Magnificent Seven VIII: On Indianapolis Colts RB Donald Brown, LBs and the transition to the future

Indianapolis Colts CB Kelvin Hayden (AP Photo)

Each week on Examiner.com, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser offers seven thoughts on all things Indianapolis Colts. Without further delay, the Magnificent Seven for the third week of the 2009 regular season, in which the Colts will visit the Arizona Cardinal Sunday Night.

7) Getting there. After a lot of teeth-gnashing in preseason about the offensive line, the early indications are that the group has a real chance to achieve its goal of improving drastically from last season. The line of RT Ryan Diem, RG Mike Pollak, C Jeff Saturday, LG Ryan Lilja and LT Charlie Johnson allowed just one sack against Miami -- a team with LBs Jason Taylor and Joey Porter -- on Monday, and the Colts rushed for five-and-a-half yards a carry. The Colts didn't run many plays, but on the ones they did run, the line performed well. Lilja has been healthy and productive after returning from a knee injury that cost him last season, and Pollak -- a second-year veteran -- had a key block on a fourth-quarter touchdown run against Miami. It may have been the biggest play of Pollak's NFL career to date. Johnson, who moved into the starting left tackle role, appears to have played well early.

6) Dallas Clark is Pro-Bowl bound. Is it early to make this proclamation? Sure. Is it wrong? Doubftul, mainly because the circumstances are aligning for Clark to make his first Pro Bowl appearance, and they're aligning in a big-time way. For the past two seasons, the seven-year veteran from Iowa has made strides toward being a Pro Bowl selection, and he was named second alternate last season. One reason he didn't make it was the presence of Antonio Gates in San Diego and Tony Gonzalez in Kansas City. The Pro Bowl is as often as much a reputation award as it is a recognition of who had the best season, and with those two perennial selections in the conference, Clark had little chance. Now, not only is Gonzalez gone to AFC but Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez is out for probably at least a month with a knee injury. Clark caught seven passes for a career-high 183 yards against Miami on Monday Night. That prime-time performance not only raised his profile among fans and peers even more than before, it was an example of how Clark -- who leads the NFL in receiving yards after two weeks -- might be used even more in Gonzalez's absence. With those factors, it would be surprising if this isn't the year Clark gets what might be an overdue honor.

5) Is Donald Brown the Man at running back? That question is rightfully getting asked more and more early in the season. RB Joseph Addai has started each of the first two games, but it has been Brown who has finished the games. Each game was decided in the final minutes, with the offense needing to make plays at the end of the game to win or secure victories. Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said Thursday that was indication of the team's confidence in Brown. A lot of observers are wondering if that means Brown is ahead of Addai, but the reality of the Colts' running back situation remains that both Addai and Brown are going to get a lot of work. Addai is a solid receiver and runner and typically is a good blocker while Brown seems to have a big-play burst the Colts haven't had in some time at the spot. They'll need both to be productive the rest of the season.

4) Jury's Out . . . on the Colts' defense. The unit was very, very good against Jacksonville in the season opener, particularly against the pass. They were OK against the pass in Week 2, but against the Wildcat offense in Miami, the unit allowed 239 yards rushing on 39 carries. Was the Week 2 performance because of the Wildcat or because the Colts are weak against the run? Based on a solid performance in Week 1 against Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jaguars without DT Ed Johnson, the likelihood is the forner. The unit may not get tested extensively Sunday against QB Kurt Warner and a dangerous receiver group in Arizona.

3) Remember all the depth . . . at the linebacker position? Well, it may get tested this week. MLB Gary Brackett has missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury and it doesn't appear likely he will play. LB Freddy Keiaho appeared to struggle at times in preseason, but he played well last season at weak-side linebacker and some thought he was the team's best linebacker last season when healthy. He started the past two seasons on the outside. Clint Session returned to practice Thursday after missing practice Wednesday with an ankle injury. If he can't play, second-year veteran Philip Wheeler likely will move into a starting role. The best linebacker for the Colts this season perhaps has been veteran Tyjuan Hagler, who has made standout plays each of the first two weeks. He beat out Wheeler in the preseason. The Colts long have liked his talent and so far this season, he has been healthy.

2) Rotating in and out. There was a time during the 2007 season that the Colts' secondary had a very real chance to develop into one of the NFL's best. Now, it's time to wonder if that group will ever get the chance to reach its full potential. Injuries are the reason. The starters that season were CBs Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden and Ss Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea. The safeties made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and the corners weren't far off. Sanders missed 10 games with a knee injury last season and has yet to play this season and Hayden -- after missing six games last season -- started the first two games of this season but has yet to practice this week because of a hamstring injury. Jackson missed the final nine games last season with a knee injury and is playing nickelback to start this season. Bethea has remained a reliable, durable player and the Colts' secondary remarkably has withstood the injuries to play well. Rookie Jerraud Powers played well starting the opener at corner, and although veteran Tim Jennings sometimes gives more cushion than fans like, there are teams with worse fourth corners.

1) Transitioning. A lot of the offseason talk about the Colts nationally was about how the offense would fare without eight-time Pro Bowl WR Marvin Harrison. That was a case of national media not fully grasping how little Harrison was involved with the Colts' offense at times last season. Stil, it's notable that Colts QB Peyton Manning on Monday engineered a remarkable comeback against a solid Miami defense without not only Harrison, but also without his replacement, third-year veteran Anthony Gonzalez, who is out with a knee injury. The Dolphins did a good job negating three-time Pro Bowl WR Reggie Wayne, but Manning worked not only Clark into the offense, but also rookie WR Austin Collie and second-year veteran Pierre Garcon, who caught the game-winning touchdown on a 48-yard screen pass. The Colts are playing a significant number of new faces on offense, and so far, Manning is transitioning to the future relatively smoothly.

*** PEYTON MANNING'S TOP 10 COMEBACK VICTORIES HERE.

*** HIS TOP 10 UNDERRATED MOMENTS HERE

*** READ COFFEE WITH THE COLTS: IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S NEXT-MORNING LOOK AT THE COLTS-DOLPHINS GAME HERE

*** WHAT DO THE COLTS HAVE TO DO TO WIN THE AFC SOUTH? READ IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S FIVE KEYS HERE

*** COLTS HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL SAYS MORE TO LATE-GAME COMEBACKS THAN JUST QB PEYTON MANNING HERE

*** A LOOK AT WHAT COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN HAD TO SAY THE DAY AFTER COLTS-DOLPHINS HERE

RECENT COLTS NEWS

* Manning says Colts won't change offensive approach because of opponents' style

MAGNIFICENT SEVENS: WEEKLY COLTS THOUGHTS . . .

Magnificent Seven I: Seven training camp thoughts and observations

Magnificent Seven II: On the Colts' defensive tackle position and WR Reggie Wayne

Magnificent Seven III: On the Colts' running backs and offensive line