Colts Guard Lilja missed practice with back injury

The Indianapolis Colts guard Ryan Lilja missed practice Thursday because of a back injury but remains possible for this Sunday’s Super Bowl game against the New Orleans Saints, as Colts Coach Jim Caldwell confirmed on Thursday.


As one of six players to start all 18 games after missing the 2008 season, Lilja had emerged as one of the fixtures on the offensive line, starting 43 games from 2004-2007. He was a 290-pound interior force that helped stabilize the running game. But after undergoing three surgeries on his right knee, Lilja’s career was placed in jeopardy. Though he regained his starting job upon returning to join the training camp, it has still been expected that he would be replaced sooner or later.

It is likely that one of Mike Pollak and Jamey Richard will take over Lilia’s job if he is unable to play. Both candidates were drafted in 2008 by the Colts and started several game in their first season in Colts jerseys. Pollak started thirteen games at right guard before losing job to first-year pro Kyle DeVan and Richard started seven games, four at center and three at left guard.

Saints CB Porter and Colts DE could be X-factors in Super Bowl

This Sunday’s Super Bowl game between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts is more than a showdown between star players from both teams. We are also expecting some unknown players to provide their teams with big plays at critical moments. Such X-factors have emerged from their obscure roles.


On the Saints side, cornerback Tracy Porter is believed to be the essential defensive player to blanket wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon on the outside. Putting on his Saints jersey again after taking off some time to take care of his injured knee, the second-year cornerback witnessed Saints’ defense regaining its opportunistic prowess. With the existence of Porter, coordinator Gregg Williams is able to use some of the exotic pressure packages that have been a hallmark of his defenses for years. And Porter’s performance will determine how often Williams could use the scheme that has always caused problems to opponents during the postseason games.

On the Colts side, defensive end Raheem Brock will be a valuable contributor of scores. He may also be added to the starting lineup if Dwight Freeney turns out unable to play the playoff because of his ankle injury. Having 3.5 sacks in the regular season, Brock has shown a knack for getting to the quarterback in the past, and came up with a critical forced fumble in the divisional-round win over the Baltimore Ravens. Brock will surely be used as an edge rusher to put pressure on Drew Brees and disrupt his rhythm in the pocket, in case Freeney won’t play.

Manning’s masterful mind is a key to Colts’ victory

Being the AFC Champion this season, the Indianapolis Colts proved again what a correct choice they made when they made Peyton Manning the No. 1 draft pick in 1998, after a 3-14 1997 season. Manning’s gifts are more than in football.

He has relentless thirst for knowledge, passion to know opponents better than they know themselves and uncanny ability to recall crucial details in split seconds. All of these have made him such a different quarterback than many others who just throw a ball. More than remembering his opponents’ numbers on their NFL jerseys, Manning also remembers everything from their first or last names to high school information.

And he knows well how to utilize the ability to remember almost everything he sees and hears. Regurgitating and analyzing, he plays football like a good chess player who can see 10 moves ahead. The New York Jets witnessed how he uses his talent in Sunday’s AFC championship game. For much of the first half, the Jets kept the Colts’ offense in check. But Manning altered a few things after a brief discussion with receiver Pierre Garcon, and then the Colts had touch downs on three of their next four possessions and finished the game with a 30-17 victory.

Many NFL observers have been wondering how, exactly, does Manning’s mind work? Even his teammates are confused with that. Just as receiver Reggie Wayne jokingly said, “Just tell me the end result, that’s all I need to know.” And his existence in Indy itself means hope of victory.

Keeping winning, Colts set even more records

Now the Indianapolis Colts have won 22 consecutive regular-season games and 114 games in a decade, setting new NFL records by beating the Denver Broncos 28-16 on Sunday night.


And the star quarterback wearing No.18 Colts jersey managed to throw four touchdowns but was 20 of 42 for 220 yards, losing his touch after leading the Colts to touchdowns on three of its first four drives. Peyton Manning was not in good condition but the Colts still won over the Broncos, whose receiver Brandon Marshall, however, broke the league’s single-game record with 21 receptions.

The Colts were also 13-0 in 2005 but lost the three of the last four games, including a divisional playoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers. So it is still early to say the team is a must-be winner of this season.

