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Indianapolis Colts RT Ryan Diem (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)
The Indianapolis Colts held several starters and front-line players out of a loss to the New York Jets Sunday.
Bill Polian said the number could be higher Sunday.
Polian, in his 12th season as the Colts' president, said on his weekly radio show Monday that in addition to players such as CB Jerraud Powers and LB Clint Session – two of several key players missing Sunday's game – OT Ryan Diem and TE Gijon Robinson likely will miss the regular-season finale against Buffalo Sunday.
Polian listed players he expects to miss Sunday: Diem, Robinson, DE Keyunta Dawson, Powers, Session, WR Pierre Garcon and likely DE Robert Mathis and LT Charlie Johnson.
“Those people are probably out as we speak,” Polian said Monday on his weekly radio show on Hank 97.1 FM. “Add to that the guys who already are on injured reserve and you're playing what is a shell of the team we started the season with. If you add the people who are on injured reserve who should have been or would have been starters, you're talking about 12 starters.
"We have achieved this record of 14-1 and went into yesterday's game with 12 starters out. That's an enviable record by anybody's lights.”
Polian said the goal “is to get everyone of them back for the playoff game.”
“Will some of them play hurt in the playoff game?” he said. “Absolutely. Surely they will. Should they have played hurt this coming week? Absolutely not. Should some guys have played hurt Sunday? No. Absolutely not. No one would want that, whether you're a fan who bought a ticket, a suite holder, a person who watches on television or listens on the radio – you would not want your husband, son, father going out there playing hurt in a game that had no effect on the standings.
“Anybody with common sense would say, 'No, we're not going to go and risk this player's injury and certainly not risk his future history.”
More from Colts President Bill Polian’s weekly radio show:
* "Sixteen wins was not our issue." Here.
* “We played our worst game Sunday as a team.” Here
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