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• Unprotected: Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck hurries his pass as he is pressured by Chicago's Matt Toeaina during the Colts' loss Sunday in Chicago.

  

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September 11, 2012

QB protection becomes issue No. 1 as Colts move forward

Tom James Tribune-Star Correspondent The Tribune Star Tue Sep 11, 2012, 05:03 AM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS — Pass protection remain an issue for the Indianapolis Colts heading into Sunday's home opener with the Minnesota Vikings.

 Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck was sacked three times in the team’s 41-21 season-opening loss at Chicago. He also fumbled once after being hit from the blind side on a pass attempt.

 Indianapolis went into last week’s game with the Bears without offensive guard Joe Reitz, who has been nursing a sore knee. Right tackle Winston Justice left the game with a concussion. The absences of Reitz and Justice left an already iffy roster area in a tough position.

 The Colts went into the 2012 reason replacing starters at center, right tackle and left offensive guard. Indianapolis’ depth has now gotten a lot thinner.

 Still, despite the injuries, Colts coach Chuck Pagano believes in the capability of his offensive line to protect Luck better as the season progresses.

 “We got on the right people,” Pagano said Monday afternoon. “Maybe one or two times in there and we didn’t get out quick enough to pick [pressure up from Bears linebacker Lance Briggs].”

 ‘For the most part, we were on the right guys. And now it’s just a matter of firming things up a little bit. Being a little bit stouter in there and trying to give Andrew that pocket, that comfort zone in there, where he can see the field and step up and make the throws that he needs to make. So w’'ll go to work and fix that.”

• Injury list — Outside linebacker Dwight Freeney suffered an ankle sprain in the first quarter of the Bears game and did not return.

Freeney was scheduled to undergo an MRI Monday. He was also slated to meet with a specialist.

 Justice, meanwhile, incurred a concussion against Chicago and was sidelined. Pagano said the veteran offensive lineman will be evaluated by team physicians and go through the normal league-mandated protocols for concussions.

“Other than [Freeney and Justice], there’s some nicks and some bumps and some bruises and things like that. But other than those two guys, we came out relatively healthy,” Pagano said.

The status of Freeney and Justice for the Vikings game won’t be known until the end of the week.

“We’ve got enough guys, thank god, at the outside backer position that we’ve got a ton of options. A lot of guys got a ton of reps, obviously, in the preseason. The Jerry Hughes, the [Mario] Addisons, the [Justin] Hickmans of the world. Those guys got to step up in case [Freeney] is out or he’s out for an extended period of time,” the Colts coach said.

“Again we’ll know later how long that will be if it will be long period of time, a week or whatever. But I heard Dwight’s a fast healer. … Between hyperberic chambers and all that kind of thing, I anticipate him getting back sooner than later.”

 Pagano added that offensive guard Joe Reitz, who has been nursing a sore knee since training camp, is expected to miss another week of work. Reitz did not play against Chicago and will not play this week against Minnesota.

• Roster moves — The Colts signed free agent offensive guard Trai Essex on Monday. To make room for Essex on the roster, Indianapolis waived offensive tackle Mike Person and center A.Q. Shipley.

Essex (6-5, 324) has appeared in 76 career regular season games (28 starts) and six postseason games, including one start, all with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2005-11). The Fort Wayne native was a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams before being waived on August 31, 2012.

Last year, Essex appeared in all 16 games (three starts) and saw action at tackle, guard and center. He helped block for a Steelers offense that averaged 372.3 yards ar game, fourth-most in the AFC.

• Vikings game sold out — The Colts-Vikings game Sunday has been declared a sell out. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.

A few hundred seats (from group inventory) are still available and the Colts do anticipate some visiting team returns from Minnesota. Those non-fixed seats and visiting team returned tickets do not count against lifting the network television blackout and are available.

Tickets are available for all regular season home games at the Lucas Oil Stadium ticket office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000 or at www.ticketmaster.com.

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Colts

• Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season

  Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has quickly earned a reputation as someone who isn’t afraid to shake things up a bit.

  June 14, 2013  

• Landry believes he'll acclimate to Colts system

  Many Indianapolis fans have questioned why strong safety Laron Landry decided to skip the Colts' OTA workouts, especially since he was joining a new team with a somewhat different defensive system than what he was used to playing with the Jets. 

  He understands their concerns, but isn’t worried about learning the intricacies Colts’ 3-4 hybrid package.