Those Impressed us most in Week 13

The number 13 should be a unlucky number for the Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre did managed to help the team to keep their second winning streak of the season. And the team who beat them did not beyong many people's expectation. The Arizona Cardinals rank ninth now and I guess they themselve did not expect to win over the Rank-3 Vikings.


The Pittsburgh Steelers gave their fans a really happy surprise when they was the first team to beat the Vikings. But from then on the team was again in slide. On Sunday night, the Super Bowl Champion was beaten by one of the league's worst team: the Oakland Raiders.

And unbeaten teams keep setting records. The Colts and the Saints seem determined to meet each other in the last game and they set a record together by making this season the first to have two teams remain unbeaten this late in a season.

It has been long we have not heard much of a player in Chargers jersey and running back LaDainian Tomlinson broke the silence about the Chargers by moving to eighth on career rushing list only one week after he moved to the 10th, and becoming the fastest player to achieve 150 career touchdowns.

Impossible Task: 5-6Titans to beat 11-0 Colts

Winning five straight games since they changed quarterback to Vince Young, the Tennessee Titans are now thinking that they may have the chance to be the first team who beats the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts of the season, something no one would expected when Titans met Colts for the first time in this season with a 0-4 start.


But even with a winning streak of six games, it still sounds like an impossible task for the 5-6 Titans to beat 11-0 Colts. But wait, it just sounds possible for Young, who has led the Titans to 6-0 since taking the starting job, to bring the Titans another win, although Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning may not allow that to happen.

While the Colts are looking to match an NFL record with their 21st consecutive regular-season victory, the Titans are trying to win sixth straight game, have a crucial win to remain in playoff and be the first team beating Colts.

Each team has its own aces. The Colts have top quarterback Peyton Manning, and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney could wear back his Colts jersey and return to play with the team this Sunday. As for the Titans, Young has thrown for a career-high 387 yards and converted three fourth downs on the final drive, and they have the NFL’s leading rusher Chris John, who has run for 1,396 yards in the games he has played.

Impossible or possible, any kind of end of the game will be as exciting.

Tony Dungy will lead communication between NFL and its players

Tony Dungy, retiring as coach of the Indianapolis Colts after last season, is now a special adviser to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. And he will also take a lead role in improving communication between the league and players by leading a new NFL player advisory forum.

The forum will meet with players, who wore or wear NFL jerseys, about league policies, programs and issues that affect their lives on and off the field, including player health and safety, personal conduct, game rules and procedures, career transition and player development. Both Goodell and union officials have been invited to attend the meetings.

Dungy expects as many as 50 players from all age groups will take part in the meetings. By so far it has been confirmed that Pro Bowl players Kurt Warner, Ray Lewis and Brian Dawkins are among the players to attend.

Colts Safety Bob Sanders was put on IR

The two-time Pro Bowler Bob Sanders will not be able to play for the Indianapolis Colts for the rest of the season as he has been placed on injured reserve list on Friday because of torn left bicep.


Sanders tore his left bicep while playing against the San Francisco 49ers last weekend and will need surgery. It is just two weeks after he returned to the Colts’ lineup. Having missing all of the training camp and the first five games of the year after an offseason knee surgery, Sanders has totally missed 40 of 87 games during his six-year NFL career because of injuries.

Along with Sanders, cornerback Marlin Jackson was placed on the IR on the same day. He hurt his left knee while playing against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 4 and had been rehabbing it, but unfortunately he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to the same knee during a non-contact drill Wednesday and would not wear back his Colts jersey again for the remaining season.

Vikings won over Colts by 13-3

On Friday night's preseason opener, a lot of fans were there seeing Sage Rosenfels started for the Vikings against the Colts and help the team get a 13-3 victory.


Rosenfels led the team to all 13 of their points and the lone touchdown of the night which came from veteran running back Chester Taylor. Rosenfels had been 10 of 13 for 91 yards when it was just one quarter of play.

As for Tarvaris Jackson, who was competing with Rosenfels for starting job during offseason and training camp, he was just seven of 15 for 39 yards, partly because of knee injury he got during training camp. In next Friday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson will probably play as a starter and show his stuff with the first team offense.