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The Colts have added their third offensive linemen since the start of free agency, inking Oakland free-agent center Samson Satele.

“Samson is an experienced, productive and highly competitive offensive center,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in the team’s news release announcing the addition. "He has all the necessary traits to be one of the top centers in the NFL. He is not only a great player, but a great person and family man as well. We wanted him and we got him. We couldn’t be happier that he will now be a Colt for years to come and help us reach our ultimate goal.

Said Satele: “It’s a brand new team. In talking with Coach [Chuck Pagano] and everyone else, it feels like a family. It’s a fresh, new start for me and a fresh, new team. I can’t wait to get this rolling.”

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. says Satele isn’t real strong, but has shown steady improvement.

“He’s a finesse, movement guy, which is odd, considering that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians came from a power scheme with big, heavy O-linemen,” Williamson said.

Satele joins right tackle Winston Justice, who was acquired from Philadelphia in a very cheap trade, and interior lineman Mike McGlynn, signed away from Cincinnati.

The Colts have Anthony Castonzo locked in at left tackle and will piece together the rest of the line from a group of those three newcomers, along with holdovers including Joe Reitz, who finished the 2011 season as the team’s left guard, Jeff Linkenbach, who finished the season as right tackle and Ben Ijalana, the 2011 second-round draft pick who tore an ACL a month into last season.

“It’s a C group all together, but I really like Castonzo,” Williamson said. “Also, they will add another piece in the draft at some point. Calling it functional might be a bit generous.”

Who played the most on offense in the AFC South in 2011?

Here’s a rundown, with percentage of offensive snaps played:

QB – Matt Hasselbeck, Titans, 90.4

RB – Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, 74.93

FB – Greg Jones, Jaguars, 38.71

WR – Reggie Wayne, Colts, 98.8

WR – Pierre Garcon, Colts, 95.5

TE – Owen Daniels, Texans, 79.13

C – Brad Meester, Jaguars, 100

G – Wade Smith, Texans, 100

G – Uche Nwaneri, Jaguars, 100

G – Jake Scott, Titans, 100

T – Jeff Linkenbach, Colts, 100

T – Michael Roos, Titans, 100

A few notes:

Chris Johnson was the only back other than MJD to play as much as 60 percent of his team’s snaps (70.23).

Jones was the only fullback to play at least a third of his team’s snaps. Houston’s James Casey was next in fullback playing time, working 32.39 percent of the Texans’ snaps.

Wayne missed just 12 snaps and Garcon only 44 for the Colts. They are both heading for unrestricted free agency, and if both are lost that’s a lot of playing time to fill in. The next biggest number for a receiver in the division? The Titans' Nate Washington at 82.9.

Daniels didn’t beat out Jacksonville’s Marcedes Lewis (76.75) by much. I’d bet guessing the No. 3 tight end would be tough. Prove me wrong in the comments section below.

Two other offensive linemen narrowly missed 100 percent: Titans guard Eugene Amano missed only one play and Colts center Jeff Saturday was off the field for just six.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- After crossing off inactives and drawing lines to move guys around and up the depth chart, my flip card for the Colts' offense looks silly.

Ryan Diem, Anthony Castonzo and Joe Reitz all didn’t travel.

So the line will look like this:

LT Jeff Linkenbach, LG Seth Olsen, C Jeff Saturday, RG Mike Tepper, RT Quinn Ojinnaka.

Three of those players -- Olsen, Tepper and Ojinnaka – were not on the Colts' opening day roster.

The group will start out blocking for running back Delone Carter, who is starting ahead of the injured Joseph Addai, who is dressed.

On defense, cornerback Jacob Lacey is a scratch and will be replaced by Kevin Thomas.

The Titans suffer one big lineup loss. Their primary blocking tight end, Craig Stevens, is out with a rib injury and Daniel Graham will start in his place.

