Nate Washington(notes) is ready to have a great week in fantasy football during Week 8. His Tennessee Titans are taking on the Indianapolis Colts, and that could lead to some big numbers from the wide receiver.

By now, everyone knows about the horrible Week 7 game that Washington had against the Houston Texans. He had just one catch for 10 yards and never put the ball in the end zone. It was one of those games that just get thrown out of the equation when trying to figure out if he is good enough to start again. With quarterback Matt Hasselbeck(notes) set to have a huge week, it will translate to success for Washington.

Washington has 399 yards on 29 catches this season to go along with one receiving touchdown. His best game of the season came against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 when he had eight catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. In Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens he had seven catches for 99 yards, showing that he can do well against great defenses. It’s time to pretend that his game against Houston never took place, and that he is worth picking up off the waiver wire should he be available in any fantasy football leagues.

Many owners might be worried about starting Washington this week after he posted just one point in the last two weeks, but he is definitely one of the top 20 receivers to play this week. It is possible that he could end up with 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts, but with how badly the Colts defense looked last week , pushing that to 130 yards is not a far-fetched projection. Nobody is going to claim that Washington is as good as the elite receivers in the game now, but he needs to play on a team in every league out there.

If you are an owner that has to deal with one of the six teams that are having a bye this week ( Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) then go look for both Washington and Hasselbeck on the waiver wire. If someone was smart enough to just bury Washington on the bench for a while, now is the week to get him back in the starting rotation.

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NFL

From Our Press Services

INDIANAPOLIS — Kerry Collins came to Indianapolis as Peyton Manning’s replacement.

After seven games, his season is over.

The Colts (0-7) placed Collins on injured reserve Tuesday because of a concussion. Collins started three games and went 48 of 98 for 481 yards with two TDs and one interception in Indy.

Collins announced in July that he was retiring, then was wooed out of retirement with a $4 million deal to be Manning’s backup.

But when Manning had another neck surgery in early September, Collins was suddenly promoted to starter. And now, with Manning still not expected back at practice before December, it’s Collins — not Manning — who is on injured reserve.

Collins started three games for the Colts. He was knocked out in the third quarter against Pittsburgh. He hasn’t played a down since and has been limited to light individual work at practice.

The Colts also placed fullback Chris Gronkowski on injured reserve, re-signed offensive linemen Jamey Richard and Michael Toudouze and running back Darren Evans to the active roster, and announced that starting guard Joe Reitz had arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee and will be out indefinitely.

Indy has three quarterbacks on the active roster — starter Curtis Painter, four-time league MVP Manning and recently signed Dan Orlovsky.

In other developments

Stafford uncertain: Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is be day-to-day with a sprained right ankle, and he sounded slightly less optimistic Tuesday about his chances of playing Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

“I think every competitor plans on playing,” Stafford said on a radio show. “We’ll see if that comes true. I’ve got to keep getting better to get there, but I want to, obviously.”

Stafford hurt his ankle on the Lions’ final offensive play of Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, when linebacker Curtis Lofton rolled into his right leg.

Stafford said the sprain is “kind of in a weird spot,” and he’s not sure whether he’ll practice today. If he can’t play against the Broncos, Shaun Hill, who started 10 games last year, will start.

No teams attend Owens’ workout: Terrell Owens’ workout was watched by two television networks but no NFL teams in Calabasas, Calif.

The 37-year-old free-agent wide receiver participated in some drills and caught passes Tuesday outside Los Angeles in a showcase televised by ESPN and NFL Network. He told ESPN: “I definitely feel there are some teams out there that are interested.”

Owens has been rehabilitating a left knee injury that required surgery. He played 14 games for Cincinnati last year, catching 72 passes with nine touchdowns.

Vikings’ Cook charged with felony: Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook was charged Tuesday with trying to strangle his girlfriend over the weekend, leaving her with a bloody nose and injuries to her neck.

