WR Wayne is expected to play Sunday despite knee injury

All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney is still questionable for Sunday’s Super Bowl game against the New Orleans Saints; another Colts starter got a scaring injury during Friday’s practice. It was wide receiver Reggie Wayne who had to leave practice 20 minutes early after hurting his right knee.

Coach Jim Caldwell said Wayne hurt the soft tissue below his kneecap. Wayne is listed as probable and Caldwell plans on him playing against the Saints in his No. 7 Colts jersey. Wayne got through the injury most of the season, and Friday’s hurt aggravated the injury.

Freeney continued missing practice and the Colts remain uncertain whether he would play the game. As Freeney said he would test the ankle Friday, Caldwell said Freeney might do some running or participate in a simulated practice later in the day. It’s likely that Freeney could work out Saturday.

Colts owner can’t wait to give Manning contract extension

Unlike other players’ requests for extension to be considered, negotiated or delayed, Peyton Manning’s contract extension could be what the Indianapolis Colts are eager to do now to keep the four-time MVP in his No. 18 Colts jersey.

With Manning’s contract to expire after the 2010 season, the Colts owner Jim Irsay made it clear that he wants to extend the deal as soon as possible.

“With one year to go, even having the franchise tag and all that sort of thing, we’d like to get something done, sooner than later,” Irsay said. “So once the season ends, we’re going to be talking about that and hopefully getting something done before next season begins. It’s something that’s going to get done; so honestly, those aren’t the ones you worry about.”

Just think about the records 34-year-old Manning has set and Irsay would like to keep the quarterback in Indianapolis for the rest of his career. Manning has won a record number of MVPs and one Super Bowl MVP. He is one of four quarterbacks to throw for more than 50,000 yards, and has third all-time in career TD passes with 366 and started 209 consecutive games including the playoffs.

I guess any owner of any team would like to keep a player like Manning by offering him the league-highest pay.

Peyton Manning has record-season again

Peyton Manning is the key to keep the Indianapolis Colts jersey hot on sale. Never failing his fans, he just keeps breaking records just as an excellent quarterback should achieve in his 12th season of NFL career. New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan’s wish to Santa Claus of making Manning not to play Sunday’s game shows how much threaten the star quarterback means to rivals.

Breaking John Unitas’ franchise record for wins, passing Fran Tarkenton for third on the all-time touchdown list, moving past Warren Moon and John Elway for third on the career completions chart, Manning now needs to throw only 159 yards on Sunday’s game to be become the fourth member of the NFL’s 50,000-yard club. Very likely he will achieve that for sure, if he plays enough time.

With the Indianapolis Colts wrapping up the AFC’s top seed two weeks ago, the team may feel it necessary to keep their starters healthy for the playoffs, so it remains unsure how long Manning will play this Sunday and whether it will be long enough for him to throw as many as 159 yards.

Six Colts players skipped Tuesday practice because of injuries

While the Indianapolis Colts Coach Jim Caldwell insisted that his healthy starters will all put on their Colts jerseys to play this Thursday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, several of them have missed Tuesday practice because of injuries.

Those injured players playing last Sunday’s game but missing Tuesday practice included Pro Bowl defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, both were supposed to be the starter with the Colts for Thursday’s game. The others were cornerback Jerraud Powers, safety Antoine Bethea, defensive lineman Eric Foster and left tackle Charlie Johnson.

Another four players did not play last Sunday’s game and continued missing practice. They were Anthony Gonzalez with knee injury, kicker Adam Vinatieri with knee injury, running back Donald Brown with chest injury and safety Aaron Francisco with ankle injury.

Unbeaten Colts unsurprisingly won their 12th game by beating Titans 27-17

Already being the best always urges you to keep being the best, and that may be why the Indianapolis Colts still keep their winning streak. Sunday night’s 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans marked the Colts’ 21st consecutive regular-season win.

And without exception, they set records. This time there were four: matching the New England Patriots’ record of winning consecutive regular-season games set from 2006 to 2008; breaking their own NFL record of 6 consecutive 12-win seasons- they now have seven such seasons; remaining undefeated along with the New Orleans Saints and it was for the first time two teams remain unbeaten this late in the season; tying the 1990s San Francisco 49ers’ record of most wins in a decade with winning 113 game totally.

