Magnificent Seven XII: On WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark and the Indianapolis Colts' running game

Indianapolis Colts RB Joseph Addai
Ross D. Franklin/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 eighth week of the 2009 regular season, in which the Colts (6-0) will play host to the San Francisco 49ers (3-3) at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis . . .

7) Quietly, an Iron Man. Longtime readers of the Magnificent Seven will recall that throughout the first weeks of this feature this past August, WR Reggie Wayne was often enough a topic I vowed to focus upon other topics whenever possible. Mission accomplished -- until this week. Because with Wayne missing practice Wednesday with a groin injury it is time to address an often overlooked strength of the three-time Pro Bowl receiver -- a strength that also is a reason Wayne has developed into one of the top players in the NFL at his position. Last season around this time, Wayne sustained a knee injury and missed a Wednesday practice as the Colts prepared for a critical game against the New England Patriots. A few people around the Colts tried to remember the last time he missed a practice, and then it was discovered that he hadn't missed one since his second season in the NFL -- 2002, six years before. QB Peyton Manning hasn't missed a start in his NFL career, and that's impressive, but it's not too much more impressive than Wayne starting every game for six and a half seasons at a position where durability is tested weekly. And Manning said Wayne's durability is not only a reason he has developed into an elite player, but it's a big part of what he is as a player. "That’s kind of what Reggie is about," Manning said this week. "He’s a dependable guy. Reggie holds other guys around him accountable. If you’re going to hold other guys to a high accountability level, then you need to be accountable yourself. That is what he is. He’s not just there on Sundays, he’s there at practice. He wants to get better everyday." Incidentally, the groin injury that forced Wayne to miss practice on Wednesday. It's possible it may keep him out Thursday, too, but Colts President Bill Polian said Tuesday he expects Wayne to play. He's one of those guys -- DE Dwight Freeney has become another -- that even when he's hurt you figure he's going to find a way, somehow to play. It doesn't make guys who can't quite do that less players, but in the case of Wayne and Freeney, it certainly seems to highlight what makes them special.

6) An ironic twist. Funny how the NFL works. A little less than six months ago, the Colts had just completed the NFL Draft, and anyone who knew anything about football -- and those of us who don't -- would have sworn the Colts were going to be improved against the run. We knew the reasons -- DT Fili Moala (second-round draft choice), DT Terrence Taylor (fourth-round draft choice) and DT Ed Johnson (free-agent re-signing). Now, Johnson has been released, Taylor never made it to the regular season and Moala played a relatively insignificant role in his lone start of the season this past week. The Colts are for the most part playing the run well with Antonio Johnson (signed off the Tennessee practice squad last season), Dan Muir (signed off waivers just before last season) and Eric Foster (undrafted free agent) -- playing the key roles. No wonder Colts President Bill Polian pays scant attention to pundits.

5) Streaking. The Colts have won 15 consecutive games, and while a big deal has been made this week about a victory meaning the equivalent of the Tiger Slam when Tiger Woods won four consecutive golf majors over two seasons, the streak is remarkable for many reasons more than a pseudo-undefeated season. The most remarkable thing, though, might just be how unremarkable it is. The Colts' current streak may be the longest in franchise history, but they won 13 consecutive games to start the 2005 season. That followed a 2004 season in which the Colts won eight consecutive games. The Colts also won nine consecutive games in 2006 and seven consecutive games in 2007. In a sense, that's what was so remarkable this past offseason when many analysts were predicting the Colts' run of seven consecutive postseason appearances to end. Except for the first half of last season, when QB Peyton Manning was recovering from offseason knee surgery, long winning streaks around the Colts have been the rule, not the exception.

4) Lobbying time. Colts President Bill Polian was half-joking on his Monday radio show when he asked listeners to go go NFL.com, vote for TE Dallas Clark and vote often. But only half-joking. Polian isn't big on the Pro Bowl. He correctly believes the selection system flawed and that often as not deserving players don't go, but his lobbying for Clark is telling. The Colts long have believed Clark is one of the NFL's top players at his position and few around the organization don't want to see the likable seven-year veteran honored as such.

3) Playoffs!!? Didn't want to let the week pass without mentioning that Sunday's game is the first visit by the San Francisco 49ers to Indianapolis since November 2001. After that Thanksgiving weekend game, then-Head Coach Jim Mora was asked about the team's dwindling playoff chances, prompting the now famous/infamous "Playoffs . . Are you kidding me? Playoffs?" line. Manning, who was in his fourth season in 2001, talked about Mora with a lot of respect when asked about the incident Wednesday, and Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell and former Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy long have talked with respect about the foundation of work ethic laid by Mora being a big reason for the team's success since 2002. There will be the requisite replays of the Mora soundbites this week, but he was a decent guy, a good coach and hardly unresponsible for the Colts' long run of success.

2) Healthy . . . at last. Among the more overlooked reasons for the Colts' success this season? MLB and defensive captain Gary Brackett says it's SLB Tyjuan Hagler. He is fourth on the team with 29 tackles and has defensed three passes. Hagler, a fifth-round selection in the 2005 NFL Draft, long has been a player the Colts liked a lot, but injuries always have kept him off the field. After becoming a free agent following last season, he beat out second-year veteran Philip Wheeler for the starting job in training camp and Brackett said the main difference between Hagler this season and past seasons is obvious. "Being able to stay healthy," Brackett said. "Injuries kind of got the best of him. Last year he was penciled in as the starter because two years ago he played well. Then, he was injured. The only thing with him was finding a way to stay healthy. When he's out there, he's a consistent guy, a guy you can count on."

1) Not satisfied. The members of the Colts' offensive line aren't satisfied. Not yet. They set a preseason goal of improving the run, and gradually they have taken steps toward doing so. Last week, they rushed for 156 yards, but LT Charlie Johnson this week said the idea is to have that sort of performance -- or at least the capability of it -- every week. "We're making strides,” he said. “We're starting to get some bigger runs, but we're still not happy with it. It's kind of back and forth. We want to get to the point where we're consistent and we're getting consistent yards every week. It has to be something we can count on to get, say, 100 yards a week or whatever the number is. It's more consistency right now.”

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*** IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER ON COLTS DE DWIGHT FREENEY: HERE

*** A REVIEW OF COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW: TE DALLAS CLARK SHOULD GO TO THE PRO BOWL HERE. AND AN UPDATE ON WR REGGIE WAYNE. HERE.

*** COFFEE WITH THE COLTS. A NEXT-DAY REVIEW OF RAMS-COLTS. HERE.

*** COLTS 42, RAMS 6. INDY FOOTBALL REPORT EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S GAME STORY. HERE

*** THE TOP FIVE SEASONS OF COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING. HERE

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

Magnificent Seven IV: On the Colts' offense, OG Ryan Lilja and WR Anthony Gonzalez

Magnificent Seven V: On S Melvin Bullitt and QB Peyton Manning

Magnificent Seven VI: On RB Donald Brown and the start of the season . . . at last

Magnificent Seven VII: On WR Reggie Wayne, the OL and blitzing

Magnificent Seven VIII: On WR Reggie Wayne, QB Peyton Manning and DE Dwight Freeney