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	Mark Zerof/US Presswire
	Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis offense struggled in Friday's game, but preseason woes are not new to the Colts.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

INDIANAPOLIS -- After six plays, zero net yards and three sacks of Peyton Manning, left guard Ryan Lilja said he and the starters who played on offense wanted to stay in the game.

"Not our idea of a good start by any means," he said after the Colts dropped their preseason opener 13-3 to Minnesota at Lucas Oil Stadium. "Frustrating to come out of the gates looking like that. We had obviously three sacks, we had a nice stretch play out there that worked all right and we could have had a decent looking screen there if we caught the ball.

"But we just came out sloppy and lackadaisical. Every area of the game was pretty lethargic. Not the way we wanted to start... Nobody wants to leave the game after that type of performance."

Insert disclaimer here: As we mentioned earlier in the day, preseason success is not the Colts' MO. They are 3-15 in the preseason over the last four years and it was the harbinger of absolutely nothing since they posted a collective 51-13 record in the subsequent regular seasons. Any alarm, any labeling of anyone as a Colts' apologist is unwise based on that history.

Still, first-year head coach Jim Caldwell offered the obligatory we-want-to-win line:

"You know I'll stop worrying about winning when they stop keeping score in these games."

My petition to make them stop has not garnered much support, unfortunately.

Meanwhile Manning took the performance seriously, as he must.

"I know we'll see a lot of things we can improve on, hopefully we'll see a few positives in there," he said. "But there is no question we need to improve on some things this week and get ready to play a lot better on Thursday...

"It's always kind of the way it is with preseason. You always wish you could stay in to improve on the series before, especially when you don't score or kind of go backwards kind of like we went that series."

Ugly and ineffective leaves the Colts feeling lousy. As they review this Saturday before an off day a comb over of the film will reveal those few positives, provided largely by rookies: Donald Brown's five carries for 58 yards, including a 38 yarder; a 49.9-yard average and 40.4-net average for rookie punter Pat McAfee; nothing longer allowed for the Vikings' offense than a 17-yard pass.

McAfee's first punt sailed 63 yards.

"I thought I got a hold of it a little bit, but I knew I was going to have to punt again, so I was trying to stay a little chill," he said.

A few more thoughts, connected for a few more rookies:

• Receiver Austin Collie tied for the game-high with four receptions and talked about how much he enjoyed his first NFL experience.

"I think it was just what I expected," he said. "It was extremely fast, but it was exciting at the same time. It was fun. It was a blast.

• Defensive tackle Fili Moala wasn't credited with a tackle, didn't seem to get off the ball very quickly and was flagged for consecutive penalties late in the third quarter - a defensive hold and an offsides.

"The first one is what it is, the second one is totally a mental mistake, I claim that one 100 percent," he said. "It's just a learning process, growing pains... I've just got to get out there and play, play harder maybe and definitely be more productive."

• Quarterback Curtis Painter was 10 of 17 for just 77 yards, absorbing two sacks and producing nothing longer than 17 yards. The former Boilermaker surely didn't come into the league as a sixth-round pick expecting to be under center early in the second quarter of his first game in uniform. But with Jim Sorgi (hamstring) out, there he was. He said he didn't see many surprises.

"We kept it pretty simple so there weren't too many  challenging things as far as from an offensive standpoint," he said. "Get in there, get a rhythm going."