SB Nation - Donald Brown

Week 15: Wednesday (Final) Injury Report

shake n bake — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:12:53 -0000

Finally we get a really look at who will be sitting Thursday Night.

Out: Donald Brown, Aaron Francisco, Anthony Gonzalez, Jerraud Powers, Adam Vinatieri

Questionable (practices): Eric Foster (1), Dwight Freeney (0), Charlie Johnson (0), Robert Mathis (0)

That's 9 players total in doubt, 8 who didn't practice at all. It's a pretty solid bet that those 8 will be your inactives.

Probable: Joseph Addai, Antoine Bethea, Gary Brackett, Melvin Bullitt, Keyunta Dawson, Kyle DeVan, Ryan Diem, Pierre Garcon, Kelvin Hayden, Tim Jennings, Jacob Lacey, Peyton Manning, Daniel Muir, Jamey Richard, Tom Santi, Clint Session, Chad Simpson, Tony Ugoh, Reggie Wayne.

Week 15: Tuesday Injury Report

shake n bake — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:49:11 -0000

First actual report of the week. Everyone that the Colts estimated would have practiced yesterday practiced today, so expect them to go.

"Back" at Practice: Joseph Addai, Gary Brackett, Raheem Brock, Melvin Bullitt, Keyunta Dawson, Kyle DeVan, Ryan Diem, Pierre Garcon, Kelvin Hayden, Tim Jennings, Jacob Lacey, Peyton Manning, Daniel Muir, Jamey Richard, Tom Santi, Clint Session, Chad Simpson, Tony Ugoh, Reggie Wayne

Still Out: Antoine Bethea (foot), Donald Brown (chest), Eric Foster (back), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Dwight Freeney (abdomen), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Charlie Johnson (foot), Robert Mathis (quad), Jerraud Powers (Hammy), Adam Vinatieri (knee).

Personally I expect most, if not all the guys that missed today to sit, and everyone that practiced today to go.

Monday "Practice Estimation"

shake n bake — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:20:19 -0000

Thursday night game means that to comply with the leagues requirement of 3 injury reports teams need to give a "Practice Estimation" on Monday, reporting which players they'd expect to hold out of practice if they were conducting a practice today. As you'd expect for the day after a game, the lists are long. Really it's more telling to look at who isn't listed. In the Colts case that list is actually shorter and we'll start with that.

Players Not Listed (count on them playing)

Curtis Painter, Mike Hart, Jacob Tamme, Gijon Robinson, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, Hank Baskett, Micheal Toudoze, Mike Pollak, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Lilja, Antonio Johnson, Fili Moala, Erwin Baldwin, Philip Wheeler, Freddy Keiaho, Ramon Humber, Cody Glenn, T.J. Rushing, Jaime Silva, Devon Hall, Justin Snow, Pat McAfee, Matt Stover

Players that would've rested (likely playing)

Dwight Freeney, Antoine Bethea

The Injured (who knows?)

Joseph Addai (knee), Gary Brackett (foot), Raheem Brock (back), Donald Brown (chest), Melvin Bullitt (shoulder), Keyunta Dawson (knee), Kyle DeVan (shin), Ryan Diem (hamstring), Eric Foster (back), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Pierre Garçon (knee), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Kelvin Hayden (knee), Tim Jennings (ankle), Charlie Johnson (foot), Jacob Lacey (Biceps), Peyton Manning (glute), Robert Mathis (quad), Daniel Muir (hamstring), Jerraud Powers (Hamstring), Jamey Richard (Shoulder), Tom Santi (hand), Clint Session (calf), Chad Simpson (back), Tony Ugoh (hip), Adam Vinatieri (knee), Reggie Wayne (foot).

Colts.com link

Early speculation on who will not play against the Jaguars

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:56:58 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

6 days ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai (29) makes a catch during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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There are no injury updates from yesterday. So, don't even bother asking. We likely won't get any injury meaningful information until Bill Polian's radio show later this evening on HANK FM (a local Indianapolis radio station that, for some reason that defies logic, does not stream the show live on their website).

