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Jacob Lacey had fallen so far out of favor that he was inactive for the Indianapolis Colts' eighth game after starting the first seven.

The Colts had decided they would be OK without veteran corner Kelvin Hayden, who was cut before the season in a cash-saving move. Then they cut Justin Tryon after three games.

Lacey's struggles made those decisions look very questionable.

But Lacey has played much better since the team gave him back a big role because of injuries.

Sunday he muscled a pass away from Chris Johnson and took it 32 yards to the end zone for a crucial touchdown in the Colts’ win over the Tennessee Titans. He also had 12 tackles and another pass defensed.

“Lacey had an excellent day out there again,” coach Jim Caldwell said.

Lacey is a soft-spoken, thoughtful guy who’s basically working as the No. 1 corner now with Jerraud Powers and Terrence Johnson on IR. His game really slipped, but a change in coordinator from Larry Coyer to Mike Murphy appears to have helped him rebound.

“Team-wise and personally, being in the position we were in has been tough on us, but we never strayed away from each other or gave up on anybody or anything like that,” Lacey said. “It felt good to come out here and show how much we’ve jelled as a unit.

“I put my nose to the grindstone and I used my time at practice to improve myself going against Pierre Garcon every day, just battling, coming out and trying to work on everything I needed to work on.”

Antoine Bethea is surrounded by nobodies.

Jerraud Powers is a good corner who’s going to be a factor for a while, but he’s got a bad hamstring.

Everyone else in the Indianapolis Colts’ secondary is hardly noteworthy.

Yet Bethea is playing as effectively as a free safety in such circumstances can, a true pro who won’t allow his game to be influenced by such circumstances.

Quarterbacks are completing 69.9 percent of their passes against Indianapolis. They have a 104.0 passer rating and a 70 QBR (out of 100), the 31st worst number in the league.

I’m not sure what Indianapolis’ plan for the secondary was this season. When they let cornerback Kelvin Hayden go because he cost too much, one had to believe the Colts felt confident in the alternatives. Then Justin Tryon, who was an effective player last season, fell out of favor and wound up getting cut. The No. 2 corner, Jacob Lacey, is no longer a full-timer in the base defense with Terrence Johnson getting some time in the spot.

The Colts are playing David Caldwell at strong safety in the base defense and Joe Lefeged in the spot in the nickel.

Corner Chris Rucker is also seeing some action.

“As a veteran back there, I see myself as the glue,” Bethea said. “One of my roles is to get everybody lined up and confident. As a safety, that’s my job.”

Bethea said he likes the way the Colts are deploying their other safeties, using Caldwell (“He lays the boom”) against the run and Lefeged (“He plays the ball well”) in passing situations. In time each may be well-rounded enough to be a full-timer, but for right now splitting the job between them is a smart approach.

Bethea is backing his guys, but neither has been great since Melvin Bullitt was lost for the year with a shoulder injury.

Bethea said the young corners need to play technique, show improvement week by week and be sure not to repeat the same mistakes.

The Tryon situation was business, and players can’t spend time questioning a front office decision. Bethea is great at focusing on his stuff and his guys. He said that although 0-5 is a miserable place, no matter where the team goes moving forward we will not see the sort of fissures that often open on struggling teams.

As for being surrounded by unproven guys ...

“You can’t let other people affect how you play,” Bethea said matter-of-factly. “How you play is how you play, how you study is how you study. If my play goes down because there are different players around me, it says guys can’t look up to me. They need to see 41 flying around, playing hard, making plays.”

Say what you might about outgoing Colts DB Justin Tryon’s exit strategy. He did what no reporter or player has done in my time covering the team:

He got coach Jim Caldwell fired up enough to defend himself and make an assertion about who sets the team’s lineup at a time when there seems to be fuel for the idea that there is some confusion over control.

Tryon said on Twitter that Caldwell wanted him starting, but was overruled.

Responded Caldwell, via Phillip B. Wilson of the Indianapolis Star:

“Well, probably without being boastful or seeming as if that I’m reacting to that particular statement, but I can just tell you that if I wanted him to start, he would have started. If I wanted him to be here, he’d still be here, plain and simple. I’m not going to carry on a back-and-forth, you know, because the young man did a good job for us while he was here and I hope he’s able to land with someone else.”

As for why Tryon would say it, Caldwell said: “I cannot go into the minds of other individuals and tell you that. I know one thing, and I think some of you could probably attest to, I’m pretty direct and I usually don’t have very many people that misunderstand me.”

I didn’t hear the tone, but that’s reads as a pretty strong reaction as Caldwell goes. Earlier in the day, Jim Irsay went to Twitter again to express a similar sentiment.

“There is no chaos/disarray,thinking that is a delusion maker,nothing but unity n believe,that u could c sunday nite,fighting thru adversity”

And when I talked to rookie left tackle Anthony Castonzo, he said the message from Caldwell remained the same.

“The message has been the same,” he said. “He lets us know that our job is to win and that’s what we are expected to do. He’s been keeping us together kind of highlighting the progress we’ve made each week and saying we’re just one or two plays away from that W…”

“It’s a job, we have to do what we are paid to do.”

