Collie injury sets Colts back again

INDIANAPOLIS – Wide receiver Austin Collie's(notes) motionless state just before halftime was symbolic. With Collie out of the game in the second half with another concussion (marking the third contest he's had to leave early this season), the Indianapolis Colts' offense went into a catatonic state.

While Indianapolis put the race for the AFC South title and a playoff berth in their own control on Sunday with a 34-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium, the reality is that, from a big-picture view, the Colts are still a teetering team.

Collie, a former fourth-round pick in 2009 who has missed five games this season and suffered a concussion against the Eagles in Week 9, is the figurative straw for an offense that has been reduced from jet pace to camel-like speed at times because of injuries.

When Collie was in Sunday's game and playing well, the Colts had depth and diversity on offense. They produced two touchdown drives of longer than 80 yards in the first half, including an 82-yarder on the first possession. Collie caught both scores and had eight receptions for 87 yards as quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) targeted him 10 times.

Without Collie, the Colts struggled to finish drives. In five second-half possessions, Indianapolis gained 119 yards of total offense. That included 43 yards on a touchdown run by running back Donald Brown(notes). Other than that, the Indy offense produced two field goals, including one after a turnover by Jacksonville deep in its own territory.

The only other score came off a kickoff return in the closing minutes when Jacksonville botched an onside kick. That's the kind of play that comes up about once every five years.

Of course, the Colts will take it and shouldn't be the least bit ashamed to do so. This year has been a brutal struggle for one of the most consistent franchises in all of sports over the past decade. On Sunday, however, the Colts seemed to show glimpses of what they can be in their better moments. The first drive featured a 39-yard run through the gut of the Jaguars defense. That play set up Collie's first touchdown catch on a 7-yard toss from Manning.

Just as important, the Colts were playing at a quick pace, the sort of fast-break, get-to-the-line style that Manning likes and that allows him to examine the defense thoroughly.

"We came out very up-tempo," said Manning, who threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns. "We got a lot of plays run quickly. Zero time on the play clock was coming off. That is what we wanted to do."

Doing that becomes more difficult when players like Collie, Brown, Pierre Garcon(notes), Dallas Clark(notes), Jacob Tamme(notes), Blair White(notes), Joseph Addai(notes) and Mike Hart(notes) are shuffling in and out of the lineup faster than NBA teams trade players.

"For me, it's not hard because I've been around here for 10 years," wide receiver Reggie Wayne(notes) said. "Sometimes, I know what Peyton's thinking before he thinks it. For the other guys, I don't know. Not that it really matters. We have to just go out there and make it work no matter what's called."

Again, that sounds easy enough, particularly for a team that won at least 12 games in each of the previous seven seasons. It's not so simple without Collie, who was relegated to the sidelines in the second half and left the locker room after the game before talking to any reporters.

"The only update I can give you is that he's doing OK right now," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "He got a concussion and he'll be evaluated."

On the surface, this looks bad for Indy. The history of guys who get multiple concussions in a short period is not good in terms of coming back quickly. The consensus among doctors is that concussions become more frequent unless people are allowed to completely recover. Following that logic, it's very unlikely Collie would return before the playoffs.

Collie laid on the field for several minutes.
(Brian Spurlock/US Presswire)

And that could spell doom for the Colts.

At 8-6, the Colts win the division if they simply prevail in their final two games against the Raiders and Titans. There are still a number of scenarios that can play out, including a three-way tie for the division title at 8-8 with Tennessee. That said, thinking through all of those scenarios in this space might induce a coma.

What's similarly difficult to picture is this Colts team doing much damage come playoff time. While there were some promising signs, such as the 155 yards rushing the Colts had on 24 carries, the 67 yards rushing they limited Jacksonville to on offense and the zero interceptions for Manning, there are still plenty of concerns.

For instance, despite having a two-score lead for much of the game, the Colts remain overly pass happy. They called for 40 passes plays – Manning completed 29 of 39 for 229 yards and was sacked once – compared to just 24 runs. On defense, the Colts allowed Jacksonville's David Garrard(notes) to complete 24 of 38 for 294 yards and two scores. In fact, if Garrard hadn't been so wild, he might have really torched the Colts.

Then again, if Garrard wasn't wild he wouldn't be Garrard, which is why the Colts took their chances against him.

Whether that means the Colts have much of a chance the rest of the way remains to be seen. But the sight of a motionless Collie was a bad omen.