That’s all for today.

TORONTO - 

Who knew that Peyton Manning’s pain in the neck was contagious? It’s turned into an injury that took down the big players in the Indianapolis Colts’ front office.

It’s been hardly a secret for the past decade that Manning’s brilliance as a quarterback was central to the Colts’ steady string of successes, including a Super Bowl title.

Nobody realized, though, how quickly the house of cards constructed by vice-chairman Bill Polian and his son Chris, the club GM, would fall apart without Manning. Both were dismissed Monday.

“It’s a new era,” said owner Jim Irsay during a late-afternoon press conference.

“We’re moving into exciting times by my estimation. The search for a GM begins immediately. We have not talked to any teams or potential GMs yet. This is not like ’97 where we replaced the GM in matter of hours. It will be a matter of time, possibly a couple of weeks.”

After a season without Manning, who has had three neck surgeries in the last year, produced two victories and a chance at the Next Big Thing — Andrew Luck — Irsay came to the conclusion that maybe it was time for some new blood in the Colts’ executive suite.

“It was time,” said Irsay. “It was the right decision to make. Fourteen years is a long time in this league. It’s an intuitive decision. A lot goes into it.”

And, once Irsay gets rolling on this franchise renewal process, the broom could get even broader. He said Monday that head coach Jim Caldwell’s status is still under review.

So, less than 24 hours after the Colts put the capper on a 2-14 season with a loss in Jacksonville, Irsay sent the Polians packing, with the potential for vets like Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Diem and Robert Mathis, (all free agents) to follow in the not-too-distant future.

You might even be able to add Manning’s name to that list. The Colts have to decide whether to pick up Manning’s $28-million option in March and if this turns into a total rebuild, then what would Irsay want with a 36-year-old superstar quarterback with health concerns?

That becomes especially problematic if he has Luck waiting in the wings to be the centrepiece of the next generation of Colt excellence.

As far as Bill Polian is concerned, he was the architect of many moves in the late ’90s and into the new century that created the framework around which Manning could work his magic. His hiring of Tony Dungy was a coup, along with the trading of Marshall Faulk and the subsequent draft of Edgerrin James. The Colts won at least 10 games in every season but one from 1999 through 2010.

Unfortunately, the last five Indianapolis drafts have not produced many impact players as the core of the team got older. Still, Polian can be proud of his record that has earned him NFL Executive of the Year honours six times.

He built Super Bowl teams in both Buffalo and Indianapiolis, with a stop in Carolina in between where he constructed a team that went to the NFC title game.

The Colts were a broken franchise when Polian arrived in 1997 but he ended up with the No. 1 draft pick that he used to select Manning, an immediate star, over Ryan Leaf, a massive bust.

It is difficult to predict how the Manning/Luck situation is going to play out. If Irsay, or his new GM, is able to confidently judge that Manning is going to be able to stand the rigors of regular NFL play again, then there is no reason why Luck couldn’t take a backup role for a season or two before growing into the role as Manning fades into the sunset.

Manning has suggested that he could work with a young quarterback.

“I think I can co-exist with any player I’ve ever played with,” Manning told reporters on Sunday. “I think I’ve always been a good teammate in that way.”

The elephant in the room is not so much Luck but the $28 million that must be paid to Manning early in March as part of his contract. There has been talk of a renegotiation — but not by Manning.

The alternative would be to cut Manning but it would be a very sad way to part company with somebody who was, and remains, an Indianapolis icon.

The futures of Wayne, Saturday and Mathis, as well as several other high-priced veterans, probably rest with Manning.

If he is back and ready to play, then the expectation will be there to contend. But if he’s not in the picture, then many of those veterans will not be there, either, as the rebuild begins.

That’s all the news for today.

INDIANAPOLIS — Colts defensive end Robert Mathis couldn’t care less about the No. 1 draft pick. All he wants is another win.

Some of Indianapolis’ die-hard fans are urging the team’s brain trust to take a different tack, benching starters and losing Sunday’s season finale at Jacksonville so it can get the top pick.

“It’s better not to respond to that at all,” Mathis said when asked about the fans’ plea. “We play to win.”

The stakes are high.

Since moving to Indianapolis in 1984, only the 1991 Colts (1-15) produced fewer than three wins.

