ANDERSON, Ind. -- Each week on Examiner.com, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser offers seven thoughts on all things surrounding the Indianapolis Colts. Without further delay, the first Magnificent Seven of the 2010 season, this one looking at seven issues after two weeks of training camp . . .
7) A serious issue. A pre-season knee injury is a long way from disaster, particularly if Colts C Jeff Saturday can return early in the season. But let's spend a few sentences on what's obvious: the absence of Saturday for any extended period is a serious situation for the Colts, particularly this season. And it's not that Saturday is necessarily irreplaceable as a run- or pass-blocker. At 35, it's possible that there are others on the Colts' roster who could physically play as well as the 12-year veteran. But Saturday's ability to make line calls at the line of scrimmage is critical to the Colts' offense. He has worked so long with QB Peyton Manning that the two are rarely out of sync, and with Manning often changing plays at the line – and often doing so as the play clock nears :00 – Saturday's ability to make his calls and necessary corresponding changes is key. That long has been the case, as evidenced by the Colts' struggles offensively the last time he missed games, in 2008. Manning's knee was an issue that season, but Saturday's absence was, too. This year, Saturday's presence may be equally important. The Colts will have at least one personnel change on the interior of the offensive line because of Ryan Lilja's off-season release. You don't want to compound potential confusion by having Saturday absent for an extended period.
6) Welcome back . . . sort of. The weirdest, most out-of-the-blue moment from Week 1 of training camp in a sense had nothing to do with the Colts: the return to the NFL of Quinn Pitcock, who played an extensive role as a rookie defensive tackle in 2007 before retiring shortly before 2008 training camp. The Colts released him from their reserve/did not report list last month and Pitcock signed with the Seattle Seahawks late last week. Upon his signing, he told reporters he had undergone treatment for depression and had developed an addiction to video games. Pitcock's absence hurt the Colts in 2008, being as it was another in a long line of difficulties for the team on the interior of the defensive line. But the team moved forward from 2008, moving Dan Muir, Antonio Johnson and Eric Foster into a rotation that improved as the season went on. The Colts have long moved on from Pitcock, and it appears Pitcock is at least close to the frame of mind necessary to play football. One quick thought on the Pitcock return is that the Colts' front office must be lauded for its success in stocking the position since he left. At the time, Pitcock and Ed Johnson were considered potential core players on the line at least for several seasons. Within a month and a half of Pitcock's retirement, Johnson was released and then he was released again the following season. Since then, the team has developed Antonio Johnson, Dan Muir and Eric Foster into a solid trio at defensive tackle.
5) Confidence in Clyde. Interesting stuff from Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell this week regarding offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen. Caldwell promoted Christensen to offensive coordinator this off-season, a move that some observers questioned because of Christensen's one season of experience as a coordinator. That was in 2001, with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers struggled offensively that season, and Head Coach Tony Dungy, Christensen and the rest of the offensive staff – a staff that included Caldwell, then finishing his first NFL season – were dismissed. Caldwell has remained a supporter of Christensen's and said this week he believes Christensen will do well. No reason to believe he won't, with at least one reason the talent and scheme in Indianapolis is far superior to that Christensen was using in Tampa Bay in 2002.
4) Still smiling. There continues to be good news for the Colts regarding Bob Sanders. We won't dwell on this topic, because there's not an incredible amount more to say than what we've been saying throughout training camp and the off-season, but it's noticeable that nearly two weeks into training camp the major news about Sanders is there is no news. Sanders, who missed 26 of 32 regular-season games the last two seasons with injuries, continues to work with the team and practice and he continues to be in good spirits. “With the work I’ve done this offseason, no, I’m not surprised (to be feeling as good as he is),” Sanders said on Wednesday. “With just looking at the injuries, yes, I am surprised. With what I’ve gone through, I’m a little surprised I have been able to overcome this and have gotten better physically all around. It is a good thing. I’m excited and hopefully it will stay that way.” The guy more and more looks like a guy who's thinking about preparing for a season and not thinking about past injuries – i.e., his season is starting to take on the tone of a normal player. Sanders' isn't normal, of course. He is a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year who is capable of making plays far above the Xs and Os and he also has been injured far more than the normal player, but if there's a striking story that shouldn't be overlooked about Colts training camp, it's just the every day presence of Sanders. If he wasn't practicing, we'd be noting it daily, so it's only right to mention it more than occasionally when he is. “It’s always good once you are on the field,” Sanders said. “It’s a good thing being on the field. You feel good, you get back into the groove of things and it is just a good feeling. I definitely feel good.”
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