The one thing we are still missing? An explanation of how Tryon fell so far so fast in the eyes of Caldwell and whoever joined the decision to let him go.

Beware of a bitter player.

A guy who feels he's unfairly let go may be unafraid of burning bridges on his way out, and he may be emotional about his exit.

That said, we must look at the tweets last night from Justin Tryon, the outgoing Colts cornerback, as they were powerful enough to prompt a response from owner Jim Irsay.

If, in fact, coach Jim Caldwell wanted to play Tryon more and felt pressure from above preventing him to do so, Tryon's stance won't matter.

While he's calling for support of the coach, he's also revealing Caldwell can be handcuffed and overruled.

And a handcuffed coach isn't likely to gain or retain the support of his players or the team's fans when things are going badly. Caldwell doesn't care about public perception. He should care about how he's regarded in the locker room.

Is this a bitter player lashing out? Is it an isolated incident?

All we can do is keep an eye out for further evidence. I do think if there was nothing to it, Irsay wouldn't have touched it.

I believe Tryon is a better player than Jacob Lacey, who's been in front of him since the lockout ended. Has Tryon's play slipped so dramatically that he's not even worth a roster spot anymore? Or are politics that go beyond keeping the best players at play?

If it's the latter, there are some big issues below the surface in Indy.

Last week we got an indication from defensive coordinator Larry Coyer that Justin Tryon may have done something to get into Jim Caldwell’s dog house.

Even that was an interpretation for those of us trying to figure out why the team was using Jacob Lacey ahead of Tryon.

Now the Colts have shown us how far Tryon’s really fallen in their eyes.

They’ve released him, filling his roster spot with Jermale Hines.

Hines was a fifth-round draft pick, 158th overall, for St. Louis out of Ohio State. He was a strong safety and is likely to be in the mix as the team looks to replace Melvin Bullitt, who was placed on IR earlier today.

The Colts traded with Washington for Tryon on Sept. 4, 2010 for an undisclosed draft choice. He wound up bailing them out in an injury-plagued season, playing in 12 games and starting six. I thought he was a really nice system fit who did some good work.

When the team released Kelvin Hayden, now of the Falcons, I was one of the many who presumed they felt confidence in shedding Hayden’s big salary in part because of Tryon.

If they did, it didn’t last long.

Look for Terrence Johnson to work in the nickel package and be the guy who has a chance to press Lacey. Kevin Thomas and Chris Rucker may also get increased opportunity.

Five of us asked to pick the AFC South still have the Colts winning the division.

While Peyton Manning is the big story and his status can change things, once he’s back he will be surrounded by a team that has a lot of key pieces back and healthy. Don't fool yourself. This will be a very talented team.

Here’s my intelligence report on Indianapolis. You can find it along with the predictions, a draft element from Mel Kiper and a look inside the number from ESPN Stats & Information here.

Intelligence Report

Five things you need to know about the Colts:

1. Quarterback uncertainty: A lot of people are saying Peyton Manning will start the opener, no matter what. Really? No matter whether doctors advise against it? I don't think so. He's driven, for sure, but he's not putting himself at medical risk. I expect we may not know his status until 90 minutes before the Sept. 11 game in Houston kicks off. In the meantime, late addition Kerry Collins provides an upgrade at backup. He needs better protection and a better run game than Manning's been getting in recent years to have a chance at success.

2. Stopping the run is key: The Colts failed to stop Arian Foster in the opener a year ago. They'll face the same challenge at Reliant Stadium on Sept. 11, followed by Peyton Hillis, Rashard Mendenhall, LeGarrette Blount and Jamaal Charles. Is the front good enough to stop those types of runners? It needs to be, especially if the offense isn't primed to run out to the sort of leads that prompt opponents to stop running it. Additions like Drake Nevis, Jamaal Anderson and Tommie Harris may help the front be better overall.

3. Special teams, with benefits: The new kickoff rule won't make kickoffs obsolete the way many doomsayers are predicting, but it certainly will make them less important. This is a great thing for the Colts, who regularly underachieve on special teams. Pat McAfee will bury a high percentage of kickoffs in the end zone and the team's lack of a consistent return man won't matter as much. When Manning is in place, the offense will happily take the ball at the 20-yard line at the start of most drives in exchange for not suffering as it did on Antonio Cromartie's big return late in the playoff loss to the Jets. McAfee's used that big leg to become adequate at long-range field goals. Once they are out of Adam Vinatieri's range, they could try the punter in desperate situations.

4. Depth a concern: Indianapolis has unproven depth at both safety and corner, and injuries akin to last year's could really leave the Colts exposed. They let Kelvin Hayden go in a salary-cutting move. That leaves them with Jerraud Powers, Jacob Lacey and Justin Tryon as their top-three corners, with untested Kevin Thomas fourth. They re-signed Melvin Bullitt to play safety alongside Antoine Bethea, but all the options behind them are young and haven't done much. It could be an issue.

