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The presumption is doom.

No team with a third-string quarterback at the helm, a rookie, no less, is going anywhere.

But T.J. Yates and the Houston Texans will set about trying to disprove that theory starting Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at Reliant Stadium

The Texans have lost Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart for the season in consecutive games. Now a team with the NFL’s top defense and third-ranked rush offense moves forward with Yates.

In a year when Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder have played well as full-time rookies and Blaine Gabbert and Jake Locker were top draft picks, Yates was the eighth quarterback selected and the 152nd player drafted.

He worked as the third quarterback until Schaub’s injury, not dressing for games and running the scout team in practices.

Plugging him in as the lead guy is hardly something the Texans envisioned, and hardly the sort of thing seen around the league.

One team that experienced similar circumstances was the 1979 Los Angeles Rams.

After losing Pat Haden to injury in Week 10 that season and then getting an ineffective start from Jeff Rutledge in a Week 11 loss tot the Chicago Bears, the Rams turned over the starting job to Vince Ferragamo, then a third-year pro who had never started an NFL game before.

Ferragamo posted a 4-1 record over the remainder of the regular season as the Rams won the NFC West. They then beat the Cowboys in Dallas and the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay in the NFC playoffs before they fell to the Steelers, 31-19, in Super Bowl XIV.

Someone asked Yates, who was born in 1987, if he knew who Ferragamo was. He said no. Relayed Ferragamo's story, he said simply, "sweet."

Can Yates do anything similar?

Schaub thinks the rookie is equipped to succeed.

“The one thing that I’ve observed, I’ve been in this type of offense now … all the way back into my college days. T.J., for being a rookie, he’s probably picked this offense up to the point where he can function in it well, faster than anyone I’ve seen, including myself, including a lot of players that I’ve been around,” Schaub told KILT radio in Houston this week. “That’s a big credit to him, because this is not an easy offense to pick up. … I, personally, have a ton of confidence that he’s going to go in there and play very well.”

It’s not just the understanding, though. Right tackle Eric Winston said Yates is the most athletic of the Texans’ top three quarterbacks. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. likes Yates’ arm: “He throws the ball quite well and should be able to get the ball to where it needs to be.” And everyone is talking about the youngester's calm, a key quarterback quality.

The Texans regard themselves as having supreme resolve, and they should. Their top players on offense have missed time -- receiver Andre Johnson was out six games with a hamstring injury and running back Arian Foster missed two and hardly played in one with a hamstring injury -- and outside linebacker Mario Williams was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle suffered Oct. 19 against Oakland.

Kansas City probably didn’t come into the season with as much talent as the Texans. But the Chiefs won their division and appeared in the playoffs last season. This season they’ve lost safety Eric Berry, tight end Tony Moeaki, running back Jamaal Charles and quarterback Matt Cassel for the season along the way in their follow-up year.

They are 4-7, tied with San Diego at the bottom of the AFC West.

Houston’s had far better results overcoming injuries.

The mantra is how it’s about the team.

“They know how big the challenge is this weekend, but [they are a] very upbeat group, very positive group,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “… It’s a new world for [Yates]. Last week, he’s getting more reps because he’s the backup. All of a sudden, he’s running the team [Wednesday] and got a lot on his plate, mentally from leaving the classroom to coming out here, but he did fine. He’ll get better every day out here, and that’s the most important thing. The key is everybody else making sure they do their job.”

Said Yates: “Everybody around me is very confident. You can tell this team hasn’t really skipped a beat as far as intensity or tempo at practice. Nothing seems different except for it’s just a different guy at quarterback.”

Atlanta is the toughest team the Texans will have faced in some time. It’s a game they could have lost even with Schaub healthy. If they lose it with Yates it will hardly be a season-killer.

They simply need to see he can manage the game, maintain the calm they’ve lauded, and can make enough throws to make a defense either stay honest or pay the price for loading up the box with an eighth defender to slow Foster and Ben Tate.

If Yates does that, he can be enough.

If he does that, the Texans will have a chance to make us talk more about how he and the Texans can compare to Ferragamo and those Rams.

Thoughts on the Colts’ 28-24 loss to the Chiefs at Lucas Oil Stadium:

What it means: Even with a 17-point lead at home against a bad team, the Colts are not safe. They dropped to 0-5 because they couldn’t contain receiver Steve Breaston, who caught two touchdown passes from Matt Cassel, and because they did nothing offensively after halftime. They had four series, three first downs and 64 total net yards after intermission.


What I didn’t like: I saw Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe run through virtually the entire secondary en route to a 41-yard touchdown. And Thomas Jones did similar work on a 21-yard run up the middle, where only Antoine Bethea was able to square him up and take him down. The Colts simply have to be closer to playmakers and do better bringing them down.

What I didn’t like, II: On fourth-and-6 with the Colts' last chance, Curtis Painter threw incomplete for Anthony Gonzalez. So be it. But if you’re throwing to a guy who’s going down on fourth down, at least make it a guy who’s at or beyond the first-down marker. A catch there is the same as the incompletion was because Gonzalez wasn’t deep enough.

What I liked: Aside from that final pass attempt, Painter was about as efficient as could be expected even with the second-half stall. He hit on 15 of 27 passes for 277 yards with no sacks behind a line that included a right tackle signed in the past week. He threw two TDs to Pierre Garcon for the second week in a row and didn’t throw a pick.

Injury concern: The Colts lost Joseph Addai to a hamstring injury after just six carries and Delone Carter and Donald Brown took the rest of the work at running back.

