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Houston Texans

Bernard Pollard’s intensity is just what the Texans need, says Richard Justice.

Andre Davis is fighting for his job, writes John McClain.

It’s a friendly battle between Kris Brown and Neil Rackers, says Jordan Godwin.

Steve Slaton has started strong and is also returning kicks.

Indianapolis Colts

Bob Sanders moved around well at the Colts’ opening practice, says Mike Chappell.

The Colts are boosting morale and the economy in Anderson, Ind., says Tania E. Lopez.

Jerry Hughes signed and got on the field, writes Mike Chappell.

It’s about team goals first for Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis, says Bob Kravitz.

Phillip B. Wilson’s notes and observations.

Indianapolis has lockout contingency plans for the Super Bowl.

Reviewing Jim Irsay’s talk with the press, from Brandon Scott.

The Colts shouldn’t confuse better defensive line play with good defensive line play, says Nate Dunlevy.

The Colts let Tom Santi go, says Stampede Blue.

Practice notes from Eric Hartz.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Vito Stellino heard a soft voice and a chilling message from Roger Goodell.

David Garrard sat out and D’Anthony Smith hurt an ankle, says Tania Ganguli.

Goodell touched on labor issues, says Ganguli.

Vic Ketchman wants sacks, not intangibles.

Tyson Alualu should join the team Tuesday, says Rich Jones.

Derrick Harvey is great so far, says Terry O’Brien.

Tennessee Titans

Vince Young fixes mistakes faster now, says Jim Wyatt.

The Titans stopped saying it and started doing it, rotating the second corner. Monday was Alterraun Verner’s turn, says Wyatt.

No. 53 is back in the rotation as the Titans gave Rennie Curran Keith Bulluck’s old number, say Wyatt and John Glennon.

Curran hopes to live up to the 53 legacy, says David Boclair.

Thin at corner because of injuries, the Titans added Pete Ittersagen, says Glennon.

Mike Munchak is looking for reliable backups.

With all the teams that go from bad to great and great to bad from one season to the next, forecasting how things will pan out in the NFL is close to impossible.

It’s another ingredient in why the NFL is the best thing going in sports, another piece of the unpredictability we love.

Generally, I have trouble forecasting big things for teams that are counting on a high number of unproven players to make simultaneous jumps and be productive -- though they can emerge as far better than I expect, of course. Still, it’s why I am not particularly optimistic about the 2010 Tennessee Titans.

I thought I’d go team-by-team in search of less-than-established spots in the lineup to create an AFC South uncertainty index.

Let’s be clear: you may not prefer Amobi Okoye at defensive tackle for the Houston Texans, Kyle DeVan at right guard for the Indianapolis Colts, Brad Meester at center for the Jacksonville Jaguars or Michael Griffin at safety for the Titans. But they are guys who will play and have a degree of faith from the team.

I’m looking at spots where inexperience is a big factor.

We’re not pretending to know the season-opening depth charts here, simply building off last year’s versions. We’ll look a bit beyond starting lineups with significant roles and return jobs included. Here's our look in order of uncertainty. (Starting positions labeled with an asterisk.)

Titans (10, with three starters)

• *Defensive end: Derrick Morgan
• *Outside linebacker: Gerald McRath
• *Cornerback: Jason McCourty, Ryan Mouton, Alterraun Verner, Rod Hood, Tye Hill
• Third outside cornerback: McCourty, Mouton, Verner, Hood, Hill
• Second running back: Javon Ringer
• Blocking tight end: Craig Stevens
• Second receiving tight end: Jared Cook
• Third defensive tackle: Sen’Derrick Marks
• Punt returner: Damian Williams, Alvin Pearman, Ryan Mouton
• Kick returner: Marc Mariani, Damian Williams, Mark Jones

Kuharsky’s take: Sure, young and talented can be exciting and promising, but that’s quite a lot. You’d expect Morgan to be fine. And they went with numbers instead of value at corner, where I’d think one or two guys have to emerge. McRath, Stevens, Cook and Marks all need to contribute. If Jeff Fisher hasn’t found solutions in the return game, they’ve got serious issues.