5. Short-yardage offense: Joseph Addai can be effective in all situations, but he'd likely benefit and be fresher later in the season if he played fewer snaps. When the Colts are moving the ball, they go no-huddle and trap opponents in personnel packages, unable to substitute. The thing is, they are also unable to substitute. The Colts might do well to pause a bit more often to get rookie Delone Carter on the field to give them their best cracks on third-and-short and near the goal line.

ANDERSON, Ind. -- It’s trendy to call the Colts aging and to view the Texans and even the Jaguars as up-and-comers in the AFC South.

But if Indianapolis is healthy, it’s awfully risky to be ahead of the curve regarding its demise.

This is a team that lost a ton of talent to injury last season and still won the division at 10-6. It’s added some nice pieces on defense through bargain-basement free-agency. It drafted two offensive tackles who should be pillars, and also selected a short-yardage back.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about a big rebound year, and most teams aren’t even talking rebound when it comes to following a division title.

“I think it’s really the same team,” middle linebacker Gary Brackett said.

The same team is a major threat to win the division and compete for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Should it break through for the third Super Bowl appearance of the Peyton Manning era, a huge prize awaits: The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Manning’s health.

He spoke after signing his contract and has been seen around the team a couple of times during training camp at Anderson University. But like in 2008 following offseason knee surgeries, he’s not practicing.

This time it’s a result of neck surgery in May. It’s the second year in a row Manning had a neck procedure after the season. But he and the team have expressed confidence that all he needs is time and rehabilitation. It’s unlikely that a five-year, $90 million contract would have gotten done if the medical staff and management had any doubts.

While the Colts move forward without Manning, his absence also puts them in limbo. No matter how strongly they spin Curtis Painter’s performance, the defense isn’t being pushed in practice the way it would be if Manning was running the other side.

And no matter how precise the routes, how good the blocking or how well-timed the play, the offense will still need to sync it all up with the star quarterback once he returns.

That knee in 2008 limited him early, when the team struggled out of the gate. Coming back from a neck injury, Manning is less likely to have any sort of mechanical issues or physical limitations that affect his passing. That’s one case for expecting a better start after so much missed time.

The timetable for his return is unknown. You know the drill: They say he’s progressing well, that they are optimistic, etc., and no one outside a very tight circle has any real idea when he will re-emerge. He was spotted once throwing with what a witness called “decent velocity.” Hey, encouraging news is encouraging news.

2. Is the secondary deep enough?

Last season, the Colts were stretched virtually everywhere. Aaron Francisco wasn’t on the team for opening day, ranking as the fourth or fifth option at strong safety, and he played a good share of the season as the starter.

Behind free safety Antoine Bethea and re-signed and healthy strong safety Melvin Bullitt, there are unproven options including Al Afalava, Joe Lefeged, Mike Newton, David Caldwell and Chip Vaughn.

And after the top three corners -- Jerraud Powers, Justin Tryon and Jacob Lacey -- there also isn’t proven depth.

“At the safety position, I’m confident that we’re going to get two guys that will emerge there,” Colts vice chairman Bill Polian said. “We see enough signs to know that there is quality in that group.

“I also think there is some quality in the backup corners. Kevin Thomas is one of them. There are some interesting guys, and they’ll play themselves on or off the roster based on the preseason. But based on what I’ve seen thus far, I’d say we’ve got a good group and one or two guys will emerge.”

They will all benefit, of course, from a better pass rush. And if Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are better supplemented by Jerry Hughes and Jamaal Anderson on the edges and Tommie Harris provides a solid nickel push in the middle, they could have one.

3. Will the passing game have enough consistent weapons?

The ability of the 2010 Colts to get production from the likes of tight end Jacob Tamme and receiver Blair White was remarkable.

But if they can’t count on often-injured receiver Anthony Gonzalez or Austin Collie, who was shut down last season after concussion issues, it will be harder to make things go again.

Reggie Wayne is in fantastic shape and working hard, and will be a key target for Manning as always. Dallas Clark is back from a wrist injury. If the Colts are calling plays for those two and Pierre Garcon, Collie and Gonzalez, they can be potent. If the group shrinks, the effort is more exhausting.

Manning averaged 6.92 yards per attempt in 2010. That’s the lowest mark in his career outside of his rookie season (6.5). The Colts need to find more big plays and move the ball with a little less effort to be the kind of team they want to be.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

