INDIANAPOLIS – On the three previous Friday's of game weeks, the Colts ruled out a total of 18 players.
This Friday?
They ruled out just one guy.
It will be a healthy Colts (4-5) group on the home sideline Sunday, when they oppose the Tennessee Titans (5-5) in Week 11.
Here is the Friday notebook with Chuck Pagano and Robert Mathis sharing their thoughts on a very important divisional contest.
INJURY STATUS FOR WEEK 11
- OUT: DE-Kendall Langford (knee): This is the third straight game Langford has missed.
- DOUBTFUL: CB-Patrick Robinson (groin): The cornerback tweaked his groin at Monday's practice and missed the rest of the week.
- QUESTIONABLE: DT-Arthur Jones (illness): Jones left work early on Friday, but he should be good to go for Sunday.
Chuck Pagano on the health of the Colts going into Week 11:
"Pretty damn good."
Bowen's Analysis: Yep, that sums it up pretty accurately. The Colts are really healthy (so are the Titans). The entire Indy offense is healthy for really the first time all year (now that Joe Haeg appears to be a starter). Defensively, the Colts could be without two starters with Arthur Jones in place of Kendall Langford and Rashaan Melvin for Patrick Robinson being the likely substitutes come Sunday.
In recent weeks, the Colts have seen more and more reinforcements to their skill group. Now, the same thing can be said for the offensive line. Coming into 2016, many thought the Colts could be one of the more productive offenses in the NFL. We will see if the excellent health leads to that down the stretch.Robert Mathis on the final seven games of 2016:
"If we play our brand of football, the same type of football we took to Lambeau Field, if we can do that the rest of the season, then we will be in good shape."
Bowen's Analysis: Will the Colts carry that performance from the last time we saw them into the rest of 2016? Will they string wins together? Will the same sense of urgency seen in "must-win" games still be there when the environment isn't Lambeau Field?
Those questions will be answered over the next month and a half. What we saw against Green Bay was a brand of complementary football that was not there for the first eight games of 2016. With the health the best it has been arguably all year, the Colts have a terrific opportunity to apply serious pressure to the Texans' lead atop the AFC South.
Robert Mathis on the Super Bowl XLI reunion impacting the 2016 team:
"Understand that it can be done.
"No matter the highs and lows of the season, it can happen."
Bowen's Analysis: It's certainly not the same scenario, but this year's Colts can look at the 2006 squad and see the bumps that inevitably come down every road. This year's version has had more bumps, but the chance to reach the postseason is still there.
Mathis and Adam Vinatieri are the lone Colts still around 10 years after they delivered Indianapolis their first Lombardi Trophy. On Friday, Mathis credited the poise of Tony Dungy for not letting the Colts fall apart when they dropped four of six games in the second half of 2016.**
INJURY REPORT**
Here is Friday's injury report:
-DNP: DT-Arthur Jones (illness), DE-Kendall Langford (knee), CB-Patrick Robinson (groin), OLB-Erik Walden (rest)
-FULL: S-Mike Adams (groin/rest), DE-Henry Anderson (knee), OLB-Chris Carter (hamstring), CB-Vontae Davis (rest), OG-Denzelle Good (illness), RB-Frank Gore (rest), ILB-D'Qwell Jackson (rest), QB-Andrew Luck (right shoulder), OLB-Robert Mathis (rest), G-Jack Mewhort (tricep), OT-Joe Reitz (concussion)
