Dan Orlovsky isn’t as imosing behind center as Peyton Manning but the Ravens must respect him none the less. / AP

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David Ginsburg

Associated Press

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Thanks for reading! .

Read More: Peyton Manning (QB – IND), Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have played their way to an 0-12 record without star QB Peyton Manning and it doesn’t sound like they’ll have him back during the 2011 season. Colts owner Jim Irsay told WRTV in Indianapolis that he can’t “envision Peyton playing this year.”

Surprised? No, I’m not. That’s been pretty much what we’ve thought for some time. Manning’s recovery process has never had a time table but as we sit here entering Week 14 Manning still isn’t practicing and he would presumably have to practice at least a little bit before the Colts sent him back out there.

Plus, with Manning’s injury and the Colts season going nowhere, there’s really no reason to risk Manning’s health, especially when you aren’t sure of what his future is.

The stories involving Manning are less about his injury these days and more about how the Colts will handle the situation when they inevitably earn the No. 1 pick and the right to draft Andrew Luck.

So likely no Manning in 2011 is what we expected, but that doesn’t make their decision on him (and his bonus) next March any easier.

Leave your comments on the news below.

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), Jeff Saturday (C – IND), Mike Pollak (G – IND), Joe Reitz (OT – IND), Pat Angerer (LB – IND), Brody Eldridge (TE – IND), Blair White (WR – IND), Terrence Johnson (DB – IND), Anthony Castonzo (OT – IND), Indianapolis Colts

The injuries mount for the Indianapolis Colts whose season doesn’t seem like it could go anymore wrong. In addition to Peyton Manning who is out after neck surgery, regulars Dwight Freeney, Terrence Johnson, Jeff Saturday, Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai either didn’t participate or were limited in practice. 

At 0-8, you have to wonder when exactly the Colts might rest some normal starters permanently in an effort to improve its draft positioning. Peyton Manning’s neck injury suggests that his career may be nearing the end and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck appears to be the top prize in this year’s draft. The Colts could potentially improve themselves in the long run by losing games on the field this season. 

Here is a look at the full Indianapolis Colts injury report for November 2. 

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

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts will keep Peyton Manning on the active roster so he can practice later this season, though it remains unlikely Manning will play in a regular-season game.

Bill Polian, the team’s vice chairman, told radio listeners Monday night that he would not necessarily want Manning playing behind their banged-up offensive line. Injuries have decimated the line, forcing the Colts to insert three new starters and move a fourth starter since opening day.

The only player who has started in the same place every week is Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday.

And with an 0-8 mark, it doesn’t look like the Colts will be making a playoff run.

But Polian wants Manning to practice so he can determine whether he’s recovered from September’s neck surgery.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

A slight glimmer of good news came out Tuesday after the Indianapolis Colts 62-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Team executive Bill Polian stated that it is still possible that Peyton Manning could return and play this season. At 0-7 through the first seven games, Colts fans are looking for any sign of positive news at this point. The team is coming off one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history and is at its lowest point since drafting Manning in 1998.

Peyton Manning
Kyle Rapoza

The news that Manning could begin jogging soon is a good sign for Colts fans. Whether he plays in 2011 or not, the news means that he is taking steps forward in his rehab from his latest neck surgery. Fans have been suffering through only seeing sights of Manning on the sidelines watching during games.

As a fan of the Colts, I have mixed emotions about the possibility of Manning playing this season. Part of me wants to see Manning go on the injured reserve, take the year off, and get completely healthy. If healthy in 2012, Peyton likely has a good four or five years left in him and has shown little signs of regressing before his injury. Even if the Colts get the opportunity to draft Andrew Luck, Manning will be the quarterback in 2012 if healthy. Peyton is the face of the Colts franchise and they have suffered without him this season.

I also feel that if Manning is cleared by doctors and truly can return to full health this season that maybe he should play. His return would likely lead the Colts to a win which they are currently desperate for. Manning’s return would also signal to the fans that he is healthy and serious about competing and winning for the rest of his career. The Colts will obviously be very careful about Peyton’s rehab progression and would only bring him back if he is absolutely healthy. While the chances remain slim, it’s nice to hear that there is still a possibility.

The talk about Andrew Luck will not die down any time soon. This is encouraging news for Colts and Peyton Manning(notes) fans. The smart move at this point is likely to have Peyton take the year off and ensure he is healthy.

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.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

What do you guys think about this.

The Indianapolis Colts are currently 0-7 and are in contention to finish the season with one of the worst records in the NFL. All NFL fans are aware that this is also known in 2011 as the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Former Colts coach Tony Dungy recently stated that if the Colts are in position to draft Andrew Luck that they should do so even if it means trading quarterback Peyton Manning. Andrew Luck is a special talent and would be a great draft pick for the Colts but Peyton Manning(notes) is one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

With the new rookie wage scale in place, it would be possible for the Colts to afford to pay both Manning and Luck if possible. In prior years it would be impossible for the Colts to afford the contracts of Manning, Dwight Freeney(notes) and a number one overall draft pick under the salary cap.

While I feel that the Colts indeed have to take Luck if they do end up with the number one pick, they shouldn’t do so at the expense of Manning. Looking at Aaron Rodgers(notes) recent success further solidifies the idea of sitting a quarterback and allowing him to learn and grow behind a proven veteran. The argument against that is that Luck appears that he is ready to play and contribute immediately. If Peyton Manning can return 100% healthy he deserves to retire and play his final game in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts. Manning is a Colt and if the team traded him it would disappoint their fan base immensely. As a huge fan of Peyton Manning, I can’t imagine seeing a Colts team without Manning if he is healthy. Only Peyton knows the seriousness of his injury longterm but the team has to move forward believing that Manning is the quarterback for the next three or four years.

