Review/Preview

Review

If you look at the stat sheet for the Colts` 28-16 victory over the Broncos, you`d think it was Dallas Clark (left) against Richard Marshall and little else. Well, you`d have a point. But we here at ColtPlay look at Clark, Marshall, the guys trying to cover them and every other minute detail about the game.

We'll start with Clark, whose three touchdown scores resulted in more points than the Broncos scored in total. Clark has always run hot and cold, and on Sunday he was white hot. The Broncos decided to cover him primarily with nickel `backer Wesley Woodyard. It seemed like a good decision at the time because Woodyard is much better than their other linebackers in coverage, and is bigger and stronger than most safeties. But he is not bigger and stronger than Clark, and nor is he as fast, quick or talented. Clark beat him four times, three of which went for TDs.

His other big catch was a thing of beauty, not just for him, but for offensive coordinator Tom Moore. It was 4th-and-4 at the Broncos` 34. The Colts line up single setback with Clark at tight end on the right, Reggie Wayne split wide left and Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon in the slot on the right. The Broncos counter with a bizarre-looking 2-3-6. Clark goes in motion, splits wide right. The Broncos are confused. The snap. Clark blows by the corner (was it Champ Bailey?), who went after Garcon, and was matched one-on-one with Brian Dawkins. Dawkins has had a long and distinguished career, but was beaten badly on that one.

The other tight ends didn’t do much. Gijon Robinson caught the only pass thrown his way (a seven yarder on 2nd-and-9), while Jacob Tamme did not catch the only one thrown his way. Robinson was so-so as a blocker, while Jamie Richard – who showed up in short yardage packages – looked better than he has recently. I like this kid and hope to see him get more snaps. By the way, when was the last time anyone saw that Pollak kid?

Although Collie’s touchdown on the opening drive was a thing of beauty, the wide receivers as a group did not impress. Catching just 9 of 22 passes for 121 yards, they seemed unable to get as open as they are used to. Even Collie had problems when he was not matched up against fellow rookie Alphonso Smith.

Peyton Manning’s butt injury is bothering me. He went 27-15-154-3-1 for a 93.8 rating in the first half, and 15-5-66-1-2 for a 44.8 rating in the second. He’s known as a second-half performer, so the injury could have been bothering him as the game wore on. I guess it bears watching, but since Manning has missed just one snap in his career due to injury (a broken frickin' jaw), and veteran No. 2 passer Jim Sorgi is on the IR, I expect he’ll pull it up.

This is the point where I’d normally be saying that Colt fans are unduly praising a halfback. And I will, but this time it’s fan favourite Mike Hart, not fan favourite Joseph Addai. Actually, Addai had a fairly decent game, gaining 67 yards on 16 carries (4.19 average) and 49 yards on five catches. Still, he caught just five of the eight passes thrown his way, and even dropped a crucial one. And he did not look that sharp as a blocker.

People are praising Hart’s “courage” and “ability to get tough yards.” To me, that usually means he had terrible stats; and it's true this time. Hart rushed 28 yards on 9 carries (3.11) and failed to catch the single pass thrown his way. Of course, total stats never tell the whole story, so let’s look at his carries:

1st quarter 11:15 1st-and-10 @ Denver’s 17 Off LT for three yards
1st quarter 5:51 1st-and-10 @ Denver’s 11 Between LG and C for one yard
3rd quarter 8:02 1st-and-10 @ Indy’s 25 Between C and RG for four yards
3rd quarter 4:28 2nd-and-10 @ Indy’s 14 Between RT and TE for two yards
4th quarter 4:41 1st-and-10 @ Denver’s 14 Off RT (no TE) for five yards
4th quarter 3:53 2nd-and-10 @ Denver’s 14 Off LT (no TE) for nine yards
4th quarter 3:12 3rd-and-1 @ Denver’s 5 Off LTE for two yards
4th quarter 2:43 1st-and-Goal @ Denver’s 3 Between RT and RTE for two yards (note: three TEs and a FB)
4th quarter 2:35 2nd-and-Goal @ Denver’s 1 Between RG and RT for no gain (note: three TEs and a FB)

Not that impressive if you ask me. Denver’s decent against the run, but not special. On a team like the Colts, a halfback that can take over in the second half, keep the chains moving and taking the pressure off Manning would be ideal. I don’t see that back on the roster.

Oh, and the battle for dominance at fullback continues unabated. Cody Glenn, Eric Foster and Chad Simpson all saw snaps there. My money’s on Glenn, who has yet to see Down 1 as a linebacker.

I predicted the right side of the line would have problems with Elvis Dumervil and Vonnie Holliday; and I was right. But other than right tackle Ryan Diem – who had fits with Dumervil – nobody looked bad. Special nods to guards Ryan Lilja and Kyle DeVan, both of whom played well.

On defense, nobody could cover Marshall. He hammered Tim Jennings, Jacob Lacey, Jerraud Powers and the linebackers. Actually, I have to admit Kelvin Hayden did okay against him, but Marshall wisely stayed out of his zone. As a whole, the defensive backs looked better than Marshall’s stats would indicate (the rest of the Broncos caught just 8 of 13 passes for 77 yards and no scores). Their coverage was generally tight, but their tackling was terrible. They’ve been having problems with big wideouts all year, and Marshall is one of the biggest. Jennings’ leaping interception at the Indy 1-yard line was a bright spot, but he was later beaten for a touchdown on what looked like exactly the same play.

Poor play in the secondary is often blamed on the pass rush, but the Colts actually did okay in that area. In truth, nobody other than Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and the suddenly blitz-happy Gary Brackett mounted much of a rush, but they were sufficient. Both Freeney and Mathis also looked quite good against the run, as did defensive tackle Dan Muir (I’m a solid fan now). Antonio “Mookie” Johnson was okay aside from a couple of boneheaded penalties, and Eric Foster did his normally good job. As has become disturbingly familiar, Raheem Brock – he of the big contract – was easily nullified once again. He's gonna have a tense spring. Fili Moala showed up, and did nothing of note.

All three starting linebackers looked good, especially Brackett. It should be noted, though, that strongside starter Philip Wheeler was on the sidelines for more than two thirds of all defensive plays. That does not scream confidence.

On specials, Pat McAfee continues to amaze, both as a punter and kickoff specialist. And he’s pretty automatic as a holder too. The coverage teams looked very good containing Eddie Royal, and shout outs go to Glenn, Hart and Simpson. But Simpson and TJ Rushing showed me once again why I think the Colts should invest in a return specialist.