Cook was charged with felony domestic assault by strangulation, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The 24-year-old Cook was arrested early Saturday and was still in custody at midday Tuesday. He is barred from contact with the alleged victim and cannot leave Minnesota, which prevents him from traveling to Sunday’s game at Carolina.

Briefly: The Minnesota Vikings have waived wide receiver Bernard Berrian. Berrian was on the inactive list Sunday for the second time in three games. … The Buffalo Bills placed veteran linebacker Shawne Merriman on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday because of a right Achilles injury. … The Miami Dolphins placed quarterback Sage Rosenfels on the reserve-non-football illness list and signed J.P. Losman, who last completed a pass in 2008. A blood disorder sent Rosenfels to the hospital in August, and he said in a statement that he hasn’t fully recovered. … The Washington Redskins have placed tight end Chris Cooley (left knee, broken finger) and running back Tim Hightower (left knee) on injured reserve. … The Atlanta Falcons placed fullback Ovie Mughelli on injured reserve. Mughelli hurt his right knee in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 23-16 win at Detroit. The Falcons also placed backup offensive guard Mike Johnson on injured reserve with a foot injury. Atlanta then signed running back Mike Cox and offensive lineman Kirk Chambers.

Tampa Bay running back Earnest Graham will miss the rest of the season because of a torn right Achilles’ tendon. … The New York Jets have waived backup center Colin Baxter, who started two games this season for injured Nick Mangold. … The Houston Texans signed safety Quintin Demps and waived receiver/kick returner Trindon Holliday. … The Detroit Lions signed cornerback Don Carey and released tight end Joe Jon Finley.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts have placed quarterback Kerry Collins on injured reserve.

The 17-year veteran was signed before the season and started three games before sustaining a concussion September 25 against Pittsburgh. He completed 48 of 98 passes on the season for 481 yards.

The team also placed fullback Chris Gronkowski on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle, which he suffered Sunday night in New Orleans.

In other news, the Colts announced they signed offensive linement Jamey Richard and Michael Toudouze to the active roster and signed Warren Central graduate Darren Evans to the practice squad. Wide receiver David Gilreath was waived from the practice squad.

Colts press release

The Indianapolis Colts today signed offensive guard Jamey Richard and offensive tackle Michael Toudouze to the active roster, placed quarterback Kerry Collins and fullback Chris Gronkowski on Injured Reserve, signed running back Darren Evans to the practice squad and waived wide receiver David Gilreath from the practice squad. In addition, offensive guard Joe Reitz underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and will be out of the lineup for an unspecified time. He will remain on the active roster.

Richard, 6-5, 295 pounds, is in his fourth season with the Colts after being selected by the team in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 38 career games (11 starts) primarily at the guard and center positions. In 2010, Richard saw action in 14 games, starting in four at left guard. He was part of an offensive line which allowed only 16 sacks, tying the fewest allowed in the NFL.

Toudouze, 6-6, 303 pounds, was originally selected by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. This season he was signed to the active roster on October 3 and saw action on special teams against Kansas City (10/9) before being waived on October 11. After spending his rookie season on the Colts practice squad, the San Antonio, Texas native competed in seven games (one start) from 2007-10. Toudouze saw action in four games in 2007 and made his first career NFL start at Buffalo in 2009.

Collins, a 17-year veteran, completed 48-of-98 passes for 481 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in three starts for the Colts this season. In a Week 1 contest at Houston (9/11), he completed 16-of-31 attempts for 197 yards and one touchdown for an 82.3 quarterback rating while surpassing Joe Montana (40,551) for 10th place on the NFL’s all-time passing yardage list. Collins started against Pittsburgh (9/25) and threw for 93 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter due to a concussion. In 198 career games (180 starts) he has completed 3,487-of-6,261 passes for 40,922 yards, 208 touchdowns and 196 interceptions for a 73.8 quarterback rating.

Gronkowski was signed by the Colts as a free agent on September 4, 2011. The second-year fullback saw action in all seven games, the majority of which on special teams. He finished the year with four special teams tackles. He was placed on injured reserve due to a torn pectoral muscle suffered against New Orleans in Week 7.

