curtis Painter, Dan Orlovsky and Mike Hartline struggled in the first two preseason games. The Indianapolis quarterback situation became even more complicated last week when Colts owner Jim Irsay used Twitter to start rumors that he was in future Hall of Famer Brett Favre’s hometown in trying to bring the quarterback back from retirement.

Fantasy football players should watch the situation closely as leagues draft for the approaching season. As one of the highest scoring quarterbacks, Peyton Manning is usually picked early in fantasy drafts. Players picking Manning would be wise to pick a good backup quarterback in the middle rounds. If Manning does miss time or comes back rusty after missing all of training camp and the preseason, it’s important to have another QB to rely on. Some quarterbacks to target in the middle rounds to complement Peyton are Josh Freeman, Matt Ryan, Eli Manning and Sam Bradford.

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[Editor's note:  This is a snapshot as to where each team stands entering Week One, not necessarily a prediction of how they'll finish.]

1. Packers:  Sure, they barely made the playoffs.  But they won the games that mattered most.  They’ll stay atop the mountain until someone knocks them off.

2. Saints:  They could be that someone.

3.  Chargers:  If they can get off to a fast start, they could finally have a special finish.

4. Falcons:  Atlanta’s motto for 2011 — “if you can’t beat ‘em, try to outscore ‘em” — could result in an Arena League outcome when the Falcons face the Packers.

5. Steelers:  After three prior Super Bowl trips since 1995, the Steelers have missed the playoffs the next year.  So maybe they should be a lot lower than this.

6.  Jets:  If Mark Sanchez can play in the regular season like he plays in the postseason, the Jets will be No. 1 before too long.

7.  Patriots:  The team that hasn’t won a postseason game since 2007 needs to save a few of those regular-season victories for January.

8.  Ravens:  To get to the Super Bowl, the Ravens could use a home playoff game or two.  To make that happen, they need to knock off the Steelers at home on Sunday.

9.  Eagles:  Questions on the offensive line and at linebacker could keep this team’s dreams from coming true.

10.  Cowboys:  Complacency in 2010 could give way to hunger in 2011.  Which could carry the Cowboys farther than expected.

11.  Bears:  The No. 2 seed in the 2010 NFC playoff field could be heading a lot lower than this.

12. Texans:  Last year, the Texans triumphantly beat the Colts in Week One.  It was the 5-10 record the rest of the way that screwed things up.

13. Buccaneers:  Those 10 wins in 2010 notwithstanding, failing to beat the Lions at home in December raises questions about whether this franchise is ready to succeed.

14. Lions:  No team that has won eight games in three years has ever been so widely assumed to be a playoff contender.

15.  Giants:  With each snapped ACL, the Giants slide farther and farther into oblivion.

16. Chiefs:  The departure of Charlie Weis will hurt this team more than anyone realizes.

17.  Cardinals:  The Kevin Kolb trade already was a success; Larry Fitzgerald has signed an extension.

18.  Colts:  Serious concerns regarding No. 18 justifies putting the Colts at that same position.

19.  Jaguars:  With more than $35 million in cap space and Luke McCown as the starting quarterback, it’s hard not to wonder whether Wayne Weaver simply wants to stuff his mattress with cash this year.

20.  Raiders:  That 6-0 record in the AFC West gets tested immediately on Monday night.

21.  Rams:  A new offense and limited opportunities to teach Sam Bradford to run it could cause the Rams to take a step backward this year.

22.  Vikings:  If the offense clicks quickly, the Vikings could end up much higher than this.

23.  Seahawks:  If/when Charlie Whitehurst becomes the starting quarterback, the Seahawks will climb the ladder.

24.  Bills:  I still think the Bills could swipe a playoff spot this year.  But last year’s finish forces them to start from the back of the pack.

25.  49ers:  With Jim Harbaugh running the show, they likely won’t be in the 20s for long.

26.  Browns:  See the 49ers.

27. Titans:  For a team that had the same head coach for 17 years, too much is changing, too quickly.

28.  Panthers:  Six games against the Falcons, Saints, and Bucs will make it very hard for the Panthers to compete this year.

29. Dolphins:  The owner wanted Jim Harbaugh, but settled for Tony Sparano.  Sparano wanted Kyle Orton, but settled for Chad Henne.  The fans want the Heat, but may have to settle for the Dolphins.

30.  Broncos:  The fumes of Josh McDaniels are hanging in the mile-high air like the remnants of rancid pork burrito night.

31.  Redskins:  Maybe Dan Snyder can get Joe Gibbs to unretire again.

32.  Bengals:  Every Sunday, Cedric Benson will feel like one of his assault victims.

ST. LOUIS – The Indianapolis Colts are starting their preseason on the road Saturday night. The Colts are in St. Louis to play the Rams.

Curtis Painter started the game at quarterback for Indianapolis and threw an interception on the first series. He also threw an incomplete pass to Joseph Addai.

The Rams capitalized on the turnover with a Sam Bradford touchdown pass to Lance Kendricks on third down from the Colts’ six-yard line.

Indianapolis responded with a drive deep into Rams’ territory, highlighted by a reaching grab by Pierre Garcon, but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri to pull within 7-3 in the first quarter.

A second Painter interception again set the Rams up in the Colts end of the field, but the defense held, forcing a 30-yard Josh Brown field goal.

Cadillac Williams pushed the lead to 17-3 with a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Brown kicked two more field goals, including a 60-yarder as the first half expired, to give the Rams a 23-3 lead.

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