The last time Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday saw Patriots owner Bob Kraft, the two hugged — both in celebration of the end of the summer-long NFL lockout and in mourning of the loss of Myra Kraft, who had passed away that week.

In his remarks to the media in the aftermath of the NFL and its players’ association agreeing to a labor deal, Saturday paid special tribute to both Bob Kraft, for his work in making the deal happen, and Myra Kraft, for her support.

“Without him, this deal does not get done,” Saturday said then. “He is a man who helped us save football.”

What Saturday said was seen as a significant conciliatory gesture to end what had been, at times, an acrimonious process.

“At the end of the day, we all wanted to play football and we just wanted to get a fair deal in place,” Saturday said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. “Those guys understood and everybody knew the situation that Mr. Kraft was going through. I think it helped kind of solidify the deal just going forward, saying ‘Hey man, we’re all back and getting this league where it needs to go and be the greatest game in our country.’ ”

The sacrifices Kraft made to get the deal done weren’t lost on the players on the other side of the table.

“I’ve got my wife and kids at home, and I can’t imagine going through something as stressful as the lockout was on top of having an illness that you know is as serious as it was for his wife,” Saturday said Wednesday. “I had a ton of respect for what he was doing, and I had a ton of respect for, when he was there, he was engaged.”

Will Saturday have another hug waiting for Kraft at Gillette Stadium on Sunday?

“I think we’ll go to handshakes from this point on,” he said.

Will Manning return this year?

For the first time in recent memory, Peyton Manning won’t be under center Sunday when the Colts face the Patriots.

But there’s a chance the Colts could get Manning back before the end of the season.

Manning, with Tom Brady, one of the top two quarterbacks of his generation and perhaps of all-time, has missed the entire season to this point after undergoing neck surgery in early September, his third neck surgery in a little more than 18 months. He was scheduled to undergo tests Wednesday to determine the next step in his rehabilitation — tests that could determine whether he can play again this season.

“Peyton, obviously, you can’t respect a player more than I respect him,” Saturday said. “I’ve been with the guy for 13 years. I know how hard he works. I know what a good player he is, how valuable he is to our football team. On top of all that, to see a player face this type of injury, this isn’t something you get over in a week or two — this has been a major process.”

The Colts’ season was lost a long time ago, but a return by Manning could give the team a morale boost heading into the final month.

“I’ve told people, people that ask me over and over, ‘If he’s healthy enough, he’ll be on the field, I can guarantee that,’ ” Saturday said.

Edelman doing it all

Julian Edelman might have made the Patriots’ most impressive defensive play last Sunday against Philadelphia, wrapping up 230-pound quarterback Vince Young in the open field and tackling him shy of the goal line.

Edelman finished with three tackles in the game, the same number as Jerod Mayo and Rob Ninkovich.

But open-field tackling isn’t new to Edelman, a regular on the Patriots’ special teams in the past.

“Tackling in the open field, using your leverage, knowing where your help is — whether it’s a defensive player inside of you or the sideline outside or wherever it happens to be,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “You’re in some of those same relationships in the kicking game, no question. I don’t want to say tackling is tackling, but tackling is tackling.”

The emergence of Edelman, a quarterback-turned-wide receiver who now is playing defensive back in the slot, has bolstered what all season long has been a weak New England secondary.

“Obviously, we don’t have a lot of numbers there, and he’s done a great job of trying to step in and learn what we’re doing and try to do it to a competitive level — and he’s definitely done that,” Belichick said. “He’s a smart guy and he does have a little bit of an instinctiveness and a set of skills that are conducive to both spots.”

Belichick: Colts’ offense looks the same

A year ago under Manning, the Colts led the NFL in passing offense.

This year, under the since-deposed Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter, the Colts rank 28th among the 32 NFL teams in passing offense.

No matter. When Belichick has shown his team film on the Colts’ offense to prepare them for Sunday, he’s made sure they’d seen everything they used to see.

“It’s identical,” Belichick said. “It’s their offense — no-huddle, they go at a fast pace, hard to substitute. You have to be ready to play defensively with whoever you have on the field. You have to be ready to play first, second and third down with them. You can’t count on getting anybody in or getting anybody out. …

“Painter and (Dan) Orlovsky, both of them, whoever has been in there, they’ve both done a good job of changing plays, taking advantage of looks. They’ve hit some big plays — a couple of long passes against Tampa on audibles.”

