INDIANAPOLIS – It was the one position group that could not afford any more injury casualties.
Instead, the unit added two more on Sunday.
Once again, the injury situation at the back end of the Colts defense will dominate the news this week for Indianapolis as they prepare for a trip to Denver.
Here's a notebook look at the Colts dropping their season opener, 39-35, against the Lions:
**Two Secondary Starters Leave With Injuries
**It was the drive that put the Lions ahead 21-3 with less than two minutes remaining in Sunday's first half.
But the insult to injury came in who left the field on that drive for the Colts.
First, a knee sprain took rookie starting safety T.J. Green out of the lineup for the rest of the day. Green will be further evaluated on Monday.
A handful of plays later, athletic trainers were back on the field with Patrick Robinson needing attention. Robinson had just made tackles on three straight plays, but a concussion was ending the starting cornerback's day.
Just like that, the Colts had lost two of their starting defensive backs. You can now add Green and Robinson to the already sidelined list of Vontae Davis, Darius Butler and Clayton Geathers.
For the remainder of Sunday, the secondary was manned by Mike Adams, special teams ace Winston Guy and cornerbacks Darryl Morris and Rashaan Melvin, two guys who joined the Colts just last week.
It was a chaotic afternoon for the 13-year vet Adams trying to line everyone up.
"It really was (difficult)," Adams said of all the new faces around him on Sunday.
"The only thing I can say is that I didn't have enough time to work with them. It is what it is (and) they have to step up. It's not their fault. I think they did a good job when they went in there, but injuries played a key in that." **
Mr. Automatic Extends NFL-Long Streak
**In a season-opening week where kickers were square in the spotlight, Adam Vinatieri continued to do what Adam Vinatieri has done for more than 20 NFL seasons.
Vinny booted home field goals of 50 and 40 yards on Sunday, extending his consecutive made streak to 27. Vinny's current streak is the longest in the NFL. His last miss came in Week Two of 2015.
Since 2014, Vinatieri has made 57-of-60 field goals. That 95 percent success rate is tops in the NFL.
Even though Vinny has connected on 27 straight field goals, he still has a ways to go to reach his all-time best streak. From 2013-2014, Vinatieri made 35 in a row.**
Sio Moore Impresses In Starting Debut
**This time last week, gauging if Sio Moore was even going to play in Week One was zero guarantee.
Moore, who injured his hamstring in the team's preseason opener, did practice all week though and made his starting debut with the Colts on Sunday.
At game's end, Moore was atop the stat sheet with 13 tackles (10 solo), showing off the sideline-to-sideline ability the Colts love in their talented inside linebacker.
Earlier in the week, Jim Irsay mentioned how new defensive coordinator Ted Monachino felt like Moore was one of the most athletic linebackers he had ever seen.
That athleticism was on display against the Lions.
Look for Moore and D'Qwell Jackson to be the starting duo at inside linebacker in 2016, with occasional spelling coming from Antonio Morrison and Josh McNary.**
Colts/Lions Snap Counts **
- Jack Mewhort started and played all 70 offensive snaps on Sunday. Mewhort did this just two weeks removed from injuring his knee in the preseason.
- The wide receiver snaps on Sunday were as followed: Donte Moncrief (68-of-70), T.Y. Hilton (67-of-70) and Jacoby Brissett (51-of-70).
- At tight end, the snaps were divided up with Dwayne Allen getting 49 snaps. Jack Doyle played 39 snaps. Mo Alie-Cox added three.
- Behind Frank Gore (48 snaps), Robert Turbin and Jordan Todman each played 12 snaps.
- Defensively, safety Mike Adams was the only Colt to play every snap (64 total).
- Coming back from a knee scope, Kendall Langford made his 129th consecutive start and played 22 snaps on Sunday. Langford was clearly on a pitch count after being limited in practice last week.
- In the secondary, with injuries continuing, the snaps were as followed: Adams (64), Antonio Cromartie (61), Morris (48), Melvin (34), Robinson (31), Green (28) and Matthias Farley (5).