Preview

The Jaguars always play the Colts tough, and are 5-2 at home this year. The guys to look out for on offense are halfback Maurice Jones-Drew (I still can’t get over Bill Polian drafting Addai ahead of him!), receivers Mike Sims-Walker and Jarett Dillard (another guy I lobbied for).

On defense, they have some nice linebackers in Daryl Smith and Justin Durant. And big defensive tackle John Henderson must be accounted for. Defensive backs Reggie Nelson and former Pro Bowler Rashean Mathis have had some problems in coverage, so look for Manning to target them.

According to Stampede Blue, the following Colts are unlikely to play: HB Donald Brown, S Aaron Francisco, WR Anthony Gonzalez, CB Jerraud Powers, K Adam Vinatieri, DT Eric Foster, DE Dwight Freeney, T Charlie Johnson and DE Robert Mathis.

Okay, lots of those guys we’re used to seeing in street clothes. But Freeney, Mathis and Foster account for virtually all of the Colts’ pass rush, Johnson is their only capable left tackle and Powers has spent his rookie season as the Colts’ No. 1 and No. 2 corner.

The Jaguars’ starting offensive tackles – Eben Britton and Eugene Monroe – have been turnstiles against pass rushers, but without Freeney and Mathis, the Colts won’t be able to take advantage of that. Can you actually see Keyunta Dawson and Brock (or rookie Ervin Baldwin) getting any kind of rush? To tell you the truth, I’m not sure David Garrard – who’s more smart and resourceful than talented – can take advantage of that.

I’m less worried about Johnson’s injury. While backup Tony Ugoh has his problems, he should be able to stand up to Jaguars’ starting right defensive end Quentin Groves, who has a grand total of zero sacks this year. The return of Hayden should offset the loss of Powers.

The key is Manning. If he’s okay, the Jags don’t stand a chance. If he’s ailing, they do.

Review/Preview

Review

Joseph Addai had a good game against the Titans. He ran for 79 yards and two scores on 21 carries. Many in the Coltosphere are celebrating like he ran for at least twice as many yards. At the risk of being labeled an Addai-hater (again), I have to ask myself that with the same game plan, same blocking and the omnipresent threat of Peyton Manning backing him up, did Addai do anything that could not have been done by any of the other starting halfbacks in the league? Okay, maybe the bottom ten couldn’t, but 3.76 yards a carry against a team that has been allowing 4.21 really doesn’t make me want to elevate Addai to any level better than pretty good starting halfback. He also caught all three of the passes thrown his way for 17 yards, 10 of them coming after the catch. Again, good, but not great.

With Donald Brown out, a few snaps went to the “other” halfbacks. Mike Hart didn’t really impress as a rusher (4-11-0) late in the game when everybody knew the Colts would be running, but had a couple of nice catches. He beat both of the Titans’ vaunted starting outside linebackers – Keith Bulluck and former Colt David Thornton – and added 16 yards after his catches for a total of 2-27-0. He did not make an impact on special teams, though. And that could really help him stick. Newly crowned fan favorite Chad Simpson had a rougher day on offense, not getting any carries and catching just two passes for a loss of one yard. He didn’t get any blocking on the six-yard loss Thornton threw him for, but the complaint I have always had with Simpson is his lack of creativity as a runner. In his defense, though, he made some nice YAC after his other catch, he did throw a nice block in blitz pickup and he put up good kick return numbers.

Pierre Garcon continues to impress. Really, really impress. Bill Polian was talking him up a lot in the offseason, and he is truly fulfilling his potential now. Against the Titans he showed me more courage, concentration and toughness than I had seen before, totally dominating former Colt CB Nick Harper. Reggie Wayne had a less than typical day for him on the other side, but faced lots of double coverage. Slot guy Austin Collie was his normal reliable self, and looked particularly deft on his short touchdown catch against William Fuller. If you look at how well that trio is playing, you wouldn’t think the Colts are actually missing a starter to injury. Things will get mighty interesting once Anthony Gonzalez returns.

Tight end Dallas Clark had a rough day, but I think it was one of those things as the Titans didn’t really cover him all that tightly. Gijon Robinson ran a few patterns, but Manning didn’t look his way.

Here are the receiving stats:

Garcon 6 of 9 for 136 yards and 0 touchdowns with 51 yards after the catch and 0 drops
Wayne 4 of 7 for 48 yards and 0 touchdowns with 30 yards after the catch and 0 drops
Hart 2 of 2 for 27 yards and 0 touchdowns with 16 yards after the catch and 0 drops
Clark 3 of 5 for 25 yards and 0 touchdowns with 11 yards after the catch and 2 drops
Collie 4 of 6 for 18 yards and 1 touchdown with 22 yards after the catch and 0 drops
Addai 3 of 3 for 17 yards and 0 touchdowns with 10 yards after the catch and 0 drops
Simpson 2 of 2 for -1 yard and 0 touchdowns with 11 yards after the catch and 0 drops

Another week, another great day for right guard Kyle DeVan. If you look at both of Addai’s touchdown runs (here), you’ll see that he gets good blocks from right tackle Ryan Diem and outstanding blocks by DeVan to free him. On the first, DeVan destroys Kevin Vickerson, and on the 1-yarder, DeVan smashes Jovan Haye.

I love watching this kid run block, but I cringe a little when I see him take a step back. He had another rough day in that regard, allowing 3 pressures in 30 drop-backs.

His partner in crime on the right side, Diem, had a great day in both run and pass blocking generally handling the four different players he faced, but let me down a little with three false start penalties.

Center Jeff Saturday did his normal great job, but left guard Ryan Lilja looked a little shaky in pass pro. Tony Ugoh started at left tackle in place of injured Charlie Johnson, and although he wasn’t horrible, he was close. Remember last week I said he still had some promise? I’m not so sure now.

A final note on offense: Two players made their only appearance on Addai’s one-yard touchdown run. The Colts went to a three tight-end, I-formation set. The tight end on the left was Jamey Richard, making his first play on offense all year at any position. And the other was Cody Glenn, who is listed on the roster as a linebacker and wears No. 52, but played fullback for the second time, and has yet to see a single play on defense. Ironically, they both blocked the same guy as Titans left end William Hayes beat Richard, and Glenn picked him up. It looks like Glenn is the Colts’ fullback now, although defensive tackle Eric Foster also played there late in the game, blocking for Mike Hart, who’d taken over for Addai late in the game.