Jaguars (10 with two starters)

• *Defensive tackle: Tyson Alualu
• *Second and third wide receiver: Troy Williamson, Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard
• Second and third running back: Deji Karim, Rashad Jennings
• Third or fourth defensive tackle: D’Anthony Smith
• Third or fourth defensive end: Larry Hart, Austen Lane
• Third tight end: Zach Miller
• Nickelback: Don Carey, Scott Starks, Tyron Brackenridge
• Punt returner: Scotty McGee, Thomas, Karim
• Kick returner: McGee, Karim, Thomas

Kuharsky’s take: Alualu, the first rounder, should fare well. Finding playmakers (beyond hyphen guys Mike Sims-Walker and Maurice Jones-Drew) out of the receivers and running backs is a huge issue. McGee or Karim panning out as a returner would help in that department too. With shaky veteran safeties, nickelback will be especially important.

Indianapolis (six, with one starter)

• *Left guard: Tony Ugoh, Andy Alleman, Jacques McClendon
• Third (possibly second) tight end: Brody Eldridge, Tom Santi, Jacob Tamme
• Third defensive end: Jerry Hughes
• Fourth cornerback: Ray Fisher, Mike Newton, Brandon King, Jordan Hemby
• Punt returner: Fisher, Jerraud Powers, Brandon James
• Kick returner: Fisher, Sam Giguere, James

Kuharsky’s take: Potentially they’ve got just one starting spot in question. A season-killing knee injury to third-rounder Kevin Thomas hurts depth options at cornerback, but a lot of teams would be pleased for that to rank as one of its big issues. Eldridge could help upgrade run-blocking and Fisher and James seem to be more exciting return options than they’ve had recently.

Houston (four, with three starters)

• *Running back: Ben Tate
• *Right guard: Antoine Caldwell
• *Cornerback: Kareem Jackson
• Third (possibly second) tight end: James Casey, Garrett Graham

Kuharsky’s take: I’d prefer to have inexperienced guys with upside in the mix at nose tackle and free safety, but they look to be sticking with the status quo in Shaun Cody and Eugene Wilson, respectively. If you’re going to have new starters, let them be high draft picks like Tate (second), Caldwell (third last year) and Jackson (first).

I'm not going to lie to you. I misunderstood a Saturday assignment and initially, instead of filling these categories with just one selection for the whole division, I did one per team.

And so, after another run through, I present to you a broader look at the AFC South's drafting.

Houston Texans

Best move: The Colts didn't touch their their return man issues until taking cornerback Ray Fisher in the seventh round. The Titans convinced themselves they can get both receiver and return contributions from Damian Williams and Marc Mariani. But the Texans, already more threatening when fielding kicks and punts, jumped at Trindon Holliday from LSU in the sixth-round. He’s tiny at 5-5 and 169 pounds, but he could earn a few touches on offense and is the sort of special teams player the rest of the AFC South could wind up chasing all over the field.

Riskiest move: A lot of people expected them to take running back Toby Gerhart in the second round, but they made two trades to drop down eight slots and went with Auburn’s Ben Tate instead. Those two will likely be measured against each other for a good while and the Texans really need to have nailed it.

Most surprising move: See earlier post.

File it away: Fourth-rounder Garrett Graham out of Wisconsin and seventh-rounder Dorin Dickerson out of Pitt could be part insurance plan, part plan for 2011 and beyond. Owen Daniels is a world-class pass catcher. But he’s coming off his third ACL tear and is a restricted free agent seeking a big contract. They drafted a blocking tight end last year in Anthony Hill and a receiving tight end in James Casey and still took two in nine picks in this draft.

Indianapolis Colts

Best move: See earlier post.

