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Randy Moss' impressive offseason with the San Francisco 49ers continues, generating positive reviews.

"The first day, it was surreal out there throwing balls to him," quarterback Alex Smith said. "The physical skills everybody knows. The thing you appreciate a lot is the guy's a true pro. He's played a lot of football. He's incredibly smart out there."

If this sounds familiar, it should.

With Moss, it's often about impressive debuts and new beginnings. Sometimes, he sticks around and produces, as the case was with New England. Other times, the initial impressions do not foreshadow future results.

Moss impressed the Oakland Raiders when he joined them by trade from Minnesota in 2005. That situation did not work out well (the Raiders obviously deserve some of the blame).

"I thought Randy was outstanding," Norv Turner, then the Raiders' coach, said after Moss' first couple practices with the team. "He got in yesterday afternoon late and we put a lot of offense in today and we have a lot going in this weekend. He handled it extremely well. It's a whole different system than he's been around. He went out and relaxed and obviously he can run and catch and do those things. He looked very comfortable to me."

Moss impressed the New England Patriots when he joined them by trade from Oakland in 2007. Moss played very well for the Patriots before his time with the team ran its course.

"Tom Brady has heard the critics who expect Moss to bring more baggage to the Patriots than a hotel valet would," The New York Times wrote back when Moss joined New England. "But so far, Brady has been impressed, and Moss looked explosive during Wednesday’s workout. During one portion of practice, Brady and Moss stood off to the side by themselves, talking and throwing a football, part of the working bond they hope to create."

Moss impressed the Vikings when he rejoined them by trade from the Patriots in 2010. Moss wound up making little impact (the Vikings, like the Raiders, had their own issues).

"He's had a whirlwind week-and-a-half catching up on a new playbook, and the Vikings were quite pleased with his performance against the New York Jets last week despite the lack of familiarity," the Associated Press reported. "The coaches have noted progress in practice this week, believing he'll be able to be more comfortable with his routes without having to stop and think too much about his assignment."

Moss impressed the Tennessee Titans when he joined their team off waivers in 2011. He made almost no impact with the team on the field, however.

"When Randy Moss comes into your locker room, he brings something. Guys are seeing that and responding to it," Kerry Collins, then a Titans quarterback, told reporters. "The biggest thing is just the way he's working. You never judge a book by what you hear. You wait and see what a guy is about. He's come in here with a great attitude and ready to work. The guy just wants to win. Period. The end. He'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

Moss impressed the New Orleans Saints during a workout in 2012. They did not sign him, however.

"Moss had an off-the-charts workout at the Saints facility this morning," sportsNOLA.com reported. "The 35-year old Moss reportedly performed the 40-yard dash in the 4.39 to 4.4 range and ran routes while hauling in nearly 50 passes. One source described Moss as being more impressive than anticipated, saying that he is in great shape."

And, of course, Moss is impressing the 49ers this offseason. The situation in San Francisco appears more stable than the ones in Oakland or Minnesota (the second time). Perhaps the results will be better as well.

INDIANAPOLIS — Adam Schefter reported that Indianapolis Colts receiver Pierre Garcon, a free-agent-to-be, passed on a five-year contract offer from the team.

Not knowing details of the money makes it difficult for us to offer a complete interpretation of what such a development means.

But the nugget of news still tells us a few important things:

• New GM Ryan Grigson is to the point where he’s evaluated what he’s got and made some judgments on who he’d like to retain. And Garcon is on the list.
• Garcon expects to find something better on the open market, which could prompt the Colts to boost their offer.

Garcon will bring a receiving corps a jolt of speed, and virtually everybody seeking help at the position covets a guy who can stretch the field and impact the way defenses play.

He’s been a streaky player, and his good games and stretches have been very good. But he can put up duds, get mixed up with his quarterback and muff the sort of crucial pass that can change a game.

One thing that can’t be used as a strike against him is that he’s a product of Peyton Manning, since he led the Colts with six touchdown catches as he caught 70 passes for 947 yards with Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky at quarterback.

I’d rate him as a risk with a big money contract, but also think he’s worth a shot as a No. 2 on the right team with the right offense, the right quarterback and the right No. 1.

The Colts need him and could beef up their offer and continue to try to get a deal done before free agency opens March 13. Also, defensive end Robert Mathis is also a franchise-tag candidate. That would cost about $10.05 million. If he hits the market, he’s going to field calls from a ton of teams.

