The news on Monday that WR Anthony Gonzalez may still contribute this season feels familiar for those following the Indianapolis Colts.
It has been said before this season. More than once, actually.
But make no mistake about this:
While Gonzalez has taken a long, long, time to return from a Week 1 knee injury -- longer than originally ancitipated, at the least -- and while there is still no guarantee he will return this season, it's just as true that the Colts still need him.
The need isn't as dire as it first seemed. But it's still a need.
To review quickly:
Gonzalez, a first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, began the season as the starter opposite three-time Pro Bowl WR Reggie Wayne, but sustained a knee injury in the first half of the regular-season opener against Jacksonville. He originally was expected to be out anywhere from 2-to-8 weeks, but Colts President Bill Polian said he had a setback. While there is still no timetable for a return -- and while the return is not definite -- Polian said Monday "my hope is that we get a breakthrough here one of these weeks and that he'll be back before the season is over."
“Anthony is a bit behind schedule,” Polian said Monday on his weekly radio show on Hank FM 97.1 in Indianapolis. “Anthony's just been a little slow coming around. But we know what the issue is and we know it will come around probably sooner rather than later and we're hopeful it will be even quicker than that.”
Polian also said even if Gonzalez can't return for the regular season, he could return and be effective in the playoffs, particularly if the Colts secure a first-round bye.
And while Gonzalez has become a less hold-your-breath issue because of the emergence of WRs Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, it's still an issue, because while Garcon and Collie have been very, very good, Gonzalez still brings an element the Colts need to the offense.
Gonzalez is not only a veteran, and a player with big-time physical ability, his versatility gives them something neither Garcon nor Collie give the Colts yet -- a player who can play inside or outside with equal effectiveness. Garcon, after a few weeks at midseason struggling with consistency, has emerged in the last three weeks as one of the NFL's top young receivers, and it's not inconceivable he could develop into a long-term asset opposite Reggie Wayne, perhaps even a Pro Bowl player. Collie also has improved in recent weeks, and this past week -- when the Tennessee Titans overloaded their secondary to negate Wayne, Manning threw 10 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown to Garcon/Collie, with 136 of the yards going to Garcon and the touchdown going to Collie.
But so far, Garcon has been most effective outside, and Collie seems most comfortable working inside. Gonzalez can do either, and perhaps most significantly, he can play the slot and give the Colts a deep, big-play threat from there.
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