Riskiest move: Bill Polian didn’t fare real well with two recent second-round picks on the offensive line (Tony Ugoh, Mike Pollak), so he went back to what’s worked better. The Colts took Tennessee guard Jacques McClendon in the fourth round (No. 129), where they’ve landed Ryan Diem and Jake Scott a little deeper in the team’s past. He didn’t register on some other teams’ radar at the same level. Polian said it was a weak tackle group after the top guys.

Most surprising move: Many probably didn’t list tight end as any sort of need considering the team has Dallas Clark, Gijon Robinson, Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi on the roster. But Robinson’s not been as consistent a help in run blocking as they need and Santi’s been hurt too much. Enter fifth-rounder Brody Eldridge from Oklahoma, who’s 6-foot-5 and 261 pounds. I love this pick and the thinking behind it.

File it away: Polian opened the door, at least a little, for cornerback Jerraud Powers to be involved in the return games. Polian said a return specialist was a luxury they’re not convinced was necessary and one they won’t lose sleep over missing out on. But are they pushing it asking Peyton Manning to drive the offense so far so often? Fisher might be a big piece in the equation now too.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Best move: I like the trade for Oakland linebacker Kirk Morrison, a tackling machine. He may not be super-sturdy against the run, but with the Jags’ emphasis on defensive tackles he should get some room to work. Morrison has a reputation as a good guy and a good leader, and the Jaguars are trying to fill their locker room with both.

Riskiest move: See earlier post.

Most surprising move: A second defensive tackle in the second round. D’Anthony Smith came on the heels of No. 10 pick Tyson Alualu and last year’s third-rounder Terrance Knighton. Gene Smith is a foundation builder with a deep pool of defensive tackles and the picks meant the Jaguars parted with John Henderson on Monday.

File it away: Gene Smith’s getting hit for not trading down in the first or third round before grabbing Alualu or Smith, but he was a capable trader. He got a fifth-rounder from Oakland recently for failed second-round end Quentin Groves and pulled off a trade with the Raiders for Morrison during the fourth round.

Tennessee Titans

Best move: See earlier post.

Riskiest move: Not taking a corner before the fourth round and 103rd pick. Alterraun Verner sounds like a good prospect, but he’ll be part of a five-person competition for the starting job opposite Cortland Finnegan. There is some safety in numbers. There is a bit more safety in having a clear-cut front runner for such a crucial spot.

Most surprising move: I thought they’d take a quarterback in the middle or late rounds. I didn’t expect it would be Florida Atlantic’s first draftee, Rusty Smith. Mike Heimerdinger will have a chance to develop a guy they’ve characterized as a true pocket passer, and may be lining themselves up with an alternative if Vince Young doesn’t pass the final audition of his rookie contract this season.

File it away: See earlier post.

There is more than the offensive line that goes into run blocking, of course. That’s why I thought there was a long-shot chance of the Colts trading out of the 31st overall pick in the first round and taking Rob Gronkowski from Arizona.

The Colts stayed put and went with defensive end Jerry Hughes, while Gronkowski went 42nd to the Patriots.

But Indy did address the position at pick No. 162 with Brody Eldridge from Oklahoma.

At 6-foot-5 and 261 pounds, he’s two inches and six pounds bigger than Gijon Robinson, the incumbent blocking tight end, and two inches and 11 pounds heavier than another tight end who can block, Tom Santi.

From what I’ve read, he’s a guy with fullback and interior line experience who’s not much of a pass-catching threat but can bring some fire to blocking work.

UPDATE, 2:00 p.m. ET:

Polian: “We thought Gijon could fill that role, that was his strong suit in college. This young man is much stouter, much stronger.”

Jim Caldwell: “He’s a guy that is a very fine in-line blocker, one that you’ll be able to see can handle the edge, both from a pass protection standpoint and also from a run game standpoint. He certainly will be able to give us some help in our short-yardages situations. He’s a guy that is going to have to develop a little bit, in terms of the passing game, but overall, I think he’s going to be a great addition for us.”