The Colts (2-13) have never finished with a losing record in AFC South play, and the last time anybody beat the Colts twice in the same season was 2007 when San Diego won at home in the regular season and in Indianapolis in the second round of the playoffs.

A victory over the Jags (4-11) would keep all of those streaks intact and allow the Colts to take a three-game winning string into next season, something they haven’t done since the 2006 Super Bowl-winning run.

The message coming from the top is simple: Keep on winning.

“We’re not going after anything but a win in Jacksonville, look at the last half century of SupBowl winners — how many had 1st pick,” Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter late Tuesday night.

Fans have a different view.

A win, coupled with a loss by St. Louis (2-13), would drop the Colts from the No. 1 overall slot down to No. 2, and likely out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Most expect the Stanford quarterback to go in that top slot, whether the Colts or Rams have the pick or trade it.

The possibility of losing the No. 1 pick didn’t even seem plausible three weeks ago when the Colts were still winless. Two wins in five days, over division rivals Tennessee and Houston, and an extended break after last Thursday’s win have suddenly created doubts.

It’s not the first time the Colts have faced such a predicament. After going 0-10 in 1997, Indy won three of its next five, then needed a loss at Minnesota in the season finale to secure the No. 1 pick. It worked out with the selection of Peyton Manning, and the die-hards believe it would all work the same way again this year.

The Jags have a hand to play in this, too.

With Maurice Jones-Drew a near lock to win the league’s rushing title and an interim coach running the team, a Jags loss would not just help their draft position but could also prevent the Colts from taking another franchise quarterback they’d have to face twice a year for more than a decade.

“That’s not a part of my thinking at all,” Jaguars interim coach Mel Tucker said.

Indy’s players and coaches are saying the same thing.

Still, Colts fans point to 2009 when the team benched most of its key players early in the second half of Game 15, throwing away a chance at a perfect season. In the regular-season finale, most of the starters were yanked early at Buffalo. Back then, Bill Polian, now the team’s vice chairman, said the perfect season was not a goal but winning the Super Bowl was.

The Colts also lost to New Orleans in the title game.

Now, with seemingly nothing to gain and everything to lose, those who covet the No. 1 pick argue Indy should do the same thing.

Don’t count on it.

“In this locker room, everyone wants to be in there,” said Curtis Painter, who replaced Manning against the Jets in 2009. “Back then, I think the guys wanted to play then, too. Every guy wants to play and there’s certainly no difference this year.”

Notes: The Colts practiced Wednesday without starting quarterback Dan Orlovsky after his wife delivered triplets. That temporarily put Curtis Painter back in the charge of the starting offense, a tradeoff some Colts fans are willing to make given the circumstances. To their dismay, coach Jim Caldwell said Orlovsky, who has won two straight, should return to practice Thursday and should play Sunday.

What do you guys think about this.

Even though they won two games in a row, the Indianapolis Colts can still secure the first overall pick in the NFL Draft if they lose their final game. They defeated the Houston Texans 19-16 on Thursday, December 22. However, the team is still on track to earn that first pick. Many expect that pick to be Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck. Over the years, the Colts franchise has had a checkered relationship with the number one pick. Here is a look at the top overall picks in Colts history.

George Shaw

Shaw was drafted first overall in 1955. He spent four seasons with the Colts and another four with various teams. He made 17 starts in his first two seasons with the Colts at quarterback. He only made 12 starts in the rest of his career after that.

Bubba Smith

Smith was chosen first overall in 1967. He was not a Hall of Fame player but he did have a nice career in the NFL. He spent five years with the Colts and reached the Pro Bowl two times. He was also part of a Super Bowl winning team. Smith is remembered as one of the more popular defensive linemen in the NFL.

John Elway

Elway had a Hall of Fame career and is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history. Unfortunately, he never played a down for the Colts. Elway refused to play for the team out of college and was traded to the Denver Broncos.

Jeff George

George came out of college with a lot of hype. When the Colts selected him first overall, the hope was the he would be a franchise quarterback. But in his four seasons with the team, George never quite lived up to the billing. He did have a long NFL career as a journeyman but never really did enough to make his pick warranted.

Steve Emtman

Emtman was a much hyped defensive lineman when the Colts took him first overall. He was chosen after a strong college career in Washington. After three disastrous years with the Colts, his time was done there. He spent three more years in the league. Emtman had just five sacks in his three seasons with the Colts.