The same goes for the Colts’ defense — at least the way Brady looks at it.

“I know that we have to go out there and we have to play well and try to block Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis and the inside guys,” Brady said. “They have some young, athletic linebackers, some guys in the secondary who can make (plays). Antoine Bethea, I’ve played a lot of free safeties and he’s one of the better ones that we play. You can’t go in there and go ‘Oh, we’re the Patriots. (They’re) the Colts. We’re going to win this game and move on.’ That’s not the way we approach it, and that’s not the way it works — not in the NFL.”

Injury line

Offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer did not participate in practice Wednesday with foot and back injuries. His return remains uncertain.

Fourteen Patriots were listed as “limited” in practice: Patrick Chung (foot), Dan Connolly (groin), Edelman (back), Dane Fletcher (thumb), Gary Guyton (shoulder), James Ihedigbo (shoulder), Matt Light (ankle), Devin McCourty (shoulder), Antwaun Molden (concussion), Chad Ochocinco (hamstring), Taylor Price (hamstring), Matthew Slater (shoulder), Brandon Spikes (knee) and Ryan Wendell (calf).

bmacpherson@providencejournal.com

The Indianapolis Colts have struggled this season without their superstar Peyton Manning(notes). At 0-11 everyone around the league understands Manning’s importance to the team. His loss also proves that Indianapolis has several more holes on the team than just backup quarterback. I would argue that if Peyton Manning had been able to play this season the Colts would still be one of the best teams in the NFL.

Out of their 11 losses, only two were complete blowouts and would have been unavoidable even if Manning were playing. The opening day loss to the Houston Texans and the 62-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints both happen even with a healthy Manning. In those two games they gave up a combined 96 points. That kind of defense will not win games with any quarterback.

I would argue that nearly every other loss this season would have been a win if Manning were playing at his usual level. In six losses to the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and Carolina Panthers, the Colts lost by 10 points or less and often led in these games. With Manning, these are all victories. Where Curtis Painter(notes) and Kerry Collins(notes) failed to lead the team on drives to tie or win games, Manning likely would not have failed.

In losses to the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts and Curtis Painter scored a combined total of 13 points and Curtis Painter failed to produce anything on offense. Needless to say this does not happen with Manning at quarterback. These are two bad teams and two more wins that the Colts would have if Manning were playing.

This leaves just one game up in the air. The 31-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons is difficult to gauge. Indianapolis’ offense was so bad and fell behind so quickly that it’s tough to decide if a Manning led offense would have led the Colts to a victory. The only points Indianapolis scored in that game was on an interception return by cornerback Jerraud Powers(notes). Painter completed less than half his passes and only threw for 98 yards in the game. For argument’s sake, we’ll call this game a loss.

These expected outcomes would leave the Colts at 8-3 through the first 11 games. An 8-3 record is currently the best record in the AFC and tied for first place in the conference. It’s amazing what a difference one player can make.

The upcoming December 4 matchup against the New England Patriots would have been a matchup of two 8-3 teams and been for first place in the AFC. Instead, the Colts are sitting at 0-11 and trying not to finish the season winless.

An argument has been raised that Peyton Manning should still be voted the Most Valuable Player this season without playing a game. While I still feel that Aaron Rodgers(notes) completely deserves the award, this season shows how important Manning is.

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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A common refrain around central Indiana and the NFL this season has been that the Indianapolis Colts have relied much too heavily on quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) over the last 13 years, and that his absence is the main reason for the team’s dismal performance this season. Colts vice chairman Bill Polian, for one, doesn’t believe that the team has leaned excessively on Manning and contends that the role of superstars is precisely to take on extra burden and carry his teammates. As a long-time Colts fan who has seen their darkest years in Indianapolis, I agree with Polian that superstars do, and should, make all the difference in building a contender. I also think he is missing the larger point, or just doesn’t want to admit it. To wit, not only have the Colts relied on Manning as the rock of their offense, but they’ve also used him as a convenient way to ignore the team’s other problems.

If you go back a few years to read various criticisms of the Colts, you’ll see that all of the team’s current weaknesses were well known long ago, but little was done to fix them. Don’t the Colts need a strong backup quarterback? Nah, Manning will take every snap, so the backup is just a clothes rack, anyway. Shouldn’t the team address its special teams weaknesses? No need, really, because field position only matters if your quarterback can’t work miracles on a regular basis. OK, then, what about the other side of the ball? Isn’t a defensive unit built around small but quick players likely to suffer from injury woes and endurance problems over the course of a season, or two or three? Well, maybe normally, but Manning can eat up as much clock as he needs to in order to stay on the field and give his defense some rest.