Receiver Reggie Wayne is also heading for free agency. Indianapolis can keep one with a franchise tag of around $9.4 million. Lose both and they’re down to Austin Collie — a very good player who shouldn’t be asked to be a team’s top guy — and Blair White as their wideouts under contract.

Some analysts will be tempted to rate Garcon as having more upside than the aging Wayne as the Colts prepare to draft Andrew Luck. But I’ve been chatting with colleagues about it. That deep threat is nice, but isn’t a guy who will reliably convert third-and-7 more valuable for a young quarterback?

Early thoughts on some key Colts scheduled to become unrestricted free agents come March 13.

Thanks to Mac’s Football Blog, where you can find complete team-by-team lists that include exclusive right and restricted free agents.

QB Kerry Collins – He may not have filed paperwork, but he’s retired.

QB Dan Orlovsky – Showed enough to be on a roster in the league as a third quarterback in a crowded situation or a backup somewhere with a sure-fire starter.

WR Pierre Garcon – He’s inconsistent, but this team needs a speed receiver for Andrew Luck and it’s better to keep the one they’ve been developing than going searching.

WR Anthony Gonzalez – Was completely in the doghouse at the end and could not get on the field. Probably needs to sign for a season, in Indy or elsewhere, and prove he can be healthy and contribute.

WR Reggie Wayne – Has said he’d stay and be honored to be part of a rebuild, but they’d have to be fair. Other teams will court him and somebody will pay him better than the Colts would if they pursued him, I suspect.

TE Jacob Tamme – Was quite a good receiving option for Peyton Manning in 2010, but how much of that was Manning? I think Tamme is a valuable piece they should want back and can certainly afford.

OT Ryan Diem – Did well to serve as a veteran example for a young line and was flexible, playing some guard. But his time is going to be up.

OG Mike Pollak – Has played a lot and not gotten a lot better. They got new tackles last year; it’s time for a new guard or two.

OC Jeff Saturday – If Manning is gone, it would make sense to turn the page with Saturday, too. Reportedly the Colts and at least one other team would like him in their front offices.

DE Robert Mathis – Will be a commodity, for sure. Never mind his age. He can help you rush the passer for the next three years. Colts should want to keep him, but will they pay what he costs?

LB Philip Wheeler – If the Colts are getting bigger on defense, they’ll probably move on here. He’s consistently failed to get in or stay in the lineup for extended stretches in a defense for which he’s better suited.

Other UFAs:

• DE Jamaal Anderson
• FB Jerome Felton
• OT Quinn Ojinnaka
• OG Jamey Richard
• DE Tyler Brayton
• DE Eric Foster
• LB Kevin Bentley
• LB Ernie Sims

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 32
Preseason Power Ranking: 9

Biggest surprise: Even without rehabilitating Peyton Manning (neck), few figured the the Colts could go 0-13 and wind up 2-14 with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. We can’t say how much better these Colts could have been with their four-time NFL MVP in the huddle, but he clearly masked a lot more issues than many knew. The offense tried to be more run-based but didn’t make it work well enough. Typically allergic to fullbacks, they used three different ones but ran worse with a fullback on the field than without one. The secondary was poorly constructed and couldn’t endure injuries and it became clear how bad a fit Jim Caldwell’s hand-picked coordinator, Larry Coyer, had become for the Cover 2 scheme the Colts like to run.

Biggest disappointment: Quarterback play was awful. Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky were terrible as the alternatives to Manning at quarterback. They combined to average 6.04 yards per attempt with 14 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, while absorbing 35 sacks. A lot of the good numbers were compiled late in blowouts. The Colts' 26.9 combined QBR was better than only the Jaguars and Rams. The team tied an NFL record by going eight full games without ever holding a lead.

Biggest need: The Colts need help at all sorts of positions, starting in the secondary. Before team vice chairman Bill Polian was dismissed he was saying the team needed an infusion of youth that could contribute to converting third downs on offense and stopping them on defense. But until a new general manager is in place and we know the coaching staff and scheme, we won’t know which veterans they should aim to keep and which ones they should let go. So new leadership at the management level is the top need following the dismissal of Polian and GM Chris Polian. From there, a verdict on Manning’s health and future and a decision on whether to keep the No. 1 pick and what to do with it will hang over the franchise.