Peyton Manning

There is no question that Manning has been a huge hit as the top overall pick. The Colts chose him in 1998 over Ryan Leaf and they have never looked back. He is on track to break passing record and also brought the team a Super Bowl title. Manning will go down as one of the greatest ever.

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There is the quick update of the day.

The Indianapolis Colts have struggled in 2011. The opened the season 0-13 and looked as if they had a possibility of going winless on the season. Then the team dug in and won two games in a row to move to 2-13 on the season. Through the ups and downs, Reggie Wayne has always been there and has had a very good season.

Indianapolis’ statistics are down across the board on offense from what fans are used to seeing. Peyton Manning has not played this season and the quarterback play has been just awful. Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter were downright awful for the first 11 games of the season. Dan Orlovsky has been a big improvement and has the team playing better football lately.

Even with the poor quarterback play, Reggie Wayne has hung in there and is quietly having a very good season at 33 years old. A lot of talk has been made recently about Wayne’s upcoming free agency and that the December 22 matchup against the Houston Texans could have been his last game at Lucas Oil Stadium. If it was, Wayne didn’t disappoint. He didn’t disappoint this entire season when you factor in what he’s had to play through.

With one game left to play, Wayne has 67 receptions for 887 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Wayne has an average of 13.2 yards per catch which is higher than his averages of the last two seasons. You can’t fault Wayne for the fact that his quarterbacks have been awful and have not been able to get him the ball.

Indianapolis has two wins on the season and both wins were clinched with touchdown catches by Reggie Wayne. This is no coincidence.

Reggie needs 113 yards in the finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 1 to finish off his eighth straight season with over 1,000 yards receiving. This would be an amazing feat when fans look back on this seasons Indianapolis Colt team.

Wide receiver Pierre Garcon currently has one more catch and 37 more yards on the season than Wayne. Garcon has been the beneficiary of several deep balls early in the season and yardage that has been added on late in blowout losses. Wayne has consistently made the big plays and catches in key situations. Anyone who argues that Garcon has become the better player is simply not watching the games.

It’s impossible to say what would have been in Indianapolis if Peyton Manning had not missed the season. What I do know is that Reggie Wayne has not lost a step and deserves to be re-signed in Indianapolis to complete his career there. If anything, he needs to be rewarded for the work he has put in over the last 11 seasons. Fans have to appreciate the work Reggie Wayne has put in all season in 2011.

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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If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

The Houston Texans can’t beat the Indianapolis Colts on the road. Even with the Colt sitting at 1-13 and the Texans already secured a playoff spot, Houston managed to lose. The loss dropped Houston’s record in Indianapolis to 0-10. They now have the second worst active road record against one opponent without a win. Houston’s missed opportunity keeps on this dubious list a little longer. Here are the worst active road losing streaks for one team against one opponent without a win in the regular season.

San Diego Chargers – 14 losses versus Pittsburgh Steelers

This is an interesting streak. While the Chargers are 0-14 against Pittsburgh in the regular season on the road, they have actually won twice there in the playoffs. Still, this list is about the regular season and the Chargers just don’t win in Pittsburgh. The streak began back in 1971. The Chargers have been close a few times but they have also been blown out a few times. The worst loss was a 52-24 pounding in 1984.

Houston Texans – 10 losses versus Indianapolis Colts

Houston is just 3-17 overall against the Colts. All three wins came at home. They have missed some opportunities to end their skid in Indianapolis. They led into the final minute of the 2011 game before losing. They also lost one score games in 2008 and 2009.

Minnesota Vikings – Nine losses versus Indianapolis Colts

The Vikings have never won a road game against the Colts. That counts nine regular season games and one playoff game. Most of those losses occurred when the Colts played in Baltimore. Only two of the losses have come since the team moved to Indianapolis. The Vikings lost by a field goal there in 2004 and were crushed in 2000. The last time they faced the Colts on the road before that was 1968. Minnesota went 5-0 against the Colts at home between those years.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Seven losses versus Tennessee Titans

The Buccaneers have not fared well on the road against the Titans since joining the league in 1976. They have all seven of those games. The first four came when the Titans were the Houston Oilers. The last three came when the franchise moved. Tampa Bay lost in Tennessee 23-17 in 2011 for the seventh straight loss on the road against the team.ousHH

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That’s all for today.

