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Through seven games the Colts have used four different starting offensive line combinations.

Sunday in Tennessee, we’ll see number five.

The team announced Joe Reitz, who has started every game at left guard, is out for an unspecified amount of time after arthroscopic knee surgery.

Indianapolis has signed two familiar players to restock the line: guard Jamey Richard and tackle Michael Toudouze. The team has also placed quarterback Kerry Collins and fullback Chris Gronkowski on IR.

That means the Colts’ offense belongs to Curtis Painter as long as he can stay healthy, with Dan Orlovsky as the backup. Of course there remains the possibility that Peyton Manning re-emerges late in the season.

Reitz is likely to be replaced by Seth Olsen, who filled in after Reitz was hurt during the blowout in New Orleans on Sunday night.

The health of two other starters is also in question. Left tackle Anthony Castonzo has missed the last three games and right guard/tackle Ryan Diem has missed four of the last five.

Both are dealing with ankle injuries.

It's likely the end for Collins, who had retired from the NFL before the Colts lured him back just before the season, concerned about Painter's readiness with Manning out.

Collins suffered a concussion Sept. 25 against Pittsburgh and hadn't played since.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

The Texans are confident they can forge ahead without Andre Johnson for a while. Kevin Walter says the rest of the receiving crew isn’t a bunch of “slappies,” writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

My take: We’ve heard all about how they’re equipped to survive without Johnson. I’m buying it, but I’m ready to see whether or not it’s true.

Indianapolis Colts

Michael Toudouze had a feeling the Colts would be calling. On a day of roster shuffling, he’s back on the team, says Mike Chappell.

My take: The line is a mess, with Ben Ijalana gone for the year, Anthony Castonzo expected to miss some time and Ryan Diem still hurting.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are still high on receiver Cecil Shorts but he’s got a long way to go to become a steady contributor, says Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union.

My take: It’s hard to expect a lot from a guy like Shorts at such an early stage. But the Jaguars sure could use a growth spurt based on how little they have beyond Mike Thomas.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have been great in short-yardage defense, and that serves as a major confidence booster, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean.

My take: It’s a major attitude/confidence booster and it absolutely deflates an offense to get stuffed on a third-and-1.

Indianapolis' offensive line and interior defensive line are so thinned out by injuries that Jeff Saturday joked with Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star about deviating from the team’s next-man-up mantra.

"We (are) going to have to start bringing in some next men," Saturday said.

Monday night in a loss at Tampa Bay, defensive tackle Eric Foster dislocated his right ankle. Tuesday he had season-ending surgery. Starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo left the stadium with a boot on his left foot and walking with the aid of crutches and his replacement, Ben Ijalana, had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter after damaging his left knee, Chappell says.

According to the report, Ijalana could be out for the season with ACL damage.

The team is expected to elevate one of the defensive tackles from its practice squad, Ricardo Matthews or Ollie Ogbu.

The Colts were already thin on the offensive line before Monday night’s game, with Ryan Diem out and Joe Reitz hurting. They signed offensive tackle Mike Tepper from the practice squad Monday afternoon. He wound up playing right tackle after Castonzo and Ijalana went down.

We’ll learn more about the offensive linemen today.

But things are certainly a mess on the injury front. Again.

UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: The Colts put Ijalana and Foster on IR and waiveed linebacker Nate Triplett. They signed offensive tackles Michael Toudouze and Quinn Ojinnaka as well as Mathews.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There should be more options.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inactives are out and the Colts include no surprises:

• Kicker Adam Vinatieri
• Receiver Sam Giguere
• Tight end Colin Cloherty
• Defensive tackle John Gill
• Offensive tackle Michael Toudouze
• Guard Mike Pollak
• Defensive end Ervin Baldwin
• Defensive tackle Fili Moala

So much for Cloherty's long shot MVP hopes we examined here.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jerraud Powers is out with a foot injury suffered in last week’s win over Baltimore and the Colts will turn to another rookie, Jacob Lacey, in his place.

