Indianapolis Colts
It’s officially Colts-Patriots Hype Week, so we have to start there. The story of this game may end up being more about who’s not there as much as who’s there. Neither team should have a material talent advantage, so losing even a small part could tip the scales. The Colts have lost a lot more than a small part, starting with the loss of Bob Sanders. The team is used to playing without him, so yes, injuries to Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson might be more costly, but Sanders’ injury — a torn biceps tendon — is worth looking at closely. While the Colts refuse comment on injuries, there’s some indication that there’s a connection between Sanders’ knee surgery and the torn tendon. One of the drugs used to control infection is Levaquin, which carries an increased risk of tendon rupture. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword: It corrects the infection, something the Colts have seen time and again with surgeries, and the extra risk. For Sanders, a player already considered both fragile and perhaps overmuscled, the risk was even greater. Again, let me be clear — the rupture happened and it’s unclear whether Levaquin played any part in this, but considering that a similar injury on a similarly fragile player, Tyjuan Hagler, occurred, it certainly bears consideration.
It’s also notable that the Colts let Anthony Gonzalez go outside their normal physicians for “minor” knee surgery. There are rumors — and again, these could not be confirmed — that Gonzalez is also dealing with infection, much in the same way that Peyton Manning did returning from his own knee surgery. The Colts official line is that Gonzalez re-injured the knee in rehab and needed a cleanout. Either way, Gonzalez is very iffy for the regular season and given the options and the depth issues, the IR will be a possibility going forward unless he shows rapid progress. Gonzalez isn’t a speed player, so this is possible, but his role of slot reciever has clearly been taken by Dallas Clark. If and when Gonzalez comes back, he could be the fifth option out there.
Oh, but there’s more here in Indy. Pierre Garcon has a sore ankle that he was able to play through, in large part because he was at home. The Colts are unique in that Lucas Oil Stadium is not a crowned field. It’s flat, so that a basketball floor can be put down for NCAA Final Four games, which helps Garcon. That flat, predictable surface allowed the team to tighten up his ankle and let him play. It worked out well and he’s likely to be in much the same condition with another home game coming up. Austin Collie left late with what’s being called a neck injury. It appeared that he had a stinger, which we know can be very unpredictable. Given the opponent, I can’t see a situation where Peyton’s new movie buddy won’t be out on the field. Finally, Donald Brown is expected back from his shoulder subluxation. Sources tell me that he could have played last week, but that the team was looking ahead to the Pats game and anticipating that Brown would be more needed there. It also speaks to depth, as Manning has gained confidence in Chad Simpson’s ability to pick up blitzes.
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