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Published: November 07, 2006 12:09 am
Sanders’ return has big impact for Colts
Dungy happy to have hitter return at last minute
By Tom James
Tribune-Star Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS —
The Indianapolis Colts defense, which has struggled for much of the 2006 season, got a huge lift Sunday night with the return of safety Bob Sanders to the starting lineup.
Sanders, who had missed the previous five games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in mid-September and had only practiced twice in the last two weeks, was a surprise starter for the Colts against New England.
Unofficially, he responded with a team-leading 11 tackles while also coming up with his first interception of the season in Indianapolis' 27-20 win over the Patriots.
Not a bad game for someone few in the organization expected to be available to play.
“Bob Sanders played the whole game without really much practice, maybe three practices in the last month, and played well once he got going,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said Monday.
“Bob gives us a lot of energy. The defense is really designed with him in mind. We have a lot of defenses where he's the free hitter and that free hitter has to make the tackles. And when he’s making them and they’re three and four yard gains instead of six and seven yard gains, that changes the whole complexion of the defense. But more than anything, I think, it’s the energy he brings us and the confidence and lifts everybody’s play.”
Dungy said that the decision to play Sanders wasn’t made until approximately one hour before kickoff.
“I actually didn’t think he was going to play. And he was pretty adamant that he could play. And so I had [secondary coach] Alan Williams and [assistant secondary coach] Leslie Frazier go out with the doctors and [Colts’ director of rehabilitation] Erin Barill and let him run before the game," he said.
“I guess it was 6:50 p.m. that we had to turn the [active player rosters] in and about 6:48 p.m. I was still waiting for them to get back to me on whether [Sanders] was up [in] or down [out]. And so I just didn’t really see him playing with one practice this week. But he felt good and ended up playing the whole game.”
•••
• Injury update — Middle linebacker Gary Brackett suffered a hamstring strain in the third quarter of the New England game. He did not return.
Brackett was scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test on Monday and could end up missing several days of practice this week. His status for Sunday’s home game against Buffalo won’t be determined until Friday or Saturday.
“It’s definitely a hamstring strain. We’ll see what degree it is. He was comfortable on the plane [after the game] but sore. My sense is he’s going to miss some time this week. If he is able to play, he won’t practice much,” Dungy said.
Defensive end Robert Mathis left the game for a few plays in the fourth quarter with a lower left leg injury. He returned to play in the game. Mathis is expected to be available for the Bills’ game.
Safety Matt Giordano did not play against the Patriots due to a calf strain that he suffered a week earlier against Denver. Giordano’s status for the Buffalo game won’t be determined until later this week.
Middle linebacker Rob Morris did not play against New England after irritating a hamstring injury in practice last week. Morris may be able to take part in workouts this week and possibly play against Buffalo on Sunday.
“Hopefully Rob will be back and ready to go,” Dungy said. “We thought it was going to be a week on Rob. If he’s not, then [rookie linebacker] Freddy [Keiaho] will play.”
Offensive tackle Ryan Diem, who had missed a week of practice prior to the New England game with a strained bicep, started and went the entire way Sunday night. Outside linebacker Keith O’Neil missed the New England game with a sprained left ankle. His status for this week’s game won’t be determined until Friday or Saturday.
Wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who has been sidelined for the past four weeks with a sprained left knee, may get clearance to resume practicing this week. If all goes well, Stokley could be given the okay to suit up for the Buffalo game on Sunday.
Defensive tackle Montae Reagor remains sidelined after being injured in a traffic accident three weeks ago. There is still no timetable on when he will be able to return to practice. Reagor remains on the Colts’ active roster.
• Keiaho shines — Freddy Keiaho, the Colts’ third-round draft choice this past spring, was unofficially credited with six tackles as he filled in at middle linebacker for the final two quarters against New England.
If Brackett and Morris are unable to play this week, Keiaho may make his first NFL start Sunday against Buffalo. He is normally an outside linebacker, but he got two days of practice at middle linebacker last week.
“Freddy did some physical things well. And naturally he’s not going to be in the right place all the time. But making tackles, running around, dropping [into pass coverage], showing his quickness, and just basically playing ball. He did a a good job. If he has to play [against Buffalo], he’ll be better this week because he’ll know where he’s going a little bit more,” the Colts coach said.
• And then there’s one — Indianapolis is now the NFL’s lone unbeaten team with an 8-0 record and will now go into the Buffalo game with a two-game lead in the hunt for home field advantage throughout the postseason.
But the playoffs are the furthest thing from Dungy’s mind as the Colts head into the second half of the season.
“Our guys know that we’re just in the first half of the year. We said it was week eight. Win or lose, it wasn’t going to determine a lot,” he said. “We went through this last year and it’s really about getting better. That’s what I think our team will try to do is continue to improve. It’s really just one game.
“It’s way too early to think about [the playoffs or postseason positioning]. We’ve got eight games left to play and we’ve just got to continue to improve and play better than we have in the first half.”
Last year, Indianapolis started the season 14-0 before ending the year with a 14-2 mark. Quick starts don’t come as anything new to the Colts.
“We went through it last year and that helps. Our guys know it’s really not about unbeaten seasons. Right now we’re three games up on Jacksonville, which is good. We’re two games up on everybody in the AFC and we just have to keep playing. [Chicago Bears coach] Lovie [Smith] let me down. I was hoping they would continue to win so they would get all that focus, but we’re just happy to go through the first half like this,” he said.
“Going to Denver, New England, New York twice, playing Jacksonville at home. It was a rough stretch and I don’t think we could have predicted being 8-0 but we’re happy with it.”
• Game time change — The starting time for the Colts-Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday, Nov. 19 has been changed from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. as part of the NFL’s new flex scheduling format.
CBS Sports is scheduled to broadcast the game. The San Diego at Denver game on that day has been moved from CBS to NBC’s Football Night in America time slot at 8:15 p.m.
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