Team MVP: Pat Angerer slid to middle linebacker from the strong side after Gary Brackett suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the season opener in Houston. Angerer proved to be a tackling machine who consistently shed blockers and covered ground despite the fact that the defensive line in front of him and the secondary behind him often didn’t play reliably enough. He made a team-high 148 tackles. Brackett now appears dispensable.

System status: For the Polian-Manning era the Colts built a Manning-centric, fast-moving, no-huddle offense that caught defenses in bad personnel groups and regularly scored in the final two minutes of the first half of the game. It was paired with a bend-don’t-break Cover 2 defense that aimed to limit big plays and produce situations that allowed a duo of premier pass-rushers to tee off on quarterbacks who had to drop back. With regime change coming, will system change come too? The odds seem low that Bill Polian’s successor will put a similar premium on smaller, speedier defenders.

There are two ways to look at Bill and Chris Polian as we learn that Jim Irsay is parting ways with the Colts' vice chairman and general manager.

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Michael ConroyVice chairman Bill Polian, left, and GM Chris Polian will not return to the Indianapolis Colts next season.
1. They suffered for one terrible season that was largely about the absence of one player, their Hall of Fame quarterback.
2. The stitching was coming apart on their team and it was time to make a change.

Irsay apparently lines up more with the latter thinking than the former, and will now restart his franchise with a new management team and the No. 1 draft pick. Coach Jim Caldwell’s fate remains undetermined, but it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t be part of such a large sweep.

Bill Polian is a fine football architect. He’s a smart man, who knows he’s a smart man and who tends to talk down to people he doesn’t respect or doesn't believe are as smart. Those qualities could make him somewhat of a tyrant -- especially to some branches of the media, but not to them exclusively -- which is hardly the worst thing you can say about a football executive.

Still, as the season frayed, Polian flailed in defending some moves rather than admitting errors. If a couple of decent showings by Curtis Painter vindicated the franchise’s belief in him, then why exactly did said franchise run out to sign Kerry Collins? Couldn't he find someone more deserving of arrows on his weekly radio show than high-quality punter Pat McAfee?

There were more rifts in the franchise and less unity. A bigger split between the front office and the coaches. An incredibly awkward, low-power spot for Caldwell with regard to speaking for the team. The Polians' circle was a smaller and smaller one.

All that combined to give the organization a little bit of Al Davis Raiders flavor -- super secrecy, odd decisions and revelations, insistence on the rationale being used being unquestionable. Maybe you could make the case for borderline dysfunction once you added the nepotism issue.

Watching Bill Polian throw post-practice passes to a grandson was as good a snapshot memory as I have of training camp 2011. I don’t know Chris Polian well. He seemed like a fine guy when I spent time with him at training camp. But the younger Polian brings questions about just how equipped he is to run a franchise beyond having been brought up under a father who was very good at it.

If Bill Polian decides to retire, what sort of job will Chris Polian land? Some have told me he'd be a candidate to be a scout, not a GM.

I suspect his next post won’t be especially high-ranking, unless Bill Polian is tied in at least as a consultant.

So here is the end. It was an impressive era. While some fans might be relieved, it should qualify as a sad day.

Beyond Jerome Bettis and Tony Dungy, beyond Ernie Accorsi and Ron Wolf, not a lot of people in the league go out on their terms.

Jeff Fisher’s long stint as coach in Tennessee came to an awkward ending last year. It had just run its course and both sides decided a divorce was in order.

This would appear more one-sided -- but it feels the same in a lot of ways. It's been judged to be time for a fresh start. With a decision on Peyton Manning and the first pick and a bunch of aging veterans ahead, it might be the right time for it.

The Colts have a news conference scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. We’ll find out more then.

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

FALLING

1. Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end: This offseason MMA training was supposed to transform him and take his game to another level. That’s great if his hips are opening up better, but does it matter if he’s not catching the ball and if he hasn’t earned the confidence of the team’s rookie quarterback, Blaine Gabbert? If Tennessee’s Chris Johnson wasn’t getting all the attention, there would have been far more attention on Lewis’ poor production and we’d be asking the same question: Did he get happy and relax after landing a big contract at the start of training camp? Blocking well is not enough. This team expected and deserves more.

2. The Colts' decision to IR Kerry Collins: Look, the veteran quarterback wouldn’t automatically be fixing all that’s wrong with the Colts. But if his concussion has cleared up he’d sure provide a better alternative right now to Curtis Painter than Dan Orlovsky does. And if Collins were available and could put together one steady game with some big pass plays mixed in, the Colts would have their chance to win a game. Instead, they’re choosing between two bad options and are going to be hard-pressed to find a victory.