Of course, the problem with these alibis is that they all rely heavily on a healthy Manning, just as the Colts’ fortunes have since 1998. We, as fans, have been only too happy to look the other way, too, giving Polian a blank check by showing up in droves to see what Peyton can do next. We’re all paying the price now, in terms of suffering through a completely lost season, and Polian surely realizes that his blind eye has wrought this mess. It’s now plain for all to see.

Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Colts fans since the team arrived in Indianapolis on a snowy morning in 1984. The Blue and White eventually replaced the Chicago Bears as his #1 team, and Super Bowl XLI was a dream come true.

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The 2011 season keeps getting worse for the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts knew they were in trouble when the Peyton Manning(notes) injury proved to be worse than expected. But few thought the 0-9 Colts would be this horrible. Things might get even worse. Indianapolis lost another important player when tight end Dallas Clark(notes) went down with a leg injury. Clark is expected to miss a few weeks and could miss the remainder of the year. This is just the latest blow for a team that is still searching for its first win.

Over the past few years, Clark has emerged as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. In 2009, he had 100 receptions and 10 touchdowns. However, injuries have really hurt Clark recently. He only appeared in six games in 2010. This season, Clark saw his numbers dip without Manning. He had just 28 catches through nine games. He had just two touchdowns as well. Still, Clark is one of the biggest threats on the Indianapolis roster. When he went down with an injury against the Atlanta Falcons on November 6, the Colts lost one of the best players in both the passing and running game. Without him able to block, the Colts will have an even tougher time on offense.

Clark has not yet been ruled out for the year but it is possible. If nothing else, he will miss a few games. Given the location of his injury, the Colts might decide it is best to shut him down and hope for a healthy return in 2012. That said, Clark will play if he can. An upcoming bye week should give Indianapolis a better chance to evaluate the status of Clark for the remainder of the season. If he does play, it likely won’t happen until December.

Aside from the Manning injury, the 2011 Colts have dealt with a number of big losses. The defense has lost several playmakers while the offense has been banged up with injuries to guys like Joseph Addai(notes). The team has already clinched a losing season and there is talk of drafting Andrew Luck with the top overall pick in 2012. Without Clark, the Colts are one step closer to earning that pick.

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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).

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

Quarterback  Peyton Manning, sidelined undergoing neck fusion surgery on 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 National Football League 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 thats 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.”

The last decade or so has been a golden period for Indianapolis Colts football, and even though the current season has shown us just how instrumental quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) has been to the team’s success, there is no denying that many other star players have passed through town during those years. Perhaps not other player outside of Manning was as consistently excellent as wide receiver Marvin Harrison(notes), Manning’s favorite target through the majority of the Colts’ magical run. Now, it looks as though Harrison, who retired after the 2008 season, may get his slot in the fabled Ring of Honor in Lucas Oil Stadium. Does Harrison deserve that honor? As a longtime Colts fan, I can’t think of any other non-current Colt who merits the recognition more.

Not only is Harrison an all-time great Indianapolis Colt, but he is an all-time great NFL receiver, period. Only two receivers , Tony Gonzalez(notes) (actually a tight end) and Jerry Rice have more total receptions than the former Colt, and Harrison stands at number six on the career yardage list and ranks fifth on the receiving touchdowns list. He also holds all of the Colts franchise (Baltimore and Indianapolis) records in those categories. Harrison’s 143 receptions in 2002 are the most in a single season by any receiver in NFL history.

My only concern about the Ring of Honor is that Harrison may be way too good for its ranks. The current members include Bob Irsay, Bill Brooks, Jim Harbaugh, Chris Hinton, Tony Dungy and Ted Marchibroda, along with owner Jim Irsay’s nod to Indy’s fans with the inclusion of “The 12th Man.” That list is nice enough, but citing these guys as the legends of Indianapolis Colts football pretty much sums up just what kind of franchise this was before Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison rolled into town.