Lacey’s played extensively, and the Colts have plenty of confidence in him.

The issue, if one arises, would be with Tim Jennings as part of the nickel package. But the Jets may not have enough firepower in the passing game to take advantage.

The rest of the Colts inactives:

• Kicker Adam Vinatieri
• Receiver Sam Giguere
• Tight end Colin Cloherty
• Tackle Michael Toudouze
• Guard Mike Pollak
• Defensive end Ervin Baldwin
• Defensive tackle Fili Moala

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts were hazy leading up to the game about their kick return plan, but Chad Simpson will continue in the role against the Ravens tonight.

Sam Giguere returned kicks in the season finale against the Bills but is inactive against Baltimore. So Simpson’s the man when Billy Cundiff kicks off.

Also not dressing for the Colts:

Kicker Adam Vinatieri

Tight end Colin Cloherty

Defense John Gill

Tackle Michael Toudouze

Guard Mike Pollak

Defensive end Ervin Baldwin

Defensive tackle Fili Moala

JACKSONVILLE -- The Colts starting defensive ends are active and in the starting lineup. How much dinged up Dwight Freeney (abdomen) and Robert Mathis (quad) play against the Jaguars remains to be seen.

I expect Raheem Brock and Keyunta Dawson will get a lot of early-down action. That would be a smart way to scale back work for their stars, who would benefit from less contact with Maurice Jones-Drew.

Only three inactive Colts were left to be determined after the team declared the status of its injured players on Tuesday. Because five guys were already declared out, there could be guys eligible or dressed tonight who hardly play -- that will be one of the story lines we’ll try to follow for you after kickoff.

For the Jaguars, Russell Allen will start at outside linebacker for Clint Ingram (shoulder) and Attiyah Ellison will move ahead of Quentin Groves for the start at defensive end. As expected, Montell Owens is the starting fullback with Greg Jones (ankle) placed on injured-reserve.

Here’s the full list for both teams.

Colts:

• Offensive tackle Michael Toudouze
• Tight end Tom Santi
• Defensive end Ervin Baldwin
• Cornerback Jerraud Powers
• Running back Donald Brown
• Receiver Anthony Gonzalez
• Kicker Adam Vinatieri
• Defensive back Aaron Francisco

Jaguars:

• Outside linebacker Clint Ingram
• Receiver Tiquan Underwood
• Safety Courtney Greene
• Defensive end James Wyche
• Offensive tackle Tra Thomas
• Offensive lineman Paul McQuistan
• Defensive end Julius Williams
• Defensive tackle Greg Peterson

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts' biggest injury concerns didn’t affect their inactive list, as starting left tackle Charlie Johnson and right tackle Ryan Diem are active and expected to start.

Here are the inactives from Lucas Oil Stadium:

Colts

• WR Anthony Gonzalez
• DB Aaron Francisco
• K Adam Vinatieri
• RB Donald Brown
• DB De’von Hall
• OT Michael Toudouze
• TE Tom Santi
• DE Ervin Baldwin

Broncos

• QB Tom Brandstater
• S David Bruton
• RB LaMont Jordan
• G Seth Olsen
• T Herb Taylor
• DL Chris Baker
• WR Brandon Lloyd
• DL Le Kevin Smith

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Here are the roster moves just announced by the Colts:

Waived:

RB Lance Ball

WR Sam Giguere

DT John Gill

DT Adrian Grady

RB Mike Hart

DE Marcus Howard

DB Dante Hughes

C Steve Justice

WR John Matthews

WR Brett McDermott

RB Walter Mendenhall

OG Tom Pestock

WR Taj Smith

LB Michael Tauiliili

DT Terrance Taylor

OT Jaimie Thomas

DE Josh Thomas

OT Michael Toudouze

Waived Injured:

DB Nick Graham

DB Travis Key

TE Jamie Petrowski

Does Not Count on Active Roster:

DT Ed Johnson (suspended Week 1)