3. The Texans’ confidence, potentially: They’re coming off a fourth straight win and feeling great and, bam, bad news about their quarterback. Matt Schaub’s done with a foot injury. The Texans are saying all the right things and I believe they do believe in Matt Leinart. But take a team heading for the playoffs and maybe even a first-round bye and tell it the quarterback who got it there is out, and it’s got to have a psychological effect. We’ve questioned the mental makeup of this team in this space before. The Texans seem to be making big strides in that department, and they’ve overcome the loss of significant guys in Mario Williams, Andre Johnson and Danieal Manning. But Schaub is a different deal. The quarterback is the centerpiece and he’s been steering things very well. Doubt can creep in.

RISING

1. The importance of everyone surrounding the quarterback for Houston: Leinart could do just fine as he steps in for the injured Schaub the rest of the way. But when the Texans start out with him in the huddle on Nov. 27 in Jacksonville, everyone else needs to make him as comfortable as possible. That means a continued excellent run game, behind continued great blocking from a line that also needs to protect well. It means reliable routes and catches from everyone in the Texans’ big stable of pass targets. The more they can do to ease him in, the better.

2. Tennessee Titans linebackers: Akeem Ayers, Will Witherspoon and rookie fill-in Colin McCarthy were active and effective for the Titans in Carolina in a very good collective effort. There was better work going on in front of them as the pass rush had its best day of the season. The Titans dragged Cam Newton down five times. McCarthy was solid in the middle playing for the injured veteran Barrett Ruud. Mike Munchak said Ruud (groin) will be back in when he’s ready, but McCarthy could get additional work in some packages.

3. Jeremy Mincey, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end: He continues to get better, and on a defense with some veterans who were brought in with big contracts, he’s providing valuable energy as an edge rusher. In Indianapolis, he made a great spin move to get inside on Anthony Castonzo for the first sack, he helped Daryl Smith put Painter down to share a sack and got around the corner and swiped a fumble free from Orlovsky in the fourth quarter.

The Colts thought about placing Peyton Manning on injured reserve recently as injuries stacked up, but found a way to stick with their plan. Team president-turned-vice chairman Bill Polian said the team’s intention is to keep the quarterback on the roster all season in the hope that he will be able to practice with the team late in the season.

From Polian’s Monday night radio show:

"I think it's important for [Manning] to feel like, 'Hey, I'm back, I can do the things that are necessary to say I can play like I want to.’ The bottom line is he needs to feel good about being back and doing the things he wants to do."

But an appearance by Manning in a game sounds unlikely.

"I'm not sure we would necessarily play him in ballgames with our offensive line as beaten up as it is right now,” Polian said.

Those offensive line injuries made the Colts consider putting Manning on the shelf. But they made roster moves instead last week, including putting quarterback Kerry Collins (concussion) on IR.

Why Manning is not on IR has been a hugely popular question.

I’ve argued that it’s not a big deal to keep a roster spot for him so long as the team doesn’t have eight players with injuries that keep them out of action on a given Sunday. The Colts have to deactivate seven players for every game anyway, and if they don’t need Manning’s spot for someone else, then they aren’t giving up anything on game day.

But in the loss to the Titans on Sunday, both running back Joseph Addai (hamstring) and guard Mike Pollak (hamstring) were in uniform but did not play.

That means the Colts played a 44-man roster as opposed to 46, a decision that could put the team at a disadvantage.

Polian’s weighed that and decided being a bit thin on a Sunday is worth the trade off to keep alive the chance for Manning to practice down the line.

TAMPA, Fla. -- If you’ve watched Josh Freeman and Mike Williams this season, you might be wondering if the key members of Tampa Bay’s passing game have lost their confidence.

If you talk to the quarterback and wide receiver, you’ll quickly find out that’s not the case. In fact, the problem might be just the opposite.

“This week, you’re going to see the old Mike Williams back,’’ Williams said Wednesday.

No one who talks in the third person can be accused of having a lack of confidence. Freeman’s not the type to go third person on you, but he’ll flat out tell you that having too much confidence has been part of the reason he’s already thrown as many interceptions (six) as he did all last season.

“I have a lot of confidence back there,’’ Freeman said. “It’s maybe just a matter of me pulling back on some of these shots downfield that I want to take and looking to play another down, rather than making some mistakes.’’

