Indy’s on the losing end of injury bug
Every NFL team deals with key injuries. It just seems some are more afflicted than others, especially at certain positions.
First, there’s the Tennessee Titans, who host the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South matchup on Monday night. Titans quarterbacks this decade have been about as durable as patio umbrellas. The good news for Titans fans is that their third-year starter Marcus Mariota will start, according to Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky.
Mariota pulled a hamstring two weeks ago and missed last week’s loss at Miami. The Titans on Saturday officially listed Mariota as questionable.
Meanwhile, Indy seems to have perennial offensive line injury woes. Once one key starter returns, another goes down.
On Saturday, the Colts learned right guard Jack Mewhort, a fourth-year starter who dealt with a troublesome knee since summer, experienced increased swelling on Friday. A day later, the Colts placed Mewhort on injured reserve.
If the club designates him to return, Mewhort cannot play for at least eight weeks and cannot practise again for six weeks.
“He’s been battling for a long time with these things,” Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said. “It’s a tough deal, and I hate it, I hate it for Jack, and his teammates hate it because they’ve got a great respect for him.”
It was believed Mewhort might be improving until Thursday, when Pagano said Mewhort had sat out one practice a week for that purpose. Mewhort missed all but one of Indy’s final 10 games last season with a knee injury.
On Saturday, Pagano said, the Colts will choose from among backup Le’Raven Clark, Mike Person, Kyle Kalis and Isaiah Williams to replace Mewhort.
The Colts just got starting centre Ryan Kelly back last week after he missed Indy ’s first four games with a foot injury that required surgery. His first replacement, Deyshawn Bond, tore a quad in Week 4.
Not that the Titans defence is scaring anybody right now — it’s a surprise to see it ranked as high as 21st in total yards allowed.
Two weeks ago, Houston rookie Q B Deshaun Watson threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as the Texans won 57-14.
The Colts are still waiting for Andrew Luck to complete his now ninemonth rehab program after throwing-shoulder surgery in January. So Jacoby Brissett, the strong-armed second-year passer, will start for the fifth time. He’s 2-2.