  June 12, 2013  

• Colts in harmony with new coordinator Hamilton

  With new Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton now running the show, the Colts are in the middle of a metamorphosis from the downfield, big-play system that was utilized by former coordinator Bruce Arians to more of a West Coast scheme that will look to make more use of the short, controlled passing game. 

  According to Andrew Luck, so far so good.

  June 6, 2013  

• Pagano amazed by collection of veterans

  May 30, 2013  

• Opening Day: Terre Haute Rex host Quincy

  In his first season at the helm, first-year Terre Haute Rex manager Ronnie Prettyman is going to be surrounded by men he knows and trusts.

  May 28, 2013 1 Photo  

• Luck having fun with his first OTAs

  A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
  Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
  “These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions.

  May 24, 2013  

• Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated

  While the Indianapolis Colts put their rookies and a handful of second-year players through workouts this weekend at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, a pair of first-year coordinators are getting a chance to do some valuable on-field work as well.

  May 12, 2013  

• Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp

  The Indianapolis Colts welcomed 37 players to the start of the team’s rookie mini camp Friday at the West 56th Street headquarters.

  May 11, 2013 1 Photo  

• Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks

  A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
  Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
  While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway.

  April 28, 2013  

• Werner at top of game

  Bjoern Werner was a late comer to football. But after being selected in the first round of the 2013 National Football League draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Werner realizes that he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in a relatively short amount of time.

  April 27, 2013 1 Photo  

• Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round

  The Indianapolis Colts selected Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. The 6-foot-3, 266-pound defensive lineman can also play left outside linebacker.

  April 26, 2013 1 Photo  

• Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft

  As the 2013 NFL draft gets underway tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts are continuing their wait-and-see stance in regard to the first-round pick.
  The draft begins at 8 p.m. — televised by the NFL Network and ESPN — with the Kansas City Chiefs making the night’s first selection. Teams will have 10 minutes to make their decisions during the first round. Indianapolis will have the 24th overall pick in the first round.
  There will be only one round tonight. The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with seven minutes allotted per pick in the second round and five minutes allowed in the third. The final four rounds are slated to begin at noon Saturday with four minutes between selections.
  As it stands now, Indianapolis does not have a second-round pick. It was traded to Miami last fall in exchange for veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. But second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has nut ruled out the possibility of trading down from the first round if the Colts aren’t satisfied with the players available.

  April 25, 2013  

• Direction clear for Colts in 2013 draft

  The Indianapolis Colts head into the 2013 NFL Draft with some definite plans.

  April 22, 2013  

• Colts veteran among those excited to see Luck's growth in 2013-14

  Veteran defensive end Cory Redding is a big fan — literally and figuratively — of Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Andrew Luck.
  Redding, who has become one of the Colts’ lockerroom leaders after just one season with the team, thinks he has some reasonable expectations of Indianapolis’ former No. 1 draft pick.

  April 19, 2013 2 Photos  

• Heyward-Bey feeling fortunate to hook up with Luck

  Add one more player to the list of veteran free agents signed by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
  Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed to a a deal with the Colts late Monday evening. Bey, who played collegiately at Maryland, was the seventh player selected in the first round of the 2009 National Football League draft.

  April 2, 2013  

• Colts sign nose tackle

  Another day, more player signings for the Indianapolis Colts.
  Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin agreed to terms with the Colts on Tuesday evening and officially signed with the team Wednesday. Franklin (6-1, 315) is a 10-year NFL veteran with stops in Baltimore (2003-06), San Francisco (2007-10), New Orleans (2011) and San Diego (2012).

  March 21, 2013  

• Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck

  The Indianapolis Colts’ roster moves just keep coming.
  While the Colts haven’t yet added that big-name wide receiver that team owner Jim Irsay hinted at in tweets over the weekend, Indianapolis has addressed one area on offense.
  Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had agreed Monday night to be the Colts’ primary back-up to second-year starter Andrew Luck. He officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the team Tuesday morning.
  “We are very pleased to announce the signing of Matt Hasselbeck,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in a prepared statement. “His body of work, intangibles, and extensive league experience speak for themselves. Those factors, plus his familiarity with our offensive scheme, will make him a great asset to our team and its vision as we move forward.”

  March 20, 2013  

• Colts likely done signing free agents, for now

  With the possible exception of adding a few lesser-priced players, the Indianapolis Colts’ big-time foray into the veteran free-agent marketplace is pretty much done.