The full lists…

Indianapolis:

• WR Anthony Gonzalez
• QB Peyton Manning
• CB Jacob Lacey
• G Ryan Diem
• T Anthony Castonzo
• G Joe Reitz
• DT Drake Nevis

Tennessee:

• QB Rusty Smith
• S Chris Hope
• LB Colin McCarthy
• OT Byron Stingily
• DT Zach Clayton
• TE Craig Stevens
• DE William Hayes

Ten questions worth pondering about the Colts without Peyton Manning:

1. Who’s under the most pressure?

The obvious answer is Kerry Collins, but if the expectations are unreasonable for the 39-year-old quarterback, that’s not on him. He can still be effective, but consistency is an issue and he tends to start games slowly. That’s a problem for the Colts, who are built to jump to leads and let defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis pursue quarterbacks who are trying to throw to catch up. Those successful two-minute drills that Manning has run at the end of a half or a game won't happen as often with Collins.

2. What will we learn about Colts head coach Jim Caldwell and offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen?

Jokes about Manning coaching the team tend to be over the top. But he certainly makes more pre-snap decisions on the field than any other quarterback in the league. Even if Collins winds up making some of those reads and determinations, Caldwell and Christensen must show they can plan effectively for him in a way they weren’t always responsible for with Manning at the controls.

3. Is the line ready to play better?

A lot of people not that familiar with how the Colts play look at the sack numbers (16 allowed in 2010) and judge Indianapolis to be one of the league’s best pass-protecting offensive lines. It’s not. The Colts spent their top two draft picks on offensive linemen Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana. Castonzo is slated to start at left tackle, and left guard Joe Reitz has not played in an NFL regular-season game. Ryan Diem appears to be moving from right tackle to right guard as Jeff Linkenbach, undrafted last year, takes Diem’s long-time spot. Collectively, the group must offer Collins reliable protection and block more effectively for a running game that must do more.

4. How does Collins handle blitzes and pass pressure?

Teams typically paid for blitzing Manning, but defenses will certainly try to do more to get to Collins. He didn’t move well when he was younger, and it’s certainly not a big piece of his game now. He’s not afraid to throw it away and live for another day. And former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, who coached Collins the past five years in Tennessee and game-planned against the Colts twice a year from 2002 through 2010, said Indianapolis will be equipped to counter extra blitz pressure with screens to Joseph Addai.

5. Who has a chance to shine?

Even if Manning were around, I expected the Colts to try to get the ball to rookie running back Delone Carter in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He’s different than fellow running backs Addai and Donald Brown and seems like a player who can find a tough yard even when things don’t get blocked as they should. That offensive line can get a lot of attention if it plays well. And Brody Eldridge, more of a blocking tight end, could see more time if the Colts feel like they must sacrifice three-wide sets for additional protection or run-game help.

6. Can the defense help more?

As we mentioned, it’s a team built to pass rush against an offense that must throw. The Colts have not been a good run-stopping team and the defense didn’t fare well at it in the preseason. Indianapolis is slated to face a bunch of top-level backs. We could see two veteran additions at end, Jamaal Anderson and Tyler Brayton, get chances to contribute on run downs and help keep Freeney and Mathis fresher to rush. Rookie tackle Drake Nevis can help too. Overall, the philosophy of limiting big plays and making teams move it a little at a time has worked well enough. It’s not like they can make a dramatic change in it now.

7. What about special teams?

It’s been a neglected area for much of the Manning era. The offense is good at driving the ball down the field and doesn’t often get a good return to set up field position. While Manning makes big dollars, so do the team’s other stars: Freeney, Mathis, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Gary Brackett and Antoine Bethea. Dedicating a lot of pay to that core means the team doesn’t have a lot of veteran backups, and veteran backups make up the backbone of good special teams units. This also is an area where things can’t really be changed because they are dictated by personnel.

8. What if Collins goes down?

Curtis Painter, a sixth-round draft pick from Purdue in 2009, is the third quarterback. The team is very defensive about him, but it’s an organization that works very hard to defend draft picks. But the fact is, in his limited regular-season action and in the preseason, Painter has been ineffective. If the Colts lost their backup quarterback and had to turn to Painter, they’d be in giant trouble. I can’t see Indianapolis going after another veteran now. David Garrard, released by the Jaguars this week, should find a job better than what the Colts might have to offer. I don’t see Indy being interested in him anyway.