The best things for the Colts defense were the mistakes by the Titans’ offense. They should have put the ball in the hands of their best weapon – halfback Chris Johnson (more on him later) – far more often, instead of expecting shaky, streaky quarterback Vince Young to carry the load, especially near the goal line.

The Colts blitzed a lot – 20 times, as opposed to the Titans’ two – and it generally worked out well. Although the Colts only got one sack (from defensive end Dwight Freeney), they mounted an okay pass-rush. The main guys were Freeney, as expected, and defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, who got the better of Titans’ left guard Eugene Amano a number of times.

Interestingly, though, on the key 3rd-and-goal from the Colts’ 2-yard line when Young badly overthrew Nate Washington, he was under no real pressure.

But the defensive line as a unit did not play well. Raheem Brock had yet another poor performance, and none of the linemen seemed to be able to find Chris Johnson on running plays.

Fili Moala showed up. I mean he actually showed up. Playing a minor role at both defensive tackle positions, he had his best performance of the season. He actually recorded a pressure! I’m so happy about that, I’m going to forgive and not even mention the missed tackle.

Another young lineman, Ervin Baldwin, made his NFL debut at end, and did a whole lot of nothing.

While some of the Colts’ linebackers looked good against the Titans, others did not. Outside starters Phillip Wheeler and Clint Session had pretty solid games tracking down Chris Johnson after the defensive line had allowed him to spring loose. Session piled up the tackles (12), while Wheeler’s were closer to the line of scrimmage. And both actually looked pretty solid in coverage, which is a relief for all those who were afraid Wheeler would never succeed there. Session also had some success blitzing, while Wheeler (oddly) was not asked to.

On the other hand, middle man Gary Brackett looked slow and out of step in both run defense and coverage. For him to be effective in run defense, he needs his line to help him, and they did not against the Titans. As far as coverage, which is normally a strong suit for him, he probably just had an off day like Clark’s. I’m not sure it was an anomly for Ramon Humber, though, who looked absolutely tragic in coverage. But keep two things in mind: a) He was playing mostly outside and is much more comfortable inside, and b) Covering Chris Johnson is nobody’s idea of fun. Interestingly, Freddy Keiaho didn’t see a down on defense, but did play (and play well) on specials. Look to see if Keiaho is phased out for Humber as the season progresses.

The Colts’ starting corners – rookies Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey – looked decent in coverage, although Powers would have looked a lot worse if Washington hadn’t dropped a perfectly placed bomb, and Lacey should give half the credit for his interception to Freeney. It was troubling to see how easily Titans’ wide receiver Kenny Britt outmuscled Lacey, though. It’s becoming something of a trend to see him get run over by big wideouts. And I wasn’t happy about that penalty either.
The Colts learned from their mistake earlier this year when they rushed Kelvin Hayden back from injury. This time, they eased him in and he was really, really good, blanking all the Titans who wandered into his midst. Less impressive was fourth corner Tim Jennings, but even he wasn’t bad. None of them did anything particularly good or bad against the run.

At safety, it was pretty much a typical week – which is to say, good and bad. Antoine Bethea was very good in all phases of the game (coverage, run support and blitzing), while Melvin Bullitt was alarming in coverage, allowing a couple of long completions and a touchdown to tight end Bo Scaife. My fondness for Bullitt as a starter is severely waning. He is looking a lot more like a third safety than a starter. Jamie Silva played a couple of downs at safety, and made a decent tackle in run support, but was easily erased on his blitz attempt.

As is becoming usual, nobody impressed me on special teams aside from punter/kickoff man Pat McAfee. If only his coverage teams were better, this guy would get the recognition he deserves.

Preview

Despite having Kyle Orton at quarterback, the Broncos have had a very potent passing game this year. The Colts’ defensive backs will be challenged by yet another jumbo receiver in Brandon Marshall. And slick tight end Tony Scheffler is likely to give Bullitt fits. Starting halfback Knowshon Moreno isn’t straight-line fast, but is elusive and explosive. In order to nullify him, the Colts will have to take advantage of right guard Chris Kuper and right tackle Ryan Harris, who are not good run blockers. If the Colts can get some rush up the middle, they may be able to frustrate Orton, who is prone to make mistakes under pressure. I’d like to see Foster get a lot of reps.

Most of the Broncos pass rush comes from the right side where outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil and end Vonnie Holliday roam. Look for whoever plays left tackle to have his hands full and to get some help from two-tight end sets with Robinson lending a hand. The Colts could find great success running right behind DeVan and Diem, who’ll be facing ex-Colt Darrell Reid at outside linebacker and end Kenny Peterson, both of whom are no better than atrocious against the run. For years, teams have been avoiding Broncos corner Champ Bailey, and they have been wise to do so. On the other side, though, Andre Goodman hasn’t been able to cover a paint can with a tarp and third corner/slot guy/first-round draft pick Alphonso Smith has been marginally better. If the Broncos match Bailey up against Wayne, look for Manning to target Garcon and Collie relentlessly.

News

The Colts put quarterback Jim Sorgi (butt splinters) on injured reserve and signed tackle Michael Toudouze. They also dropped quarterback Shane Boyd from the practice squad, replacing him with quarterback Drew Willy.

That Toudouze was signed indicates that they don’t expect Johnson back anytime soon. That means the Colts will suffer through having Ugoh at left tackle for at least another week. Slow-footed Toudouze is unlikely to see any action unless Ugoh gets hurt or is so awful that he needs to be replaced, and Diem has to shift over to the left side. If that happens, things could get really ugly.

Boyd was, as I said last week, signed to pretend to be Vince Young in practice. With the Titans out of the way, the Colts have replaced him with a much better quarterback prospect in Willy. Personally, I really like Willy, who has intangibles out the ears, and think he could be a long-term NFL backup.

Position Analysis: Outside Linebackers

55 Clint Session
Participation: 11 games, 11 starts, 642 snaps: 281 run (43.8 percent), 31 rush (4.8 percent), 330 cover (51.4 percent)
Pass rushing: 1 sack, 4 QB hits, 4 pressures
Tackling: 64 tackles, 6 assists, 2 tackles for loss, 9 missed tackles (12.3 percent), 35 defeats, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries
Pass defense: 45 targets, 37 catches allowed, 262 yards allowed, 0 TDs allowed, 2-35-1 interceptions, 1 pass defensed, 72.4 opp QB rating
Special teams: 2 tackles, 0 assists, 0 missed tackles
Contract status: signed through 2012
Triangle numbers: 5110/236/4.52c
Summary: A surprise fourth-round pick in 2007, Session has gradually developed into the Colts’ best outside linebacker. Of course, best is a relative term. Session makes a lot of great plays, and sometimes he makes some boneheaded ones. Session has gotten much better of late, especially when it comes to coverage. Future: Session will be a starting outside linebacker for the Colts as long as he’s under contract.