However, if I know the Colts, there are certain players who you just know will not play based on their recent history of injury, including the nixes and bumps certain players received yesterday against the Broncos.

Likely out:

Jerraud Powers (hamstring)
Jacob Lacey (hurt in Broncos game)
Charlie Johnson (foot)
Robert Mathis (quad)
Melvin Bullitt (shoulder)
Chad Simpson (hurt in Broncos game)
Dallas Clark (hurt in Broncos game)
Ryan Diem (hamstring)

With so many injuries incurred in the secondary, do not be surprised if Simpson, Tom Santi, or Jacob Tamme are cut to make room for another DB, perhaps even Keiwan Ratliff. Right now, only Antoine Bethea, Jamie Silva, Tim Jennings, Kelvin Hayden, and T.J. Rushing are healthy enough to play in the secondary. Aaron Francisco has sat out the last couple of games with an ankle injury, but he is more a special teams guy than a coverage safety.

If Santi, Simpson, Tamme, or anyone else is cut, don't fret too much. I don't think players signed now to shore up depleted areas will make the playoff roster.

The situation at offensive tackle is also a bit worrisome. Both Charlie and Ryan are hurt, and absolutely need rest to recover from these nagging issues. This means Tony Ugoh and newly re-signed Michael Toudouze might play extensive snaps against the Jaguars.

Regarding Dwight Freeney, look for him to get used on third down only. His snaps will be limited. Other than Peyton Manning, the Colts absolutely cannot afford to lose Dwight Freeney for any length of time.

And then, of course, there is the situations involving Adam Vinatieri and Anthony Gonzalez. Both have been out for extensive periods of time, and if both are in line to play in the post-season, we need to see them start working again in live games. Basicallly, we need them healthy, like, NOW!

Also, Donald Brown better be back and healthy this week. With Joseph Addai nearly decapitated on several big hits by the Broncos yesterday, I would not be surprised to see him limited against the Jaguars. Addai has cared this running game all season, and now is the time for Donald Brown to prove why he was drafted in the first round.

[UPDATE]: Jerraud Powers' Facebook page gives us an update as to his status (Tip to Z.Pain):

“Just a lil hamstring strain…nothing to be concerned about folks, but we definitely wanted to be safe than sorry. The trainers and staff here are already doing a great job getting me back to 1000%. All your support and words of encouragement certainly does help and I thank everyone of you for following me during this first rookie season.”

Also, for those of you looking to listen to the Bill Polian Show, but don't live in the Indy area, Indcolt18 offers some alternatives:

I have an iPhone and I have a couple of radio apps that I use to listen to stations in Indiana( I live in Florida). One is Wunder Radio and the other is “Pocket Tunes”. I like pocket tunes the best and I use it to listen to Hank FM. Also, PT has a record feature so that I can save the shows if I want to listen to them later.

Recap Week Fourteen: Colts 28 - Broncos 16

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:14:13 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

5 days ago: Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Ryan Diem (71) celebrates with a fan after Indianapolis defeated the Denver Broncos, 28-16 in an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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When the game was over, after the players exchanged pleasantries, the coaches shook hands at midfield, and the media did their round of post-game interviews and pontifications, Colts owner Jim Irsay gathered the team in the locket room and asked them to do something they probably hadn't done all season: Reflect.

Sunday's win over the very resilient Denver Broncos was the Indianapolis Colts 22nd straight regular season win, breaking a record held by the arch-nemesis of this franchise: The New England Patriots. The win also gave the Colts more victories in one decade than any other team in NFL history. Consider these outstanding, absolutely mind-boggling accomplishments, and then recall (or reflect, if you will) in your own minds the days of Jeff George, Eric Dickerson, Mike Pagel, George Wonsley, and Art Schlichter. Recall the 1-15 team from 1991, which scored a total (A TOTAL!) of 13 touchdowns for the entire season. Recall the 3-13 1997 team, which saw the Colts start the season 0-10. For all you old-time Colts fans, I know these names and these years are still pretty sharp in that noddle upstairs. So, when you look back on those years, and then look at what these Colts this decade have accomplished...

