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Reminder to Colts fans: Texans are down three starters on offense
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Bob Sanders was lost for the season with a biceps injury (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
The Colts were visited by the injury bug this week losing 3/4ths of their secondary and a starting outside linebacker.
All I can say is welcome to the club.
Just to keep some perspective here, and keep the gnashing of teeth from being too one-sided, the Texans have lost both starting guards and one of the best tight ends in the NFL in Owen Daniels.
So if you're keeping score, the Colts are down 4 starters on defense and Texans down 3 starters on offense. Sounds pretty even to me.
If you count James Casey, who would be starting in two tight-end sets in Daniels' absence, the Texans are down four on offense for the game on Sunday. Rookie tight end Anthony Hill gets his first start Sunday backing up new #1 TE Joel Dreessen. Sprinkle in the Texans situation at running back and the Texans offense is arguably just as unsettled as the Colts defense.
So if the unlikely happens on Sunday, please save the 'asterisk' talk that will undoubtedly come up as an excuse. News bulletin: injuries happen, and the Texans are no stranger to that party. In fact, this will be the first time ever that Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson will be on the field together against the Colts.
The Colts have lost safety Bob Sanders, corner Marlin Jackson and outside linebacker Tyjuan Hagler for the season. Cornerback Kelvin Hayden will miss four weeks with a knee injury.
Sanders has missed nearly as many games as he's played during his career and his replacement, Melvin Bullitt (Texas A&M) has 14 starts over the past two seasons. Bullitt was the starter the last time the Texans visited Indy.
Jackson has been limited by injury over the past two seasons and rookie Jerraud Powers assumed a starting role for the Colts earlier this year. Another rookie, Jacob Lacey, will start at the other corner replacing Hayden. Powers has six starts and you know what they say about rookies not being rookies any more once you make it past the halfway point of the season.
Lacey, Powers and Bullitt all started against the Titans in Week 5 so it's not like these guys haven't worked together. Phillip Wheeler will make his first start in place of Hagler.
The bottom line for me is that if Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are still out there, it's still the Colts.
The Texans will still have to play one of their best games to win at Indy on Sunday. What a win it would be - and if it happens, just be forewarned that excuses and talk of asterisks will not be tolerated. Over the years, the Texans have accumulated enough injury stories of their own to suppress most opponents in that debate.
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