What’s next: The Colts make a short trip to Cincinnati to face the surprising Bengals and one of the league's top defenses so far.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 5:

Counter action: A week ago, we examined how the Titans had moved away from some run plays that had benefited Chris Johnson in the past, plays that unconventionally featured a counter element. In the win at Cleveland, those plays re-emerged. K.C. Joyner said the Titans employed that counter action on Johnson’s 25-yard run and again on an 8-yard gain in the win over the Browns. It was a good adjustment and needs to be part of what the Titans do going forward. Look for it against the Steelers.

Darren McFadden to the left: ESPN Stats & Information says that Raiders running back Darren McFadden has had great success running to the left this season. He’s averaging a remarkable 8.2 yards per carry going that direction. It’s bad news for the Texans, because they’ve been susceptible to runs in that direction, allowing 6.35 yards a carry, the fourth-highest average in the NFL. I’m sure defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and the Texans are aware of this and will be concentrating on making sure it’s not an issue Sunday at Reliant Stadium.

Quiet first quarter: The Colts and the Chiefs are two of five teams in the league that have not scored a first-quarter touchdown this season. Kansas City is the only team that hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis may be the Colts' two most productive players through four weeks. Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel’s protection and ability to get rid of the ball have been pretty good; he’s been sacked only five times so far. The ability of the Colts' pass-rushing duo to hit and harass Cassel may be the biggest factor in the game.

No let-up: When we first looked at the Jaguars’ schedule, this game against Cincinnati looked to be one they should win. But heading into a game pitting rookie quarterbacks head to head, Andy Dalton versus Blaine Gabbert, the Bengals have the league’s top defense. That’s not good news for a Jacksonville offense that’s last in points per game and second to last in yards per game. On the bright side, the Jaguars have won seven times in a row against the Bengals in Jacksonville. Gabbert threw flat-footed too often this past Sunday in the loss to New Orleans and needs to be better mechanically to increase his offense’s chances to move the ball and score some points.

Badly timed injury: Former Titans tight end Frank Wycheck (who I work with on Nashville radio) rates Craig Stevens as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. Stevens would figure to be key in a game against the physical Steelers, even without the injured James Harrison. But the tight end has been out this week with a rib injury suffered in Cleveland, and odds are he's unable to play. Without him at Heinz Field, Daniel Graham and Jared Cook will have to do more blocking. I expect the Steelers to try to really test them and for Tennessee to really miss Stevens.

Peyton Manning’s not been great on deep balls this year.

That makes sense. With less threatening targets on the field because of injuries, defenses have been able to key on containing Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon, and Manning’s not often had a lot of time for downfield plays to develop.

The Titans have been a big exception.

On throws of 15 yards or more, Manning’s connected on 34.6 percent of his passes. But in the Colts’ win in Nashville on Dec. 9 he was five-for-five.

In Tennessee’s past three games against Manning, the Titans have fared poorly defending throws of 15-plus yards.

They’ve allowed a completion percentage of 84.6 (as opposed to 47.8 against everyone else), 24.9 yards per attempt (compared to 13.1) and a perfect passer rating of 158.3 for Manning (as opposed to 82.6).

The Tennessee secondary was ineffective last week against Matt Cassel and Kansas City.

To have a chance of an upset in Indianapolis, the defensive backs will have to be a lot better, the linebackers will have to contribute more than they usually do in pass defense, and the rush will have to get Manning off his spot and make him hurry.

The annual AFC showdown is upon us, and with it come the recurring storylines.

That's right, the Indianapolis Colts will meet the New England Patriots on Sunday for an eighth straight season. The NFL's greatest ongoing interdivisional rivalry showcases two of the great organizations of this generation and renews the discussion about Peyton Manning's stats versus Tom Brady's championships.

We've decided to rekindle the debate, but before you throw your head back and groan in anticipation of the clichés, hold your horseshoes.

The purpose of this debate is to eliminate Manning and Brady and look into the future.

Which team has the better long-range outlook once Manning and Brady move on?

For the purpose of this discussion, we've set the target for 2015 -- one year beyond the length of Brady's latest contract extension -- to examine which team has the better infrastructure to cope with life minus its iconic quarterback.

Tim Graham: Time to get after it, Paul. But no weapons this time, please. I've just recently completed the physical therapy from our last debate.

Paul Kuharsky: Well, this back-and-forth will be less physically taxing, and since there is so much forecasting, you may actually be able to put your Jedi training to use.

Graham: Get this debate started we shall, hmmm?

Kuharsky: So what do the Colts and Patriots have now that's going to be a big factor for them in five years?

I count eight guys who are in their first, second or third year with the franchise who I expect will still be prime contributors in 2015. But only three of the eight fit into the framework of the four most important positions on the field -- quarterback, left tackle, defensive end and cornerback. Those players would be corners Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey and defensive end Jerry Hughes.

Hughes is still unproven, but it's early and Colts president Bill Polian saw the potential for him to ultimately replace a Dwight Freeney or a Robert Mathis.

Others who may still be staples when Manning is gone: receiver Austin Collie, linebacker Pat Angerer, tight end Jacob Tamme, tight end Brody Eldridge and punter Pat McAfee. Can that group be the core of a team that continues to win? I wish I could offer a solid yes or no instead of a tepid maybe.

Beyond that, we've got five drafts to consider, right? And Polian regularly finds undrafted gems. I don't doubt the Colts will have talent. But they'll need new Freeney-, Dallas Clark- and Reggie Wayne-caliber stars, plus the replacement quarterback.