Evans, 6-0, 220 pounds, was originally signed as an undrafted free agent on July 29, 2011. He was inactive for the first two games of the season prior to being signed to the practice squad on September 22. Evans was then elevated to the active roster on October 11 and made his NFL debut against Cincinnati (10/16), playing on special teams. He was waived on October 22 before being re-signed to the practice squad.

Gilreath was signed by the team as an undrafted free agent on July 29, 2011 prior to being signed to the practice squad on September 4. He left Wisconsin holding the Big 10 conference record for career kickoff returns (135) and career kickoff return yardage (3,025).

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.

Ryan Clark respects Peyton Manning, and he feels for the Indianapolis Colts as they continue to search for traction and an identity while their franchise quarterback recovers from neck surgery.

Still, the Pittsburgh Steelers safety isn’t exactly complaining about taking on the winless Colts (0-2) without Manning on Sunday, and Clark’s source of glee has nothing to do with facing Kerry Collins instead of the three-time MVP.

Collins has a better record (3-2) against the Steelers than Manning (2-2), a better completion percentage (64 to 60), and a better touchdown/interception ratio.

The one thing Collins doesn’t have on Manning? Acting ability.

Taking on the Colts without Manning means not having to endure 20-25 seconds of the quarterback standing at the line of scrimmage frantically barking out orders as if he was playing some football version of charades.

“Thank God because that is so boring,” Clark said with mock exasperation. “Such a theatrical performance.”

Clark was kidding. Sort of. Clark is pretty sure there was some football involved in Manning’s gestures. He’s also pretty sure some of it was simple gamesmanship.

“It got talked about so much and people loved it so much I think Peyton even kind of fed into it, ‘I’m going to keep doing this because people think I’m doing a lot at the line,’” Clark said.

The Colts have been more deliberate through the first two weeks as veteran Kerry Collins — plucked out of retirement by coach Jim Caldwell a month ago — learns the system Manning has orchestrated so artfully for 13 seasons.

That’s fine by the Steelers, particularly guys like nose tackle Casey Hampton. He’s used to playing maybe 15-20 snaps against the Colts because he’s not quite fit enough to dash on and off the field while Manning operates out of the no-huddle even if Hampton, like Clark, is suspect of Manning’s motives.

“Do you know he’s really getting guys lined up and doing that? You never really know what he’s doing,” Hampton said.

Collins isn’t familiar enough with the Colts’ offense to play those kind of games. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t been effective against the Steelers. He beat them the first three times he faced them, including a 17-point whipping in 2008 while playing for Tennessee. And even at 38-years-old, the Steelers believe Collins can get operate quickly if not quite as efficiently as Manning.

“They’re not going to run the same offense that Peyton runs, because there’s only one Peyton, but they’re still running their offense,” defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said. “And they’re still running no-huddle, and we’ll have to be ready for a lot of snaps and getting our calls in at the ball.”

Pittsburgh will likely be without defensive end Brett Keisel, who missed practice again on Thursday with a knee injury. Third-year man Ziggy Hood will get the start if Keisel can’t go, and though he’s wary of Collins, he’s not expecting a track meet.

“It could be slowed down to where we get in our formations and we get it right,” Hood said. “This is the third game and (Collins) has only been there so long. If we was playing them late in the season, maybe that no huddle will come into play. Maybe this week we don’t know. We’ve got to be prepared.”

For all the progress the Colts believe they’ve made while giving Collins a crash course in an attack that’s been tailored to Manning’s unique talents, they know they’re not quite operating at the same speed as usual.

General manager Bill Polian, who helped coax Collins out of retirement to keep the Colts afloat while Manning heals, heard Houston linebacker Mario Williams boasting about how much easier it was to go through the pre-snap without Manning back there pointing fingers.

“(Williams) said the defensive line felt much more comfortable doing their jobs because all of Peyton’s motions and gestures didn’t let them know when they had to get into their stances, so it caused them trouble,” Polian said. “Kerry can’t do that. Nobody can. Peyton is like a race-car driver who has been driving that car for 14 years. He knows every nuance, every little bump, you have to recognize that and say this is going to be a different looking team.”