Those records have seemed commonplace to those who wear Colts jerseys. They celebrate the win just as they usually did: strolling toward midfield and then shaking hands and trotting into the locker rooms. But something should be different. The Titans was the last team to beat the Colts in 2008 and have hoped to end Colts’ winning streak and keep their own winning streak, but failed. That is another story to tell.

Colts DE Freeney returned to practice and may play Sunday

After missing last week’s game against the Houston Texans, the Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney returned to practice Thursday in his Colts jersey and is expected to play his role in this Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

And he may be able to cooperate with cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who practiced Thursday for the second straight day since he injured a knee four weeks ago. While Freeney only missed last week’s game with an abdominal injury, Hayden has missed as many as four straight games. So returning of both players may bring more advantages to the 11-0 Colts in this Sunday’s game.

Perhaps we should not be very optimistic as seven of the Colts’ 23 players on its practice report did not appear in practice for both Wednesday and Thursday, including wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, kicker Adam Vinatieri, running back Donald Brown, defensive tackle Keyunta Dawson and left tackle Charlie Johnson.

Where is your favorite player in Pro Bowl votes rank?

With three weeks to go and 2010 Pro Bowl voting still continuing on NFL.com/probowl, are you aware where is your favorite player in the votes rank now? If you are a fan of Peyton Manning, you will be glad to know that the quarterback wearing No. 18 Indianapolis Colts jersey is now ranking No.1 with 853,565 votes.

The top three are all quarterbacks, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is ranking second with 848,624 votes and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre is ranking the third with 840,498 votes.

The other players ranking top 10 are: the fourth Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, the fifth Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the sixth New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the seventh Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson, the eighth Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark, the ninth Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson and the tenth Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

Fans can buy tickets to the 2010 Pro Bowl at www.NFL.com/probowl and www.TICKETMASTER.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

Tony Dungy will lead communication between NFL and its players

Tony Dungy, retiring as coach of the Indianapolis Colts after last season, is now a special adviser to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. And he will also take a lead role in improving communication between the league and players by leading a new NFL player advisory forum.

The forum will meet with players, who wore or wear NFL jerseys, about league policies, programs and issues that affect their lives on and off the field, including player health and safety, personal conduct, game rules and procedures, career transition and player development. Both Goodell and union officials have been invited to attend the meetings.

Dungy expects as many as 50 players from all age groups will take part in the meetings. By so far it has been confirmed that Pro Bowl players Kurt Warner, Ray Lewis and Brian Dawkins are among the players to attend.

Colts Safety Bob Sanders was put on IR

The two-time Pro Bowler Bob Sanders will not be able to play for the Indianapolis Colts for the rest of the season as he has been placed on injured reserve list on Friday because of torn left bicep.

Sanders tore his left bicep while playing against the San Francisco 49ers last weekend and will need surgery. It is just two weeks after he returned to the Colts’ lineup. Having missing all of the training camp and the first five games of the year after an offseason knee surgery, Sanders has totally missed 40 of 87 games during his six-year NFL career because of injuries.

Along with Sanders, cornerback Marlin Jackson was placed on the IR on the same day. He hurt his left knee while playing against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 4 and had been rehabbing it, but unfortunately he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to the same knee during a non-contact drill Wednesday and would not wear back his Colts jersey again for the remaining season.

Colts QB Manning led a 23-15 win over Vickless Eagles

On Thursday night’s preseason game the Indianapolis Colts playing against the Philadelphia Eagles, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw two touchdown passes in three series before leaving and played a most important role in Colts win over the Eagles, something rarely happened to the Colts.

As a three-time league MVP, Manning‘s good performance was not really a surprise. He managed to finish 10 of 14 for 167 yards with two touchdowns in less than 11 minutes and proved that he has played long enough in colts jersey to get into a steady rhythm. His backup Curtis Painter also did not do bad job, finishing with 11 of 19 for 116 yards with one interception and leading the team to three field goals.

As for the Eagles, four of their five projected offensive line starters were not available for playing in the game. Starting running back Brian Westbrook did not perform well and starting fullback Leonard Weaver injured knee in the first quarter. Newly signed quarterback Michael Vick was not eligible to play in the preseason game yet. The first score came when DeSean Jackson split two defenders down the middle of the field and Donovan McNabb threw a perfect 39-yard strike for the TD to make it 14-7, but the team failed to gain another score until Adam DiMichele found Brandon Gibson for a 21-yard TD with only 26 seconds left.