As it looks now, Kerry Collins will be the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.Collins saw limited work during Wednesday's practice and returned for full practice on Thursday despite a sore right shoulder. He was hurt in last week's home-field loss to the Cleveland Browns but was able to finish the game.The injury was not known immediately after the game but came to light early this week.Limited would be the accurate description (for Wednesday's practice). He did some things and didn't do others. Limited, but we anticipate that (Thursday is) going to be a little bit more, coach Jim Caldwell explained.Should Collins have issues with the shoulder the remainder of this week or at some point during Sunday night's game with Pittsburgh, backup Curtis Authentic Asante Samuel Jersey Painter is waiting patiently in the wings.I think the focus is on making sure (Collins is) ready at this point. If anything should happen later, then I'll try to be ready, Painter said, adding that he has learned from both of the team's starting quarterbacks -- Peyton Manning and Collins.That's kind of what I've been doing for the first couple years. Using the mental reps, and watching things. Even with the experience from preseason, and just being a little bit more experienced from that helps out with Official Albert Haynesworth Jersey being able to watch it and go through mental reps. Even the on-field stuff early, it helps out with having a feel for everything else that's going on right now.He gained valuable experience working with the first offensive unit during training camp and the preseason before Collins was added to the roster.I was glad that I got as much work as I did in the preseason. I think that helped tremendously, Painter said. It's helping me at this point, Asante Samuel Authentic Jersey and hopefully, going forward, Authentic Albert Haynesworth Jersey Dark Blue if any opportunity comes up. I really embraced that, and felt like it was good.--Indianapolis Colts vice chairman Bill Polian has one fairly simple reason why the team's usual efficient offense is struggling right now.No Peyton Manning at quarterback.With Manning sidelined indefinitely after undergoing his third neck surgery in 19 months on Sept. 8, Kerry Collins has been at the controls of the Colts offense since the beginning of the regular season. Although Collins has been force fed Indianapolis' massive playbook in large doses, the results haven't been pretty.Heading into Sunday night's nationally-televised home game with Pittsburgh, the Colts rank 29th in the league in scoring offense (13 points per game), 29th in total offense (260.5 yards per game), 23rd in rushing offense (86.5), and 27th in passing offense (174).That's unfamiliar territory for an offensive attack that has annually ranked among the NFL's best in recent years.Peyton is used to operating this offense for 14 years. There's nothing anybody can do against this offense that is going to phase Peyton. He's seen it all before, though (Cleveland defensive coordinator) Dick Jauron had a terrific game plan (last week), Polian explains.Kerry did improve (against Cleveland in running the offense) and he will get better and he will get better in time.The longtime Colts executive thinks that anybody who Permier Albert Haynesworth Jersey expects the team's offense to operate with the same speed, tempo and quality as in past years simply isn't being realistic.For the foreseeable future, it's not going to be the high-efficiency offense that we've Albert Haynesworth Jersey Dark Blue been used to. Kerry can't do that. Nobody can. You could probably bring back Johnny (Unitas) and you wouldn't have that, the team's former general manager said.There was a situation (against the Browns) where we missed a big play because the receiver didn't read the right hot route. Kerry did. He saw it coming. Peyton would have stopped calling signals, pointed, said that's the guy you read off. That's what 14 years does for you. That's what all that gesticulating does for you that the talking heads want to make fun of.Polian knows that facing a defense like the Steelers isn't easy Replica Albert Haynesworth Jersey under normal circumstances. But going up against a Dick LeBeau-coached unit with an offense that is still trying to find its bearings makes things that much tougher.Peyton is like a race car driver who's been driving a car for 14 years. He knows every nuance, every little bump. You have to recognize that and say this is going to be a different looking team, he said.(The Steelers) present a very difficult problem because they do so much blitzing and they do it in so many creative ways and they make you do it by finding the open game. In the past, we've always had pretty good luck against them, even in (2005). But they present very difficult problems for our offense in A) knowing who to block and B) getting them blocked.SERIES HISTORY 20th regular-season meeting. Steelers lead series, 13-6. Pittsburgh has a 5-0 series lead in postseason games. Indianapolis has won three Eagles Asante Samuel Jersey of the last 13 regular-season meetings with the Steelers. The Colts have a 4-4 regular-season home series record with Pittsburgh.Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