Still, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin pointed out Collins looked Manning-esque the last time he played the Steelers, nearly leading Tennessee to a miracle comeback in week two of the 2010 season after coming on in relief of Vince Young.

The Steelers were firmly in command 19-3 late in the fourth quarter when Collins led the Titans to a quick touchdown and a 2-point conversion and had the team driving again when the lock ran out.

“That experience is not lost as we prepare for this one,” Tomlin said.

Pittsburgh’s defense was back to its usual swarming self against the overmatched Seahawks last Sunday, pitching a 24-0 shutout. Yet through two weeks the Steelers have yet to generate a turnover, the first time that’s happened in consecutive games since 2009.

Collins hasn’t provided the Steelers with many opportunities, throwing just two picks in 163 career attempts against Pittsburgh. Clark points out the defense’s mindset is focused more on getting stops than getting the ball.

The Steelers will have more time to think about it on Sunday now that Manning’s acting is relegated to TV commercials for the time being.

“It’ll be weird playing them without Peyton, period,” Hampton said.

Read More: Derrick Ward (RB – HOU), Tim Bulman (DE – HOU), Anthony Gonzalez (WR – IND), Jamey Richard (G – IND), Steve Slaton (RB – HOU), Arian Foster (RB – HOU), Jerry Hughes (DE – IND), Thomas Austin (G – HOU), Kevin Thomas (DB – IND), Ben Tate (RB – HOU), Blair White (WR – IND), Brandon Harris (CB – HOU), Darren Evans (RB – IND), T.J. Yates (QB – HOU), Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, Sep 11, 2011 1:00 PM EDT

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster will be inactive for today’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans announced the news moments ago via Twitter.

Derrick Ward will start in place of Foster today.

The Colts allowed an average of 127 rushing yards per game last year. In the preseason this year, they allowed more than 146 yards per game, the third worst of any team.

Ben Tate will backup Ward. Steve Slaton is expected to see some action on third-downs.

The other inactive players for the Texans today include: QB T.J. Yates, CB Brandon Harris, CB Roc Carmichael, G Thomas Austin, T Derek Newton and DE Tim Bulman. The Texans are at home today against a Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis Colts team. The Colts’ other inactive players include: WR Blair White, WR Anthony Gonzalez, DB Kevin Thomas, RB Darren Evans, OG Jamey Richard, DE Jerry Hughes.

For more perspective on Arian Foster, visit SBNation’s Houston Texans site, Battle Red Blog. For more on the Indianapolis Colts, visit SBNation’s Colts site Stampede Blue. 

The usually quiet Indianapolis Colts are becoming a surly
bunch.

Last week, they bristled at the suggestion they’d falter without
Peyton Manning. After a dismal season-opener, they’re downright
ornery.

Players and coaches spent most of the week trying to figure out
what went wrong at Houston, how to make corrections and map out a
game plan to rebound against Cleveland this week.

It’s not just talk. The Colts are spitting mad.

“It’s not easy any time you get beaten like that,” Pro Bowl
center Jeff Saturday said. “But we’ve got too much pride in our
team and our teammates to just take it.”

Conventional wisdom suggests that this is how the Colts will
look without Manning, a four-time league MVP who had started 227
consecutive games including the playoffs before last week. He’s
expected to miss at least two months after having his third neck
surgery in 19 months last week.

The Colts (0-1) claim those suggestions are, well,
premature.

Indy hasn’t started 0-2 since 1998, Manning’s rookie season, and
the Colts have no intention of doing that this year. But they must
prove they can win without their leader.

“Regardless of anything that happens _ Peyton being there,
Peyton not being there _ it doesn’t mean you’re going to have a bad
season,” defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “It just means you had
a bad first week. That’s Round 1 out of 16 rounds. We lost Round 1.
We just have to do things a little better.”

