Column: Colts come up a Manning short in season opener

What are the Colts to do?

That was the question on every fan’s and spectator’s mind after Indianapolis’ embarrassing loss to the Texans on Sunday. If the Colts’ front office isn’t thinking that, too, this season will not get any better.

Peyton Manning — the heart, leader and quarterback of the team — will be out for at least two months, but the possibility of him being done for the season is very real.
The four-time league MVP was replaced by backup Kerry Collins, who performed below expectations in the opener.

Let’s not put all the blame on Collins quite yet, though.

A team with Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai — to name a few — should be capable of picking up the slack for a missing quarterback, but it is clear now more than ever Manning is not just a quarterback.

Players and fans believed that when Manning was on the field, the game was never over. Sunday’s dismal first half would not have sealed the fate of this team if Manning was under center.

The challenge becomes rallying around a quarterback people don’t believe in and a team that seems lost because there is a good chance Manning will not be on the field this year.

New reports make it seem as if the Colts’ front office knew more about the Manning situation than they let on to fans and media.

Manning had three neck surgeries in 19 months. That’s a lot for a professional athlete to bounce back from, especially if this athlete is well into his career.

Since Manning went under the knife again last Thursday, new questions arise.

Did Peyton really ever feel good enough to take the field again this season?
Did he let on to the Colts management and coaches how hurt he was?
Did the Colts know he might never take a snap in 2011?

These questions all deserve answers, but the last one may be the most important. 

If the Colts knew Manning didn’t have a great chance to play, shouldn’t they have been making more moves during the off-season to get a decent backup that could lead the team to another AFC South title?

Maybe they were too worried to take the fan’s hero away from them, or maybe they were hoping for a miracle.

Team management is scouting college quarterbacks. Team owner Jim Irsay took to Twitter to report, “There will b some shocking, dramatic, inspiring, unimaginable things happening n Coltsland the next 18 months...buckle up, stay faithful, BELIEVE.”

Eighteen months seems a long wait for a team accustomed to contending for titles.
This could be Irsay’s way of saying, “We’re not going to get Peyton back, but we’re working on something else.”

Regardless of when or if Manning returns, the Colts need to figure out how they are going to put forth an effort on the field. Quarterbacks get hurt, substitutions are made and teams are supposed to pick up the slack.

Time will tell if the Colts will be able to do that. For now, No. 18 will just have to do what he can from the sidelines.


­— cursini@indiana.edu
Caitlin Ursini is a senior majoring in journalism.