INDIANAPOLIS — Next man up. That’s been the Indianapolis Colts rallying cry all week as the team prepared for Sunday’s home game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Not including strong side linebacker Rob Morris, who was placed on Indianapolis’ injured reserve after undergoing season-ending knee surgery on Tuesday, the Colts may be without several starters this week, including wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee), strong safety Bob Sanders (chest/ribs), running back Joseph Addai (chest/shoulder), weak side linebacker Freddy Keiaho (concussion) and tight end Ben Utecht (concussion).
That group did not practice Friday, along with wide receiver Roy Hall (shoulder), kick/punt returner T.J. Rushing (hamstring) and cornerback Marlin Jackson (quadraceps muscle). Jackson, however, is expected to play this week, along with offensive tackle Tony Ugoh (ankle) and outside linebacker Clint Session (hamstring).
According to Colts coach Tony Dungy, there could be several game time decisions coming on Sunday.
“We’re going to have some game-time decisions and guys who are going to run, probably Sunday morning. Tony Ugoh did fine, though, and actually practiced [Thursday]. He’s going to be in good shape to go. He’s about the only one of the doubtful group that I can tell you definitively on,” Dungy said Friday.
“We really didn’t get much practice out of any of the other guys. A couple of guys are going to run on Sunday morning and we’ll see how they do. But I would say it’s unlikely that many of them will play.”
Veteran backup Aaron Moorehead was slated to fill Harrison’s role in the offense, but he is now listed as questionable for the game with back spasms. He also did not take part in Friday’s practice.
“He’s got that back that does flare up. We really rested him [Friday]. We had to list him [on the injury report] because he didn’t practice. But his feeling is he’ll be ready to go. And we wanted to make sure by not practicing him,” Dungy said.
One mitigating factor on deciding on whether a particular player will take the field against Tampa Bay is the upcoming bye week.
“Sure it will,” the Colts coach said. “And guys, if they’re really ready to go, if they feel good mentally, they’ll go. The other guys have practiced all week and if there’s any doubt, we’ll go with the guys who have practiced.”
• • •
• Addai injury similar to last season — The injury that running back Joseph Addai suffered last week against Denver was originally listed as a shoulder. Now team officials are referring more to a chest soreness.
“He got hit on that shoulder and got that bruise. It’s really more in the chest now. Very similar to what he had in the (2006) playoffs. He says its better than what it was in the playoffs. But obviously the playoffs was a do-or-die situation and not week five of the regular season,” Dungy said.
Utecht, Keiaho waiting on concussion tests -- Ben Utecht and Freddy Keiaho must be cleared by team before they will be allowed to play Sunday. Neither Utecht or Keiaho have practiced this week.
“Freddy has not [passed his neuro-pyschological test] and to my knowledge maybe hasn’t been tested. We may be waiting on that until (today) or Sunday. But Freddy and Ben did not practice this week. It’s one of those things that they just have to wait and test. And when they pass, they pass,” the Colts coach said.
• Wayne “hungry” for football — With Harrison not expected to play and Moorehead bothered by a sore back, wide receiver Reggie Wayne will become the primary receiving target in the Colts’ passing attack.
“You go in [to the game] the same way and practice hard,” Wayne said Friday. “My whole mentality of everything is to expect the worst. The worst will be if [Harrison] is not playing. I know I’m playing. But if he’s not playing, then it won’t be a surprise. I’ve prepared for it. I’ve worked all hard for it all week, and everybody else did the same. There’s no different approach. You just practice the same way.”
The Buccaneers’ defense will be able to concentrate its efforts more towards stopping, or at least attempting to slow down, Wayne. But the Pro Bowl receiver is okay with that.
“The defense will have to focus on me anyway,” he laughed. “I’m sure Tampa Bay is looking at it like Marvin is going to play. It would be wise to do that. We’ve still got weapons. Still got [tight end] Dallas [Clark], still got [rookie wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez] Gonzo. [Running back] Kenton Keith’s coming. He’s done a great job if Joe [Joseph Addai] can’t go. So we’ve got guys who’s been in the fire and been able to produce already.
“For years, there’s always been talk about me being the number two guy [receiver on the Colts]. I go in thinking I’m number one. That’s just the mentality of a receiver. You just want to go into each game thinking you’re number one. Just like you think nobody can cover you. That’s just confident territory.”
Wayne is ready for the challenge that a defense like Tampa Bay’s will present, especially with former Indianapolis outside linebacker Cato June lining up across the line of scrimmage.
“If we have a lot of guys out, then we have a lot of guys that need to step up,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that’s going to need to do more. But there no shock, it’s no secret. This is what you prepare for all offseason. For times like this, being able to take it up an extra notch or two notches. I hope that we can get as much guys as possible to play. If not, I’m ready.”
• Roster moves — The Colts may be forced to sign wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe from the team’s practice squad to help fill the voids at both receiver and punt/kick returns.
Thorpe was added to the practice squad a couple of weeks ago after being released at the end of training camp. He excelled as a kick returner during the preseason and was beginning to come on strong as a receiver as well.
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