... yeah, I get why Jimmy Irsay wanted his guys to reflect a bit. Colts head coach Jim Caldwell summed it up well:

When you can go 22 straight in this league, that’s an accomplishment. That’s difficult to do. Obviously, it’s built on the shoulders of several guys who aren’t even in that locker room. There were some guys last year who were on the team that weren’t part of it this year. But, never the less, they built a cornerstone. [Former Colts head coach] Tony [Dungy] included in that group. When you look at the 113, now 114 victories in a decade, that’s a lot of wins, and a lot of guys took part in that.

For such a key, historical victory to come at home against a worthy opponent like the Broncos makes the win all the more special. Yes, many people will talk more about Brandon Marshall's historic day catching the football (21 catches, 200 yards, 2 TDs). People will talk about Peyton Manning throwing 3 INTs. It's how things go. Press and other media enjoy focusing more on individual accomplishments than on what a team does collectively.

For us, we will look at this win from the historical perspective. We will look at this win and how it will define this team, and this franchise moving forward. For while it did place the Colts into the upper pantheon of great NFL franchises of all time, more critical for the here-and-now is that the win locked up homefield throughout the AFC Playoffs. It created a first round bye, which is so very critical now that the Colts are injured and need some guys to get back healthy.

It also pushed the Colts record to 13-0 (same record as the currently undefeated Saints), making this the first time in 89 years of the NFL that two teams have entered the mid-December point of the season undefeated.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The game itself was like so many Colts games this season: A tale of two different sets of quarters. In the first and fourth quarters, the Colts dominated the Broncos. In the second and third, its was the other way around.

However, consistently throughout the entire game, the Colts defense was there making big plays to secure the victory. During a post-game recap will Colts radio announcer Bob Lamey, Colts President Bill Polian likened this game's defensive effort, intensity, and execution to the Baltimore Ravens playoff game the Colts won back in the 2006 playoffs. Jim Caldwell, who was with the Colts during that playoff game as an assistant coach, took it one step further:

"I'm not certain I've seen a better defensive effort than what our guys put forth today," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "They were very, very tough."

One of the key areas of weakness for this Colts team over the years was not red zone defense or limiting big plays, which is what Indy did to Denver's offense all afternoon. The weakness was short yardage, and allowing the opponent to convert on critical third and fourth down plays. In 2009, this new Colts defense, coached by former-Broncos assistant Larry Coyer, seems to excel when a critical stop is needed.

Despite Brandon Marshall's near-Herculean effort to catch anything and everything thrown at him, the Broncos never led in this game. The closest they ever got was five points, and that was in the fourth quarter. On two drives in the first half, the Colts defense stoned the Broncos on fourth down, including a very key fourth down stuff of Knowshon Moreno on the Colts 41 yard line. The Broncos went for it early on fourth down because the score was 14-0 Colts, and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels didn't seem to have a lot of early faith in his defense.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The Broncos would go for it again on fourth down; this time in the second quarter in Colts territory at the 45 yard line. Once again, they were stuffed.

In the second half, the Broncos clawed their way back into the game due in part to three second half INTs thrown by Peyton Manning. Granted, two of the INTs were off deflections. So, killing Manning for those seems a bit excessive. Regardless, prior to today, the Colts were 0-11 when Peyton Manning throw three or more INTs in a game.

The Broncos, however, were unable to capitalize fully on the Mannng INTs. One amazing stat that rarely gets discussed: The Colts have yet to surrender a TD off a turnover all season long. That stat alone is likely why this Colts team is 13-0.

Josh McDaniels maximized his team's offensive sets by isolating Brandon Marshall on the Colts new fan whipping boy, Tim Jennings. Jennings was playing because of a hamstring injury Jerraud Powers sustained earlier in the game. To Jennings' credit, he played and fought hard. He even got the better of the Denver offense by snagging an INT off Kyle Orton, who was clearly picking on him all game long. But, the reality is the Broncos wanted to isolate the 6'2 Marshall on the 5'8 Jennings, and it worked (somewhat) for them.

