Published: October 13, 2009 12:34 am         

Colts’ bye week: All eyes on Manning’s left knee

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts fans are urged to relax.

Yes, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning mentioned during his post-game press conference Sunday night that he was going to have his left (plant leg) knee checked in the aftermath of the team’s 31-9 AFC South road win over the Tennessee Titans.

Manning was on the receiving end of two roughing the quarterback penalties, both on the same offensive possession near the end of the second quarter, from Titans defensive ends Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jacob Ford.

Indianapolis wound up scoring a touchdown on the drive (a 39-yard catch and run on a pass to rookie wide receiver Austin Collie), taking a 21-9 lead into the locker room at half-time. Afterwards, in the locker room, the Colts signal caller was asked about what he thought of the penalties.

“I don’t get into that. I have never asked for a call. I have never clapped when they make a call [for roughing the passer].

“ I clap when we get the yards because of execution. The first one [by Vanden Bosch], I have had that hit before at the knee. I don’t know if I have to validate it or not, but I have got to see the doctor [after the game] and get treatment, if that makes it more valid,” Manning said.

“When you plant that left leg, it is in a vulnerable position. I wear that brace for that reason alone. Hopefully it protected me there. I know it is a big talk with Baltimore against Tom [Brady] last week. I don’t ask for the calls. I don’t celebrate when they call. I just go out and play.”

A day after the game, Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell didn’t seem to be too concerned about his quarterback’s health.

“We haven’t had any indication after the game that there was anything serious. He’s a little sore, but we’ll get a little bit better view of that in the next day or so,” Caldwell said.

• Doesn’t worry about statistics — Contrary to popular opinion, Manning doesn’t consider himself to be a numbers man.

Ask Manning about the possibility of him setting some new franchise or league passing mark and he’ll just shake his head. Ask him, though, about a teammate on the verge of setting an offensive record and he’ll talk his cohort up.

“A couple of times in the last game of the season, I’ve tried to get a receiver something, I’ll admit that,” he said after Indianapolis’ 31-9 win over Tennessee. “If [wide receiver] Reggie Wayne needed five catches [to set a new personal or team record], I’ll do that. I like to do it for other people. I’ve never tried to do something for myself.

“I remember my second season [with the Colts]. I had a touchdown streak going. I checked from a pass to a run at the end of the game and they said, ‘Why did you do that when you could have thrown the touchdown pass?’ It is all about scoring touchdowns. I have never been all about that.”

But five consecutive 300-yard passing games is an impressive feat. Manning, though, just shrugs off any compliments on those performances, instead opting to deflect attention to the receivers on the Indianapolis roster.

“Guys are doing a good job. They are running the right routes. With zone, you have got to be in the right spot. You got to have spacing. You have to have a guy here, a guy here, a guy there. Guys I think are understanding that. They are picking up the offense, these young guys that are playing. Obviously, Reggie’s [Wayne] presence creates a lot of the zone and double coverage,” he explained.

“That is probably what he doesn’t like to hear, but because of his presence it allows [rookie Austin] Collie and these guys to get open. Obviously, it is good to be able to spread the ball around. Somebody has to be single somewhere. You can’t double every single player. You try to find who that one guy is in single coverage or who has an isolated matchup, and see if that guy can win the matchup.”

• Injury report — Offensive tackle Tony Ugoh got the start at left offensive tackle against Tennessee Sunday night due to a knee injury suffered by starter Charlie Johnson a week earlier.

Ugoh, though, incurred an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. He was replaced by offensive tackle Dan Federkeil, who finished up the game.

Running back Joseph Addai, who came into the Titans game with a hand injury that he suffered in practice last week, incurred a shoulder injury on the first play of the third quarter Sunday night. He returned later in the game, however. Addai did set a regular-season personal high with 10 receptions (for 53 yards). He also scored on a one-yard run.

There won’t be an immediate update on their status for the St. Louis Rams game, which is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25.

• Roster move — Former Notre Dame cornerback Terrail Lambert was recently added to the Colts’ practice squad. Lambert is the son of former Indiana State defensive tackle Walter Seaphus.

Seaphus played for the Sycamores in the early 1980s under Dennis Raetz.

Jeff Miller honored — Ex-Indiana State quarterback Jeff Miller has been named as the Indianapolis Colts High School Coach of the Week.

Miller is now the head coach at his prep alma mater, Norwell High School. Norwell knocked off the seventh-ranked team in Class 5A, Homestead High School, 21-7 last Friday night. Norwell is now 7-1 for the season.

He is the second former Sycamore player to earn honors from the Colts as a high school coach this year. North Putnam head coach Greg Barrett was a district winner a couple of weeks ago.