Count your blessings, fans of the horse

INDIANAPOLIS – Breathe out, Colts fans: A bursa sac can’t sack Peyton Manning.

The face of the franchise started the Colts’ season opener Sunday night after missing the entire preseason, recovering from surgery that removed an infected bursa sac from his left knee.

And the Sorgi family weeps.

Marvin Harrison, who missed most of last season with a bum knee, started too, as did Dwight Freeney, who missed the latter half of last season with an injury.

The Colts had all their stars back for their nationally-televised season opener and the official opening of Lucas Oil Stadium – a Sunday night game against the Chicago Bears.

For the Colts, who at one point actually pondered if they’d have to open the season with Jared Lorenzen taking snaps, being healthy is a win in itself – just ask the New England Patriots.

Reigning league MVP Tom Brady left the Patriots’ season opener against the Chiefs with what some media outlets report is a season-ending knee injury. Brady was hit by this columnist’s former classmate, ex-South Side Archer Bernard Pollard, and Brady reportedly tore his ACL.

Brady is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.

Nobody should rejoice in a player injury, though I doubt that will stop many Colts fans from doing so.

Don’t get me wrong – the Patriots are still loaded with talent. But New England without Brady will struggle.

Outside of Lucas Oil Stadium, things went pretty well for the Colts on Opening Day.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, the team besides the Colts that most experts predicted to win the AFC South, scored just 10 points in a loss to division foe Tennessee. The Houston Texans, a team some thought could make some noise in the Colts’ division, lost in a laugher to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The team that knocked Indy out of the playoffs last year, the San Diego Chargers, lost at home to the Carolina Panthers, a team that went 7-9 last year.

The Colts could very well struggle for a good chunk of the beginning of the year, especially as Manning tries to find his form with All-Pro center Jeff Saturday on the bench.

But, as one team has already found out, there are worse things than losing.