9. Will the offense slow down?

As experienced and as wily as Collins may be, it’s difficult to imagine him being able to play at Manning’s pace, snapping the ball to catch defenses with too many men on the field or flapping his arms while changing, or pretending to change, what’s about to unfold. The Colts, however, benefit from locking defenses into personnel groupings. If Indy doesn’t huddle or take the time to substitute, the opponent can’t either. Whether they can, or want to try to, maintain that as an advantage remains to be seen. If they huddle more, they allow defenses to adjust more, too.

10. If the season is a total bomb, would they want Stanford QB Andrew Luck in the draft?

The deal Manning just signed is for five years. But if Indianapolis vice chairman Bill Polian had a chance at a guy who’s regarded as the best college quarterback to come out since, perhaps, Manning, I don’t see how the Colts wouldn’t take him and let him learn under Manning. But a four-year wait for Luck to play couldn’t happen either, and the Colts would have to craft a long-term plan.

With Kerry Collins on the roster and poised to take over as the primary backup to Peyton Manning, Curtis Painter fared much better working with the Colts’ offense.

In a 24-21 loss to Green Bay at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday night, the Packers utilized one defensive element Manning typically helps Indianapolis avoid: the blitz.
Manning is masterful at making teams pay when they subtract from coverage to add to the rush. But Green Bay rolled out a steady stream of blitzes, many of which featured cornerback Charles Woodson, with no fear of such repercussions from Painter.

Indy’s offensive line is still being sorted out, and the group didn’t do particularly well or get particularly good help in minimizing the pressure. Painter didn’t get hit so much as he had to hurry, and he was hardly at his best in such circumstances.

Desmond Bishop got flagged for roughing on one blitz, and Painter threw a ball away when Woodson looped between left tackle Anthony Castonzo and left guard Joe Reitz untouched. Another time, the quarterback made a nice throw to Reggie Wayne, who had a favorable matchup as Woodson came untouched.

No. 2 running back Donald Brown actually did reasonably well in blitz pickups, I thought, managing to keep himself between rushers and the quarterback on a couple of occasions. Still that rusher frequently contributed to a closing pocket.

The right side of the starting line, guard Ryan Diem and tackle Jeffrey Linkenbach, struggled with Clay Matthews, whose speed was more than they could handle.

Not every team is equipped to blitz the way the Packers are. But if it’s Collins instead of Manning on Sept. 11 in Houston, odds are the Texans will blitz more often and with less fear. And the Colts and Collins will have to be prepared to handle it.

Some other thoughts on what was nearly a rare Colts preseason win:

• While Painter was better, it took a blown coverage that left Wayne wide open for a 57-yard touchdown to get him going. His second touchdown pass, to Chris Brooks, was very nice. Earlier Painter suffered because of a drop by Wayne and another by Pierre Garcon.
• Ernie Sims was active in a lot of first-half action, his first since he signed with the Colts. Tommie Harris played for the second time, and made some plays with a sack and a tipped pass.
• Jermichael Finley's touchdown catch on Pat Angerer was great. Angerer was tight but not turned. There aren’t many linebackers who could make a play against that.
• According to CBS, Robert Mathis injured his hamstring in the first quarter hamstring and did not return. His counterpart at end, Dwight Freeney, made things very difficult on Green Bay tackle Chad Clifton, bulling over him a few times before using the patented spin move.
• Diem, who false started too much last season at right guard, got called for one. An injury forced him from the game for a time, but he returned to action. Mike Pollak stepped in briefly. Jeff Saturday was the lone offensive lineman who didn’t play into the third quarter, as Pollak replaced him. Then the second-team offensive line was, left to right, Michael Toudouze, Kyle DeVan, Jamey Richard, Mike Tepper and Ben Ijalana. Richard was flagged for holding but it was declined.
• I expect good things out of rookie running back Delone Carter, mostly because I very much like the idea of Carter. This team needs a short-yardage goal-line back. He was hardly working against front line defenders, I understand. But he not only got a tough yard -- converting a third-and-1 when there was nothing there -- but he had a couple of nice longer runs. A lost fumble was overturned by challenge, and a wide run with a spin move suggested he can be more than just a between-the-tackles pounder. He did look lost in one pass-protection situation.
• Defensive back Chip Vaughn was waved off the field by Jim Caldwell after back-to-back penalties. After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty worth 15 yards and a taunting penalty worth 11 yards, the Colts gave up a touchdown and a two-point conversion, lost an onside kick and saw Green Bay move to a game-winning field goal. Vaughn will not have a good weekend. And the Colts just about refuse to win in the preseason.