56 Tyjuan Hagler
Participation: 7 games, 7 starts, 232 snaps: 138 run (59.5 percent), 1 rush (0.4 percent), 93 cover (40.1 percent)
Pass rushing: 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 0 pressuresTackling: 20 tackles, 11 assists, 1 tackles for loss, 5 missed tackles (20.0 percent), 13 defeats, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Pass defense: 13 targets, 10 catches allowed, 47 yards allowed, 0 TDs allowed, 0-0 interception, 3 passes defensed, 81.2 opp QB rating
Special teams: 0 tackles, 1 assist, 0 missed tackles
Contract status: Set to become a free agent after 2009 season
Triangle numbers: 5115/236/4.62c
Summary: Ah, Hagler. He’s a great guy, plays all three linebacker positions at a decent starter level, is somewhat better against the run than the pass (but good at both), and he’ll help out on specials too. What’s not to like? Well, at the end of this season (he went on IR after Game 7) he’ll have played in 28 out of a possible 80 regular-season games since he was drafted in the fifth round in 2005. That makes Bob Sanders look like Cal Ripken. Hagler doesn’t just get hurt, he gets hurt lifting weights, buying groceries, patting puppies ... Future: Every offseason I always expect the Colts to dump Hagler. It’s not that I don’t like him, I really do. I just always think that they be silly enough won’t take another chance on his health. This year they kept him because of worries about Wheeler’s ability to start. To be honest, Hagler outplayed Wheeler so far this year, but his injury history is more than a bit troubling. But it will be for other teams as well. Look for the Colts to re-sign Hagler to a risk-free, bonus-free contract.

50 Philip Wheeler
Participation: 10 games, 2 starts, 148 snaps: 73 run (49.1 percent), 10 rush (6.8 percent), 65 cover (44.1 percent)
Pass rushing: 1 sack, 0 QB hits, 0 pressures
Tackling: 12 tackles, 6 assists, 1 tackles for loss, 1 missed tackles (7.7 percent), 9 defeats, 1 forced fumble, 0 fumble recoveries
Pass defense: 13 targets, 12 catches allowed, 83 yards allowed, 1 TD allowed, 0-0 interceptions, 0 passes defensed, 118.9 opp QB rating
Special teams: 4 tackles, 0 assists, 3 missed tackles
Contract status: Signed through 2011 season
Triangle numbers: 6017/248/4.76c4.66pd
Summary: There was a mixture of elation and confusion when the Colts picked Wheeler in the third round of the 2008 draft. Everyone knew their turnover at linebacker was annual, so any reinforcements were welcome. And Wheeler had a distinguished career at Georgia Tech. But he didn’t match the Colts OLB prototype. He was big, and his best quality was his blitz ability. He seemed somewhat out of place in Indy where tiny coverage ’backers were the order of the day. But Wheeler was thrown onto the Colts’ OLB assembly line and spent his rookie season on special teams and learning the defense as countless other have before him. When the Colts let Freddie Keiaho leave as a free agent, it looked as though Wheeler had been given a starting spot, and things looked even better for him because new defensive coordinator Larry Coyer and head coach Jim Caldwell seemed much less allergic to blitzing than the previous regime. But one thing got in the way of Wheeler’s ascension – he didn’t earn the starting job. In summer camp and the preseason, he looked raw and unready. Just before the first regular-season game of 2009, the Colts announced that the less gifted, but more productive Hagler had won the spot. Wheeler played very sparingly at LB the first couple of games, and then the Colts started putting him at DE late in games. They switched him back to linebacker, still appearing only in fourth quarters. He did little to distinguish himself other than a sort-of sack against Alex Smith of the 49ers. But after Hagler was hurt against the Patriots, Wheeler was thrust into a starting position. The results have been inconclusive thus far. He looked great against the Pats, pretty good against Baltimore and mediocre against Houston. Notably in the Houston game, he lost quite a few fourth-quarter snaps to Keiaho and also showed up a couple of times back at defensive end. Most young linebackers go through growing pains, and Wheeler is having some ups and downs. The next few games will indicate if he deserves a starting spot. If he doesn’t earn one, his career in Indy could be in jeopardy because he has been less than adequate on special teams, recording almost as many penalties (three) and missed tackles (three) as tackles (four). Future: With five games left to go in the season, we should have a pretty good idea of whether Wheeler is part of the team’s future plans. Neither Hagler nor Keiaho appear to be long-term solutions at the position, so Wheeler will get every opportunity to prove he belongs.

54 Freddie Keiaho
Participation: 4 games, 0 starts, 21 snaps: 7 run (33.3 percent), 2 rush (9.5 percent), 12 cover (57.2 percent)
Pass rushing: 0 sacks, 1 QB hit, 0 pressures
Tackling: 1 tackle, 0 assists, 0 tackles for loss, 0 missed tackles (0.0 percent), 0 defeats, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries
Pass defense: 1 target, 1 catch allowed, 7 yards allowed, 0 TDs allowed, 0-0 interceptions, 0 passes defensed, 95.8 opp QB rating
Special teams: 4 tackles, 0 assist, 0 missed tackles
Contract status: Set to become a free agent after 2009 season
Triangle numbers: 5112/224/4.68pd
Summary: When he arrived as a third-round pick in 2006, Colts fans loved Keiaho’s aggressiveness and non-stop motor. A couple of years of missed tackles and bitten-upon play fakes later, they were much less enthusiastic. Keiaho became an unrestricted free agent before the 2009 season because the Colts did not tender him an offer. No other team came close to resigning him, and he returned to Indy for a one-year $585,000 contract. He began the season as the team’s backup middle linebacker (he had started on the outside in the past), and was not in the running when Hagler replaced Wheeler, or again when Wheeler replaced Hagler. But he has shown up on the outside a few times since the Hagler injury. I’ll discuss his abilities inside in a later post. In his few outing at OLB, Keiaho has played fairly well and looked much more disciplined than he had in the past. And he has been something of a bright spot on the kickoff coverage unit. Future: I don’t think the Colts believe Keiaho is the answer either inside or out, but he is a capable reserve at all three LB positions and an asset on special teams. If they can get him back at a bargain price, expect them to.