Graham: Patriots overlord Bill Belichick has drawn deserved criticism for his draft failures. He has swung and missed at his share of Terrence Wheatleys and Kevin O'Connells and Chad Jacksons in the early rounds.

But when you accumulate as many picks as the Patriots have and have elite football minds evaluating the talent, those bad decisions are going to even out eventually. The Patriots appear to be warming up when it comes to successful drafting.

The Patriots went into Heinz Field and manhandled the Pittsburgh Steelers with four rookies in their starting defensive lineup (defensive end Brandon Deaderick, outside linebacker Jermaine Cunningham, inside linebacker Brandon Spikes and left cornerback Devin McCourty) and a rookie tight end (Rob Gronkowski), who caught three touchdowns. Another rookie tight end (Aaron Hernandez) ranks second on the team in catches and receiving yards. Their punter is a rookie.

They don't have as many second- and third-year contributors, but inside linebacker Jerod Mayo was defensive rookie of the year in 2008. Among the sophomores are starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer and receivers Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman, who also handle return duties.

Without question, there will be a drop-off at quarterback when Brady retires, but the Patriots are loaded with core youth.

Kuharsky: The Colts may draft better, but they also draft less. Polian's not the draft pick wheeler-and-dealer Belichick is. Are those the guys who will be lining up the Manning and Brady successors?

It's a quarterback-driven league, and teams minus Manning and Brady will have major voids. We've got to talk about the replacements for the iconic quarterbacks, but it's hard to offer much conjecture on what kind of guy that will be without talking about who will be finding him.

Polian is 67 years old, and the last time I asked him about any sort of plan for retirement he gave me a head tilt and an uncomfortable expression.

Graham: I've noticed a lot of people do that around you.

Kuharsky: If things are neat and tidy, the suspicion is he and Manning -- the guy he hit the jackpot with when he picked him over Ryan Leaf -- will exit together. The next generation is waiting in the wings. Chris Polian is Indianapolis' vice president and general manager.

I'd expect Bill Polian will have a strong hand in selecting the Colts' quarterback of the future. But it will ultimately be Chris Polian who's connected to that signal-caller the way Bill Polian is connected to Manning. The younger Polian has a good reputation and good football genes, but it's hard to know how much of his father's personnel judgment he's inherited and how much he's learned. And having to replace a guy many will argue is the greatest quarterback of all time will be an awfully difficult assignment.

Graham: I don't know how long Belichick plans to coach, but even if he were to get tired of the week-to-week grind of getting his boys ready to play, it's fathomable he'll stick around to run the operation, handpicking his successor and overseeing football operations.

It would be silly to give Belichick more than a smidgen of credit for drafting Brady in the sixth round a decade ago. If Belichick truly knew what Brady was capable of, the Patriots wouldn't have passed on him until the 199th pick. So it's not like Belichick will simply wait until Brady's on the verge of retirement and automatically snag a replacement.

Kuharsky: True. But they knew more than everybody else when they finally did take him.

Graham: Belichick trusted his scout, and they unearthed a gem.

I believe Belichick's support staff is stronger than Polian's. Senior adviser Floyd Reese oversaw the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans' drafts when they picked Steve McNair and Vince Young. Player personnel director Nick Caserio, like a lot of Belichick's sidekicks over the years, will develop the tools to run his own show someday.

Kuharsky: I don't know that Belichick's got better support. It's just more well known and visible support.

Graham: And a high-profile owner who is willing to trust his front office, will spend money and doesn't dare meddle. That's another key component to New England's success over the past decade.

Kuharsky: Moving onto the replacement quarterback himself, Curtis Painter is Manning's current backup. But based on his work in a couple of regular-season games the team didn't care about winning at the end of last season and some preseason work, most people aren't forecasting anything special from him. And that would amount to quite a lengthy apprenticeship anyway.

Graham: You wouldn't think the Patriots have Brady's successor on the roster either. Brian Hoyer is an undrafted sophomore with virtually no experience so far. But you never can tell how these guys will develop while working alongside Brady for a few years. This is the team that identified Matt Cassel, a seventh-round draft choice who hadn't started a game since high school, as its top backup for 2008. He ended up going 11-5 when Brady blew out his knee.

Kuharsky: The Colts will need a guy for a super-tough replacement job. It would be awfully difficult for them to land in a Aaron Rodgers for Brett Favre or Michael Vick for Donovan McNabb replacement situation.

After hitting a grand slam with the No. 1 pick in 1998, odds would suggest that it will be tough for them to line up with the right guy at the right pick at the right time. The way they build, odds are Manning's heir will be a guy who plays a full college career. So he's a college freshman or a high-school senior right now, depending on their plan for easing him in.

Graham: The Colts and Patriots finish too high in the standings every year and don't get to pick until the 20s. That will make it nearly impossible to snag some golden-armed top prospect in their assigned draft positions. But the Patriots frequently go into drafts with other teams' picks -- and an abundance of them. They often have copious draft assets to move up if they want to. Or maybe the Patriots will obtain that big-ticket pick waaaaay in advance. A year ago, Belichick traded Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for their 2011 first-round selection. That's the kind of creative investing that could pay off with a high-quality quarterback prospect down the road.

Kuharsky: It will definitely be more difficult for the Colts to get to the top of a draft to get a premier guy. And there may need to be a post-Manning down-cycle for the team to get up there and find the guy. Scribes in Indianapolis often wonder aloud what happens to the Colts' crazed support if they turn into a 5-11 rebuilding project. The rest of the AFC South certainly hopes that's how it works, and that the division is a lot more wide open once Manning's not in it.