Three things to look for in tonight’s preseason game for the Indianapolis Colts against the Washington Redskins at Lucas Oil Stadium, at 7 p.m. ET.

Even at its best the Colts' offense is unlikely to be very good while driven by Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky. So let’s focus on the defense. John Beck is starting at quarterback for the Redskins. Whoever is up front, the Colts should rattle the inexperienced signal-caller and get a read on their ability to stop the run, starting with Tim Hightower and Roy Helu. The Colts need to contain the running backs and show they can bring them down. That would be a good start.

Let’s see the offensive line assembly from the start. Indications are it will be, left to right, Anthony Castonzo, Joe Reitz, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Diem and Jeff Linkenbach. Castonzo could begin to take a vice grip on the job, and if Diem effectively slides inside it could help the cause as well. Some early signs of cohesion would be very good.

Don’t care too much. It’s hard to not be result-oriented, I know. But just force yourself. They don’t care if they lose or lose by a lot, so you need not to care.

An alteration to a preseason Week 2 unofficial depth chart isn’t a big deal.

But the revised Colts’ depth chart flips left tackle Anthony Castonzo ahead of Jeff Linkenbach and left guard Joe Reitz ahead of Jacques McClendon.

It may merely be the team rotating guys, but it’s hard not to comment on the Castonzo “move.”

As a first-round pick, he should be a guy who can start from the beginning, particularly when he isn’t attempting to displace a proven NFL veteran but a player who was an undrafted free agent just a year ago, starting three regular-season games and one playoff contest.

It’s not an easy spot to jump into, especially with Peyton Manning at risk if Castonzo botches blindside blocking. But Manning’s developed an awfully good radar detection system regarding blocking breakdowns, and over the last four years he helped Tony Ugoh (who was bad) and Charlie Johnson (who did the best he could with what he had) avoid catastrophe.

(A blown block Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium against Washington would be putting Curtis Painter or Dan Orlovsky at risk, not the still-rehabbing Manning.)

Castonzo’s pedigree from Boston College and the draft should be enough to make up for the four games worth of experience for Linkenbach.

The team is confident Castonzo has the makeup to contribute quickly or it wouldn’t have drafted him, because the Colts need the offensive line help now as well as later. The question is how quickly, of course.

The early intent was to ease him in as opposed to subjecting him to baptism by fire.

But I’d go baptism by fire now, particularly with Manning not in any danger. They can always flip Castonzo back if he gets singed.

ANDERSON, Ind. -- The Colts are not afraid to start a rookie offensive lineman.

Just last season, Jeff Linkenbach, an undrafted rookie out of Cincinnati, started in a Week 3 win at Denver and again in regular-season games against New England and San Diego and in the playoff loss to the New York Jets.

But they amounted to spot starts, created by injury situations.

The team’s top two draft picks, Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, are running with the second team now. They need to be pillars of a revamped offensive line for the last, five-year act of Peyton Manning's career.

But how soon will they be ready to move from understudy to lead?

"It's not going to be easy, obviously it's going to take a pretty unique guy who can catch on quickly and both of them have obviously the capabilities of doing so,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. “They are both very smart guys and guys that have also taken advantage of the break in time when we were so apart from one another and tried to learn as much as they possibly could. It takes a guy that's highly motivated. But it can be done. It's not an impossibility. But it's going to be difficult."