  March 16, 2013  

• Landry, Jean Francois join Colts defensive unit

  After adding five veteran free agent players to the Indianapolis Colts roster on Tuesday, general manager Ryan Grigson plucked two more plums late Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
  New York Jets safety LaRon Landry and San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois both signed contracts with the Colts. Landry, a strong safety who appears to be a bigger version of former Indianapolis Pro Bowler Bob Sanders, and the versatile Jean-Francois are expected to make immediate impacts on the Colts’ defensive unit.

  March 15, 2013  

• Colts introduce free-agent signees

  What the Indianapolis Colts accomplished last season — posting an 11-5 record and earning an AFC wild-card berth with a young team plus having that kind of success without its head coach on the sidelines for 12 games — didn’t go unnoticed by players around the NFL.
  That was especially true for the five veteran free agents who were added to the Colts’ roster Tuesday. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), cornerback Greg Toler (Arizona), outside linebacker Erik Walden (Green Bay), offensive guard Donald Thomas (New England) and linebacker Lawrence Sidbury (Atlanta) admitted as much Wednesday.
  “I felt like this would be the best fit for me at this point in my career. I really liked what I saw was happening with the program here and the way things have taken shape. I feel like we have a really great team here and it’s on the rise. I really wanted to be a part of that,” Thomas said during a teleconference interview with the Colts’ media.

  March 14, 2013  

• Colts sign five free agents, filling needs at offensive line, cornerback

  The Indianapolis Colts were a busy team on the opening day of the National Football League’s veteran free agent market, which got underway at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

  March 13, 2013  

• Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt

  An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
  The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards.

  March 8, 2013  

• Saturday thrilled to retire as a Colt

  The 14-year veteran center in the National Football League put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in-between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — that Saturday earned his greatest rewards.

  March 7, 2013 1 Photo  

• Saturday to retire as Colt on Thursday

  Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday will make his retirement from the National Football League official on Thursday.

  March 5, 2013  

• Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee

  A week ago, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano said it was a priority that the team retain the services of punter Pat McAfee.
  McAfee, an unrestricted free agent who’s contract is due to expire March 12, was designated as the Colts’ franchise player Friday. The move allows Indianapolis extra time to work out a long-term deal for the team’s special-teams ace.
  “He’s huge. He’s a major priority in free agency. Obviously, we’ve reached out and are working to get Pat re-signed,” Pagano said during the National Football Scouting Combine. “We saw what he did for us last year. He’s a great weapon, not only kickoffs and touchbacks.

  March 3, 2013  

• Colts GM enjoying time at combine

  Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson makes no bones about it. He enjoys watching prospective football players strut their stuff.

  February 25, 2013  

• Colts keeping eye on large crop of talented linemen in NFL Draft

  According to most National Football League draft observers, this year’s crop of prospects is deep with quality offensive and defensive linemen.
  Among the offensive line candidates who have been showcasing their talents at the National Football Scouting Combine, which began in earnest Thursday and wraps up on Tuesday, the spotlight has been on the offensive tackles. Offensive left tackles in particular.

  February 23, 2013  

• Colts' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine

  Back and ready to go.
  That’s the attitude Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is taking during the National Football Scouting Combine, which completed its second day of operations Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. During a wide-ranging press conference at the combine, Pagano confirmed that he is back to a full work regimen after missing 12 games last fall as he battled a rare form of leukemia.
  After undergoing cancer treatments that featured heavy doses of chemotherapy, the second-year head coach was able to return to the sidelines for Indianapolis’ final regular-season home game against Houston and for the team’s AFC wild-card matchup with eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore.

  February 23, 2013  

• Colts looking forward to different approach to draft in 2013

  A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the first overall pick in the 2012 National Football League draft.
  It was a foregone conclusion that the Colts would select former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the selection. While Indianapolis front office and player personnel officials certainly had to do their due diligence in preparing for the draft, the Colts find themselves this year in a bit different situation.
  The team will have the 24th overall pick in the first round, which is a double-edged sword. Indianapolis picks lower in the round due to a successful season. But the pool of available can’t-miss talent isn’t quite as plentiful as drafting earlier in the round.

  February 22, 2013  

• Former Pro Bowl selection Freeney won't return to Colts

  The news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts headquarters Friday afternoon was not totally unexpected. Team officials have confirmed that two veteran players – former Pro Bowl defensive end/outside linebacker Dwight Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie — will not be returning for the 2013 season.

  February 16, 2013 1 Photo  

• More Colts Headlines

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