That confidence is getting in the way of Freeman and Williams clicking the way they did last season and it has disrupted Tampa Bay’s entire offense. Although the Bucs are off to a 3-2 start, the offense has yet to put together a consistently good game. That’s largely because Freeman and Williams haven’t had the smooth connection they did a year ago.

In 2010, when Williams was a rookie and Freeman was a first-year starter, there was an instant chemistry. Williams stepped up immediately as the No. 1 receiver and finished the season with 65 catches for 964 yards (a 14.8-yard average) and 11 touchdowns. This season, Williams has 19 catches for 183 yards (a 9.6-yard average and just one touchdown). Williams also is tied for No. 4 in the league with three drops on 37 targets.

There also have been some bad routes and an inability to get open against double teams.

“(Double teams are) nothing new to me,’’ Williams said. “It’s just I’ve got to step up. I’m playing terrible. From my aspect, I’m playing terrible. I should be doing a lot more to make my team win. I should be getting into the end zone. That’s something I did last year, was getting in the end zone and put up points for this team. That’s something I should be doing and that’s something I’m not doing right now. I’ve got to get it together.’’

Maybe Williams got a bit overconfident with how easy everything seemed as a rookie.

“I think Mike Williams forgets he’s a second-year player and 24 and all those things that we know as writers and coaches, he’s going to make mistakes,’’ coach Raheem Morris said. “He made mistakes last year, but he made plays that masked his mistakes. I don’t think he’s playing terrible. He’s just not playing to the caliber he played last year and, for him, that’s terrible.’’

Freeman’s going through some growing pains that also might seem terrible after his performance in a 10-6 season last year raised expectations for the quarterback and others. On the surface, Freeman simply looks like he’s not quite in rhythm.

Under the surface, there’s more going on. Part of it is his No. 1 receiver isn’t getting open. Part of it may be the play selection. Freeman’s got one of the league’s strongest arms, yet the Bucs haven’t been throwing down the field very often. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Freeman’s attempted just eight passes of 21 or more yards and he's completed only two of them. The only other regular starter to have thrown fewer deep passes is Indianapolis’ Kerry Collins (seven), and he’s missed two games due to injury.

On passes of 10 to 20 yards, Freeman ranks No. 31 in the league with a 36.4-percent completion rate (16-of-44 with three interceptions). It’s shocking to see that Freeman’s been at his best on short passes. On throws of less than 10 yards, his completion percentage is 76.2, which ranks No. 2 in the league. He's 96-of-126 for 813 yards on those plays.

Any scout will tell you that a quarterback with Freeman’s arm strength shouldn’t be dinking and dunking. He should be throwing for yards in big chunks. But Freeman said his inability to complete the long- and mid-range passes are the reason the passing game is out of sync.

“It’s a fine line,’’ Freeman said. “You’ve got this confidence. You have a good offseason. You study your opponent and you know what you’re going to see. And, then, whether it’s not making the throw or getting a little too geeked up and you try to force some things.’’

Having a young quarterback and a young wide receiver with too much confidence isn’t the worst problem in the world. The Bucs know that and they’re trying to work through it.

“With the confidence, you still have to have more responsibility,’’ Freeman said. “If you’re going to be taking shots down the field, you have to know when to take your chances and when not to. It’s something I’m working on. The good thing is it’s not like I’m just throwing blind into coverage. I see everything that I throw and it’s something that’s easily fixable.’’

Freeman and Williams both know what has to be fixed.

“I’ve got to get open,’’ Williams said. “I’ve got to forget the double teams. I’ve got to forget the frustration and catch the ball. Do what I do and that’s make some plays for this offense. That’s on me. I’m going to get that together.’’

Williams’ confidence is shining through, despite describing his play as "terrible." Freeman knows he has to keep his confidence under wraps when he’s deciding whether or not to go for the big play.

Neither of them needs to totally lose that confidence. It’s a good thing. But maybe Freeman and Williams need to remember how they got that confidence in the first place. Maybe they just need to think back to last year when confidence wasn’t even talked about.

Back then, Freeman and Williams just went out, had fun, didn't worry so much about making mistakes and the big plays flowed naturally. It can happen again.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Before we pick this one apart, and there’s a ton to work with on that end, let’s be clear on one thing: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a football game before a prime time audience on Monday night.

They defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 24-17, at Raymond James Stadium, put together their first three-game winning streak since Raheem Morris took over as coach in 2009, sold out a home game for the first time in a long time, and also kept pace with the New Orleans Saints (3-1) atop the NFC South.

Let’s pause with the positives right there, because the way things transpired Monday night left lots of room to wonder if the Bucs really are ready for prime time and if they really can hang with the Saints for the long haul. Let’s turn it over to rookie defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who capsulized his fourth NFL game accurately.

“Things were very ugly,’’ said Clayborn, who was credited with a sack, two quarterback hurries and a tackle for a loss. “We battled through it. It was sloppy. But it’s about whoever comes out with a win and we did.’’

With time, the ugliness Clayborn talked about might fade. If the Bucs keep winning, this one will look a lot better in the standings come playoff time.

“We’ve got a goal,’’ said second-year defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who finished with a team-high six tackles, one sack, three tackles for losses and two quarterback hurries. “We want to win our division.’’

That’s a great goal, but the Bucs aren’t going to win against the Saints -- and maybe not even against the Atlanta Falcons or the Carolina Panthers -- if they continue to play the way they did most of the night against the Colts. Let the record show that Indianapolis was not quarterbacked by Peyton Manning. Or even Kerry Collins.

They started Curtis Painter at quarterback. They were forced to play third-stringer Mike Tepper, signed off the practice squad a few days ago, at left tackle in the second half after injuries took their toll. The Colts also lost defensive tackle Eric Foster to an ankle injury that looked even more gruesome than most of the ugliness on the field.

Despite all that, the Colts (0-4) outplayed the Bucs much of the night. The Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead and led 17-10 midway through the third quarter when Painter hit Pierre Garcon with a 59-yard touchdown pass. Tampa Bay’s tackling ability looked like that of a youth-league team on that play.

The Buccaneers were penalized 14 times for 106 yards. For the longest time the highlight of their offense seemed to be a short dump play to running back/fullback Earnest Graham. They ran that play a number of times and amassed 27 yards on three completions, although there were several passes to Graham that were called back because of penalties.

Speaking of penalties, there was a strange one in the final seconds of the first half. With the Colts leading 10-7, the Bucs tried to get a quick field goal as the clock ran down. Kicker Connor Barth actually got on the field and put the ball through the uprights.

But the field goal didn’t count because the Bucs were penalized for having 12 men on the field as they tried to get the offense off the field and the field-goal unit on it. That call led to a rather strange halftime scene. Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik, normally a pretty calm guy, came into the press box to talk to replay officials.

Without ever truly losing his temper or fully raising his voice, Dominik questioned the call. He argued that receiver Dezmon Briscoe was jumping off the field before the ball was snapped.

“It was as clear as day,’’ Dominik said loud enough to be overheard by a large portion of the media contingent. He also suggested the Colts had 12 men on the field as well. He later came back at the start of the third quarter and had a quieter and more diplomatic conversation with the officials.

But all the murkiness didn’t really clear up until running back LeGarrette Blount broke free on a 35-yard run for a touchdown up the middle with 3 minutes, 15 seconds left in the game. That’s when Tampa Bay scored the final points and took the lead for the first time.

“It wasn’t pretty at all times, but that’s kind of us,’’ said quarterback Josh Freeman, who completed 25 of 39 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown. “Whatever the adversity, we continue to play through the fourth quarter and persevere.’’

That’s been the story of Tampa Bay’s three victories and even their opening loss to Detroit. The Bucs start slowly, but they hang around and, more often than not, they’ve found a way to win it at the end.

That formula works against struggling teams like the Colts. But here’s the thing to keep in mind: Although the nation got to see the Bucs on Monday night, we still really don’t know what they’re all about.

We’re going to find out very soon. The Bucs travel to San Francisco on Sunday to play a 49ers team that’s started better than a lot of people expected. They then get to fly back across the country for a home game with the Saints, who are every bit as good as people expected. After that, the Bucs fly out of the country to take on the Chicago Bears in a “home game’’ in London on Oct. 23.

After that, they get a bye week before facing the Saints again -- in New Orleans.

Between now and then, we’ll find out what we didn’t find out Monday night. We’ll discover if the Bucs are any good.

This is the NFL’s youngest team and there have been some positive signs. McCoy, Clayborn and a very young defensive line continue to show promise. Second-year receiver Preston Parker is becoming a playmaker. Blount can wear down a defense and Freeman usually seems to have a steady hand when it matters most.

