Published: September 11, 2009 09:54 pm         

Colts moving Tom Moore back to sidelines

INDIANAPOLIS — The experiment is over. For the time being, anyway.

Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell acknowledged Friday that senior offensive coordinator Tom Moore will back in familiar surroundings — on the sidelines — this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Moore had been in the press box during the team’s four preseason games, relaying play calls to assistant head coach Clyde Christensen and quarterback Peyton Manning.

“During the preseason we wanted to look at different options, so I had Tom in the [press] box. But [for the] first game of the regular season, Tom is going to be on the sideline, just so it doesn’t come as a shock and a surprise to you,” Caldwell said.

“He’s back where he normally is, and that’s how we think we can best function. We wanted to look at a few things, and that’s what the preseason is for. He’ll be back doing his old thing, like he’s normally done over the years.”

The first-year Indianapolis coach stressed, though, that he will be offering his input from time to time.

“I don’t care what it is. From anything administratively that we do in relationship to our team, [to] calls that go in and out of games. Because of the fact that I hear everything that is going on, weigh in on a number of different things, all those things are my decision,” he said.

“I’m brand new at my position. I don’t want to take anything for granted. I’m going to try some things a little differently during the preseason. I’m going to scratch and dig and search. That’s really my nature. It was my decision [to experiment with having Moore in the press box].”

Colts defensive coordinator Larry Coyer, meanwhile, will remain upstairs overseeing things.

“Larry is up there in the box, and [he] functions well from up there. He likes being up there in the box. He’s been there over the years. I know he’s been on the sidelines some, but I’m not certain as a coordinator or not. I know as a coordinator he prefers to be in the box,” Caldwell said.

n Recalling former Eastern Illinois coach — While discussing the benefits of working from the press box, Caldwell recalled watching former Eastern Illinois head coach Darrell Mudra while he was an assistant at Southern Illinois back in the early 1980s.

“Besides my time on the sideline as a head coach, I’ve never been on the sideline throughout my entire career. I’ve always been in the box. If you ask me just in terms of what I thought about being up there? I thought I had a great view of the game, you can see it all, both sides of the field. Someone who has always been on the sideline probably will have a different take of it,” he said.

“I do recall some years back, it might have been back in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, Darrell Mudra, who was the head coach at Eastern Illinois at the time, and as a head coach he was in the press box. It just kind of depends. [Penn State coach Joe] Paterno was in the box a great majority of last year. Now that was out of necessity more so than design, but obviously, they still had a pretty good record wherever he was located. I think it just depends on what best suits your team.”

• A win over Jacksonville puts Colts on top — With Tennessee losing at Pittsburgh Thursday night, Indianapolis could vault to the top of the AFC South race with a win over the Jaguars.

But Caldwell doesn’t want to look that far ahead.

“For us, we focus on our task. If we can eliminate all the excess elevator music and just focus in on what we have to get done, we’ll be better off,” he said.

“We do understand where we are, but after that ballgame is over with on Sunday afternoon and how we play on Sunday afternoon, will really determine where we are, in terms of standings.”

n Rotation at defensive tackle — The Colts will rotate defensive tackles in and out of the Jacksonville game. Projected starter Ed Johnson is sidelined as he serves an NFL-mandated one-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Antonio Johnson and Daniel Muir are expected to start, with Eric Foster and Raheem Brock also getting turns inside.

• Injury list — Safeties Bob Sanders (knee) and Jamie Silva (abdomen), tight end Tom Santi (ankle) will not be available to play against the Jaguars. They were all ruled out after Friday’s practice.

Rookie defensive tackle Fili Moala (knee), meanwhile, is questionable. He did not practice Thursday or Friday. Tight end Zach Miller (knee) is the only Jacksonville players listed as unavailable for Sunday’s game.