Tim Jennings (23) struggled against Brandon Marshall

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

However, while a lot of people want to bash Jennings, the reality is for a player of his talent, he played very well. Marshall grabbed 21 footballs out of the sky, but not one reception was what is often called a "big gain." Sure, some were for key first downs. Two were for short touchdowns. But, none were for 50-yard TD strikes, which is what Denver needed if they were to have any hope of taking the lead in that game.

Down 21-0, playing a methodical, move-the-chains kind of game is not going to help you gain the lead. You need to score, and score quickly. Obviously, you don't want to panic, but taking nearly two and a half quarters to score 16 points is not going to help you beat a team like the Colts. By keeping all of the Broncos offense "in front of them," so to speak, the Colts defense was able to provide the offense a cushion of recovery, as they seemed to have fallen asleep during the third quarter.

When the fourth quarter rolled around, after the defense had contained Denver much of the day, Indy's offense woke up. They went on their seemingly patented, opponent throttling drives: 14 plays, 80 yards, consuming 7:19 of clock, culminating in a one-yard TD pass from Manning to Dallas Clark, who had three TDs on the day. The final drive iced the game, which concluded with yet another fourth down stop by the Colts defense.

(AP Photo/AJ Mast)

This game, probably more so than any other this season, summed up well these "new Colts." Teams in the past, perhaps even the stellar championship team of 2006, likely could not overcome a 3 INT performance by Manning, who also had 4 touchdowns on the day, I might add. These "new Colts" absolutely stoned the Broncos rushing attack, limiting them to 3.2 yards rushing for the game. Meanwhile, Joseph Addai continued to impress, averaging 4.2 a rush, while Mike Hart showed why he will likely get more playing time as this team moves closer to post-season play. On the foot-to-the-throat drive to ice the game, Hart made several key runs to move the chains and gain first downs. This kind of running was hard, physical, punishing running; the kind of stuff we don't often see from Donald Brown or Joseph Addai.

Credit goes out to the Denver Broncos, who never quit despite being down 21-0 early. We've seen a lot of teams quit this season. Heck, we likely saw Randy Moss quit on his team just yesterday. The Broncos didn't quit. Moocho respect for that. Hats off to their fan community at Mile High Report.

The Colts now enter the silly time, where the next three game have absolutely no meaning whatsoever. With so many players likely injured, and with the next opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, scheduled for this Thursday night, it might not be possible for the Colts to "rest starters" as they prepare for post-season play.

But, there is plenty of time to discuss options on what they should do moving forward. Right now, we savor the win. We savor the history. We savor the greatness that is Indianapolis Colts football. Colts owner Jim Irsay says it best:

"The way we are around here, we love to win," Colts owner Jim Irsay said. "To have that type of greatness, it's something that's unprecedented. When you think about 20, 30, 80 years from now, people will be referring back to you, it's really special."

Go Colts!

Week 14: Friday Injury Report

shake n bake — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:27:37 -0000

No suprises, the only players ruled out have missed significant time, all the newer injuries have returned to practice (minus Diem who is backsliding after practicing Wednesday).

Out: Donald Brown (chest), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Adam Vinatieri (knee)

Questionable (days of practice): Keyunta Dawson (3), Ryan Diem (1), Charlie Johnson (2), Robert Mathis (1), Daniel Muir (1.5), Clint Session (2), Tony Ugoh (2),

Probable: Hank Baskett (baby), Gary Brackett (foot), Melvin Bullitt (shoulder), DeVan (shin), Hayden (ankle), Tim Jennings (ankle), Peyton Manning (glute), Jamey Richard (shoulder), Tom Santi (hand), Reggie Wayne (foot).