Tennessee Titans defensive end Jason Jones reaches out to Indianapolis Colts running back Donald Brown during the second half Sunday. Brown rushed for a career-high 161 yards, including an 80-yard TD gallop. (Sam Riche, MCT)

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts avoided their first 0-16 season thanks to a quarterback who was trying to prevent his second.

Dan Orlovsky, who closed out the NFL’s only 0-16 season with Detroit in 2008, threw one touchdown pass and the key block to spring an 80-yard touchdown run Sunday and lead the previously winless Colts to a 27-13 victory over playoff hopeful Tennessee.

It was the Colts’ first win in 14 games without Peyton Manning, and all it took was 14 tries and three quarterbacks.

Colts players and coaches celebrated by throwing their arms in the air, and Orlovsky got to close it out by taking the traditional kneel downs for the first time in his NFL career.

“I’m happy for a lot of people on this team, for a lot of people in this organization,” Orlovsky said. “It’s a lot better than the feeling we’ve had lately.”

Indianapolis (1-13) had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity, 50 weeks, since their previous win, also at home against the Titans.

For Orlovsky, the drought was even longer. The seven-year veteran was 0-9 in his previous NFL starts. He didn’t have to do too much Sunday, going 11-of-17 passing for 82 yards and one touchdown, but he didn’t turn the ball over. And though the numbers looked nothing like Manning’s, they were good enough to get a win.

“I think in my career, I’ve learned not to take them (wins) for granted,” Orlovsky said, drawing polite laughter.

Donald Brown added a career-high 161 yards rushing, including a late 80-yard touchdown run for Indianapolis.

The Colts will need their offense to keep playing like this in the final two games, after team vice chairman Bill Polian announced that Manning would not be back this season, though he has started throwing to his teammates.

For Tennessee, the loss was a devastating blow.

Had the Titans (7-7) closed out the season with three wins, they might have been able to reach the postseason without any help. Now the Titans will probably need to win their last two games and get help from some others to make it.

But Tennessee had only itself to blame for this one.

Matt Hasselbeck was 27-of-40 passing for 223 yards, no TDs and two interceptions before being lifted in favor of rookie Jake Locker. Chris Johnson ran 15 times for 55 yards. The Titans lost a fumble and also muffed a kickoff out of bounds at their 1-yard line.

“I never would have expected us to come out, and they’re playing like the team going to the playoffs and we’re the team that’s 0-13,” said Titans coach Mike Munchak. “We just weren’t playing well at all. The intensity wasn’t there at the start.”

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

The Indianapolis Colts are still in search of their first victory of the season in week 15. This is not what I expected to be writing about at the beginning of the season, but here we are. Indianapolis has only three games remaining to avoid finishing the season winless. This week they will face the Tennessee Titans at home on December 18.

This game will be the best chance for Dan Orlovsky to show what he can do against an average team. In his first two starts, Orlovsky faced the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens and was not terrible. He was clearly better than Curtis Painter and he actually moved the ball and helped the team score points on offense. There is no reason why he should not do significantly better against the Tennessee Titans.

Indianapolis needs to try to air it out downfield to Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne in this game. They have nothing to lose and need to be more aggressive in this game. As a fan of the team, it remains frustrating that the coaching staff refuses to do anything unconventional in an attempt to win. Why not go for it on every fourth down? There is no downside to it at all at this point. There is no reason why fans should expect anything different from Jim Caldwell this week though. It’s as if he has no idea that he is coaching for his job.

Colt fans early in the week appeared lucky enough to be facing rookie quarterback Jake Locker. Matt Hasselbeck now looks like he is on pace to start against the Colts. Whichever quarterback gets the start, they should have no trouble moving the ball against the Colt defense. One sign of hope is that Indianapolis generally does a very good job defending against running back Chris Johnson. If they can slow Johnson down, they may even stand a chance in this game. Tennessee does not have an explosive offense and should not be able to run away in this game.

I think this is a game where Indianapolis remains competitive and can put themselves in a position to win the game. They will likely fall short like every other game this year. At this point, fans can only hope that Dan Orlvosky will pull off his fourth quarter magic and make the game appear closer than it really is again. Orlovsky has shown that he is great at scoring points in the fourth quarter when the game is out of hand. Luckily, I think he’ll be able to do that and give fans hope that the game was actually closer than it really was.