Round 2 comes Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at Lucas Oil
Stadium, this year’s Super Bowl site.

Plenty has changed since these teams last met in 2008.

New coach Pat Shurmur is looking for his first career win. Colt
McCoy has taken over at quarterback, and Peyton Hillis is the
Browns’ workhorse running back.

However, the results haven’t changed much over the last three
years.

The Browns (0-1) have won more than six games just one time
since 2002, and are undergoing another rebuilding project.

“For us, it’s all about focusing on the next game we have,
focusing on the 2011 Browns, learning the offense, learning the
defense, getting wins, putting wins together, and turning this into
a winning team,” left tackle Joe Thomas said. “All those historical
things kind of take care of themselves.”

The first step, for both teams, is fighting back.

Indy is coming off one of its most abysmal performances in
years. The offense scored only seven points at Houston, the defense
couldn’t get off the field and the punt return team gave up a
touchdown return in the final minute of the first half. With no
Manning to bail out the Colts any time soon, fans are already
fretting as players avoid panicking.

“Last week, people are up in arms about what happened, and this
week is a new challenge,” said defensive captain Gary Brackett, who
will miss Sunday’s game with a left shoulder injury. “We can go out
there and redeem ourselves, and be sitting pretty again.”

Cleveland players are also trying to tamp down concerns after
last week’s comedy of errors.

On a punt return that Josh Cribbs might have scored on, a Browns
blocker hit a Bengals player, sending both into Cribbs and knocking
him to the ground.

And Shurmur’s coaching debut will undoubtedly be remembered for
the play Cleveland lost track of. When the Bengals quick-snapped
the ball in the fourth quarter, the napping Browns (0-1) were just
breaking the huddle and Cincinnati threw a 41-yard TD pass for the
go-ahead score.

Shurmur insists the Browns have learned from that mistake,
perhaps just in time to avoid a repeat against an Indy team that
has traditionally liked the fast tempo.

“We need to answer it.,” Shurmur said. “We just have to make
sure that we cover down. It’s a hard lesson to learn on that play.
We’ll do better.”

Indy hasn’t been the same this season.

The coaches slowed things down for Kerry Collins’ debut. The
revamped offensive line broke down far too often last week, and
Collins lost two fumbles in the first 15 minutes. They’re hoping
with another week of practice that Collins and the offense will
look more normal Sunday.

But the Colts know there’s only way to muzzle the critics: Start
winning.

“It doesn’t really matter what they think, to be honest with
you,” receiver Austin Collie said. “We’re going to back on the
field and we’re going to be OK.”

Colts vs Texans Live 2011 NFL Online at http://www.usanfltv.com .Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans Live Streaming NFL Regular Season Coverage starts at Sunday, 1:00 PM EDT. The game Colts vs Texans will be televised on NBC.

New York, NY (PRWEB) September 09, 2011

Colts vs Texans Live 2011 NFL Regular season kicks off this week in Indianapolis .Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans Live Streaming NFL Regular Season Coverage starts at Sunday, 1:00 PM EDT.The game Colts vs Texans will be televised on NBC.

Colts vs Texans Live online Here – http://www.usanfltv.com/

Indy’s top rusher hasn’t practiced since injuring a nerve in his left shoulder Oct. 17 at Washington. Indianapolis running back Joseph Addai is doubtful for the Colts’ game Monday night against Houston after missing another practice Saturday. Indianapolis Colts appear to have the same challenge the Pittsburgh Steelers had last season when they opened the season without their star quarterback. For Jim Caldwell’s team to have similar success, the Colts are going to have to do their best Steelers impression.

After being released by Miami last November, cornerback Jason Allen was claimed off waivers by the Texans the next day. When the 2006 first-round selection arrived in Houston, a familiar feeling resurfaced during his first secondary meeting.

Houston Texans :

Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas, United States. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL).

Owner(s)- Bob McNair (95%), Harris County (5%)

Chairman – Bob McNair

President – Jamey Rootes

Head coach- Gary Kubiak

Championships : League championships (0), Conference championships (0), Division championships (0)

Indianapolis Colts :

Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The club was officially founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1953, but can trace its history to the Dayton Triangles, a founding member of the NFL that was originally created in 1913.

