No Clark, no Collie, no problem: Colts ready for Texans

INDIANAPOLIS -- Peyton Manning sees the Colts' injuries at wide receiver as merely another challenge to overcome.

Jacob Tamme heads into his second career start at tight end in place of Dallas Clark, and undrafted free agent Blair White is expected to see more playing time while subbing for Austin Collie when the Colts host the Houston Texans on Monday night.

Clark has been lost for the season with a wrist injury, and Collie will miss the game after undergoing surgery on his right thumb.

Manning expressed confidence Thursday when asked about his depleted group of pass-catchers.

"I really look forward to seeing where we are in this game," the quarterback said. "We'll get better each game with some of the new guys that are going to be playing in different spots. It's an exciting opportunity for these guys."

Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is expected to be available after missing four of the past five games with a sprained right ankle, but running back Joseph Addai is considered day to day with a nerve injury in his left shoulder and didn't practice Thursday. Wide receiver Pierre Garcon sat out with a hamstring injury, and the team's top wideout, Reggie Wayne, was limited with a hamstring injury.

At one point, Manning removed "injuries" from his vocabulary.

"It's not something that ... you can just keep drowning yourself with that word," he said. "We have to move on with the guys that are playing."

Even through all the injuries this season, Manning, a four-time MVP, has been dominant. He leads the NFL with a 103.4 passer rating and is tied for third with 13 touchdown passes.

"That one weapon that's going to take all them snaps is pretty good," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said.

Dallas Clark doesn't receive as much publicity as some of his teammates, but the Colts will have a difficult time replacing what he brought to the offense, Bucky Brooks writes. More ...

Center Jeff Saturday said the team takes great pride in its depth.

"It's something that we've built ourselves on here," he said. "Tamme's going to have to step in and do well, Gonzo's going to have to come back and be what he can be. Blair White, anybody. Next guy up has got to step up and meet the challenge. I've got faith in those guys."

There's no time to ease the youngsters into the lineup. The Colts are 0-2 in the AFC South and would have difficulty winning the division with another loss. The Texans and the Colts, both 4-2, are a half-game behind the Tennessee Titans for the division lead.

The Colts acknowledge that losing Clark affects their game plan. Clark's speed and pass-catching skills often have created mismatches and forced defenses to play with additional defensive backs.

"He certainly created some opportunities for us," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "Anytime you see a guy in his position catch 100 balls (last year), obviously, he's an integral part of what we do. He's been able to force teams to adjust what they want to do from a defensive standpoint in terms of personnel. Losing Dallas certainly is a bit of a blow to us."

Tamme, a special-teams standout who has six catches in his career and none this season, said his preparation has been similar to other weeks.

"Obviously, there's a few more reps, but mentally, no different," he said. "I think I'm prepared pretty good. Dallas does a good job of getting all of us prepared to play. I've been prepared to play every week. I'll prepare the same way."

White has made six catches for 66 yards this season. He was called up from the practice squad in Week 3 and caught three passes for 27 yards and one touchdown in a win over the Denver Broncos.

Garcon said the Colts expect anyone who plays to produce.

"We're not really making an adjustment based on the people that we're missing, we're making an adjustment on the defense that we're playing against," he said. "It's real simple. Just be where you're supposed to be at the time you're supposed to be there -- and make the plays."

Saturday knows the Texans don't feel sorry for the Colts.

"Obviously, losing those guys hurts, but you've got to continue to find ways to win," he said. "They ain't calling any games off."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Colts lose Collie, Clark for indefinite period with hand injuries

First Joseph Addai, then Dallas Clark and now Austin Collie. If this run continues, the Indianapolis Colts might not have any healthy offensive players left by the time they return from a bye week.

The Colts announced Thursday that Collie, their second-leading receiver, had thumb surgery. The team said a timeframe for Collie's return hadn't been established, but a source with knowledge of the situation told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora that the receiver will be out at least two weeks.

Collie has 44 catches for 503 yards and a team-high six touchdown receptions.

The news hit the Colts on the same day president Bill Polian revealed that Clark will be out indefinitely because of a wrist/hand injury, according to The Star.

Clark was examined by Dr. Thomas Graham at The Cleveland Clinic on Thursday, the tight end's agent, Neil Cornrich, told La Canfora. Graham is one of the nation's premier hand surgeons, and Clark and the Colts anticipate having more details about when the tight end can play by the end of the day.

"We're just not sure right now whether Dallas would be out a few weeks or if it's going to be longer than that," Cornrich said.

Polian spoke Thursday morning at a CEO Forum at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he told the audience about Clark: "He's got an injury to his wrist, which is a relatively rare injury. He's visiting a doctor in Cleveland today. He's due to come in and talk late this afternoon when he gets back and I get back. I don't know what the prognosis is. This is not the kind of injury that is very common where our doctors can say 'Hey, look, this is a four-week injury or this is a six-week injury.' So we'll know more later tonight."

Clark is tied for fourth in the NFL in receptions, but he leads tight ends with 37. He has 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He had 100 receptions for 1,106 yards in 2009 season.

Three-year pro Jacob Tamme will fill in for Clark. Tamme has played in 34 games and has six catches for 47 yards, none this season.

La Canfora reported Wednesday, citing a league source, that Addai could miss several weeks because he sustained nerve damage in his left shoulder. He suffered the injury last Sunday against the Washington Redskins.

The Colts also announced Thursday that backup defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, who has eight tackles in six games this season, underwent knee surgery.

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