59 Ramon Humber
Participation: 1 game, 0 starts, 3 snaps: 2 run (66.7 percent), 0 rush (0.0 percent), 1 cover (33.3 percent)
Pass rushing: 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 0 pressures
Tackling: 1 tackle, 0 assists, 0 tackles for loss, 0 missed tackles (0.0 percent), 0 defeats, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries
Pass defense: 0 targets, 0 catches allowed, 0 yards allowed, 0 TDs allowed, 0-0 interceptions, 0 passes defensed, 0.0 opp QB rating
Special teams: 11 tackles, 0 assists, 0 missed tackles
Contract status: Signed through 2011 season
Triangle numbers: 5106/224/4.56pd
Summary: Every year the Colts have at least one undrafted free agent find, and this year’s crop brought something of a gem in Humber. After solid play in the preseason both inside and out, Humber made the team as an extra linebacker. Humber hasn’t appeared much on defense, but when he has played, he’s looked like he belonged (although he was much better inside than out). While it’s far too early to tell if Humber will ever make a serious impact on defense, we do know that he is already the Colts’ best weapon on kick and punt coverage units. He will be worth watching as the season progresses. Future: Humber will be welcomed back with open arms, and will be given every chance to prove that he can contribute on defense. But even if he’s never any more than a reserve at linebacker, he certainly earns his pay on special teams.

52 Cody Glenn
Participation: 0 games, 0 starts, 0 snaps: 0 run (0.0 percent), 0 rush (0.0 percent), 0 cover (0.0 percent)
Pass rushing: 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 0 pressures
Tackling: 0 tackles, 0 assists, 0 tackles for loss, 0 missed tackles (0.0 percent), 0 defeats, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries
Pass defense: 0 targets, 0 catches allowed, 0 yards allowed, 0 TDs allowed, 0-0 interceptions, 0 passes defensed, 0.0 opp QB rating
Special teams: 3 tackles, 1 assist, 1 missed tackle
Contract status: Signed through 2012 season
Triangle numbers: 6000/244/4.67pd
Summary: Glenn came to Nebraska as a very highly rated halfback in 2005. He won the short-yardage job as a frosh and rushed 45-131-4. Despite the emergence of Brandon Jackson, Glenn saw an expanded role as a sophomore, running 71-370-8. Injuries derailed him as a junior, and he ran just 27-78-2 and caught 6-52-0. He was switched to defense and actually won a starting spot at weakside linebacker. He played well – better against the run and while blitzing than in coverage – for the first nine games, but was suspended for the rest of the season for selling game tickets. But don’t judge his character too harshly, he earned his degree and is well known as a charitable volunteer. He was a fifth-round pick by Washington, but was among their final cuts. Since becoming a Colt, he hasn’t played defense yet, so it’s hard to say how he is progressing. But notably, he has not been impressive on special teams. Interestingly, Glenn has seen one play on offense, serving as an extra runningback on a goal-line situation. Future: It’s hard to imagine a prospect more raw than Glenn. After an injury-plagued three college seasons as an extra halfback, he played nine games at linebacker and has yet to see the field as a defender in the NFL. He certainly has potential at linebacker, but if I may be silly for a moment, what if he turns out to be the fullback/short-yardage back that I have been begging Bill Polian for lo these many years?

Also saw significant time at outside linebacker with the Colts this year:

51 Jordan Senn
Participation: 2 games, 0 starts, 79 snaps: 11 run (13.9 percent), 7 rush (8.9 percent), 61 cover (77.2 percent)
Pass rushing: 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 0 pressures
Tackling: 2 tackles, 2 assists, 0 tackles for loss, 0 missed tackles (0.0 percent), 1 defeats, 1 forced fumble, 0 fumble recoveries
Pass defense: 6 targets, 6 catches allowed, 53 yards allowed, 0 TDs allowed, 0-0 interceptions, 0 passes defensed, 103.5 opp QB rating
Special teams: 1 tackle, 0 assists, 0 missed tackles
Contract status: Is now with the Carolina Panthers
Triangle numbers: 5110/224/4.53pd
Summary: Senn was 2008’s Humber. Coming out of nowhere (actually, Portland State), Senn earned a spot and looked great on specials and promising on defense. But things didn’t go his way in 2009. He played a bit as a nickel linebacker and special teamer before the Colts cut him. He’s since signed with the Panthers, and has already become an important special-teams performer. Future: I think the Colts gave up on him too early.

Conclusion: In the Polian years, outside linebackers have been nothing less than disposable, with a starter leaving almost every year. We’ve seen Marcus Washington, Mike Peterson, David Thornton, Gilbert Gardner, Rob Morris, Cato June and Keiaho jettisoned. Of course, Keiaho came back and Gardner was utterly horrible, but the others were hard to part with.

This time around, the Colts have both starters – Session and Wheeler – under contract. Session’s solid, and not to be dislodged, but Wheeler hardly a sure thing. Both Hagler and Keiaho would likely accept any contract the team offered him, but neither is considered a solid bet as a starter. Humber has a great deal of upside, but to expect him to be a starter at this point is nothing short of foolhardy. Glenn? Well, he’s as likely to find a home on offense as he is on defense at this point.

So it will come as no surprise that I expect the Colts to draft an outside linebacker with starting potential. Right now, the guy I really like is Troy’s Cameron Sheffield. He’s fast, strong and productive. He’s more than a bit raw in coverage, but hey, who’s perfect?

Looking forward and back

Review
As stated earlier, the best player the Colts had on defense against the Texans was OLB Clint Session (left). Not only did he get the winning Pick-6, but he played consistently well all game. He managed a QB hit and two pressures on nine blitzes, and had six tackles all told. He was pushed around a bit on the run at first, but seemed to get better in that regard as the game progressed. The other linebackers didn’t impress, although MLB Freddie Keiaho seemed to add some zip when he stepped in for Gary Brackett late in the game.