Owner(s)- Jim Irsay

Head coach – Jim Caldwell

Team colors – Stampede Blue, White

Championships – League championships (4†), NFL Championships (3), 1958, 1959, 1968, Super Bowl Championships (2), 1970 (V), 2006 (XLI)

Division championships (14) – NFL Coastal: 1968, AFC East: 1970, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1999, AFC South: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010

Playoff appearances (24)- NFL: 1958, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Top Performers

Passing: P. Manning (IND) – 433 YDS, 3 TD

Rushing: A. Foster (HOU) – 33 CAR, 231 YDS, 3 TD

Receiving: A. Collie (IND) – 11 REC, 163 YDS, 1 TD

Colts vs Texans Live online Here – http://www.usanfltv.com/

###

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The unthinkable suddenly seems possible in Indianapolis – opening the season without Peyton Manning.

The four-time league-MVP who has never missed a start in his NFL career is doubtful for Sunday’s game at Houston because of lingering soreness in his back following offseason neck surgery. If Manning sits, it would be the first time the NFL’s active iron man missed a meaningful game after 227 consecutive starts including the playoffs.

“I hate it for Peyton,” said Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday, one of Manning’s closest friends. “You want him to be healthy, you want him to be back, but you want him to take care of it, too. It’s sad when players face tough times, but I know he’s strong enough to get through it.”

The question is whether the Colts can survive without their franchise quarterback, whose streak stands second in NFL history to Brett Favre’s among all QBs.

Team officials have not said how much longer it could take Manning to recover, leaving that decision to Manning and his doctors.

Over the years, life without Manning has been pretty dismal.

The only time he missed a regular-season snap because of injury, against Miami in 2001, backup Mark Rypien fumbled. The Dolphins recovered, then drove 59 yards for the winning score. Manning returned on the next series with a bloody mouth. He was later diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his jaw.

On the rare occasions when Manning has played sparingly, in the preseason and meaningless late-season games, the Colts have not fared much better.

The goal now is to change that trend.

“If anything, we want to go out there and step it up,” Pro Bowl safety Antoine Bethea said. “Of course it will be different (without Manning), but it’s one of those things that if it happens, everybody else has to step up. It’s next man up.”

That’s been true at every position but one over the past 13 years in Indy. And now the Colts’ longtime mantra will be put to its most challenging test.

Manning had surgery to repair a nerve May 23, but the recovery has taken longer than the expected six to eight weeks that would have put back on the field for the start of training camp. Instead, Manning started camp on the physically unable to perform list and wasn’t activated till last Monday.

He did limited work at practice last week, which led to complaints about back pain. The team issued a statement Monday saying that team doctors re-evaluated Manning over the weekend and instructed him to stop practicing while he undergoes more tests.

No additional surgery has been scheduled.

“At the conclusion of the diagnostic process, if there are any new developments in the prognosis which we outlined for Peyton at the start of training camp we will report them,” the statement said. “As of now, Peyton continues to deal with a complicated neurological recovery, the end date of which is unpredictable.”

Losing Manning for any time, even one week, would be a shock to Indy fans. Not only has he never missed a start, he’s rarely missed practice.

Manning sat out one week of training camp in 1998 before signing his rookie contract. It was a decade later when he missed all of training camp in 2008 because he underwent surgery twice to remove an infected bursa sac from his left knee. The only other time his playing status was in doubt was 2001 after he was injured at Minnesota in a preseason game.

Somehow, he’s always made it back for game day.

“I’m sure it’s killing him,” receiver Anthony Gonzalez said. “I’ve not spoken to him, but knowing him, how hard he’s working, how many hours he’s put into it, I’m sure it’s hurting.”

The last quarterback other than Manning to start for Indy was Jim Harbaugh, now the San Francisco 49ers coach.

Many who know Manning well aren’t counting him out yet.