“A win is a win,’’ center Jeff Faine said. “As long as we keep stacking them up, we’re headed in a positive direction.’’

Faine’s absolutely right. But the wins aren’t going to be so easy to stack up in the coming weeks unless the Bucs take lots more steps in a positive direction. The wins aren’t going to come unless the Bucs do a lot of cleaning up quickly.

TAMPA, Fla. – As expected, Curtis Painter will start at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.

Peyton Manning and Kerry Collins are both on the inactive list. Also inactive for the Colts are receiver Anthony Gonzalez, defensive back Kevin Thomas, linebacker Ernie Sims, guard Ryan Diem and defensive tackle Fili Moala.

The Colts said Eric Foster will start in Moala’s place. Mike Pollack will start at right guard in Diem’s place.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts just put out their final injury reports for Monday night’s game at Raymond James Stadium.

The Bucs don’t have anything all that significant. Linebacker Quincy Black (ankle) is listed as questionable, but participated fully in Saturday’s practice. Tight end Kellen Winslow (knee) is probable and participated on a limited basis in practice after sitting out Thursday and Friday. Backup quarterback Josh Johnson, who suddenly appeared on the injury report with an ankle issue this week, is listed as probable and practiced. The Bucs ruled out backup offensive lineman James Lee (ankle) and receiver Sammie Stroughter (foot).

The Colts have a pretty lengthy and significant injury list, starting with quarterback Peyton Manning, who hasn’t played this season because of a neck injury and won’t play against Tampa Bay. Quarterback Kerry Collins, who’s been starting in Manning’s place, is listed as questionable after suffering a concussion last week. Collins hasn’t practiced all week and the Colts have said they’re prepared to start Curtis Painter.

The Colts listed defensive end Dwight Freeney (ankle) as questionable, but he fully participated in practice Friday and Saturday.

James Farrior will appeal a $15,000 fine for his hit on Indianapolis quarterback Kerry Collins because he believes the hit didn't warrant any punishment, the Steelers linebacker told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Farrior wasn't penalized for his hit on Collins, which came after the quarterback had gotten rid of the ball. Collins left the game with concussion symptoms, which Farrior believes prompted the fine.

"No doubt about it," Farrior told the paper. "With everything that's going on now, I think that's what happened."

Blows to the head, especially to quarterbacks, have become a point of emphasis for the NFL.

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Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 4:

Nickel and dime: The Saints fared great when they spread the field and emptied the backfield in their furious comeback against the Texans last week. It really took advantage of Houston’s lack of cornerback depth. Jacksonville will face the same test. Drew Colemanwas signed as a free agent to upgrade the nickel, and he’ll need to play well against a receiving corps that gets Marcus Colston back. Fourth corner William Middleton will be on the field more too, especially if starting corner Derek Cox (doubtful, groin) is out. And linebackers will be tested in coverage against a team with a lot of weapons that likes to throw to running back Darren Sproles.

Curtis Painter time: He will start for the Colts at quarterback on Monday night against the Bucs as Kerry Collins recovers from an apparent concussion suffered in the loss to Pittsburgh. Can Painter show some poise and put together a consistent effort? One thing that would really help his cause is being more accurate with Reggie Wayne. From 2008-10, Peyton Manning threw incomplete just 18.7 percent of the time he targeted Wayne. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Collins and Painter have combined to miss Wayne 39.3 percent of the time. You can’t miss your primary target that often and have a successful passing game.

Steelers blitzes: Pittsburgh’s been great on defense without blitzing. The Steelers are allowing just 5.5 yards per pass attempt when sending four or fewer rushers, third-best in the league. But last year and so far this year, Matt Schaubis connecting on 71.4 percent of his passes when he’s not blitzed, hitting for 8.2 yards per pass attempt. I’d expect Pittsburgh to bring more pressure to try to get Schaub out of rhythm. The Steelers have forced just one turnover this season.

First quarter points: Three teams in the NFL have yet to score a first-quarter point this season. In Tennessee-at-Cleveland, we’ll see two of them. If the Titans or Browns can find some early offensive rhythm, they’ll get a big advantage. The Titans need to show some early intent, I think. While showing a determination to get Chris Johnson running, they would also be well served to call some plays that include tight end Jared Cookin the early part of the progression. He’s got the potential to be a dynamic downfield matchup problem. With Kenny Britt out, it’s time to start seeing it.