Each week leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Under the radar needs.

Houston Texans

While DeMeco Ryans in the middle and Brian Cushing on the strongside are fixtures, the weakside and linebacker depth rate as a secondary issue for the Texans. They could use a pick on the right guy. Gary Kubiak said early this week that Kris Brown can expect competition as the team’s placekicker starting in OTAs. That allows for the possibility the team could use a late pick on a kicker.

Indianapolis Colts

While the team was pleased with the progress of Antonio Johnson and Daniel Muir and expect a second-year jump from Fili Moala, it could still look to add another bigger defensive tackle. Tyjuan Hagler was the starting strongside linebacker at the start of the season, but when an injury ended his season Philip Wheeler took over. That could be a spot Bill Polian addresses. As the team looks for better run-blocking linemen, is Gijon Robinson judged as a sufficient run-blocking H-back/tight end or might there be a better option available than Robinson or injury-prone Tom Santi?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Linebacker hasn’t gotten as much attention as defensive end and the secondary in pre-draft talk so far, but only Daryl Smith is safe from competition. The Jaguars loaded up with three wide receivers in Gene Smith’s first draft, but they lack playmakers and can use a solid guy opposite Mike Sims-Walker if they smack into one during the draft. Indications are the Jaguars will stick with a David Garrard-Luke McCown starter-backup tandem, but Jacksonville needs to develop another quarterback.

Tennessee Titans

Even presuming Michael Griffin bounces back from a very poor third season, Chris Hope will turn 30 early in the fall and the Titans primary depth at safety is Vincent Fuller, who they need playing nickel. Tony Brown, Jason Jones, Jovan Haye, Sen’Derrick Marks and Kevin Vickerson look like a reasonably talented and deep group, but Haye and Marks underwhelmed in their first seasons. Drafting a tackle wouldn’t be a surprise. If Kevin Mawae doesn’t return as a backup center, the Titans will need an interior offensive lineman to back up the three starters.

You’ve got to be smart to be a tight end for Peyton Manning.

So it’s not a big surprise that among the 77 players enrolled at NFL programs at Harvard and Wharton later this month are three Colts tight ends. Dallas Clark and Jacob Tamme will spend next week at Harvard while Tom Santi will head for Penn.

"The program offered by the Harvard Business School is a great opportunity to begin preparing for life after football, and I have heard nothing but positive things from players that have participated,” said Clark, in the league's announcement of the program's participants. “It's a way to take advantage of one of the many programs the NFL and NFLPA offer, and I think to be able to receive business and leadership advice from some of the top instructors in their field will be invaluable."

The Colts match the Seahawks with a league-high seven participants. Here’s the AFC South roster:

Harvard:

• Clark
• Tamme
• Vincent Fuller, Titans
• Anthony Gonzalez, Colts
• Kenny Holmes, Titans (retired)
• Montell Owens, Jaguars
• Jamie Silva, Colts
• Josh Thomas, Colts
• Matt Turk, Texans

Wharton:

• Santi
• David Anderson, Texans
• Donald Brown, Colts
• Peter Clifford, Titans
• Sean Considine, Jaguars
• Adam Podlesh, Jaguars
• Eric Winston, Texans

The league’s write-ups on the two programs:

The Harvard Business School (February 15-19):

The Harvard custom program is designed to expose NFL participants to a broad array of business operations, negotiation, business plan analysis and legal aspects of business. All of these issues are pursued via the case method, in which participants study actual cases of real businesses and, in a highly interactive fashion, discuss the issues raised in the cases. The program also includes sessions focused on career issues, that allow participants to get feedback on their own strengths and weaknesses, develop a career vision, and receive small group coaching. Cases focus on real estate ventures, franchises and retail businesses, among others. The program will be delivered in a four-day module.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (February 16-19):

The Wharton custom program emphasizes entrepreneurship and business building with an emphasis on real estate. The program also includes an emphasis on analyzing financial statements, legal issues, investing and money management, social responsibility, property management, insurance and liability fundamentals, and taxation. The program will be delivered in a four-day module utilizing the case method along with group discussion and follow-up coaching/consultation.