And while we're forecasting five years out, I have two questions: Will Manning still be a deadpanning TV commercial superstar? And will Brady have had a haircut?

Graham: There's one unwavering prediction I can make about hair, Paul, but it's not about Brady's.

Wrapping up Jacksonville's 42-20 loss against Kansas City.

What it means: They hung tough for a while, but the Jaguars ultimately dropped to 3-4 and remain at the bottom of the AFC South, behind the Titans (5-2), Texans (4-2) and Colts (4-2).

What I didn’t like: Operating in a tough situation, Todd Bouman actually gave the Jaguars a chance, but his interception to Derrick Johnson for a touchdown was a back-breaker. The defense might have been more disappointing, allowing 236 rushing yards, two Dwayne Bowe touchdown catches and four touchdowns in four Kansas City red-zone chances.

What I didn’t like, Part II: Matt Cassel was hardly stellar, but the Jaguars allowed him to put together the sort of limited-mistake effort the Chiefs needed to win. He was sacked only once, threw two touchdowns and no interceptions while posting a 144.0 passer rating.

What’s next: The Jaguars travel to Dallas for their second game of the season against an NFC East opponent.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 7:

Gigantic obstacle: For the Philadelphia Eagles, the 6-foot-9, 330-pound King Dunlap will play left tackle for the injured Jason Peters. Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Dave Ball would seem primed for a classic speed vs. size matchup here. But Jeff Fisher said the Eagles chip more than anyone in the league, even with receivers. So Ball can expect regularly to be knocked off course by a tight end, back or even a wideout before he gets a chance to get around Dunlap. And Kevin Kolb gets rid of the ball on time in a quick-passing offense.

Evaluate effort: The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t exactly go down swinging in Week 6 in the "Monday Night Football" home loss to the Titans. Once the Titans built a lead, it seemed clear Jacksonville didn’t think it could catch up. Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, the proper response now is to come out guns blazing. The Jaguars need to play with tremendous effort to show the team knows it’s 3-3 and has not given up on itself or coach Jack Del Rio. Rally around a substitute quarterback, facilitate a big game for tailback Maurice Jones-Drew, make sure Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel is uncomfortable. It’s a test of leadership, at least to a degree.

Turnover edge: The Titans are 4-0 in games where they’ve had a turnover advantage and 0-2 in games where the other team’s had it. The Titans have seven takeaways in their last two games. But the Eagles have only turned the ball over five times this year, and have had the turnover edge in five of their six games.

Get the star going: Jones-Drew has a solid history against the Chiefs. He’s scored a touchdown in three consecutive games against Kansas City. The Jaguars need to make sure the Chiefs do not get any sort of substantial lead, so they can rely on Jones-Drew's running. That's the preferred option with backup QBs Trent Edwards or Todd Bouman starting for the injured David Garrard. MJD averages 5.0 yards a carry as a starter on the road.

Dreading it: Colts fans won’t necessarily be enjoying their team's weekend off, knowing how injury-depleted the team will be when it resumes play Nov. 1 against the Houston Texans, who also have a bye. They learned this week that Dallas Clark is finished for the season, Austin Collie will miss at least a couple of games and Antonio Johnson had knee surgery. Moving forward, they can look forward to an update on Joseph Addai, who’s dealing with a shoulder injury that can cost him time, too.

HOUSTON -- Houston Texans star middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans has been ruled out for the rest of the game against Kansas City with an Achilles injury. No further information was given by the team.

He was taken off the field on a cart and he had a discouraging look on his face while being taken to the locker room. He was injured on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Kansas City’s Matt Cassel to Dwayne Bowe.

The Chiefs lead 14-7 early in the third quarter.

INDIANAPOLIS -- After lots of wins, the Colts and their perfectionist quarterback talk about all the room for improvement.

After Indianapolis’ 19-9 win against previously undefeated Kansas City on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, it was more believable than usual.

With a third-string strong safety starting the game and a third-string running back finishing it, a field goal battle felt like it would ultimately hinge on which quarterback would make the bigger play.

It rates as no surprise that Peyton Manning outpointed Matt Cassel in that regard, but it was hardly a sharp afternoon for the four-time MVP.

As defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots from 2001-04, Romeo Crennel helped devise some quality game plans against Manning. In the same capacity for the Chiefs, he revisited some of those successful plans, tweaking them to his personnel and faring pretty well.

En route to 244 passing yards, Manning connected on only 59 percent of his passes with an interception and a sack. He didn’t connect on anything longer than 24 yards and wound up with a 65.0 passer rating. That’s a touch lower than the rating he put up in that throw-away regular-season finale in Buffalo last season. It was his worst in a game the Colts played to win since Nov. 30, 2008, in an ugly 10-6 win at Cleveland against a team coached by… Crennel.

Manning said it was all set up to test the offense’s patience.

Three places Manning usually thrives were cut down by Crennel and K.C., according to ESPN Stats & Information. Manning came into the game with a 112.3 rating out of the shotgun, 116.5 against five defensive backs or more and 113.9 on play-action. Against the Chiefs, those numbers were 59.4, 66.4 and 27.8, respectively.

“We’ve got some guys that can get open, that can get the job done even when Peyton is off,” receiver Reggie Wayne said, kind of repeating my premise about Manning being less than his usual self, not offering it himself. “I felt like he did pretty good with what they were giving us. He hung in there and did what he was supposed to do."

The Chiefs loaded up people in coverage, daring the Colts to run effectively. Joseph Addai got the ball a lot early on, but wound up with just 50 yards on 17 carries. When Addai suffered a shoulder injury that ended his day, Mike Hart took over and got 50 yards of his own on 11 carries.

