Indianapolis — Dallas Clark knows all about former Baltimore Colts tight end John Mackey and his impact on the history of the National Football League.
So it was with a certain amount of pride Sunday that Clark — who broke two of Mackey’s single-season franchise records (total catches in a season by a tight end and touchdown catches in a season by a tight end) in the Indianapolis Colts’ 38-15 win over Houston — talked about the man who once held two of the franchise’s receiving records for the position.
“Yes, I was fortunate enough to meet [Mackey]. I won the Mackey Award [which is given each year to the top collegiate tight end in the country] my last year at Iowa. At the presentation of the award, I got to meet him,” Clark recalled Sunday.
“A very great man. Just hearing from coach [Tony] Dungy telling me how he played. The great thing about meeting him was seeing his passion. Even at his age, he truly loves the game of football. To be in the same sentence as to what he did to this position … I think he really kind of revolutionized the tight end position and to be mentioned in that category is a true honor.”
In addition to raising the bar for tight ends who play for the Colts, Clark also got some attention for his 15-yard run on a fourth-and-2 reverse at the Houston 31-yard line in the third quarter. It was his second running attempt of the season, which netted 14 yards on a similar type play in the season-opening game with New Orleans.
“I don’t want to show my hand, but its authentic. It’s very unique,” he joked afterward when asked to describe his running style. “It’s deceivingly effective. That’s my running style. So hopefully we can get some more looks at that and I can maybe get in the end zone. That would be good.”
n Moving the chains — The Colts had 33 first downs against the Texans. The franchise record (34) was set against Houston a year ago (9/17/06).
Indianapolis had 458 yards in total offense Sunday while limiting Houston to 299 total yards, including 66 on the ground.
• Improved running game — Indianapolis got good performances from Kenton Keith and Clifton Dawson, who saw the bulk of the work at running back Sunday. That was the plan heading into the game, as the Colts wanted to ease off Joseph Addai’s workload a bit and give Keith more playing time.
Indianapolis averaged 3.9 yards a carry against the Texans.
n Injury list — Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (foot), tight end Ben Utecht (shoulder) and cornerback Tim Jennings (apparently shoulder) were hurt Sunday. None of the injuries were thought to be serious.
Addai left the game for a short time in the first quarter with an apparent knee or leg injury.
But he was able to come back to score on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
“Anthony and Joseph probably could have come back in and played,” Dungy said. “Those guys are not nicked up too bad. We will have to see on Utecht and Tim Jennings.”
• Game plan for playing time — Dungy has yet to decide how much playing time key personnel like quarterback Peyton Manning and others will get in the regular-season finale with Tennessee.
“We will take a took at it,” the Colts coach said Sunday. “We still have some things that we want to do better. This was really the important game for us. We wanted to get that taste of not playing our best game against Oakland [last week] out.
“But we will look at [playing time]. There will be some guys that we might hold out, especially once we get the medical report.”
• Pregame inactives — Defensive end Josh Thomas was a pregame inactive after showing the effects of flu-like symptoms Sunday morning. Thomas was held out as a precautionary measure.
Also sitting out the Houston game were wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee), defensive tackle Raheem Brock (rib), defensive end Robert Mathis (knees), safety Antoine Bethea (knee) and offensive tackle Ryan Diem (knee). Joining them as pregame inactives were wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe and offensive tackle Michael Toudouze.
• Pro Bowl alternate — While alternates for the 2008 Pro Bowl rosters are not usually announced, Dungy mentioned Sunday that defensive tackle/end Darrell Reid received votes as the AFC special-teams representative.
It’s not known how many votes Reid received or where on the pecking order he is listed as an alternate.
Colts
Clark pays respect to Colts legend Mackey after breaking two of his franchise records
- Colts
-
-
Colts welcome Manusky aboard as defensive coordinator
On Thursday, Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, coach Chuck Pagano and potential No. 1 draft pick Andrew Luck led the parade.
Grigson and Pagano confirmed the hiring of several assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, Marwan Maalouf (special teams), Roy Anderson (safeties), Alfredo Roberts (tight ends) and Brandt Boyer (assistant special teams). -
Mathis, Garcon at top of Colts’ wish list; Wayne isn’t
Expect defensive end Robert Mathis and wide receiver Pierre Garcon to be priorities for the Indianapolis Colts during free agency.
-
Manning tiptoes around health questions
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and team owner Jim Irsay came to an agreement last week to keep any lingering issues about Manning's future with the team on the backburner during Super Bowl week.
-
Back home again in Indiana
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell has landed a job as quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens announced Caldwell’s hiring Monday.
-
Patriots first to arrive in Indy
Welcome to Super Bowl Week.
-
Pagano wants aggressive defense with Colts
When the Colts went looking for a new head coach, a good portion of the team’s fans made it clear that they wanted a departure from the laid-back style of former coaches Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell.
-
Irsay: Manning comments should have stayed in-house
Not only did the Colts introduce new head coach Chuck Pagano during an afternoon press conference, team owner Jim Irsay also made his feelings known about recent comments that quarterback Peyton Manning made.
-
Colts go with defensive specialist
The Indianapolis Colts, after a weeklong search process, finally landed themselves a head coach Wednesday.