The Colts sent out this note Saturday:

K-Matt Stover will handle the placekicking duties for the Indianapolis Colts. K-AdamVinatieri (right knee) will continue with rehabilitation and will remain on the active roster. Vinatieri will not travel to Buffalo and has been downgraded from Questionable to Out on the injury report. RB-Chad Simpson (concussion) and DT-Antonio Johnson (shoulder) will not travel to Buffalo and have been downgraded from Questionable to Out on the injury report.

The club has put TE-Tom Santi on injured reserved with a back injury and signed rookie TE-Colin Cloherty (#46, 6-2, 245, 22 years old, Brown University) off the practice squad.

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

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Titans will be rushing against Tony Ugoh at left tackle instead of Charlie Johnson, who’s out with a foot injury.

We’ll see if Ugoh’s been making progress. He’s been inactive for five games this season, and otherwise worked only on special teams while in place as a backup except for a spot start against Tennessee in the first matchup.

For the Titans, Rod Hood is a healthy scratch for the second week in a row. Looks like a bad move to me. If the Titans get hurt in the secondary, rookies Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty are in line to work as subs at cornerback. Hood was far better than either of them when he played.

The entire inactive lists for both teams:

Colts

• K Adam Vinatieri
• WR Anthony Gonzalez
• QB Jim Sorgi
• RB Donald Brown
• DB Aaron Francisco
• LT Charlie Johnson
• TE Tom Santi
• DE Keyunta Dawson

Titans

• WR Justin Gage
• RB Javon Ringer
• RB Alvin Pearman
• CB Rod Hood
• LB Colin Allred
• OL Troy Kropog
• DT Jason Jones
• DT Sen’Derrick Marks

I’ve received several questions about Peyton Manning's passing yardage last week in Baltimore.

I’ll let John from parts unknown speak for them all: "On Sunday Manning threw for 302 yards versus the Ravens but only got credit for 299 and [Tom] Santi had 83 yards receiving but only credited with 80. The error comes from the stat keeper taking 3 yards off the reception Santi fumbled as he got to the Ravens 1 and the Ravens recovered it at the 4. As we know, you do not lose yards when you fumble the ball and it is recovered by the opposing team so this is simply an error that should be corrected. Since you post stats given from Elias I am thinking maybe you have an easy to reach contact there. If you do, can you please make this error aware to them?

"Supposedly they review all games and make corrections but I'd really like it if this could be brought to their attention just in case. Three yards may not seem like a big deal but it is an issue of accuracy and guys not being shortchanged from a third party's tracking error. If 3 yards isn't important then what would be? 5? 10? 20? A TD not counting for a player? The error is further an issue since it prevents a 300 yard game being registered for Peyton and as we know, there is a whole big list of records that deal with 300 yard games and with the season he is having every 300 yard game counts as does every yard given his possible run at the season yards record. Thanks"

Paul Kuharsky: John, both the officials who spot the ball and the statisticians who record such things during a game are very precise. I know Elias was consulted on this by Ravens officials shortly after the game and they determined it was recorded accurately. I took the question to my key stat guy in Bristol, Marty Callinan, who tracked the game and here is what he said:

“Santi and Manning are only given credit up to the 4. The play is entered up to the 1 but the extra three yards become recovery yards, not receiving or passing. The official scorer entered it right: complete to the 1, fumbled, recovered at the 4. The play-by-play software will automatically calculate that with passing and receiving yards to the 4.”

The original Oilers reunite to commemorate the team’s anniversary, writes John McClain.

Houston Texans

Gary Kubiak has the better quarterback in Matt Schaub, says Richard Justice.