If the Colts get a significant contribution out of Anderson, Harris or linebacker Ernie Sims, it’ll be a win. All three signed cost-effective one-year deals that amount to low-risk, high-reward scenarios. Polian said in a normal year, the market wouldn’t have given the team an opportunity to sign players like these, veterans who are all ideally suited for Indy’s defense. If they get something from two of them, it will make for a home run. Three-for-three amounts to a grand slam. Harris looks very good so far, while Sims is recovering from an appendectomy.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Polian was singing Philip Wheeler’s praises and saying that while the team loves starting strongside linebacker Pat Angerer, it loves Wheeler too. But he failed to hold the job last season and should be able to win and hold a starting job by now. Brody Eldridge gets a mention, too. He had knee surgery after last season, and a setback means he hasn’t seen the practice field yet. They need him to be part of the run game.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Delone Carter is coming into a perfect situation as a rookie. He’s unlike any of the Colts' other running backs and should get chances in short yardage and goal-line situations. If Javarris James ran for six touchdowns last season, Carter could run for 12 this fall. The Colts can continue to praise Donald Brown, but with Joseph Addai back and Carter in the fold, when does Brown get on the field?
• It was a surprise to find Lacey as the No. 2 cornerback at the start of camp. He was better as a rookie than in his second season. And he can be an effective piece of the secondary. But I’d bet on Tryon passing him before opening day.
• After one long and hot afternoon practice session, two players stuck around to catch machine-thrown balls: Wayne and Bethea. Those are some solid veterans and the kind of guys any team would like to have leading the way.
• Manning didn’t react well to TV crews that saw a recent throwing and running session. My understanding is that the Earth is still spinning, however. I understand being private, but everything and everyone cannot always be controlled. Did I miss the catastrophic outcome?
• The buzz is good on Hughes, and with him and Anderson in the mix, the Colts may pace Freeney and Mathis better. That could make for fresher stars in December and January.
• They won’t talk until after the season, but as of now I’d expect the Colts to try to keep both Wayne and Mathis with new contracts.
• Jacques McClendon or Joe Reitz could be an upgrade over Kyle DeVan at left guard. The big question on the line to me -- presuming Anthony Castonzo takes over left tackle reasonably quickly -- is right guard. Mike Pollak has had sufficient opportunity, and the team can aspire to be better there. Couldn’t they be better with Ben Ijalana there until he’s ready to displace Ryan Diem at right tackle?
• 'Tis the season for Garcon to prove he's a consistently reliable threat. He had too many drops and too many lapses last season. He needs to be more than fast. He spent more time with Manning this offseason, before the neck surgery, than he did last offseason.

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.

We don’t know if the Colts made any sort of inquiries about another safety to pair with Antoine Bethea.

But as two top guys, Quintin Mikell and Eric Weddle, disappeared from the market, Indianapolis locked up its own guy before he started getting more attention from teams still in need.

Melvin Bullitt has struck a new deal with Indianapolis, according to 1070 the Fan, and he returns as a starter instead of a guy capable of taking over for Bob Sanders when he gets hurt. (Sanders was released after the 2010 season and signed with San Diego.)

Bullitt is a smart, steady player who fits the Colts mold. An undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2007, he made the most of an opportunity. But he was part of the injury parade last season, missing the final 12 games of the regular season with a shoulder injury.

While they likely attempt to trim the hefty salary of cornerback Kelvin Hayden, I think he will remain.

That would give the Colts a starting secondary of Bethea and Bullitt between Hayden and Jerraud Powers, with Justin Tryon and Jacob Laceyas situational cornerbacks. That’s a strong group and might also include sixth-round pick Chris Rucker.

Bullitt is slated to join The Ride with JMV shortly. You can listen here. I will come back into this post to add some highlights from the interview.

UPDATE:

Bullitt said he heard from the Rams, the Cardinals, the Texans and a couple other teams.

Some quotes...

On deserving the deal:

"I feel like I've done enough for this team, the organization to show my worth and to show that I want to be here. There have never been any problems out of me. I am going to go out there and produce and try to help the team win."

On his health:

"I'll be ready for the first preseason game. I'm ready now. I told you before if there were different rules I could have played in January."

On Eric Weddle's five-year, $40 million contract with San Diego, with $19 million guaranteed:

"If that's what they want to do, that's up to them. Congratulations to him. If you look at my stats and Eric Weddle's stats, I haven't started nearly as many games and have the same amount of turnovers and have just as many tackles as him without the amount of starts he's had in the regular season. ...I don't understand how you can pay him more than Antonie [Bethea's] paid or even more than Bob [Sanders] was paid when he was defensive player of the year. But if that's what San Diego believes. Eric Weddle's a good player, he's a great player, actually. But that's just the way it is."

The Houston Texans were in dire need of a cornerback for 2010, and got one by using the 20th pick in the NFL draft on Kareem Jackson from Alabama.

The Colts were in dire need of a cornerback right before the season started, and got one by trading a seventh-round pick to Washington for Justin Tryon. He was originally a fourth-rounder from Arizona State in 2008.

Look no further for symbolism of how Indianapolis almost always manages to roll along and Houston struggles to gain traction.

Football Outsiders says Tryon, who played in 12 games with six starts, was third in the leagueallowing an average of 5.0 yards a catch and sixth in the league allowing an average of 2.2 yards after the catch (YAC).

Football Outsiders says Jackson, who started all 16 games, was dead last of the 83 cornerbacks who were ranked, in both average yards per pass (11.1) and average YAC (6.0).

FO looked at 83 corners, because that is how many were targeted at least 40 times.

So the Colts got an effective guy for a seventh-round pick and the Texans got an ineffective guy for their top pick.

Sure, there are factors out of a cornerback’s control that go into this. He’s got no control over whether his pass rush is effective or whether his safeties can provide consistent help or how much his scheme exposes him or helps cover for him. These numbers also vary widely year to year, which FO emphasizes makes them somewhat less definitive.