IFR relays Mathis, Diem and Dawson's strong beliefs that they will be on the field Sunday

No updates on Donald Brown, Robert Mathis

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:52:20 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Donald Brown (31) runs with the ball during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in St. Louis. The Colts won 42-6. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

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No updates as yet on the status of Donald Brown after he missed last Sunday's game with the chest injury. For those keeping score, Brown has suffered chest and shoulder injuries this season, forcing him to miss three games. He currently stands at 263 yards and two TDs. For a first round drafted running back, those numbers are not good.

Yes, he is averaging 4.5 yards a carry, but the potential knock on Brown coming into the NFL was that he would not be durable in this league. So far, that knock is holding true.

You all know that I personally have no patience with rookie running backs. They are either good right out of the gate, or they are trash. Running back is the easiest position to play in this league, and right now Donald Brown is not showing me why he was worth taking in the first round. Meanwhile, players like Kenny Britt, Hakeem Nicks, Pat Chung, Eben Britton, Rey Maualuga, Phil Loadholt, and even Beanie Wells are making significant contributions for their respective teams as rookies.

All were drafted after Brown.

We also have no update as yet on the status of Robert Mathis. Bill Polian made it clear that the injury was to Mathis' quad, not something more severe:

"Robert had a quad strain [Sunday] and we don't quite know the extent of it yet. He had some tests Monday. It's not a knee, so there's no need to worry about that."

Dwight Freeney suffered a pretty nasty quad injury earlier this year after the Cardinals win, but came back the very next week to play against the Seahawks. Will Mathis do the same? We shall see.

Week 13: Friday Injury Report

shake n bake — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:49:09 -0000

Out: Donald Brown (chest), Keyunta Dawson (knee), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Adam Vinatieri (knee)

Questionable (# of practices): Dwight Freeney (2), Charlie Johnson (0), Jim Sorgi (0)

Probable: Joseph Addai, Gary Brackett, Kyle DeVan, Kelvin Hayden, Ramon Humber, Tim Jennings, Peyton Manning, Robert Mathis, Jerraud Powers, Jamey Richard, Tom Santi, Jeff Saturday, Tony Ugoh, Reggie Wayne.

Colts.com link

Week 13: Thursday Injury Report

shake n bake — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:11:23 -0000

3 defensive starters returned to practice today and no one moved backwards, but 7 players still remain out.

Back at Practice (all full participation): Dwight Freeney (abdomen), Gary Brackett (foot), Antoine Bethea (rested)

Upgrade: Tom Santi (limited to full, hand injury)

Still Out: Donald Brown (chest), Charlie Johnson (foot), Keyunta Dawson (knee), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Jim Sorgi (shoulder), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Adam Vinatieri (knee)

Kelvin Hayden practiced fully a second day and looks ready to go.

Colts.com link

NFL Network's RedZone Colts stat of the week: Week Thirteen

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:35:35 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

19 days ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Chad Simpson (35) breaks away from Houston Texans linebacker Zac Diles (54) on a 23-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Houston. The Colts won 35-27. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel, a new NFL Network channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

After giving up 27 points to the Texans last Sunday, the Colts dropped from the #1 overall scoring defense to the #3 scoring defense, surrendering a still impressive 16.7 ppg. Compare this with the Patriots, who after getting destroyed by the Saints on Monday Night Football dropped from #2 to #7. What's interesting is that if the Colts had shut out the Texans in the second half, which they almost did until Matt Schaub found Jacoby Jones in the endzone with 18 seconds left, they would have only dropped to #2 on the defensive scoring list, surrendering 16.08 ppg, just a hair behind the Bengals (the new #1 ranked scoring defense) at 15:8 ppg.

Switching to offense, we discussed last week how the running game has improved statistically since the benching of Mike Pollak and the promotion of Kyle DeVan at the starting right guard spot. The last four games, which have featured good opponent defenses from the Ravens, Patriots, and Texans, the Colts have averaged 4.3 yards a carry. Much of this has gotten done without the fulltime services of rookie Donald Brown, who has shown an annoying "always hurt" trait of late.

The workhorse behind the Colts improved running game is Joseph Addai, who has averaged 4.2 yards a carry these last four games.