Prediction: Titans 24, Colts 17

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Peyton Manning can still throw a football! As minor as this seems, this is big news for fans of Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. It’s been over three months since his last surgery and Manning recently got news that he is progressing. Coach Jim Caldwell announced on December 14 that Manning has begun throwing the ball again. He has yet to participate in practice but throwing the ball is a step forward.

The most important news will be whether Manning’s body responds well to increased activity. If he suffers no setback, Manning would very much be on pace to play at the beginning of the 2012 season. If he is in fact healthy, there is no doubt he should be playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck could also be in Indianapolis, but there is no doubt that Peyton Manning would be the quarterback.

As a fan of the team, it’s nice to hear any positive news on Manning. Indianapolis Colt fans have had very little positive news in 2011 and any progress for Manning is great news. Indianapolis is trying not to go winless after an 0-13 start to the season in 2011. Fans have had to suffer through seeing Manning watching the team from the sidelines this season.

For fans who questioned all year why Manning was still on the active roster, they may soon have an answer. If Manning is healthy enough and gets cleared to practice, he should. It will help a lot more to have him line up on the field and throw to the ball to Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie than equipment managers and trainers. This is the reason Indianapolis has held out a roster spot for Manning in 2011. Owner Jim Irsay recently said that Manning is unlikely to suit up and play in games in 2011 at this point.

Even if they end the year 0-16, fans should all be encouraged if Manning is in pads and practicing with teammates soon. As a big fan of Manning, it leaves me excited and encouraged for the future.

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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Leave your comments on the news below.

The Indianapolis Colts are now 0-13 after a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Indianapolis fell behind early and were never able to recover. Dan Orlovsky’s fourth quarter comeback fell 14 points short this week after he almost came back on the New England Patriots in a loss on November 4. The fact is that Orlovsky and the Colts are simply not playing good football. They very much look like an 0-13 football team.

I fully expected the Raven defense to put constant pressure on the Colts and they did just that all game. Orlovsky was sacked four times, fumbled three times and threw an interception in the game. This is not uncommon against the Baltimore defense though. Orlovsky can’t be faulted for his subpar performance. The offensive line was continually beaten by a superior defensive front.

Indianapolis abandoned the run early after falling behind and never got anything going on the ground. Donald Brown, Joseph Addai, and Delone Carter only combined to run 16 times for 50 yards in the game. Addai was used very little and fans have to wonder why he isn’t playing more. Addai began the season as the starter and has played hardly played in the second half of the season. Donald Brown has played well, but Addai deserves to get more work than he has lately.

As a fan of the team, this is just one of the many questionable decisions by coach Jim Caldwell this season. I can only hope that I am watching Caldwell coach the final three games of his career. It’s difficult to explain how poorly Caldwell has done this season. He has done nothing to prove that he deserves to keep his job.

To get an idea of how bad they played, Indianapolis only had 68 total yards of offense before the fourth quarter when the score was 24-3 and the game was out of reach. This is before Dan Orlovsky rallied the team to a last second touchdown that made the score appear closer than it was for the second week in a row.

For all their losses to injury recently, the Indianapolis defense was not terrible. They only allowed only 24 points to a very good team. They created a turnover, which has become rare, and had two big sacks by Dwight Freeney. You know times are tough when getting a single turnover in a loss is progress for a team.

The loss moves Indianapolis one week closer to the end of the season and the top draft pick for the 2012 NFL draft. The talk about Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck and what will happen with the quarterback position last year will only continue to grow. As a fan of the team, I’m just ready for the season to be over and the losses to stop.

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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I got quite a few e-mails this week from Ravens fans who say they’re worried about Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.

My favorite was from someone we’ll call Rick in Glen Burnie. Rick made the Colts sound like a team that, if not for a few bad breaks, should be playing in the Super Bowl. I could almost hear the poor guy hyperventilating over the keyboard.

Look how well the Colts played against New England last week, he wrote.

Look how they came back from being down 31-3 in the fourth quarter to make a game of it. Look at the game quarterback Dan Orlovsky had (30-for-37 passing for 353 yards and two touchdowns).

By the time Rick was through, I had to look up the NFL standings to make sure the Colts were still 0-12 and the front-runners for the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.

“This is a trap game,” Rick concluded. “If the Ravens can lose to Tennessee, Jacksonville and Seattle, they can lose to the Colts.”