Harrison has taken a lot of knocks over the years for his quiet demeanor and his tendency to disappear after games and in the off-season, but the man always produced when it counted. His performances were also often discounted by fans and pundits because Manning is so great, and there is some merit to that. But Harrison played a part in building Manning’s legend, too, and there is no denying Marvin’s place as a great Colts receiver. The Ring of Honor is the perfect landing place.

Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Colts fans since the team arrived in Indianapolis on a snowy morning in 1984. The Blue and White eventually replaced the Chicago Bears as his #1 team, and Super Bowl XLI was a dream come true.

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TORONTO – The sight of Peyton Manning inside the Indianapolis Colts locker room does nothing to raise the bar, lift the spirits.

Rather, it highlights the existing misery.

The Colts have the look of a team in absolute free fall as after they gave up in their 62-7 shellacking at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, they simply went through the motions last Sunday in a 27-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, a team that has its own collection of warts.

At 0-8 and having a game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the gloom is thick at Lucas Oil Stadium, site of this year’s Super Bowl which will be played Feb. 5.

On Thursday, Manning made a rare appearance and the news he delivered was inconsequential to the embarrassment of their season.

“We’re still waiting for the fusion to take place, it’s still going slow and we still have some issues with the regeneration of the nerve,” Manning said. “I still have some restrictions.”

Manning has undergone three neck surgeries in the past 19 months, the latest one occurring Sept. 8 when he had a spinal fusion to repair a damaged nerve.

Nobody knows when he’ll be back, not this year and perhaps never.

His status and the total collapse caused by his absence has rocked what was once a proud franchise to its core. Just what to do and where do you go to turn things around?

Do you hope that Manning will be able to come back at some point in December, to play a few games and show that he still has it, that he remains an elite-level quarterback that can refloat the franchise? Will he retire? Do you trade him or cut him adrift.

Nobody seems to know.

Without Manning at the helm, the future of head coach Jim Caldwell is in question and then there is all that ‘Suck For Luck’ crap that stalks the Colts as well as the winless Miami Dolphins.

Andrew Luck is currently starring for Stanford University and is considered a can’t-miss prospect, a star in the making who will turn whatever franchise he plays for around.

One thing for certain — he would be an upgrade over Curtis Painter, the current Colts No. 1 who with each game looks to be more overmatched than the one before.

All those questions and no answers — just a Hall of Fame to be quarterback that doesn’t know if he has played his last game or if he will play for another team.

“Those are all fair questions, but that’s not what I’m going to talk about right now,” Manning told reporters. “I’m thinking about how can I get a little better? (The contract) is really a one-year deal with a four-year extension and that was my recommendation because I wasn’t healthy when I signed the contract. Part of the reason to practise is so the Colts have a fair chance to evaluate where I am. The team has a right to know where you are physically and where your health is.”

Bill Polian, the Colts vice chairman, said earlier this week that he wanted to keep Manning on the active roster so he could practise during the final month of the season, and perhaps make it back into a game.

“I think it’s important for (Manning) to feel like, ‘Hey, I’m back, I can do the things that are necessary to say I can play like I want to,’” Polian said. “The bottom line is he needs to feel good about being back and doing the things he wants to do.”

Manning said he is thinking along the same lines.

“I like to play, I miss being out there in the huddle,” he said. “So if I have a chance to be back out there, I’d love to do it.”

As far as his contract extension goes, but the Colts need to decide by early March whether to kick in the four-year extension by picking up a $28 million option bonus. But on what basis will they make that decision if Manning can’t return this season? Do they go on faith and pray that he will fully recover?

“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,” owner Jim Irsay said Thursday. “The truth is it’s a slow progression and to say that he would hit a ceiling on Dec. 15 or Jan. 1 and he’s not going to get any better, that’s really uncertain. You just don’t know.”

For the most part through this process Irsay has been tweeting away like Nero playing his fiddle while Rome burned.

On Tuesday Irsay tweeted: “8 weeks til xmas, less than 100 days til Super Bowl Peyton’s healing well, maybe he’ll take a snap b4 the ball falls in NYC, New Year’s Eve!”

Perhaps Irsay delights in being a tease. He also offered this one.

“Halfway point of r season, back home Falcons, Jags b4 ByeWeek/The best scenario is #18 comes back BIG TIME 4 big year n’12, we get some wins NOW.”

That’s what it’s down to these days in Indianapolis, a quarterback with no answers, a team in disarray and an owner who tweets nonsense.

Who would have guessed this?