National Football League

After settling for FGs, Colts on TD alert

Published Sep. 22, 2011 10:56 p.m. ET

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Indianapolis is moving to code red.

After starting 0-2 for the first time in 13 years, and seeing the lack of productivity, the Colts are trying to get things fixed. First on the list: scoring touchdowns instead of kicking field goals.

''It's just making plays and execution in the red zone,'' receiver Austin Collie said Thursday. ''It's that simple. It's always that simple.''

Things have become far more complicated for the Colts since Peyton Manning had his third neck surgery Sept. 8.

With the four-time league MVP missing his first two games as an NFL player, Indy's high-scoring offense has responded with only two touchdowns and 26 total points. Last weekend, the Colts settled for four field goals before finally putting the ball in the end zone - with 24 seconds left in a 27-19 loss to Cleveland.

This isn't the way the Colts are supposed to play football. So, coach Jim Caldwell has made red-zone efficiency the focal point of practice this week.

''I don't think there's a secret to it,'' said running back Joseph Addai, who is averaging 4.7 yards per carry but has no scores. ''Those red-zone plays, we worked on that heavy during practice yesterday.''

Addai and his teammates will almost certainly get even more work on it before Sunday night's game against AFC champion Pittsburgh (1-1).

But the complexities are growing.

Already down Manning, the Colts are now trying to get his replacement, 38-year-old Kerry Collins, mended in time for Sunday. Collins, who didn't talk Thursday, was limited in Wednesday's practice with a sore throwing shoulder. Collins was a full participant in Thursday's workout.

It's not clear how Collins was injured, and coach Jim Caldwell did not provide details about the extent of the problem.

The only other active quarterbacks on the roster are Manning, who is expected to be out at least two months, and Curtis Painter, who has a career quarterback rating of 9.8. Undrafted rookie Mike Hartline is on the practice squad, and punter Pat McAfee could fill in as the emergency quarterback.

Caldwell doesn't think any of that will be necessary.

''We expect him (Collins) to do more today,'' Caldwell said before Thursday's workout. ''He's coming along.''

Still, Painter said he worked more with the starting unit than he normally does during game week.

And injuries are not just a quarterback issue.

Tight end Dallas Clark missed Wednesday's practice and did limited work Thursday because of a foot injury. Clark's backup, Jacob Tamme, has missed two days of practice with a concussion, and right guard Ryan Diem could miss Sunday's game with a sprained left ankle.

Couple that with an offensive line that has two first-year starters at tackle and a new left guard, and there have been all kinds of concerns.

Collins has already been sacked five times and lost three fumbles, compared with the 16 sacks Manning endured all of last season.

But the biggest worry is the inability to finish drives with touchdowns.

Indy moved inside the Cleveland 20 three times week yet managed only the one late TD. That's not good enough to win the NFL, and everybody in the locker room knows it.

''Look, I like being out on the field,'' kicker Adam Vinatieri said. ''But I know we've to got get touchdowns as well as field goals.''

There are no easy solutions.

Indy realizes it could be tough sledding until Collins gets in sync with his receivers and line, but there's no telling how long the process will take.

''For the foreseeable future, they're not going to be the high-efficiency offense that we've been used to,'' Colts vice chairman Bill Polian told radio listeners Monday night. ''Kerry can't do that, nobody can. You could probably bring back Johnny U. (Unitas) and you wouldn't have that.''

And don't expect major changes.

The Colts want first-round pick Anthony Castonzo to become comfortable as the new left tackle, and believe right tackle Jeff Linkenbach and left guard Joe Reitz will develop.

So the only real fix is to be patient and persistent as the Colts work it all out.

''From our standpoint, it's a long season,'' center Jeff Saturday said. ''We got better from Week 1 to Week 2. We've got to get better in Week 3 to finally get a victory. (On Sunday) we had a ton of long drives and we just didn't cap them off. If you finish those drives, things are a lot different.''

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