Rick, Rick, Rick — talk about a guy getting worked up for nothing.

Know the old saying about how on any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team?

Well, that doesn’t apply to the Colts. At least not this year’s Colts without Peyton Manning.

No, the old saying that applies to them now is: On any given Sunday, the Colts will look awful and you can pencil them in for an “L” right now.

Is that too harsh? Maybe. But unless the Ravens have 45 guys throw out their backs at game time, there’s no way they lose to the Colts.

For one thing, unlike the Patriots, the Ravens have a great defense. They rank third in the league in overall “D.” They rank fourth in points allowed per game (16.0). And they lead the league in sacks (41) and forced fumbles (16).

With or without linebacker Ray Lewis in the lineup — and there’s no way he plays Sunday — the Ravens’ defense still scares other teams.

It still pounds opponents into submission. If the Ravens’ defenders get after Orlovsky the way they got after the Cleveland Browns’ Colt McCoy last week, Orlovsky will have nightmares about this day for years.

Here’s another reason the Ravens won’t lose: They’ve always been tough down the stretch when they can smell the playoffs.

Since John Harbaugh took over as coach in 2008, they’re an NFL-best 24-9 in November, December and January.

Oh, sure, there were days this week when the Ravens seemed bored and the locker room wasn’t exactly crackling with intensity. You knew it wasn’t Steelers week, that’s for sure.

But when they come out of that tunnel Sunday and the crowd roars and the whistle blows, it’ll be all business again for this team — the business of securing home-field advantage for the playoffs.

Which brings us to the third reason they won’t lose: The game is here at the Bank. And the Ravens, to a man, get super jacked up to play in front of the home crowd.

That’s all the news for today.

Indianapolis —
The history of how the Colts franchise moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in March, 1984 is always resurrected when the Indianapolis Colts face the Baltimore Ravens.

Few long time Baltimore Colts will ever forget the franchise’s history of relocating to the Midwest “during the dead of night in a fleet of Mayflower moving vans.”

But to the vast majority on this year’s Colts and Ravens teams, that’s old history. These Indianapolis and Baltimore rosters are filled with players who hadn’t been born or were toddlers when the franchise changed cities.

“[The history of the Colts and Ravens is] not as relevant for me as, maybe, some of the older guys. But that happened in 1984, so I was like four or five years old at that time,” Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney acknowledged Wednesday.

For Ravens running back Ray Rice, meanwhile, the only history that he’s interested in is the one that reminds him  that he’s never played for a Baltimore team that has beaten the Colts.

That could all change Sunday when Indianapolis (0-12) and Baltimore (9-3) faces off at M&T Bank Stadium (1 p.m., CBS Sports).

“Let’s face it, I’ve won a lot of games in my career, but one team that I’ve never beaten is the Indianapolis Colts. I’m not saying that’s an added motive for the game, but they’ve hurt us. And they’ve beaten us when it mattered,” Rice said in a Wednesday teleconference.

“So when you think about them, regardless of their record, those guys are professionals over there and they are going to come ready to play. No one wants to go through a season without winning a game, and we know it’s not a game we can [overlook].”

He is quick to point to last week’s 31-24 loss by Indianapolis against AFC East leader New England.

“Look at what they did last week against the Patriots, they were right in it. Their record doesn’t tell their story,” Rice said.

“They’re young, talented and they have guys ready to step up and make plays. Anytime that you’ve got to face adversity at the quarterback position without Peyton [Manning] there and all of that other stuff that he brought to the team. And then they’ve had injuries. So you’ve got to look at what they’re going through, and try not to look at what their record is and know that they’re going to be ready to play.”

Colts coach Jim Caldwell knows that it’s going to be a battle to try and pull out a much-needed Indianapolis victory.

“They give you all kinds of problems, and they don’t just do it one way. They do a great job of stopping the run, but they can also affect your [passing game],” Caldwell said.

“You’ll find some teams that are maybe good run-stoppers but can’t defend the pass or vice versa. These guys [Baltimore] can do both, and do both extremely well.”

Roster moves – The Colts’ player personnel department has been busy the last few days.

On Tuesday, Indianapolis signed cornerback/safety Brandon King off the Miami practice squad, claimed linebacker Kevin Bentley off waivers from Jacksonville, elevated cornerback Mike Holmes from the practice squad to the active roster, signed offensive guard Mike Tepper to the practice squad and placed rookie defensive tackle Drake Nevis (back) on IR.