A 3.1-yard ground average didn’t scare Kansas City and won’t frighten anyone else. Defenses will be thrilled to take it as a trade-off for limiting Manning if they can.

“I think we’re going to have to be patient from here on out until we get our running game going the way it’s supposed to,” said Wayne, who caught six passes for 75 yards. “Everybody is going to be keying on the pass, forcing us to run. We just have to find a way from here on out. It’s going to be tough.”

Ultimately, however, the Colts pulled ahead 12-9 in the field goal battle. In the fourth quarter, the Colts drove 12 plays and 71 yards to the game’s lone touchdown, on an 11-yard run by Hart with 4 minutes, 2 seconds remaining.

Afterward, the guys on offense were thankful for the defensive effort and efficiency.

Wayne said he didn’t think defenders liked an Indianapolis Star story this week. In the print version it was headlined: “What’s wrong with these guys?”

“They should have taken offense to it,” Wayne said. “It was tough. But they did a great job today. We laid it on them a little bit and the touchdown at the end was something that we really needed.”

That defense held the Chiefs to two conversions in 12 third- and fourth-down attempts and kept them out of the end zone.

“The offense had some situations there they couldn’t get things totally taken care of this week,” linebacker Clint Session said. “And we had their back. We took it personal, the way we were talked about.”

A few other things I think are worth contemplating:

Next man up: It’s a cliché that the Colts put into action as well as anyone in the league.

Against the Chiefs it was next man up after that, with Aaron Francisco at strong safety replacing Melvin Bullitt, who replaced Bob Sanders. The same thing happened at running back, with Hart replacing Addai when he was hurt with Donald Brown already out injured.

Francisco was with the Colts last season, but spent camp with Carolina, hadn’t played a game this year and was re-signed by Indianapolis on Tuesday.

“I kind of got myself to forget this defense after I went to Carolina and learned the system down there, but I guess after the first practice everything started coming back to me,” he said. “It’s not really a hard defense to learn. I feel like I did good. I know there will be a lot of things I’ve got to correct. I think I did enough to help us win, though.”

Hart is the smallest of the team’s top three backs. Addai was happy for him.

“Mike got a chance to do what he can do,” Addai said. “You always trust what he can do because he’s a solid player.”

Skidding sideways: Kansas City kicker Ryan Succop's game-opening onside kick took a strong left turn and didn’t travel 10 yards, resulting in a flag and a Colts’ possession starting at the Chiefs’ 37-yard line.

I asked several Colts about it. While the answers varied, none said what hundreds of guys on other teams would have taken from it: “They were afraid they wouldn't be able to hang with us and needed a jump-start right at the beginning.”

The resulting Colts' drive stalled at the Chiefs' 2, and Adam Vinatieri converted the first of his four successful field goals to provide a 3-0 lead.

It was the first onside kick the Colts have faced since the infamous Garrett Hartley kick that started the second half of Super Bowl XLIV and swung momentum heavily in favor of New Orleans.

“I was anticipating someone would do it,” Colts head coach Jim Caldwell said. “… If you show a weakness at any point in time, at some point and time it’s going to come back up. So you better work on it. So that was something we anticipated possibly seeing.”

A free three: As good as the Colts were defensively, they easily could have been 3 points better.

When Addai failed to convert a fourth-and-2 from the K.C. 39, the Chiefs got the ball back with 18 seconds left in the first half.

Kelvin Hayden hit Chris Chambers out of bounds after a 13-yard gain, giving away 15 yards with the unnecessary roughness and helping set up the first of Succop’s three field goals.

It’s an uncharacteristic sort of play for the Colts, who don’t generally give things up so easily.

Had things gone the other way, it would have been near the top of this column instead of at the bottom.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Quick thoughts on the Colts' win over the Chiefs.

What it means: The Colts were willing to go ugly and did so well enough to hand Kansas City its first loss. That gets Indy to 3-2, same as Houston and Jacksonville -- as well as Tennessee if it wins in Dallas.

What I liked: The Colts played good defense, even with little noise from Dwight Freeney. The Chiefs weren’t particularly threatening, but the Colts gave them very little room to gain any sort of confidence in their ability to score. The Chiefs had to feel like a touchdown was a tall, tall order and ultimately they could not fill it.

What I didn’t like: The offensive effort was enough. But Peyton Manning was hardly at his most crisp and his receivers got hands on some balls they could not corral. A less-than-himself Manning was still better than Matt Cassel, who suffered from some bad drops as well.

Injury of note: With No. 2 running back Donald Brown already out, Joseph Addai left the game and didn’t return because of a shoulder injury. The Colts relied on him a great deal before he left. Third-stringer Mike Hart is a worker and his 11-yard touchdown run with 4:02 remaining was huge. But he’s not as versatile as Addai, who can run, catch and block on demand.

What’s next: The Colts head to Washington for "Sunday Night Football" and their second game against the NFC East.

The most unbalanced offensive line in the AFC South belongs to the Indianapolis Colts.

But it's a group whose superiority in pass protection fits with the AFC champion's design, which is first and foremost “do no harm to Peyton Manning.”

Following similar logic, Jacksonville’s offensive line could understandably be very good run-blockers and below average pass-protectors, considering that Maurice Jones-Drew is the Jaguars’ centerpiece.

But as the Jaguars broke in two rookie tackles in 2009, the melding of the group wasn’t always smooth and the line’s play sometimes felt disjointed.