Cortland Finnegan tends to bring out the best in Andre Johnson, says McClain.

The Texans’ recent success is a significant development in their rivalry with the Titans, writes Dale Robertson.

Steve Slaton and Chris Johnson have been running in different directions, says McClain.

Sunday’s games went largely the right direction for Houston, says Alan Burge.

A look back at the Jason Babin trade, from Burge.

Indianapolis Colts

Gary Brackett’s late interception helped the Colts avoid the upset, writes Phil Richards.

Despite turnovers, the Colts offense did enough, says Mike Chappell.

Bob Kravitz’s report card.

In place of Gijon Robinson, Tom Santi had a career day, says Chappell.

Matt Stover shows he’s still kicking, says Rick Gosselin.

The Colts bandwagon should have more passengers, says Clifton Brown.

This one had more to do with Brackett than Peyton Manning, says Clark Judge.

John Oehser’s “Coffee with the Colts.” Part 1 and Part 2.

It’s hard to complain about anything, says Deshawn Zombie.

The Colts survived with defense, says Matt Snyder.

Baltimore’s loss clouds the playoff picture, says Steve Wyche.

Jacksonville Jaguars

David Garrard leads another rally for a win, says Vito Stellino.

The Jaguars just keep punching, writes Gene Frenette.

The Jags are in the thick of the AFC race, says Michael C. Wright.

T.O. gave MSW the shirt off his back, says Wright.

John Henderson’s two sacks were part of a pass-rush resurgence, says Jeff Elliott.

Tyron Brackenridge got beat on T.O.’s long TD but did well beyond that filling in for Rashean Mathis, says Stellino.

Frenette’s report card.

Life is good for the Jaguars, says Vic Ketchman.

The Jaguars are growing into contenders, says Cole Pepper.

It’s the first three-game winning streak in nearly two years, says Matt Loede.

Tennessee Titans

Vince Young is at home on the national stage, says Jim Wyatt.

Throwback Oilers merchandise isn’t a big hit, says Terry McCormick.

Wyatt’s game breakdown.

BALTIMORE -- The Colts pride themselves on plugging people into holes with no drop-off. They expect that when mistakes are made, they will find a way to overcome them.

Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, as they improved to 10-0 with a 17-15 win over the Ravens, second-year tight end Tom Santi came to symbolize both themes.

The Colts were without Gijon Robinson, a starter who does a lot of blocking in the shadow of Dallas Clark, helping keep Peyton Manning clean and create room for Joseph Addai and Donald Brown. While he was in Indianapolis recovering from a concussion, Santi got the call.

Santi proved himself a capable blocker and a largely reliable target for Manning, chipping in with six catches for 80 yards.

He also had three costly plays -- a lost fumble near the goal line, an apparent alligator-arms moment in another scoring chance and a false start penalty.

“Everybody makes mistakes. You’ve got to watch, how do they handle it afterwards?” Addai said. “He was able to handle it afterwards. He hasn’t been playing a lot. This game he did a lot of good things. Yeah, he fumbled. But you’ve got to kind of let that go. I know he’ll learn from it, but move on. He did a great job for us today and I know he’ll improve from there.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Reggie Wayne said of the positive contribution. “He does it every day in practice. So now he just turned it over to the game. I think he did a pretty good job, minus the fumble. But that happens. I’m just glad it didn’t cost us.”

The Colts don’t so much plan to feature a guy as they allow Manning to take what’s available.

Robinson isn’t generally a large piece of the passing offense. Santi had a sense in the middle of the week that he’d be in line for a good share of the work that usually goes to Robinson.

Clark made a spectacular one-handed catch in the back of the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown to cap the game’s opening drive. Other than that, Baltimore did things defensively that prompted Manning to look elsewhere, and he turned to Santi for four of his 12 first-half completions.

“We saw some things, and obviously the quarterback is pretty good back there and he does a great job putting us in great position,” Santi said.