The Colts must be confident that Castonzo and Ijalana can protect Manning before they see the field. But let’s be honest, they aren’t trying to dislodge Tarik Glenn. Linkenbach is working as the starting left tackle, and he’s pretty raw himself. Veteran Ryan Diem took less money to remain with the team, but his game slipped significantly last year in his 10th season.

“You’ve got to go play against another team,” center Jeff Saturday said. “That’s the one thing you have to see. How they match up against each and every other end, what they look like when you are going through checks and different progressions and when you are going to audibles, and all those things that you really haven’t gotten into in the first week.

“Things are pretty basic right now. We’re beginning to add on to the foundation. But you haven’t seen any of those kind of reactions as of yet.”

At 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds, Castonzo matches Joe Reitz as the team’s tallest offensive lineman. At 317 pounds Ijalana is among the heaviest of the starting line candidates. The two bring the combination of size and athleticism the Colts haven’t had enough of at a high level in recent years with a largely patchwork line.

Indianapolis clearly has confidence that the two can contribute soon. They aren’t drafting projects in the first two rounds when Manning has only so many prime years left chasing another Super Bowl.

Dwight Freeney has plenty of experience against young tackles. Two years ago in the season opener against Jacksonville, he taught Jacksonville’s Eugene Monroe quite a bit.

“Our young tackles are definitely good, have a lot of potential, but it’s going to take some learning still,” Freeney said. “Offensive linemen, you don’t become really good until your third or fourth year. That’s always been my opinion. Your first year, you’re just trying to get used to your stance and the system. Then you really come into who you are going to be.

“It’s kind of a needy position, you obviously drafted them for a reason. But I know they’re not going to be as good (this year) as they’re going to be ultimately.”

Castonzo said his first practice work against Freeney was beyond a nightmare.

“I saw Freeney my first day in pads and that was really ugly, it really was,” he said. “He beat me every time he lined up against me. I’ve gotten a lot better since then, but obviously I’ve still got a lot of work to do. It’s definitely awesome to go against those guys every day in practice …”

What would it take for Castonzo to start on opening day in Houston?

“It basically comes down to communication and technique,” he said. “Once I know exactly what I am doing with the communication, it just comes down to trusting your technique, doing what the coaches tell you to do. I think if I can get those two things down, then I will be ready to go.”

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Some quick, initial impressions from the first practice of Colts training camp I watched…

• Joe Reitz, who’s listed as a tackle, continues to work at left guard ahead of Jacques McClendon. He lined up with left tackle Jeff Linkenbach, center Jeff Saturday, right guard Mike Pollak and right tackle Ryan Diem to form the starting O-line.
• Justin Tryon ranks as the third corner right now, but count me among those who think he could wind up second. I watched him encourage and advise undrafted rookie Terrence Johnson during one-on-ones about being patient working against receiver Taj Smith. Good stuff.
• “Saturday,” a fan screamed and the center raised his fist before the rest of the line was delivered. “Thank you for the season.” He should hear that a lot based on his giant role in the CBA negotiations.
• It can't be a fun job to be the guy who holds up a three-ring pack of laminated sheets with the right package or play name on it to the camera before each play. But the coaches need to have some stuff labeled as “Alcatraz” of “Queso” when they review and look for landmarks of the sets.
• With Dwight Freeney out for the morning, the first-unit defensive line was, left to right, Jamaal Anderson, Fili Moala, Antonio Johnson and Robert Mathis.
• Special teams worked on punting out of the back of the end zone and the block team did well to get to one off of Pat McAfee’s foot. Special-teams coach Ray Rychleski didn’t care for close-but-no-cigar on another snap. Well, not even close, apparently. “Don’t go near the guy,"' he barked at one rusher. “You’re not even close. Block it or don’t go near him.” The broader point: Roughing the punter penalties kill.
• Watched some one-on-one pass rush and saw Tommie Harris win snaps against McClendon and Reitz. Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana looked good to me. Drake Nevis and Jerry Hughes didn’t have a great period from what I could tell.
• Linebacker Ernie Sims is out two weeks after an appendectomy, according to Jim Caldwell.