The starting corners – rookies Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey – looked awful in the first half, but tightened up to be closer to average later on. Lacey was literally overpowered by Texans WR Andre Johnson (who has a good 50 pounds of muscle on Lacey) on several plays. But strong safety Melvin Bullitt looked even worse, allowing both starting wideouts, Johnson and Kevin Walter, and tight end James Casey to get big catches in front of him. The bright spot in coverage was free safety Antoine Bethea. Not only didn’t he allow a catch, he had a crucial pick. The biggest problem for the secondary seemed to be how often and how deeply they fell for play-action fakes by Schaub. That is something I expect that will get better as they mature. At least I hope.

The Colts managed to take advantage of the Texans’ hapless LT Duane Brown (who received surprisingly little help from tight ends and backs) by moving Robert Mathis over to the right side. And Raheem Brock actually managed to get a rare sack against talented Texans RT Eric Winston, but for the most part, I’d say Winston won the battle. DT Eric Foster didn’t get a sack, but he was in Schaub’s face often enough. He really is a great contributor on third down. If you looked at Brock’s box-score stats – two tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery – you’d say he had a great day, but he didn’t. His pass-rush was intermittent and he was a speed bump against the run. Th fumble basically fell into his lap.

Actually none of the Colts stood out against the run as the Texans rushed for 122 yards and 5.08 yards a carry. Winston was hammering Brock all day, and the inside duo of C Chris Myers and RG Chris White neutralized DT Antonio Johnson. I was a little surprised by that because Mookie had looked very strong of late. But Myers is one of the NFL's most underappreciated players. When White missed a couple of series, his replacement Antoine Caldwell didn’t look nearly as good, and Mookie managed a bit more movement. Texans FB Vonta Leach was no slouch, either; clearing out linebackers and DBs on outside plays. Sigh, watching him makes me wish the Colts would reserve a roster spot on a real fullback.

There was a brief Fili Moala sighting, and he looked severely overmatched against Texans’ LG Kasey Studdard.

On offense, I expect everyone wants to talk about HB Joseph Addai and his record-shattering 69 yards on 15 carries. But as I mentioned before, the other Colts backs had higher per-carry averages – Addai’s was 4.60, Donald Brown’s was 5.40 and Chad Simpson’s was 10.00. The simple fact is that the Texans are very easy to run against, especially in a wide-open game like this. Brown certainly didn’t help his chances at more playing time by allowing a sack, but I think Addai would’ve been flattened on that play if he had been in there. No back should ever have to block Mario Williams at full speed. And don’t get too excited about Simpson. Although he did have a phenomenal 23-yard run for a score, his other run was an ugly 3-yard loss. He is what he is.

Reggie Wayne beat Dunta Robinson for a short touchdown early in the third quarter and received a well-deserved interference call, but was generally handled the rest of the game. The other Colts receivers, though, were phenomenal, catching 24 of 29 passes for 225 yards as QB Peyton Manning dinked-and-dunked the Texans' young, aggressive defense to death. He particularly targeted left corner Jacques Reeves and slot corner Glover Quinn. In fact, the only Texans who had any success in coverage (aside from Robinson), was do-it-all linebacker Brian Cushing. He not only had the pick, but played tight all day long. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention WR Pierre Garcon’s one-handed touchdown catch. He certainly is maturing quickly, as is WR Austin Collie who is making a lot of plays up the middle. But even the most dogmatic Colts homer has to be at least a little embarrassed at the gift 43-yard pass interference call Garcon received in the third quarter on the drive that ended in Wayne’s touchdown.

RT Ryan Diem allowed a sack to Texans rookie LDE Connor Barwin, but generally held his own against a variety of rushers. LT Charlie Johnson, facing Williams, had a rougher day. He didn’t allow a sack, but was beaten with a disturbing regularity. He was replaced for the final offensive series (and the game-ending kneel down) by much-maligned Tony Ugoh. Maybe it was too small a sampling to be statistically significant, but Ugoh looked a lot more solid than Johnson. Perhaps it was Johnson’s lingering injury or maybe Williams was tired by then, but Ugoh really looked like he had a much better handle on him, except for that one play where Simpson was tagged for a loss. On the next play, though, he obliterated both Williams and MLB DeMeco Ryans and sprung Simpson for at least the first half of his long touchdown run. Keep in mind that Ugoh's problems are all between his ears. Showing the ability to bounce back from a horrible play to an awesome one is a great, great sign. There could be some hope for this Ugoh kid yet.

The rest of the o-line did not impress me when it came to pass protection. There was pressure up the middle against Manning all day, even though the Texans barely blitzed. A lesser QB would have been sacked at least twice more than Manning was. RG Kyle DeVan, in particular, had a hard time handling DT Amobi Okoye.

It was a different story on running plays, though, as DeVan hammered his much-more-heralded opponent repeatedly. In fact, the Colts’ backs found plenty of nice holes between the tackles and just to the outside Diem (and don't think TE Dallas Clark helped). Less success was had on the other side, but to be fair it’s much harder to run against Williams and Cushing than it is Barwin and Antonio Smith.

Onto specials. P Pat McAfee remains a monster, having his best day as a kickoff man, with three of six kicks going for touchbacks and the Texans’ average start after his kicks at the 18.8-yard line. He also had two big punts for a 52.5 gross/48.5 net. Can't say enough good about this kid. But K Matt Stover’s perfect streak as a Colt is over after he somehow missed a 32-yard attempt at the start of the fourth quarter. Enjoy the golf course next year, Matt. Adam Vinatieri can't come back soon enough. The Colts’ return and coverage teams were ho-hum, with nobody meriting mention for either especially good or poor play.

One interesting note: LB Cody Glenn had his first scrimmage play, but it was as a halfback, not linebacker. On 1st-and-goal from the Texans’ one after a pass interference call in the fourth, the Colts came out with split backs, three tight ends (strong left) and no wide receivers. Both Glenn and Addai went out on patterns. Manning found Addai, but he was stopped by Cushing – there’s that name again! – at the line of scrimmage. Glenn arrived at Nebraska as a running back, so this could be something we’ll see again. Is he our fullback? his future there certainly looks better than it does at linebacker.

Preview

If you follow the Titans – and all Colts fans should – you’ll know that for the first half of the season they were awful except for HB Chris Johnson’s historic performance. But since Vince Young has taken over at QB, they’ve been resurgent, winning five straight after a 59-0 drubbing by the Patriots.

Stampede Blue reports that DE Dwight Freeney and CB Kelvin Hayden may be back for this game. That’s good because I really don’t like the idea of Brock going against either of the Titans’ Ts – Michael Roos or David Stewart – who are both Pro Bowl capable.