By nature, Tryon will surrender fewer yards playing in Indy's Cover-2 than Jackson will in Houston's scheme. Still, the difference shouldn't be that big.

And Jackson should have rated as the Texans first or second corner. When the Colts were healthy, Tryon could have rated as low as fourth. Given a hindsight choice between the two last season, you’d be crazy not to have taken Tryon. (Jackson was targeted 29 more times than Tryon, but I’d have taken my chances with Tryon for those extra snaps.)

Other AFC South notes on corners from FO’s two posts:

• Tennessee’s Jason McCourtywas seventh in yards per pass (5.5), but 35th in YAC (3.2) while rookie Alterraun Verner was 20th (6.3) and 15th (2.6) respectively.
• Indianapolis’ Jerraud Powerswas 10th in yards per pass (5.6) and 23rd in YAC (2.8). He was limited to 10 games because of injuries.
• Jacksonville’s Rashean Mathiswas 78th in yards per pass (10.1) and 79th in YAC (4.9).
• Houston's Glover Quin was middle of the pack: 41st in yards per pass (9.9) and 49th in YAC (3.7).
• One of the corners who ranked ahead of Tryon at the start of things for the Colts, Jacob Lacey, was 75th in yards per pass (9.5) and 69th in YAC (4.5).
• Author Aaron Schatz pointed out to me that Jacksonville's David Jones had fewer than 40 target passes but was awful. He was targeted 30 times. His 12 yards per pass would have been the league's worst if he qualified.

After he read this post Tuesday, alert reader @thezachlyons asked me via Twitter if I could flip the numbers inside-out.

So in following up an entry about how quarterbacks benefited from dropped interceptions in 2010, we look at the guys from the division who did their best to help out quarterbacks.

Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders was kind enough to share. As with the flip sides of the stat, Football Outsiders judges a drop only when a very catchable ball hits a defender in the hands or the chest.

The division didn’t boast a primary offender -- Miami’s Sean Smith, Tampa Bay’s Aqib Talib and Kansas City’s Derrick Johnson each had five. No AFC South defender had more than two.

Team-by-team here are the muffed turnover chances:

• Houston (6): Eugene Wilson 2, Kareem Jackson, Bernard Pollard, Glover Quin, Brian Cushing.
• Indianapolis (6): Jerraud Powers, Kelvin Hayden, Antoine Bethea, Justin Tryon, Cornelius Brown, Tyjuan Hagler.
• Jacksonville (5): Don Carey, Rashean Mathis, David Jones, Sean Considine, Russell Allen.
• Tennessee (3): Will Witherspoon, Sen’Derrick Marks, Cortland Finnegan.

They need to be caught, of course. But they all counted as passes defensed. And while they could have been huge plays, at least they weren’t huge plays against, right?

I mean it’s bad the Texans and Colts had a lot, because they shouldn’t be dropped. But the Titans probably wouldn’t have minded a few more.

Dave from Japan writes: Dude, I'm sorta bummed out about the Jags. We're leaking assistant coaches. Wayne [Weaver] looks nervous, but not about assistant coaches. Vic [Ketchman] left. Can you give us Jags fans a few encouraging words?

Paul Kuharsky: Has to be the first time in league history that someone leaving the publications area of the front office gets put into the formula people are using to say a team is sinking. You lost two assistants, and the guy you got may be better than them, who knows? Relax.

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Alan Mills from Springfield, Ohio writes: Former Colts and Bills quarterback Art Schlichter latest arrest is only discussed on Ohio State's forum. Why is not on here as he played longer for the Colts then he did for Ohio State? I would really like to have an answer to that. It just puzzles me why Ohio State has to be the only organization having to deal with this.

Paul Kuharsky: Blogger’s choice, pretty much. I don’t think my readers feel connected to or concerned with him, so I choose not to go there. It would be different if they were still the Baltimore Colts, since he was a first-round selection in Maryland just before the relocation.

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Tom in Brentwood, TN writes: What is up with the Chris Palmer hire? Couldn't they find some up and comer or someone that doesn't have any affiliation with the Titans. This move is going to set the Titans bad even farther than where they've been. If you're planning on going backwards for a while, I would rather have someone with a fresh perspective and an upside down the road. Seems to me, it's going to be the same ole same ole, just under a different regime.

Paul Kuharsky: Palmer’s not an exciting name. He’s got some duds on his résumé. But he has done some good work too and is said to be a good teacher, which is a major consideration for Mike Munchak. I know the inclination is to prejudge. But we have to wait and see what he does in order to deliver a verdict. It’s like with a draft pick -- you can’t declare a hit or miss until you have some work to measure.

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Fred Dykes from Johnson City, TN writes: Kelvin Hayden is scheduled to make $9 million for the Colts next year. That is almost what you would pay a shutdown corner, and he is not one. I say they should cut their ties with him, or see if he will re-do his contract. [Justin] Tryon could handle his spot if needed. What do you think about Hayden's situation?