Bill Polian’s spent a first-round pick on an offensive lineman for the first time in his 14 drafts running the Colts.

Anthony Castonzo out of Boston College should offer an immediate upgrade in Indianapolis. He’s likely to step in at left tackle and replace Charlie Johnson, protecting Peyton Manning's blind side while hopefully also offering a boost to the run game.

Smart and dependable are words attached to him in virtually every review. Smart is a prerequisite for a Colts offensive linemen and dependable is a necessity with Manning’s health at issue if a Mario Williams gets a free shot at him.

Johnson did admirable work the last few years. But he was part of a patchwork operation that has yet to fully recover from the retirement of Tarik Glenn before the 2006 Super Bowl-winning season. Polian traded up for Tony Ugoh, drafting the Arkansas tackle in the second round in 2007 but cutting him after three middling years when he couldn’t win and hold a lineup spot.

Johnson may be a free agent, but he’s a player the Colts probably like as a guard or a versatile sub if they can retain him.

Ryan Diem, the right tackle, slipped last season and will likely have to fight to keep his spot. Jeff Linkenbach could be the big challenger there, or Castonzo could start out on the right.

Another second-year man, Jacques McClendon, might fight his way into a guard job as the Colts revamp the unit.

And Indianapolis could still draft another lineman in the next two days.

Virtually every prognosticator is giving the Indianapolis Colts a first-round offensive tackle, and Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo, Colorado’s Nate Solder and Mississippi State’s Derek Sherrod could all be nice fits.

Much has been made of vice chairman Bill Polian’s comment during the 2010 season about how Rodger Saffold, a tackle the Colts passed on who went on to play quite well for St. Louis, could have helped for Indianapolis.

But Polian said that comment got misshapen as it was repeated.

“What I said was, if I’d know we were going to suffer all the injuries we had on the offensive line, we might have looked at things differently in terms of the draft,” he said. “Because when you are drafting as low as we were, there isn’t a lot of difference between the players. I said, ‘You know, you could make the argument that we should have taken Rodger Saffold instead of the player that we took.’

“That’s what I said. It’s been construed very differently. What I meant was, if foresight were 20-20, we probably would have taken an offensive tackle. But it isn’t and that’s the point. This is an inexact business.”

(I thought the use of “the player” as opposed to “Jerry Hughes” was both Parcellian and a little odd.)

The Colts certainly had banged up people playing on the line all year, but by my count there look to have been just five starts missed to injury through the regular season and playoff loss. The injuries were far more severe elsewhere in terms of lost games.

Indianapolis has spent 12 picks on offensive linemen since realignment in 2002. Only one, guard Jake Scott from 2004’s fifth-round, qualified as an outright hit. He moved to Tennessee as a free agent in 2008 and helped pave the road for Chris Johnson's 2,000-yard season in 2009 before dropping off last season.

The franchise hasn’t used a first-round pick on a lineman since 1997, when Tarik Glenn was the choice. That was the year before Polian joined the franchise.

Only two of the Colts’ dozen offensive line picks since 2002 have been higher than fourth-round selections. They traded up to take Tony Ugoh in the second round in 2007 and he wound up busting. They took Mike Pollak in 2008 and he was an OK starter at right guard in 2010 based on the team’s concerns at other spots.

The presumption is offensive line is viewed as an issue in-house and that to maximize the chances for the Peyton Manning-led Colts to claim another Super Bowl, they need to offer him better protection and be able to block better for a tough yard from a running back.

But going in that direction would mean at least a minor philosophy change for Polian when it comes to draft emphasis at the position.

I don’t know if we should jump there considering Polian’s assessment of the Colts’ line play in 2010. The team started seven different offensive linemen with left tackle Charlie Johnson playing banged up all season and Kyle DeVan pushing Jamey Richard out of the left guard slot.

“Now I thought our offensive line, given all that happened with injuries, did very well," Polian said. "As it turns out, Jeff Linkenbach came in as a collegiate free agent and ended the season as a starter and did quite well. So those things work themselves out.”