And the Colts’ young CBs could use some of Hayden’s veteran guidance, although the Titans’ receivers are nowhere near the equal of the Texans’. But keep an eye on rookie WR Kenny Britt and rookie TE Jared Cook, both of whom have come on lately. I’m reminded that in my final mock draft, I had the Colts selecting Britt, who has since emerged as the Titans’ best wide receiver and only legitimate deep threat.

But really, the big concern when you play Tennessee is always Johnson, who may be the best back in the NFL. Containing him will fall primarily to the linebackers, and I’m not really sure Wheeler is up to the job. Look for the safeties to record a lot of tackles.

The Titans’ defense has been horrible at times this year, with injuries ravaging the cornerback crew. And the starting safeties – Michael Griffin and Chris Hope – have been healthy, but have played terribly, especially in coverage. If Johnson or Ugoh (whoever starts at LT) can keep resurgent RDE Kyle Vanden Bosch off Manning, the Colts have a serious chance to light up the scoreboard.

Trust me, it’ll be a barn burner.

News

Thomas was cut Tuesday, as was CB Anthony Madison. Thomas actually started on Sunday (and did the no better or worse than so-so job we’ve grown accustomed to) before being replaced by Mathis, but he knows his hold on a job is always temporary. Thomas knows the defense and works hard, but his career peaked at competent long ago. Don’t worry if you’re a big Thomas fan, though, the’s still on Bill Polian’s speed dial.

Madison had been around the league for a while and has earned a reputation as a cornerback who’s better off playing on special teams. But he didn’t do anything worth putting down in ink on specials for the Colts, so it’s not too surprising he’s an ex-Colt.

To replace them, HB Mike Hart and DE Ervin Baldwin have been activated from the practice squad. Hart we all know. He should get playing time on specials and the odd snap on offense. His performance will largely be determined by how well he has rehabbed his injury, and could be an audition for next season’s squad. Good luck.

Baldwin is a very interesting prospect. A stocky (6015, 270) pass-rushing specialist at Michigan State with 4.74 speed, Baldwin was drafted in the seventh round by the Bears. He didn’t make the team and they cut him from the practise squad when they traded for Gaines Adams. The Colts grabbed him, and now he’s getting a chance to replace Thomas. It should be interesting to see what he does; he certainly has upside. I’m going to keep a serious eye on him.

Added to the practice squad were: QB Shane Boyd, T Drew Radovich and G Keith Gray.

Boyd had a strong arm and wheels and when he came out of Kentucky in 2005, but the knock against him was a lack of experience and finesse. Since then, he’s been with the Titans, Steelers, Centurions (of NFL Europe), Cardinals, Texans, Alouettes (of the CFL) and something called the Redwoods (of something called the UFL). He actually scored the first-ever UFL touchdown, but was benched for fellow journeyman Mike McMahon later in their season. At all those stops, he’s done nothing to indicate he’s gotten any better than he was when he stepped of the Kentucky campus. In truth, I have no idea why the Colts signed him unless they needed a Vince Young-type to practice against. I mean, could you see gawky Jim Sorgi or thick-legged Curtis Painter running the scout team as Vince?

Big (6051, 305) Radovich was seen by some as a potential high draft pick in 2008 after starting for three years as a guard and tackle at Southern Cal, but poor workouts and hip problems led him to be undrafted. He signed with the Vikings, but didn’t make the team. With good coaching, he has potential. Most sources I’ve seen prefer him inside, but I like him at a RT. If you read ColtPlay, you know I have a bias against tall guards.

Gray, who blocked for Donald Brown at UConn, has potential too. Smallish (6016, 292), he played center at a very high level in college – showing technique and tenacity – but was undrafted. He signed with the Panthers, but was cut. I’d love to see him make it, as he’s a great guy and good technician, but he needs more strength. He's my favorite of this lot.

Also on Tuesday, the Bears signed former Colts star linebacker Cato June. I’m not sure how much he has left in the tank. He couldn’t win a starting spot with the Texans (actually, he was running third at weakside linebacker behind Zach Diles and Xavier Adibi) before he broke his arm in August. They put him on IR, then later reached an injury settlement with him, making him a free agent. Now that his arm has healed, he’s looking for playing time in Chicago. The Bears have had an enormous amount of injuries at linebacker this season, so June will get his share of snaps, but he looks like a stopgap solution at this point in his career.

I also read that the Colts worked out HB Dominic Rhodes this week. Please, let’s not go down that Rhodes again.

Colts-Texans quickie look

If you want to know why this year’s defense is so much better than last year’s, you only have to look at one play. Everybody knows the following:

1. The Colts are blitzing way more often this year

2. Matt Schaub, though a premier QB, suffers under pressure
3. Duane Brown, the Texans’ LT, is not great at pass pro, let alone blitz pickup
4. Dwight Freeney – the Colts’ RDE, best pass-rusher and the guy who should be eating Brown alive – was so injured, he didn’t even make the trip; so the ordinary rush wasn’t enough
5. Clint Session, the Colts’ overaggressive WLB, is soooo much better moving forward than back

6. It’s 2nd-and-10 at the Houston 20 with the Colts up 21-20

Everything – logic, passion, sinew – it all screamed blitz. Hell, I would have called a blitz. And that’s what it looked like. Session crowded the line. He put on his I’m-gonna-get-you-face. Tough, competent Chris Myers snapped the ball. Cerebral, strong-armed Schaub looked around and spotted tight end James Casey, his blitz outlet.

But Session (left) didn’t blitz. He dropped into coverage. And Schaub hadn’t accounted for him. Session leapt in front of the rookie Casey and got his big mitts on the ball. And that was it. Twenty-seven quick yards later, touchdown Colts. Texans’ hopes vanquished. Game effectively over.

That play would not have happened last year. Thank you, Larry Coyer.

---

The Joseph Addai fanboys will be going nuts, fighting over one another to point out that he averaged 4.6 yards a carry. I acknowledge this, but I also point out that Donald Brown had 5.4 yards a carry and Chad Simpson had 10.0. Face it, the Texans are easy to run against unless you target Brian Cushing. Mark my words, this kid is going to be as huge a star as Amobi Okoye has been a flop. Okay, Okoye still has a chance to turn it around because he's so young, but he's actually giving up the most vital snaps to Jeff Zgonina. No guff against Zgonina (who I have the utmost respect for), but he's 39 years old, and has been cut 11 times by eight teams, including the could-not-be-more-desperate-for-linemen 1998 Colts. It's turn it around time for the boy wonder Okoye.