Yes, Jones-Drew had an excellent season with 1,391 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. But the Jaguars still had six games in which their run game averaged less than the league average of 4.2 yards per carry. And David Garrard was sacked 42 times, more than any quarterback in the league besides Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Jason Campbell and Matt Cassel.

For a team that craves a physical identity, it wasn’t good enough.

Offensive line coach Andy Heck has installed his offseason theme, and it’s “finishing.”

“All the guys in our line are tough guys. I think we can all work to finish better,” Heck told me this week. “Play to the whistle. Our run game is something we’ve taken a lot of pride in down here, and while our blocking has been good, we can’t just assume because it’s been good it’s going to continue to be good.”

And the pass protection must be significantly better.

All offensive linemen would like to be equally good in both departments. Heck estimated 70 to 80 percent of starting linemen in the league can say they are, with young players or players in an offense that overemphasizes the run or pass accounting for the others who are not as balanced.

His left guard, Vince Manuwai, said he thinks 70 percent of NFL linemen are better run-blockers than pass-protectors.

At Farrington (Hawaii) High School, Manuwai was in a run-heavy scheme. At the University of Hawaii, he was part of a pass-happy team. So he felt like he came into the league well-versed in both and ready to be versatile. He still rates himself as a better run-blocker.

“Run blocking is a lot easier,” he said. “With run blocking, a lot of the time you just have to move the guy maybe a couple inches, a couple feet and if you have a good running back, he makes you look good. You can miss a block and a lot of times he will break arm tackles from the guy you’re blocking. Pass blocking is a lot tougher. …You’ve got to be so patient, you’ve got to be prepared for so many moves. You can’t really be aggressive trying to dominate on the line. Run block, you can be aggressive and go full speed and come out looking good.”

Manuwai said the finishing theme is often a matter of “football awareness,” starting with quicker adjustments as things unfold.

Said Heck: “Being a good pass-blocker you’ve got to have some God-given talents, some agility, some foot quickness and athleticism. To be a good run-blocker, it’s good to have all those things, but really all you need is the right mindset. And to be a really good run-blocker, you need strength and leverage and all that. But you can be a decent run-blocker if you’ve got the right mindset, in other words the drive to finish.”

For the Jaguars to make a jump next season, they need to keep Garrard far cleaner. Coach Jack Del Rio talked about how the team needs to be good around Garrard for him to be good. That starts with him having better protection more often.

The one change could come at center, where 32-year old Brad Meester slipped and the team can use a talent upgrade at the cost of leadership and experience.

Here is our look at Jacksonville’s starting five. Heck, Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson and ProFootballFocus.com, a site that grades a player on a scale of minus-2 to plus-2 on every play and offers totals based on his cumulative play over the season, provide assessments.

Left tackle Eugene Monroe

Heck: “I see him doing some things athletically and in terms of balance that few people in this world can do. He had unbelievable God-given talent to be a great pass-protector. Things that will help him as a young player will be more awareness of defenses and situations, which comes with experience. Especially as a tackle it’s a process. In pass protection, he’s off to a great start. In run blocking, I know that’s an area he’s looking to improve, and I think I can help him with some leverage things and always working to finish.”

Williamson: Far better run-blocker.

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-12.4 in pass blocking, plus 7.1 in run blocking.

Left guard Vince Manuwai

Heck: “This year he came off a knee injury. Just before his injury, I think it would have been hard to find many guards who run blocked as well as he did. He’s got so much leverage and strength. I look forward to getting a healthy Vince back, not that he wasn’t healthy last year, but he was working his way back. I think he can be a dominant run-blocker. Vince can be a very capable pass-protector. He’s got one of the strongest punches that you’ll find anywhere.”

Williamson: Better run-blocker.

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-3.1 in pass blocking, plus-7.1 in run blocking.

Center Brad Meester

Heck: “We got strong veteran leadership from him. I’ve never been around a player that was more dedicated to his craft than he is. He’s really outstanding at communicating and getting us all going in the right direction and is the leader of our group. I’d say Brad is a very well-balanced player. The thing that he has that the young tackles don’t have is the benefit of a lot of experience. There is not a lot that he hasn’t seen. He’s able to sort out difficult looks and play smart football.”

Williamson: Better pass-protector, “but he was a liability in all regards this past season.”

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-3.0 in pass blocking, minus-13.7 in run blocking.

Right guard Uche Nwaneri

Heck: “He’s shown some steady improvement in all areas of his game. I think that he can be a very good run-blocker and is athletic enough and smart enough that he can be good as a pass-protector as well. At times he’s looked very good at both, and at times you can see where he needs to improve.”

Williamson: Slightly better pass-protector.

ProFootballFocus.com: Plus-4.0 in pass blocking, minus-2.6 in run blocking.

Right tackle Eben Britton

Heck: “He’s a guy that’s got great heart and desire. He’s similar to Eugene as a young player. He’s going to look to improve his awareness. Every one of those games from the personnel to the looks he’s going to see, all those things will help him kind of sort out some gray areas. I think that will help him in his pass protection as well, an area I think he can improve and will improve.”

Williamson: Far better run-blocker.

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-14 in pass blocking, plus-3.0 in run blocking.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

I’ve talked to people who think David Garrard is the quarterback the Jaguars can build around and win with. I’ve talked to people who don’t believe he is.

Through the offseason and the preseason, I said I thought he deserved this year -- with upgraded protection and better weapons -- to show if he is or he isn’t.

At halfway in…

I still don’t know.