Linkenbach started one game at left tackle, three games at right guard and the playoff loss to the Jets at right tackle.

Here we can connect Mel Kiper’s recent piece ranking the “vulnerability scale” of the NFL’s 12 best teams. Kiper ranks the Colts at moderately to extremely vulnerable for a big fall.

“Seemingly every win after September was a close battle and Manning was the difference. Injuries killed the Colts in 2010, but even with Manning upright, they couldn't run the ball, they were barely hanging on defensively and even now there are a number of personnel needs. The offensive line and defensive interior need help, and the team didn't get hurt in a spot I thought could have hurt it most in an injury situation -- the pass rush, if either Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis was out. Indianapolis could easily prove me wrong, as Manning alone seems like spackle enough for a whole roster. But this team felt like it was on the edge all of 2010.”

INDIANAPOLIS -- Greeting from Lucas Oil Stadium on a very cold night.

Ryan Diem (back) is out for the Colts and will be replaced by undrafted rookie Jeff Linkenbach. He had a good start for Charlie Johnson at left tackle during the regular season.

Corner Kelvin Hayden’s been placed on injured reserve, replaced on the roster by offensive tackle Joe Reitz, who’s an inactive along with Al Alfalava, Javarris James, Clint Session, Jamey Richard, Diem, Jaimie Thomas and Johnson.

The Colts will also miss Antonio Johnson (chest) , the defensive tackle who’s been part of the improved play-making against the run game.

The Jets inactive list includes no surprises.

There is no better in-game banter than our Countdown Live chat, which will start here a few minutes before 8 ET. Colts fans will want to be there, because while we’ll have a fine moderator and Scouts Inc., AFC East overlord Tim Graham will join forces with a cast of thousands from ESPNNewYork.com while I’ll be flying solo as the AFC South/Indy representative.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thoughts on the Colts' 30-28 win over the Titans at LP Field.

What it means: The Colts are 7-6 and will win the division if they win their final three games. The Titans are 5-8, lost their sixth in a row and can finish .500 at best.

What I liked: While Peyton Manning still made some poor throws, none of them were killer and none of them were intercepted. Against a bad team, he got back to form with 319 yards and two touchdown passes. The Colts showed some determination to run despite missing their two best backs. Javarris James scored on a 1-yard run and converted a fourth-and-4 with an 11-yard run.

Streak-buster: After 14 quarters without an offensive touchdown, the Titans got a 1-yard scoring run from Chris Johnson at the end of the second quarter and a 7-yard catch-and-lunge for a score by Craig Stevens on the opening possession of the third quarter. They went crazy with a couple Bo Scaife TD catches in the fourth.

Injury concern: Colts left tackle Charlie Johnson suffered a shoulder injury and didn’t return to action, with undrafted rookie Jeff Linkenbach taking over.

Hot topic: The Titans showed a lot more life than they did last Sunday in a loss to Jacksonville, but that won’t quiet the chatter in Nashville about Jeff Fisher's future with the franchise.

What’s next: The Colts host the Jaguars in a crucial division rematch. Tennessee hosts Houston, which will be on short rest following a Monday night game against Baltimore.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

Odds of Titans getting a third-down stop: The Texans converted half of their 18 third downs, which led to nearly 40 minutes of possession against Tennessee on Sunday. In their last five games, the Titans have allowed conversions 55 percent of the time, an enormous number. Jeff Fisher’s teams are usually able to respond to a point of emphasis. The Titans are failing at that here in a big way.

The Jaguars’ ability to handle blitzes in big situations: Playing with two backup tackles in a tough road game against a quality front, the Jaguars fared pretty well. But as I documented here, in their last chance to beat the Giants they fell apart and got burned badly by a pass rush that included one or two defensive backs.