Paul Kuharsky: That’s a lot of money, but it’s also his cap number and not his salary. He’s due a $6.105 million salary and a $250,000 bonus. You’d be making a huge jump from him to Tryon. Being good as a fill-in and situational guy is a lot different than being good as a full-timer. I think they need a cornerback pool with Hayden, Jerraud Powers, Jacob Lacey, Tryon, a healthy Kevin Thomas and maybe a draft pick.

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Ty from Texas writes: I have heard that if there is a lock out then it is a full work stoppage and there would be no games. Why couldn't the league just use replacement players as they did years before?

Paul Kuharsky: Because of the very nature of a lockout. They’d be locking out players. They couldn’t choose to lock some out and sign others they would let in. The replacement players were used during a strike. Big difference if it’s the owners stopping games or the players stopping games.

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Detlef from Newport Beach, CA writes: Hi Paul, it seems like you do not give any love to the Texans. They have not made the playoffs, but most sports fans would tell you when they play the Texans, it's gonna be a good fight. I think getting Wade Phillips is huge and will improve our playoff chances significantly. What about you?

Paul Kuharsky: You got me, I am a complete hater.

No. What exactly should they be getting love for? I’m not in the business of passing out love to bad teams. You’re not going to find a lot of cheerleading or sympathy for pathetic play here.

Phillips, their new defensive coordinator, should help, but they have major, major holes on defense that will be hard to fill in one year. And how many years in a row do you want people to buy the this-is-the-breakout-year talk? Better to reduce expectations.

If you missed this week’s column, it was about new secondary coach Vance Joseph.

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Shawn from Arizona writes: It seems like Munchak would like to install the West Coast offense. With the biggest offseason question for the Titans being QB, how does this style of offense change our approach with acquiring both a veteran QB and one through the draft? It sounds like Kevin Kolb would be #1 on the list, followed by Matt Flynn perhaps -- who do you see in the draft fitting that offense?

Paul Kuharsky: I’ve not heard him say he wants to run a West Coast offense.

We don’t know if Munchak coveted Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements as offensive coordinator. If that was the hire, people were speculating that would be the direction. That’s a big jump to say that’s the direction Munchak wants without Clements, who we don’t even know he asked to talk to.

Munchak can’t pick the offense and then find the quarterback for it. The pool of candidates is small enough without narrowing it further. He needs to pick the quarterback, then shape the offense.

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Kingpin from Grinnell, IA writes: PK - Love your work, but gotta call you out on this comment from the mailbag - "Football is usually not baseball, where you unload a guy for picks." Baseball draft picks cannot be traded; think you meant basketball. Keep up the (usually) excellent work! – Kingpin

Paul Kuharsky: Point taken. I did mean baseball, but I know in baseball you unload the star for prospects as opposed to picks. That’s the comparison I intended. Sorry I was not more clear.

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Joe from Blackwater, VA writes: Paul, love the blog. Check it too many times a day! Haven't seen anything at all about CJ though in some time. Any word on the Titans getting him a new contract since they reworked it last year to make him happy?

Paul Kuharsky: Thanks much.

Chris Johnson’s renegotiation was in July. So the Titans can’t do anything else for a full year from that. Hopefully the labor issue will be resolved and we’ll be talking about it then.

I asked for mail, you responded. (Especially if you are a Colts’ follower.) I offer my thanks …

These two entries came within three minutes of each other

Nate from Indy writes: Explain something to me, sir. Teams first ask for permission to talk to members of other teams' coaching staffs in order to interview them for coaching positions. This makes sense - if you're under contract with one team, you shouldn't be allowed to shop yourself around to other teams. The question is: Why would a team allow any staff to talk to another team? The individual signed a contract. Much like players, shouldn't they be expected to fulfill it?

Jon Clay from Abingdon, Va., writes: What kind of a tool of a boss would not let their assistant coach try to better their position during the offseason? I understand locking people up once camps start, but why not let Bill Callahan interview for a BETTER job? As a Titans fan I don't think he is the answer, but aren't the Jets taking a chance at having a disgruntled employee next season?

Paul Kuharsky: Jon kind of answers Nate’s question. The rationale for letting a guy talk is giving him a chance at upward mobility. I think most head coaches don’t want to hold their guys back. At the same time, if a departure would leave a gaping hole, the first obligation is for a head coach to field the best team working under the best staff. So it really is a case-by-case basis. Many more requests are denied than permitted, and we don’t know the scope of it -- I’m sure a vast majority of denied requests are kept in-house by the teams involved.

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Shreyans Bafna from Solon, Ohio writes: Why are the Colts so worried about getting an offensive linemen or wide receiver? How about defensive tackle? The Colts lose mostly when they can't get the ball back. The Jets ran all over them in the playoff game. How about picking up Richard Seymour, Haloti Ngata, or Tamba Hali in free agency? If we can't get them how about Albert Haynesworth? He may be troubled but he's bigger and better than anyone we have right now.

Paul Kuharsky: It’s certainly a position where they need to get better as well, and I’d rank it third.