Stats don’t tell the whole story, but they are a fair means for comparison. With an 81.8 passer rating, he’s 22nd of 34 quarterbacks who’ve seen significant playing time.

And here are the guys he rates above: Shaun Hill, Chad Henne, Matt Cassel, Trent Edwards, Marc Bulger, Mark Sanchez, Kerry Collins, Jake Delhomme, Matthew Stafford, Josh Johnson, JaMarcus Russell and Derek Anderson.

A couple of those guys are on their way up (Henne, Sanchez, Stafford), a couple are on their way down (Bulger, Collins, Delhomme) and a couple are just plain bad (Russell, Anderson). But is there anyone on that list you’d want starting for your team right now if you had a broader choice?

Garrard ranks behind Jason Campbell, who’s largely regarded as having a horrible year. But Garrard’s also barely off the pace of Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler, two of the league’s well-regarded young quarterbacks.

He’s 30th in the fourth quarter (66.2 passer rating), 19th on third down (74.5), 14th in passes of 30+ yards (seven) and 12th in pass plays of 20+ yards (23).

That “upgraded” protection is on pace to give up 40 sacks after 42 last year. The upgraded weapons have last year’s 15th rated passing offense at 16th.

All very middling.

Like the Jaguars, I think Garrard’s been inconsistent. He’s on pace for fewer touchdowns than last year, but also fewer picks.

I think he’s led pretty well. I think he’s helped young receivers. I think he’s formed a great connection with Mike Sims-Walker. I think he’s running what’s still going to be a run-driven team. I think the effort is there.

And I think I’m going to need those remaining eight games to make the call as to whether I think he can be the Jaguars' answer going forward or if the next stage of retooling is going to need to include another quarterback.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

Houston Texans

• Peyton Manning routinely picks the Texans apart, says Dale Robertson.
• Hurt shoulder or not, Mario Williams has been quiet and needs to show up in Indianapolis, says John McClain.
• Matt Schaub makes Pete Pricso’s list of the league’s most improved players.
• Brian Cushing was limited and Shaun Cody had an injection to help his back injury, says Dale Robertson.
• The fantasy impact of Owen Daniels’ injury, from Lance Zierlein.
• McClain passes out his midseason awards.
• The Texans defense is a lot different than it was the last time it faced Indianapolis, says Alan Burge.
• Key matchups for Texans-Colts from Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts

• Justice is swift and sure on the Colts offensive line, writes Phil Richards. Fun piece.
• The Colts will need to slow Matt Schaub, who’s making a name for himself, says Phillip B. Wilson.
• Bob Sanders isn’t looking like he’ll be on the field Sunday against Houston, says Mike Chappell.
• Marlin Jackson has a torn ACL and is finished for the season, says Chappell. It’s the left knee this time. Last season was cut short when he tore up his right knee.
• Jackson, Kelvin Hayden, Sanders, and Antoine Bethea talked “of becoming the NFL's best secondary. The foursome started the first two games of 2008, and not only haven't they started together since, they haven't been on the field together since.” John Oehser’s game preview includes a look at the secondary’s issues.
• Before the announcement of injury news, Wilson shared some thoughts on the information he was getting.
• A look at the Colts rushing attack, from Tom James.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Tyrone Hartsfield was found guilty of shooting Richard Collier, writes Paul Pinkham.
• The Jaguars don’t rush the quarterback well, but things could change against Kansas City’s Matt Cassel, says Vito Stellino.
• Cole Pepper’s take on the tackling issues.
• Mel Tucker expects better tackling, says Vic Ketchman.
• Ladies only in this “Ask Vic.”
• Ketchman hopes for an eventual return to the 4-3.

Tennessee Titans

• The Titans are wary of Frank Gore, writes Jim Wyatt.
• Tennessee works a heavy rotation on the defensive line, says Gary Estwick.
• Vince Young has nine more chances, says David Climer.
• Two Titans ranked among the NFL’s dirtiest in a poll, says Estwick.
• Rod Hood has found a good situation with the Titans, says Terry McCormick.
• Stephen Tulloch and Gore are old friends, says McCormick.
• David Stewart’s got a hamstring injury, says Wyatt.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

Fresh off a giant rushing day in a loss to Tennessee, Maurice Jones-Drew graciously donated 20 minutes to the AFC South Blog to chat about the latest version edition of ESPN.com’s Power Rankings.

	Fernando Medina-US PRESSWIRE
	Maurice Jones-Drew weighed in with an opinion on every team in the league.

He wound up offering more of a team-by-team commentary on the league than on the rankings, which is just fine with us.

So here is a sampling of his thoughts:

"The Saints and Colts both struggled this week, I just don’t know how long those guys can last with those high-powered offenses. It seems like New Orleans, at least, has to have a shootout every week to win, you know. So I don’t know how long that’s going to last. The Colts survived a scare. So call them the Houdinis, they find a way to win."

"Minnesota I think is one of the best balanced teams with the running game, passing game, great defense and special teams. They’re firing on all cylinders right now."

"Denver at four, I don’t know how long they are going to last with just throwing the ball all the time. You’ve got to have a balanced offense in this league, and to run the ball just 10 times [actually 19] against the Ravens was not good."

"New England’s just sneaky, I haven’t heard too much about them yet. They ranked No. 5, so you all have your eye on them."

"Cincinnati is revived, new heart."

"Pittsburgh, great defense."

"Dallas was like on the bottom half of the league last week or two weeks ago, weren’t they? [They were 19 just two weeks ago, I tell him.] I just remember everyone saying Dallas is horrible, they aren’t going to be any good. Now all of a sudden they are up there. Nineteen two weeks ago, now eight? That’s a question mark how guys can jump up that far, this is not the BCS."