Yeah, Simpson came within one man of breaking that kick return for a touchdown, but I think a premier return specialist beats that man. My complaint with Simpson has always been his inability to do just that. He’ll forever be a just-about guy.

Nobody stepped up on specials (which is something you all know I watch intently). Say what you will about Cody Glenn (and I have yet to hear much), I’d still rather have Jordan Senn. If you saw any of the Jets-Panthers game, you may have seen Senn sticking it to kick returner David Clowney – yes, he of the 4.36 speed – on a kick return. In all fairness, Glenn did have a tackle on a kick return too, just 15 yards farther downfield than Senn’s on a slower, less elusive player.

At least for now, forget the Titans and the Jaguars; the Texans are who the Colts should fear in the AFC South. The Titans and Jaguars have awesome halfbacks and little else, while the Texans are a great team in search of a decent halfback. Imagine if Schaub had Chris Johnson or Maurice Jones-Drew at his disposal. Trust me, it would be a whole different ballgame.

Pat McAfee is the bargain of the draft. Kid is a natural. Few players are born for the NFL. He was.

A more complete look at the game later in the week.

Review/Preview

Charlie Johnson did a great job of pass pro at left tackle. Generally facing off against Jarrett Johnson and Dwan Edwards, he allowed no discernable pass-rush. Those are some pretty good rushers, particularly the Ravens’ Johnson, so the Colts’ Johnson had his hands full. On the other hand, he had one of his less impressive outing as a run blocker, so I’m still not in love with the idea of him as a long-term starter there. Basically the same could be said about right tackle Ryan Diem, but he managed a bit more push on running plays.

Speaking of offensive linemen, did you get a load of Kyle DeVan at right guard? He actually may be the long-term answer. Not only did he do a good job keeping Haloti Ngata, Trevor Pryce and Paul Kruger at bay, but he really made some plays in the running game. Keep in mind that Ngata and Pryce are exactly the kind of guys that gave Mike Pollak nightmares. Look at it this way: In the hole between center Jeff Saturday and DeVan, halfback Joseph Addai ran 6 times for 29 yards (a 4.83-yard average) and his only touchdown. In all other holes – he didn’t run between DeVan and Diem – he ran 13 times for 45 yards (a 3.46-yard average). Maybe if the Colts had five DeVans, Addai would be the back people keep telling me he is.

Y’know who’s getting more and more invisible on offense? Jacob Tamme. He showed up on one play in the second quarter, threw a sort-of block (Addai was stopped a yard short of the line of scrimmage) and Tamme headed back to the sidelines. Considering that he was hailed as a big-time receiver and has caught just one pass for six yards, his future in Indy does not look bright.

Of the other receivers, the numbers weren’t gaudy, but they were effective. The Ravens threw a lot of DBs out there, but Reggie Wayne (7-89-0) was his typical brilliant self, Pierre Garcon (6-108-0) destroyed Fabian Washington and Tom Santi (6-80-0) made another strong case for anointing him the No. 2 tight end, although his fumble caused a few sidelong glances.

On defense, the guy who impressed me most was MLB Gary Brackett. Strong in coverage (he had a pick and neutralized Ray Rice), he was awesome against the run. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and it looks even more crucial that he must be re-signed.

The rest of the coverage didn’t impress me. Jacob Lacey, who I am a big fan of, looked particularly shaky. He’s probably better off as a slot guy than an outside guy, but it was only his fourth start, so the jury remains out on him.

Against the run, I was surprised by how Tim Jennings and Robert Mathis stood up, especially when you consider both their sizes and reputations. I was not impressed by the usually reliable Melvin Bullitt, who seemed mystified by Rice.

There was a Devon Hall sighting. He played safety – not linebacker – but much closer to the line of scrimmage than Colts’ safeties normally play. And he looked good. Probably has a future.

The Colts mounted basically no pass rush, with no sacks, one QB hit (by Raheem Brock) and just six pressures (three of them by Freeney).

On specials, nobody other than Pat McAfee impressed me. He continues to be a top-flight punter and kickoff man. What a great draft pick.

Against the Texans

I have a great deal of respect for this team, which is always dangerous when QB Matt Schaub is healthy. They are, however, much less potent on offense now that pass-catching TE Owen Daniels is out.

On offense, their greatest asset is Schaub’s rapport with starting WRs Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter. After a sensation rookie year HB Steve Slaton has been figured out by enemy defenses, and journeymen Ryan Moats and Chris Brown have had to pick up the slack on the ground. The Texans’ line is so-so overall with excellent performances this year by RT Eric Winston and C Chris Myers weighed down by shaky seasons from LT Duane Brown and LG Kasey Studdard.

Aside from three outstanding players – DE Mario Williams, MLB DeMeco Ryans and rookie OLB Brian Cushing – the Texans’ defense isn’t very scary. They’re soft up the middle, and their secondary can be beaten. CB Dunta Robinson was a top performer at one point, but hasn’t come back from a terrible injury the way the Texans’ had hoped.

Houston-Indianapolis is usually a close game, and the Colts are coming into it banged up. The keys to victory will be how well the Colts secondary can limit Johnson and Walter, how well Charlie Johnson (who’s hurt) or his replacement can handle Williams and how successful the Colts can be running up the middle.

mmmm Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Stampede Blue reports a number of interesting roster changes today:

1) The Colts waived HB Mike Hart and re-signed DE Josh Thomas. Hart was then signed to the practice squad, replacing TE Colin Cloherty. It would appear that they wanted Thomas to spell Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Thomas is no great talent and has limited upside, but he works hard and knows the defense as well as anyone. Hart still seems to be getting over last year's ACL injury and wasn't really a vital cog on offense (two snaps in the third quarter against San Francisco) or on specials. That they put him on the PS indicates that he's still part of their future.

2) CB Keiwan Ratliff was released by the Steelers and ILB Adam Seward was released by the Jaguars. With all the injuries and inexperience the Colts have at cornerback, it wouldn't be that surprising if the Colts brought Ratliff back. He has no speed or upside, but he's smart and played well for them last year. Seward, on the other hand, might have a harder time finding any interest, even though Tyjuan Hagler is on IR.

3) A number of ex-Colts found jobs this week: OLB Jordan Senn is Panther, CB Michael Coe is a Jaguar and OLB Rocky Boiman is a Steeler. Of them, I think only Senn should think of putting down roots.