Ah, the memories: The Saints’ last trip to Jacksonville, for the last game of the 2003 regular season, was a memorable one. They trailed 20-13 when they completed a 75-yard miracle touchdown with no time left. The play featured a pass from Aaron Brooks and three laterals before Jerome Pathon scored. But John Carney’s extra point went wide right, leaving the Saints with a 20-19 defeat and eliminating them from playoff contention. The Colts' last trip to Tampa Bay was Oct. 6, 2003. Indianapolis scored 21 points in the final 3:37 of the regulation to tie that game 35-35 before winning it on a Mike Vanderjagt field goal in OT.

It looks like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are catching yet another break for their Monday night game with Indianapolis.

Quarterback Kerry Collins has yet to practice this week and is dealing with concussion-like symptoms. The Colts are preparing as if Curtis Painter will be the starter and that’s good news for the Buccaneers.

Painter, a third-year pro, has appeared in only three NFL games. One of those came last week against Pittsburgh after Collins had to leave the game and Painter completed five of 11 passes for 60 yards, was sacked once and lost a fumble.

For his career, Painter has completed 13 of 39 passes for 143 yards. He’s thrown two interceptions and has a 23.8 career passer rating. Painter has not thrown a touchdown pass in the NFL.

The Bucs caught their first break when Manning had a neck injury, which reportedly could keep him out until November or December, and the Colts were forced to coax Collins out of retirement. The Colts went out and signed career backup Dan Orlovsky on Wednesday.

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FALLING

1. Matt Turk, Jacksonville Jaguars punter: The Jaguars pride themselves on having a good special-teams unit. They were without one of their premier special-teamers, Kassim Osgood, in Carolina and another stand-out, Montell Owens, probably will be on the injury report this week. The thinking was they’d help Turk look good. But through three games he has a 33.4-yard net punt average and has given up touchbacks on four of his 10 punts. Jack Del Rio said it’s not been good enough and if it doesn’t get better, the Jaguars could ponder an alternative.

2. Red zone offense, Houston Texans: That killer instinct I’ve written about repeatedly always comes into question when the Texans settle for field goals. They moved the ball great in New Orleans then stalled when they got close and called on Neil Rackers too often. The good news is, no team has been inside the 20 more than Houston (16 trips). But five touchdowns for a .313 percentage in the red zone puts them 30th in the NFL. With their offense, that’s just not sufficient. (It could be worse, though. The Jaguars are dead last in red zone efficiency. They’ve been in the red zone a grand total of one time, when they kicked a field goal.)

3. Quarterback accuracy, Indianapolis Colts: Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter combined to hit on just 18 of 40 passes in the Colts’ loss to Pittsburgh. Each missed open guys at crucial moments. The stat sheet says Reggie Wayne was targeted 13 times, which is as it should be. But he caught only three passes for 24 yards, which is something we can really second-guess. Painter missed a wide open Pierre Garcon on a play that could have changed the game. We’re not going to get anything close to Peyton Manning out of these guys. But whoever is under center needs to get the ball in the hands of Wayne, Austin Collie, Dallas Clark and Garcon.

RISING

1. Pat Angerer, Indianapolis Colts linebacker: In a game in which the Colts' defense really woke up and made things work, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis led the line and harassed Ben Roethlisberger. Angerer keyed the second level. Game statisticians credited him with 21 tackles, twice as many as anyone else in the game. And he added one on special teams for good measure. He was constantly around the ball, and he wasn’t collecting “cheap” tackles by jumping in late or from behind.

2. James Casey, Houston Texans fullback: It’s still early to rate the tight end-turned-fullback as a run-blocker. But getting him on the field gives the Texans another high-quality pass-catcher. The Saints struggled to cover him, leaving him alone on a 62-yard reception. And his diving 26-yard touchdown catch was just beautiful. Casey finished with five catches for 126 yards, just two fewer than the best receiver in the NFL, Andre Johnson. He’s a matchup issue for everyone the Texans now face. Treat him like a fullback and opponents may suffer for it when he motions out and runs routes like a receiver.

3. Jurrell Casey, Tennessee Titans defensive tackle: He can rush the passer better, but the rookie’s a big piece of a defense that currently holds the No. 1 ranking in the NFL. He was one of the guys who stopped Willis McGahee in a fourth-quarter goal line stand against Denver. As a run-stopper, he’s an influential guy who’s got potential to get even better as he gets more comfortable and confident.