"I like Philadelphia. Donovan McNabb has multiple weapons, defense is playing solid right now. They are an opportunistic team."

"Baltimore is catching their stride right now which is going to be pretty dangerous for some people. They can run, they can throw, they play great defense, their special teams are starting to come on and their head coach is a special teams guy. I like them, I think they are going to be a good team and later on they’ll be higher than 10."

"Atlanta is going to be a team that sneaks up on people to. I think they should be a little bit higher. They lost their last two, but before that they were like No. 6 or something, weren’t they? They were high up there. I just don’t know how teams drop in this week-by-week deal."

"The Packers can’t beat the Vikings. They can’t win their division it seems like."

"Cardinals live by the pass die by the pass. It’s a risky way, but if that’s what you’re going to be, know who you are."

"Texans at 14, oh man. I don’t know…"

Blogger break in: Jones-Drew gets to the security gate of his neighborhood. “Hello,” he says. “Monroe, right?” the woman asks him. “No, Jones-Drew,” he says politely. “I’m sorry,” she says. Then turning back to me on the phone: “That’s crazy, my own neighborhood doesn’t even know me. I tell you what, I’ve still got a long way to go.”

"...Texans, Matt Schaub was struggling and Ryan Moats steps up big for them in that Buffalo Bills game. I have Matt Schaub on my fantasy team and he did not play well for me."

"The Giants were the No. 1 team probably three weeks ago and they lost three now, I guess they are on a skid. Now 15, they will probably be down where they Jaguars are next."

"San Diego? Slow start. They always start slow and they always pick it up towards the middle and the end of the season. So it’s kind of surprising, people have to realize that’s how they play the majority of the time. I think they will be higher."

"I don’t know about the Bears. They’re kind of inconsistent. Matt Forte, he’s on my fantasy team, I’m glad he had a big week against Cleveland. They are just inconsistent. I think now, 16, 17 on down you’re going to get to the teams that are just inconsistent."

"Injuries are what make the Jets so low at 18, to lose Kris Jenkins is a big hit for them on the defensive side. And then you lose Leon Washington, your kickoff returner and your backup running back, one of the most explosive guys in the league. That’s tough."

"I think the 49ers are catching their stride. They played Houston tough and almost beat Houston, they came back on them. They played Indy incredibly tough with the Joseph Addai touchdown. Whenever you can hold Peyton Manning with no touchdowns, it’s real big."

"Miami, I think they are undefeated in divisional play, right? You win your division you get to the playoffs. They are the head of their division but that can beat anyone else. Divisional bullies?"

"Jaguars at 21? That’s bull. We should be No. 1. [I chime in that I understand why he says so, but he knows how it sounds to people, right?] "If I didn’t say that, it wouldn’t be right. Everyone should say that about themselves. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?"

"Buffalo, injuries. They’d be higher if they didn’t have as many injuries."

"Carolina, give the ball to Steve Smith. Give him the rock, feed him. You have a running game, but no Steve Smith. That’s why they are ranked that low."

"Seattle: listen to Houshmandzadeh."

"Washington, 25th, they’re struggling. What Haynesworth said: When they want to win, they will."

"The Titans beat the Jaguars."

"Oakland: Off the field issues."

"Kansas City: Off the field issues."

"The Lions got their first victory."

"I think St. Louis should be ranked higher than Detroit, they should flip-flop spots 29 and 30. The Rams beat them didn’t they? If two teams are evenly matched like that, usually the team that beat the other one should be right ahead of them."

"Cleveland: internal bleeding. They are firing everybody in Cleveland right now. They just traded Braylon Edwards, now you’re going to fire your GM. Who’s next?"

"Tampa Bay? [Expletive]! I know how they feel, like anything and everything you do isn’t right. You can do all the hard work in the world and it still doesn’t pay off."

"I think you guys did pretty good. Denver I understand they are high up there, they beat New England which was a big win. Other than that, most of their wins were against opponents that aren’t up there. …I obviously think we’re way too low, we beat Houston. I think Houston could be a little bit higher. At 5-3 they are a little tougher than what people think."

"Fantasy-wise, I need Antonio Gates to step up. I need Philip Rivers to throw the ball to Antonio Gates more. We play two quarterbacks, I have Matt Cassel but I hope he does bad [in Jacksonville Sunday]. I might just play one quarterback."

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Some Colts faithful were furious that our all-decade offense had Tom Brady at quarterback over Peyton Manning.

Manning

I think they may have a stronger case against the MVP selection of Brady over Manning in Tim Graham's post on the all-decade team, coach and MVP.

The choice of Brady over Manning came down to playoff success.

Manning fans will point to the Colts quarterback's prolific passing stats, but where Brady sets himself apart is postseason performance. Brady won as many postseason games as Manning played in.

Brady is 14-3 this decade, while Manning is 7-7. Brady has thrown 26 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Manning has thrown 22 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Also of note, Brady won three Super Bowls with an uninspiring group of receivers. In the one year he had Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the Patriots set several NFL records.

I don't think the strength or weakness of the supporting cast should be a huge factor just as I don't think Matt Cassel's success last year in any way dents Brady's quality or accomplishments.

But more importantly, if we're true to the award as it's presented, then MVP is a regular-season award, not a postseason award.

Manning's got 101 regular season wins this decade to Brady's 87. And Manning's got three MVPs to Brady's one.

In that context, the case is a good one, and in this instance I'd have voted for Manning.