On Monday, coach Jim Caldwell urged caution to those already writing the end of the streak.

Former Colts coach Tony Dungy, now an NBC analyst, told viewers recently he expected Manning to play unless he was “dead.” Harbaugh had been thinking the same way before the latest twist in this saga.

“Watching Peyton Manning, the pro, the competitor, I’m not going to take your word for it that he’s not going to be in there for the first ballgame,” he told reporters Aug. 25. “So the streak may indeed just rage on.”

Still, the Colts are preparing as if the second-longest starting streak by an NFL quarterback will be history after Sunday.

Sixteen-year veteran Kerry Collins came out of retirement, presumably to back up Manning in case this happened. Collins has spent the last 12 days learning the playbook and splitting work with Curtis Painter at practice.

Collins said that while he’s comfortable running the Colts system and familiar with Houston’s defense from his days in Tennessee, it would be unfair to expect anyone, including a former Super Bowl starter, to deliver a Manningesque performance.

“There’s no way I can replace someone like Peyton and what he means for this team and this franchise,” Collins said. “But I will bust my butt to get ready and I hope the guys see that.”

Team owner Jim Irsay said he anticipated Manning returning for the start of training camp.

But after signing a five-year, $90 million contract in late July, Manning was placed on PUP and didn’t return to practice until last week.

Manning has repeatedly said the 4½-month lockout delayed his rehabilitation because he couldn’t work out with team doctors.

When he returned in 2008 after missing all of camp, Manning struggled during the first half of the season. He eventually led Indy to nine straight wins and back to the playoffs, picking up the third of his record four MVP awards.

Could he take a snap to keep the streak alive? Sure.

But Manning ruled out that possibility last week.

“I have to be able to competitively play,” he said then. “I have too much respect for football. I’ve got to be able to compete and to help my team win, and that’s what’s fair to the team, fair to myself.”

And right now, it appears, that means playing with someone other than Manning behind center for the first time since December 1997.

“He loves to play, loves to compete, loves to practice, and any time he can’t, it’s tough,” Caldwell said. “That’s who he is. He’s always been a hardworking guy. He doesn’t miss days – offseason, in-season, you name it – he’s always there. I think that’s the commitment to the sport he’s made since he was a little guy.”

– AP

Here’s a prediction I’m 99.3 percent certain will come true: This will be the most secretive week yet for the Indianapolis Colts.

Just when we thought the Peyton Manning saga couldn’t get any wilder, reports took off Sunday night that he might need another neck surgery. If true, not only will he miss the season opener at Houston on Sunday, he could be out for weeks.

The rumor broke, as they do these days, on Twitter, via a post from Indy radio talk show host John Michael Vincent of 1070-AM, The Fan. Later, Indianapolis television station WTHR reported that Manning will be reevaluated by several doctors for the slow healing from his May neck surgery and will likely miss the opener.

The Colts responded with silence, other than vice chairman Bill Polian telling Sports Illustrated he knows nothing about Manning needing another surgery.

Whether the Colts will confirm Manning’s status for the Houston game before kickoff remains to be seen. I have my doubts. They have a history of silence on injury issues.

I speculated last week that the absence of Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon and Joseph Addai in replacement quarterback Kerry Collins’ sole preseason appearance was a possible sign that Manning was likely to play at Houston. Otherwise, why wouldn’t those key players take the field to gain game-time experience with Collins?

After the Colts’ roster moves over the weekend, I started to flip-flop on those thoughts. These new rumors only reinforce a feeling that Colts fans’ worst fears may yet come true.

But forget rumors for a moment. If you want to analyze the roster moves for signs that the Colts are planning for a lack of Manning, those signs are there, two of them particularly persuasive:

1. Curtis Painter still has a job. If Painter, presumably replaced as the backup quarterback by Collins, remains on the roster, that means the Colts feel a need for three quarterbacks. They don’t need three if Manning is ready to go. So, now, in this scenario, Painter is the insurance if Collins gets ripped to shreds by Mario Williams. (A 50-50 proposition.)