And rookie tight end Mike McNeill, who had been waived off the team’s active roster Monday evening, was re-signed to the Colts’ practice squad Wednesday.

Injury list – Tight ends Dallas Clark (fibula) and Brody Eldridge (hand) both practiced fully. Clark and Eldridge were injured against Atlanta on Nov. 6. Their availability for the Baltimore game won’t be determined until Friday or Saturday.

Also practicing Wednesday was fullback Ryan Mahaffey (concussion). Mahaffey was hurt against Carolina two weeks ago and did not play against the Patriots last week.

Sitting out the workout were linebackers Pat Angerer (knee), A.J. Edds (ankle) and Ernie Sims (toe); defensive end Dwight Freeney (rest) and wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (groin),

Quarterback Peyton Manning (neck) was on the practice field Wednesday but did not take part in the workout.

That’s all for today.

As if an 0-12 record wasn’t bad enough, the Indianapolis Colts continue to be hampered by injuries in 2011. The team has already played the whole season with quarterback Peyton Manning(notes). They seem to lose more and more players every week and this week is no different.

In the loss to the Patriots on December 4, Indianapolis may have lost two of their best defensive players remaining. Pat Angerer(notes) left the game early with a knee injury and Jerraud Powers(notes) left the game with an arm injury. Angerer is second in the NFL in tackles after missing the game and Powers is the best cornerback on the roster.

The defense lost Gary Brackett(notes) and Melvin Bullitt(notes) to season ending injuries very early in the season. Eric Foster(notes) has been a key on the defensive line and has been missed since he suffered a gruesome injury early in the season. Rookie defensive tackle Drake Nevis(notes) has missed a large portion of the season with a back injury. In a year where the play of the defense has been very inconsistent, these players make up the most consistent players at their positions on the roster.

While it can be argued that the team has been lucky enough to have healthy seasons from both Dwight Freeney(notes) and Robert Mathis(notes), they can’t do everything by themselves. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was recently fired and replaced with linebackers coach Mike Murphy. This change is unlikely to have a major impact for the rest of this season but was more made as a statement. As bad as Coyer had done, the injuries the team has suffered has made the job even more difficult this season.

At this point in the season fans are ready to finish the last four games and move on. A winless record doesn’t make anyone happy and Colt fans have had about enough. The injuries will allow the team to get a look at more players that could play a role in the future of the organization. As a fan, I can only hope that everyone injured can rehab and return for a much better season in 2012.

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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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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The Indianapolis Colts have finally made an organizational move in response to their 0-11 start to the season. Many fans felt that head coach Jim Caldwell would be the first in the organization to get fired. After a poor defensive effort against the Carolina Panthers, the team announced that they have fired defensive coordinator Larry Coyer.

Indianapolis’ defense is last in the NFL in points allowed per game. They rank 31st in rush yards allowed per game and 29th in yards allowed per game. The defense also has the fourth fewest sacks in the NFL. This is a defense that has Pro Bowl players in Dwight Freeney(notes), Robert Mathis(notes) and Antoine Bethea(notes). They have talented young players like Pat Angerer(notes), Kavell Conner(notes), and Jerraud Powers(notes). There is no reason why this defense should be performing this poorly.

As a fan I feel that this move was long overdue. Every game it’s seemed as if the defense has been poorly prepared and did not make adjustments to what everyone seemed to know the opposing offense wanted to do. Coyer came up with the terrible idea of constantly stunting speed rushers Freeney and Mathis which makes it more difficult for them to get to the quarterback. Coyer also refused to blitz and bring pressure when the defensive line was completely unable to pressure quarterbacks.

Mike Murphy will take over for Coyer as defensive coordinator for the remainder of the season. Murphy has been the linebackers coach in Indianapolis since 1998. Murphy is a proven veteran coach in the NFL and should be able to step right into the role.

There’s no certainty that Murphy will immediately turn around the defense in Indianapolis. At this point in the season there was no reason not to make the change. This is the same move I’ve been hoping would be made with Jim Caldwell. While that still may be the case after the season is over, this move shows that losing will not be accepted by the team. Coyer is the first to go but will surely not be the last. At 0-11, the team has many issues and fans can only hope that this is the first of many changes to be made.

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.

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