Down 9-7 in the second quarter, Manning placed a pass to Santi over the middle and in the middle of a crowd for a 22-yard gain. Santi got nailed, suffering a neck injury that briefly forced him from the game. It was a key play on a touchdown drive that put Indianapolis ahead 14-9.

On a day when he made his first catch of the season, he might have also scored his first touchdown of the year.

Instead, he ended the Colts’ first possession after the half when he was clobbered at the 1-yard line, hit low by Ed Reed and then high by Ray Lewis, who jarred the ball free for Dwan Edwards to recover.

Just about anyone might have coughed it up when scrunched by two eventual Hall of Famers.

Santi didn’t know who the defenders were.

"That’s a bad play on my part," he said. "I definitely left points out there. As far as I am concerned, that’s unacceptable."

The Colts' defense didn’t allow it to translate into points. While Baltimore moved 84 yards on the ensuing possession, Billy Cundiff missed a 30-yard field goal wide right.

Later, with Dawan Landry closing fast, Santi seemed tentative on a ball he could have pursued more aggressively on a second-and-goal from the 7. Just before the 2-minute warning, he was whistled for a false start.

He said both errors were a matter of lost focus. On the pass, he needs to come out of the break faster and be ready for it quicker.

“I definitely left some plays out there,” he said. “As you can see we’ve got a good team with a lot of great veteran leadership and that’s what we’ve talked about the whole year. Play the next play, next man up and when it’s your time, go out there and perform.”

He will enjoy the win, review the film, then shred it, mentally, as he knows his coaches will.

Then, if still needed, he will plug back in to the next-man-up, play-the-next-play philosophies that are a big part of why the Colts are the AFC’s lone undefeated club.

He’ll simply look to be the kind of player Wayne says all of the Colts are supposed to be.

“We’re like machines,” Wayne said. “They program us to keep pushing, don’t fall. Keep chugging away, chugging away. There is no time to point fingers or put your head down. Just keep going, keep going and find a way to get it done.”

BALTIMORE -- Some halftime thoughts I imagine I’ll be expanding on later.

• The Ravens secondary gave up some monster plays on the Colts’ first drive. But it recovered nicely for two picks of Peyton Manning, who forced the first and didn’t look off Ed Reed on the second. Baltimore’s secondary was supposed to be a big issue here. It’s more than holding its own up to this point. But the offense needs to cash in with more than field goals.
• While we’re on secondary play -- the Colts don’t get enough credit for theirs, and it’s been very good. Even Tim Jennings, considered the weak link in the current group, had a nice break up of a Joe Flacco pass intended for Derrick Mason. A lot of hands on a lot of passes so far.
• Considering the Indy turnovers, the defense has to be happy about holding the Ravens to field goals. You always have to think that Manning and the Colts offense are going to take advantage of any team that settles too often for field goals. Baltimore has not been very aggressive on the plays just before Billy Cundiff’s been called on for field goals.
• Plug them in and play. Gijon Robinson stayed in Indy with a concussion. Tom Santi is not only blocking well in his place, he’s making big catches, too. Manning can make a lot of players look good, but the Colts have been developing depth behind Dallas Clark and Robinson for a while now with Santi and Jacob Tamme in the background. Santi, who has four catches for a game-high 61 yards, got popped on a big reception late in the first half and was hunched over on the sideline for a time but appears OK now.

INDIANAPOLIS -- No surprises at all on the Colts inactive list as we draw near kickoff of Pats-Colts and hope for a game more compelling than the late afternoon slate Sunday.

Kyle DeVan starts for the second consecutive game at right guard ahead of Mike Pollak.

• Kicker Adam Vinatieri
• Receiver Anthony Gonzalez
• Quarterback Jim Sorgi
• Cornerback Kelvin Hayden
• Safety Aaron Francisco
• Tackle Tony Ugoh
• Guard Mike Pollak
• Tight end Tom Santi