The guys you mention are likely to be tagged or re-signed and I don’t think the Colts will get a free agent of that magnitude. While better defense up the middle will help Peyton Manning, I believe they’ll think what’s most helpful to him are things that more directly impact him, like his pass protection and weapons.

Haynesworth has the sort of issues the Colts are not usually willing to take on. He’s also under contract.

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Richard from Madison, Ala., writes: If there were no restrictions, no other positions to fill and no cap, how many O-linemen would you go after for Indy through the draft and through free agency?

Paul Kuharsky: Under your scenario, I don’t think it would be difficult to get better at every one of the five positions. But I’d kick Charlie Johnson to a guard spot and get someone who could definitely replace Jeff Saturday in a year. So let’s say three starters and an up-and-comer.

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Scott Van Dyke from Lafayette, Ind., writes: I know that under the current CBA that the draft will be the last thing that NFL teams will be doing in terms of adding players. Is there a system in place where teams can negotiate with undrafted free agents after the draft is over with a new CBA in place? I know the Colts add a handful of roster spots that way better than most teams. How would the lack of a CBA affect undrafted free agents?

Paul Kuharsky: There is not such a system in place. The last pick of the draft is the last guy added. There will be no undrafted rookie free agent-market if there is no new CBA. That hurts the Colts as much as anyone, but I think it will only mean that those players get their phone calls the day a new deal kicks off instead of the last day of the draft.

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Doug Walker from Atlanta writes: As a Jaguars fan I am clearly biased but it feels like the Titans and Texans are on a downward trend at least for a season or two and Peyton Manning, although still an elite quarterback, started to show signs of fatigue. With all of this, do you think the Jaguars will be chosen as the favorites for next season in the AFC South? The main reason why I think that is because our team has very few veterans and many of our starters are young and still developing. The arrow is pointing up. What is your opinion?

Paul Kuharsky: I think you want Manning to show signs of fatigue. He didn’t look fatigued to me. He had a bad three-game stretch, and he also did some miraculous work considering the injury losses at premium positions. If the Colts win the division last year, there is no way they aren’t favorites going forward.

The Jaguars should be better than the Texans and Titans, but year-to-year there is no guarantee, and they are a very poor team when it comes to finishing off a season. The arrow is pointing up on a lot of guys, but they still have insufficient weapons, no safeties and a quarterback whose arrow is pointing sideways.

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Chris George in Nashville writes: What direction do you see the Titans going at QB? Also, is there a scenario where we would unload Chris Johnson to another team (for a draft pick) before he hits the running back wall and "loses his value?"

Paul Kuharsky: Chris Johnson is a very skilled player, but running backs do not have huge trade value. The league’s rushing leader last season, Arian Foster, was a guy who was not drafted. Football is usually not baseball, where you unload a guy for picks.

He’s one of Tennessee’s three best players, and he’s a few years away from wear and tear being an issue. I don’t see how the Titans get better by moving him, and I don’t think he’d bring back all you think he would.

Here is my take on quarterback options.

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Mad Mike from Houston writes: I know this has nothing to do with the division, but how can Cris Carter not be in the HOF as of yet? Clearly, one of the best WRs of all time, easily top 10, makes no sense. What are your thoughts?

Paul Kuharsky: Who do you take out that got in during his eligibility to get him in? He’ll get in. Be a little patient.

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Joe from Kaiserslautern Germany writes: I've seen some teams that are releasing defensive backs to start the offseason, like Eric King from Detroit and Eric Coleman from Atlanta. Also Ronde Barber could hit the market. (He's getting up there though). I don't know much about them but at this point it seems like even an average secondary would be an improvement. I'm not knocking the theoretical starters Indy has but let’s face it, Antoine Bethea and Melvin Bullitt are the only ones that can stay on the field. Do you know anything about these Erics?

Paul Kuharsky: Bullitt has been durable, but was hurt in 2010.

As guys like that hit the market, if you are cornerback needy and can grab them cheap, I’d pounce. Fill up the roster any way you can now not knowing what’s going to happen to free agency and the trade market later. That said, there are corner-needy teams that would be more aggressive in such a scenario than the Colts. If King isn’t good enough for Detroit, where the secondary isn’t sterling, I doubt he’s a big help to Indianapolis.

While they need depth, if they are healthy they can be strong at that spot with Kelvin Hayden and Jerraud Powers as the starters and Justin Tryon and Jacob Lacey as situational guys. They should also have Kevin Thomas back healthy.

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Austin from Philadelphia writes: My friend Matt and I were discussing Mike Munchak's (rumored) coaching moves thus far. What is your opinion on Munchak trying to recruit former Oiler players to coach? Do you think he is trying to build chemistry within the coaching staff and players or just looking up contacts in his phone book?

Paul Kuharsky: I’ve gotten a couple another notes on this. Let’s not cast this as some major trend. Bruce Matthews, as a Hall of Fame lineman and Munchak’s close friend, was a no-brainer who was available. If Jerry Gray or Frank Bush is hired, they are connected too. But Gray’s connection is from coaching with Matthews far more than from playing with him.