The Colts' offensive line shuffling: There is a long list of elements to what’s been wrong with the Colts’ offense in recent weeks. But there was no time for anything deep to develop for Peyton Manning who appears to be getting rid of the ball in record time and no matter who’s taking the carries they can’t run effectively. Kyle DeVan displaced Jamey Richard a while back and Jeff Linkenbach’s been ahead of Mike Pollak at right guard for three weeks. Those changes don’t seem to have improved things up front in the run or pass game.

RISING

Jason Allen, Texans cornerback: We won’t pretend that he was a magic solution for the secondary. But the Titans hardly went after the recent waiver claim, who played ahead of Kareem Jackson and lined up across from an underutilized and ineffective Randy Moss. That Allen played a lot in a shutout can give the secondary a feeling that things have changed.

The Jaguars' offense on third down: The Jaguars were 10 for 16 on third down against the Giants, a remarkable feat that could and probably should mean you win a game. They’ll look to build on that Sunday in Nashville against a defense that’s struggling terribly to get off the field on third down. (See the falling entry on the Titans’ above.)

The Titans' intention to get the ball to Moss: Why bring him in if you have no intention to use him at what he does best? Sure he’s going to draw double-teams. But if Minnesota and New England looked away from him based on the coverage, he wouldn’t have the best reception-per-touchdown number (6.2) in league history among players with at least 500 catches. If you throw a deep pick on third-and-long, it’s the same as a punt.

The Colts could have some big players back in the mix for Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys. Mike Chappell reports that Colts president Bill Polian said on his radio show that linebackers Gary Brackett and Clint Session, as well as running back Mike Hart, could be back.

Others, including Joseph Addai and Bob Sanders, are likely further off.

But as Chappell points out, while Hart and Addai could provide a boost to the run game, none of the injury returnees is going to help the offensive line, which has been insufficient as a run-blocking group and increasingly leaky in pass protection. (Sacks remain low, but pressure is up.)

“I think oftentimes, you guys are driven by what you see on TV," said coach Jim Caldwell at a news conference Monday. "They can highlight a certain couple of areas, and you think that was the way the entire game went. I think they can sort of prejudice your opinion a little bit.

"What we do is we take a look at it. We think we have the right people in there, but we are always trying to jostle it around, trying to make adjustments, trying to make certain that not only do we have the right people, but also are we doing the right things with the folks that we have in there? That’s up for critique, and we challenge ourselves in those areas and we try to find a way to improve. That’s the important thing.”

Polian identified the offensive line as a position of concern after last season, really singling out the effort in the Super Bowl. They were comments several players bristled at. (Greg Easterbrook hit on some of this here in his weekly Tuesday Morning Quarterback column.)

Longtime line coach Howard Mudd was known for molding players who were not high draft picks or top free agents into effective contributors. He retired and passed the torch to Pete Metzelaars, a transition that seemed smooth.

But in a move that was a stunner then and is baffling now, Polian let right guard Ryan Lilja go. Lilja has received good reviews for his play in Kansas City, while the Colts have played two ineffective right guards.

Mike Pollak was benched in favor of undrafted rookie tackle Jeff Linkenbach three games ago.

Left guard’s hardly been solid either, with Jamey Richard getting displaced by Kyle DeVan.

There should be more options.

After Lilja was released, the Colts brought in a couple low-level free agents in Andy Alleman and Adam Terry. Neither stuck. Fourth-round rookie Jacques McClendon has been inactive or worked on special teams.

Polian and the Colts identified a problem, but they really didn’t do anything to fix it, unless we count the Tony Ugoh resolution and release as addition by subtraction.

In the past five drafts, the Colts have taken eight offensive linemen, five in the fifth round or later.

Charlie Johnson is a scrappy left tackle who’s been better than many expected but still might be ideal as a third, swing tackle. Ugoh, Michael Toudouze and Steve Justice are gone. Pollak has been benched. McClendon is a reserve as are seventh-rounders Jaimie Thomas and Richard.

However this season plays out, the offensive line must be the primary concern in the offseason.

It’s time to hit on value picks -- plural. Quality guys and the team’s draft slots may not line up. The Colts may need to maneuver to change that.

It’s critical to Peyton Manning’s chances for another Super Bowl in his remaining years.