If the Colts don’t make a change at the top, head coach, drafting Andrew Luck wouldn’t matter quite as much. Luck appears to be a great talent but is young and needs good coaching to develop into a great quarterback in his NFL career. Jim Caldwell is not that coach. While Peyton Manning would be a great mentor for a young quarterback and be an excellent tutor for Andrew Luck, a strong coach needs to be in place as well.

Colts fans should be excited about the possibility of drafting Andrew Luck. Luck appears that he is the real deal and could lead the Colts or whatever team he goes to for the next 10-15 years. The Colts are witnessing how important the quarterback position is in the NFL and are struggling with backup Curtis Painter(notes) in 2011. At 0-7, quarterback is far from the Colts only problem but has been a major issue in 2011. If the Colts are lucky enough to draft Andrew Luck, it would be a great sign for the future for Colts fans everywhere.

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.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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

Before Sunday’s over, the Peyton Manning(notes)-less Indianapolis Colts are likely to be 0-7, as they face the Saints in the Sunday night national game. Being 0-7 is not good, but as it turns out, 2011 is a pretty good year to be terrible. Being that bad makes the Colts one of the leading contenders to draft Andrew Luck, the can’t-miss quarterback prospect out of Stanford, first overall in next year’s draft.

If things did go down that way, the Colts would have something of a dilemma at the quarterback position. In Luck, they’d have one of the best quarterback prospects in a decade or two. But Peyton Manning plans on returning, too, and he just happens to be a Colts icon and arguably, the best quarterback of all-time.

What should the Colts do in that case? According to Tony Dungy, former Colts head coach and current NBC analyst, they should trade Peyton Manning.

“I would see [Peyton] competing and playing as long as he wanted. And if it gets to the point to where, hey, he comes back and it looks like he’s gonna play three or four more years, and you say, ‘We’ve got Andrew Luck, we’ve got an asset, we trade [Peyton]. I think that asset is too much to pass up, even if your quarterback wasn’t all that happy about it.”

That’s about the last thing I’d have expected Dungy to say, but say it he did on the Dan Patrick show. Dungy coached Manning for seven years, and Manning is the biggest reason that Dungy has a Super Bowl ring. It’s a little shocking to hear that he’d be so willing to just ship Manning out of town for a couple of draft picks.

There are a ton of things that would have to happen before we even got to such a conversation — the Colts getting the first pick, drafting Luck, Manning throwing a fit about it (which is maybe the most unlikely thing), etc. Add in all the questions about Manning’s health, which at this moment, still appears to be some kind of House-like medical mystery. It’s a little silly to even have this conversation. Let’s indulge it, though.

I don’t know how you’d trade Peyton Manning. He’s as intertwined with the Colts franchise as any athlete ever has been with any franchise. And not just that, but we’re seeing right now exactly how valuable Manning is as a player — without him, the Colts disintegrate. And if the Colts did, for some reason, want to play Luck immediately, what better situation could there be for a young quarterback than learning under Peyton Manning?

Related: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

That’s all for today.

Read More: Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts, Sep 25, 2011 8:20 PM EDT

On balance, the Pittsburgh Steelers probably should not have needed a last-second field goal from Shaun Suisham to put away the Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis Colts on Sunday evening. But they did need that field goal, and nonetheless improved to 2-1 on the season with the road victory.

The win was enough for Fox Sports analyst Brian Billick to move the Steelers up to no. 4 in his NFL Power Rankings, but clearly he has some reservations about Pittsburgh at this point in the young season. “The Steelers of old would have put this one away early,” he notes. Billick also takes issue with the Steelers’ use of the run game, saying, “I’d like to see them committed to the run even when its [sic] not particularly effective from a statistical standpoint.”

Against the winless Colts, Pittsburgh ran the ball 28 times for 67 yards for a putrid 2.4-yard average. Indianapolis did a particularly effective job bottling up lead back Rashard Mendenhall, limiting him to 37 yards on 18 carries. And as Michael Bean of SB Nation’s Behind the Steel Curtain points out, one of Mendenhall’s carries went for 15 yards, “which for us non-math majors means his other 17 attempts went for a grand total of 22 yards.” It’s easy to see why Bean listed “Run Game” in the “Ugly” department in his latest “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” post.

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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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PITTSBURGH – 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.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

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.

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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.”

That’s all the news for today.

Read More: Peyton Manning (QB – IND), Indianapolis Colts

The surgeons who performed Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning’s third neck operation in 19 months say the operation ”very well, without complication” and that the prognosis on his recovery is good, the Associated Press reports.

Los Angeles-based father and son doctors Robert Watkins Sr. and Robert Watkins Jr. of Watkins Spine performed the procedure at Marina Del Rey Hospital.

Manning underwent a procedure to repair a bulging disk in his neck at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago on May 23. That procedure, his second in 15 months, was expected to have a six-to-eight week recovery time. Thursday’s procedure, a “single level anterior fusion” will keep the four-time league MVP out for two-to-three months, and could sideline Manning for the entire 2011 season.

The Colts had already ruled Manning out for this Sunday’s season opener against the Houston Texans, ending Manning’s 227-game consecutive start streak. Veteran Kerry Collins was coaxed out of retirement during training camp and be the first quarterback other than Manning to start in the regular season since 1997. Despite the grim prognosis of Manning’s availability this season, the Colts are not ready to end Manning’s season.

“Rehabilitation from such surgery is typically an involved process,” the Colts official statement on Manning read. “Therefore, there will be no estimation of a return date at this time.  We will keep Peyton on the active roster until we have a clearer picture of his recovery process.”

For more reaction on the suddenly Manning-less Colts, visit Stampede Blue.

Gotta run!.

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

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