Would three new hires being former Oilers really be some sort of trend that was devised to create staff chemistry? In a word, no. It’s somewhat coincidental that guys who are available happen to have those ties and that Munchak is connected to them. And if the new defensive coordinator isn’t Gray, secondary coach Marcus Robertson could be fired, so that would be subtracting a former Oiler from the staff.

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Robert Sawyer from Killeen, Texas, writes: Jason Babin finally lived up to his status of being a first-round pick last year. With him being a free agent, and the Texans switching to a 3-4, what do you think are the chances of him coming back to Houston? I think it would be a great idea and that he could compliment Mario Williams if not challenge for the number one spot. Your thoughts?

Paul Kuharsky: I would put the Texans as about the last team to chase Babin. He was great as a 4-3, go-get-the-quarterback guy. Why take him, again, and try to force a fit into a 3-4? And if he was in Houston, he wouldn’t have the slightest chance of displacing Mario Williams as the No. 1 end or pass rusher. When healthy, Williams is a premiere guy. In a 3-4, Babin is a tweener, probably more of a outside linebacker. And Houston failed miserably at trying to make him that once already.

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Ryan Wilhite from Indianapolis writes: Why do all my questions end up in the trash bin of writers instead of being answered?

Paul Kuharsky: Don’t be so hard on yourself. I don’t trash messages I don’t have a chance to answer. I usually just let them sit.

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A courageous, nameless reader writes: Hey Paul. Just stopping by to tell you man you are a [bleeping] biased [bleep]. How do you even have a job as a blogger when you are the most biased [bleep], probably throughout all of ESPN? I'm sorry, but your writing is terrible, and half of the time my 5 year old daughter finds misspellings and grammatical mistakes throughout your garbage blog. Get some sources who actually know things about the NFL, and stop getting your information from other biased sports sites. You suck. Yours Truly, Someone who really thinks you suck at what you do.

Paul Kuharsky: Is your daughter available as a proofreader? I love how you own your comments with no name and a fake email address so I can’t even write back to say thanks so much for your constructive criticism. All that hammering and still, you're reading and taking the time to write. I am really impressed. Here is a post I did recently to try to help you understand what I do and the concept of bias.

Like everyone represented here and everyone reading, I say thanks for doing so and for taking the time to write.

The mailbag’s open 24/7/365 right here. I'm also happy to interact via Twitter and Facebook. Want to tip me off on something, you can even e-mail me directly at pkuharsky@gmail.com.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A year ago when these two teams played in the AFC Championship Game, the Colts trailed 17-6 early and 17-13 at the half.

They made killer halftime adjustments and ran away after halftime, 30-17.

This time around, while the Jets defense has played well through 30 minutes with one notable exception, the offense has not found a big enough play. Mark Sanchez handed away a field-goal chance at the end of the half with a bad interception to Justin Tryon.

And so the Colts are ahead 7-0 at the half.

If they win the adjustment battle again, they’re going to be in good shape at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Sanchez has been off on his two best chances -- Santonio Holmes beat Cornelius Brown off the line but Sanchez waited too long and then overthrew him in the first quarter. On a rollout right in the second quarter Dustin Keller was open by a bit up the right side and he overthrew there.

They strung together a nice long drive at the end with 13 plays and a penalty, and got nothing to show for it.

If the Colts can manage to only give up the likes of 24- and 15-yard passes up the middle to Holmes and Braylon Edwards in front of people, they’ve got to like their chances.

It’s only a one-score lead, obviously.

But it’s the Jets turn to make the big adjustments.

Reading the coverage…

The Must Read

Peyton Manning and the Colts have changed expectations in the division, providing more security for Jack Del Rio and Gary Kubiak, says Chase Stuart.

Houston Texans

The Texans should sign Vince Young as the No. 2, says Richard Justice.

Texans on offense who might not be back, from Houston Diehards.

Indianapolis Colts

Jacob Lacey and Justin Tryon are hardly household names, but they’ll be covering well-known receivers Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards, says Phillip B. Wilson. Tryon might be as good a symbol of the Colts ability to fill holes this season as they have. He’s been surprisingly solid.

Set fancy passing stuff aside, the playoffs are all about running it, says Bob Kravitz.

Pierre Garcon is looking forward to matching up with Antonio Cromartie, says Phil Richards.

Mike Tanier with a great Xs and Os look at the Colts vast options out of a vanilla set. (Hart tip to 18to88.)

Lockout fears are not slowing preparations for the 2012 Super Bowl in Indy, says Kravitz.

Can the Jets pressure Manning? Tony Monkovic considers.

The Colts look like a contender, says John Czarnecki.

Guys who’ve performed beyond what we could have expected, from Stampede Blue.

The Jets need to pressure Manning and protect Mark Sanchez, says Pat Kirwin.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mel Tucker needs help to bolster the defense, says Gene Frenette.

Tennessee Titans

Jeff Fisher won the big one, says David Climer.

Reaction from some Titans to the Young news, from John Glennon.

Finding the next quarterback will take a while, says Jim Wyatt.

A team source says Young was still having problems calling plays in the huddle, says Don Banks. What an indictment.

Five teams that should consider Young, from Shutdown Corner.