2. They’re gearing up to run. The Colts stockpiled running backs. Besides returning players Joseph Addai and Donald Brown, the Colts kept rookies Delone Carter, Darren Evans and Chad Spann, and then turned around and acquired a fullback, former Dallas Cowboy Chris Gronkowski. They moved Spann to injured reserve on Sunday with a hamstring issue, but that’s still five backs for a team that, on a good day, usually runs only before every third commercial break.

Painter and the bundle of backs weren’t the only moves that caused some surprise for Colts fans over the weekend.

Despite what seemed like a fairly strong audition, defensive tackle Tommie Harris was cut, as was offensive lineman Kyle DeVan and receiver/kick returner David Gilreath. Taj Smith was also released after an eight-catch, 140-yard performance at Cincinnati. The man who threw Smith his final pass (a game-winning play), Dan Orlovsky, was also cut.

Rumors that Anthony Gonzalez’s days were numbered proved to be premature, as he remains on the roster. He’ll be coming to a game-week injury report near you. In a move out of left field, the Colts added former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel to help with replay decisions, at least until the NFL reviews the hire and rules it out of bounds.

The Manning speculation tops all other Colts stories, of course. Some of Colts owner Jim Irsay’s tweets seem to point toward Manning not starting the season on time. Irsay tweeted late Sunday that there’s nothing to say on Manning’s status except they are moving “cautiously” and “deliberately” on his recovery. He also tweeted he wants fans to “buck up.”

The Colts have reason to worry if Manning can’t play, mainly because they’ll lose games they normally win. But they have no reason to let anyone know in advance about his status unless he’s put on injured reserve. Why would they let the Texans know? It’s better to keep Houston guessing, forcing the Texans to prepare for everything in the Colts’ repertoire.

The Texans shouldn’t worry too much about being in the dark on Manning’s status, however. They have plenty of company.

Manning’s condition remains a concern for Colts

Posted on 05 September 2011. Tags: career, colts, consecutive, houston, indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, neck, nfl, Peyton Manning, super-bowl, take-the-field, team

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Peyton Manning’s neck continued to be a concern for the Indianapolis Colts as they faced an increased chance that the four-time MVP quarterback wouldn’t be ready by Week 1 for the first time in his career.

Manning has started every game for the Colts since 1998, but had a second surgery on his neck in May and was only activated off the team’s physically unable to perform (PUP) list on August 29.

On Sunday, Colts owner Jim Irsay declared on Twitter that there was nothing to say about Manning’s condition except that the Colts were moving ”cautiously” and “deliberately” while projecting his recovery time.

But Manning was being re-evaluated by doctors as concerns grew that his rehab was taking longer than expected, according to a report on ESPN.com.

Citing sources, the report revealed that doctors have been unable to agree on a reason for the slow pace of Manning’s recovery, but that there was no new procedure scheduled for the 35-year-old.

Earlier, an unconfirmed report from an Indianapolis radio host said Manning needed yet another procedure less than four months after the May 23 surgery to correct a disk-related issue in his neck.

The Colts have sounded unconvinced that Manning would be ready for Sunday’s game at Houston, and perhaps beyond.

“He will participate in practice on a limited basis,” the Colts said in a statement when he was activated from the PUP list. “All of his practice work will be scripted and on a controlled basis. The participation in limited football activity is a standard procedure in the club’s rehab protocol.”

The Colts signed Manning to a five-year, $90 million contract in July — the long-term deal that was envisioned when the team put its franchise tag on him before the NFL lockout.

Manning has passed for 54,828 yards and 399 touchdowns in 208 consecutive regular season starts and guided the team to a Super Bowl title after the 2006 season.

He has stated that he wouldn’t consider playing just to keep his consecutive starts streak alive, saying that he respects football too much to take the field without being ready.

Manning also had surgery in March 2010 to relieve pain in his neck caused by a pinched nerve and didn’t miss camp. This time around, however, he was unable to meet with team medical personnel because of the lockout.

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