-
Caldwell can’t survive 2-14 season in Indy
The offseason moves just keep on coming for the Indianapolis Colts.
-
Colts fire head coach Caldwell
Tribune-Star correspondent Tom James reports that Colts head coach Jim Caldwell has been fired. No other details are known at this time.
-
Colts hire Eagles exec Grigson as GM
The Indianapolis Colts formally announced former Philadelphia director of player personnel Ryan Grigson as the team’s new general manager Wednesday.
-
Colts hire Eagles executive Grigson as GM
The Indianapolis Colts have hired Eagles executive Ryan Grigson as their new general manager.
-
Irsay: Colts are in 'rebuilding stage'
So are the Indianapolis Colts in a retooling or a rebuilding mode heading into the offseason?
If you ask the players, they would prefer to use the retooling philosophy. In their minds, get some injured players back and the Colts can be right back in the thick of the AFC South title race and once again be a contender for the AFC championship.
Team owner Jim Irsay, though, sees a tougher road ahead. -
Colts give the boot to Polian duo
It didn’t take long for Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay to start making moves with his team.
One day after Irsay’s Colts dropped a 19-13 road decision to Jacksonville, giving Indianapolis a 2-14 record and the No. 1 pick in the 2012 National Football League draft, longtime Colts executive Bill Polian and his son, vice-president/general manager Chris Polian, were both fired.
-
Interesting subplots abound in Colts-Jags game
This afternoon’s AFC South matchup between the Indianapolis Colts (2-13) and Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11) is the regular-season finale for both teams.
-
Colts players a fan of Murphy's promotion to defensive coordinator
Cohesion. That’s the word the keeps coming up when coach Jim Caldwell and many of the team’s players are asked about the turnaround of the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive unit.
-
To win or to lose? For Colts fans, it's not an easy question
With the No. 1 draft pick on the line if the Indianapolis Colts were to lose Sunday at Jacksonville, it’s easy to see why a lot of the team’s fans wouldn’t mind seeing the team fall to the Jaguars.
-
Colts’ Freeney to play in seventh Pro Bowl
Despite a team record of 2-13 heading into the final week of the National Football League regular season, there was some good news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts’ West 56th Street facility Tuesday night.
-
Colts’ last game not without questions
Are the Indianapolis Colts treating Sunday’s game at Jacksonville as the final game of the season or just the next game on the schedule?
-
Colts celebrate second straight division victory
Indianapolis Colts fans finally got a little luck on their side Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It may not have been Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who is expected to the top pick in next spring’s National Football League draft. -
With latest win, Colts provide suspense for 2012 draft position
Now that the Indianapolis Colts have posted two straight wins in their last two games, including Thursday night’s 19-16 victory over AFC South champion Houston, many of the team’s fans find themselves in quite a quandary.
The Colts will take a 2-13 record into next week’s New Year’s Day regular-season finale at Jacksonville. -
Colts face another tough running test
The credit for the Indianapolis Colts’ win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday can go in a couple different directions.
-
Colts taking no risks with injured Manning
Both Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell are looking to the future when it comes to injured quarterback Peyton Manning.
-
More wins to come?
With a win finally under their belts, the Indianapolis Colts (1-13) now look forward to two days of intensive work beginning today.
-
FINALLY! THEY WON
It was a day of firsts for the Indianapolis Colts.
-
Polian hopes to set ‘record straight’
Indianapolis Colts vice chairman Bill Polian didn’t like what he was hearing prior to and during Sunday’s National Football League home game with the Tennessee Titans.
-
Polian shares thoughts on QB situation
With the Indianapolis Colts’ chances of clinching the No. 1 pick in the 2012 National Football League draft getting closer with each succeeding loss, talk among fans and team observers invariably goes to the possibility of the team selecting Stanford junior quarterback Andrew Luck.
-
Colts prepared for Hasselbeck or Locker
The Indianapolis Colts defense is preparing to face a two-pronged offensive attack when the Tennessee Titans visit Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday.
-
Colts could still become spoiler
Time is running short for the 2011 Indianapolis Colts.
-
Colts have three more chances to win
The Indianapolis Colts may be 0-13 for the season, but the team keeps battling.
- More Colts Headlines
-
Colts welcome Manusky aboard as defensive coordinator
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Fans 'Speechless' Over Houston's Death
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Snow Strands Italian Towns
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Video of M.I.A's Obscene Halftime Gesture
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
Today in History for Tuesday, February 12th
Stocks Fall Sharply As Greek Deal Is Held Up
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson after the Pebble Beach Pro Am-2/12
Exclusive Video: Bobbi Kristina Leaving Hospital
2012 Grammys: Rihanna
Raw Video: Aurora Borealis As Seen From Space
2012 Grammys: Taylor Swift
Exclusive Video - Whitney's Bodybag
FUEL TV: Punk Payback Gym tips
Whitney's Final Days - EXCLUSIVE
Romney Tops Santorum in CPAC Straw Poll
First glimpse of Blue Ivy Carter
Angry Dad Shoots Teens Laptop
Peek inside Barbie's closet
Absolute Lin-sanity
Madonna's Daughter Shaves Head
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Test on Comforter in Powell Unit Shows Blood
Hero Driver Saves Kids From Burning Bus
