There aren’t many quarterbacks in the NFL who are more exciting to watch than Peyton Manning. Michael Vick is one of the few. Vick electrified the Eagles when he started filling in for the injured Kevin Kolb. He was then forced to miss time with his own injuries, but he returns to action on Sunday to face the Colts. We’re now right around the halfway point of the 2010 season, when we can really start to get a feel for who the real contenders are. Philadelphia and Indianapolis are two of them.
1. The Return of Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson
Michael Vick has missed several weeks after suffering a a rib injury. Kevin Kolb played well in Vick’s absence for the most part, with the exception of the loss to the Titans just before the bye week. That made Andy Reid’s decision a little easier, as he was probably leaning toward going back to Vick when he was cleared to play anyway. The Colts are decent against the pass but one of the worst in the league against the run. As we all know, Vick can hurt you with either when healthy.
Philadelphia could also receive a huge boost from the return of DeSean Jackson. Jackson suffered a concussion after taking a brutal hit week seven against the Falcons. He has reportedly passed all of his concussion tests and will play on Sunday, barring a setback. He and Vick should instantly improve the Eagles’ offense.
2. Can Jacob Tamme Repeat His Success?
Peyton Manning’s favorite target, Dallas Clark, is out for the season with a wrist injury. We already told you tight end Jacob Tamme would become a fantasy contributor in Clark’s absence, and so far we’re one-for-one with our prediction. Tamme caught six passes for 64 yards and his first career touchdown last weekend, but he did it against the league’s worst pass defense. Manning can make pretty much anyone look good, but it will be interesting to see if Tamme can get open against a better defense. I don’t think anyone expects him to be Dallas Clark, but if Tamme can catch four or five passes a game he could help fill a huge void in the Colts’ passing attack.
3. Who Will Run the Ball for the Colts?
There isn’t a team in the NFL with a more banged up backfield than the Indianapolis Colts. It appears Joseph Addai will sit out again this weekend with a shoulder injury. Donald Brown, who has missed time and been limited by a hamstring injury, will likely have to shoulder the load against the Eagles. Mike Hart had been doing a quality job filling in for Addai and Brown but is now nursing an ankle injury and may also miss Sunday’s game. With Brown likely not at 100 percent and two of the Colts top three running backs missing practice, rookie Javarris James will likely have to contribute to the running game.
We touched on this quite a bit in our “Three Things to Watch” section, but here’s a quick summary. The backfield is hurting. Joseph Addai probably will not play with his shoulder injury and Mike Hart may also sit out with an ankle injury. Look for Donald Brown to get plenty of touches. Anthony Gonzalez is battling yet another knee injury and there are rumors that it may cost him the rest of the season. That’s something the Colts have grown accustomed to. Austin Collie returned to practice in a limited role with his hand injury, but his status is uncertain. Robert Mathis missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury. The Colts will need their edge rushers if they want to contain Vick.
If Vick is close to 100 percent and DeSean Jackson is able to return, the Eagles are getting healthy at the right time. There was some speculation that cornerback Ellis Hobbs had been demoted since he didn’t appear on the injury report, but Andy Reid is now saying he’s battling a strained hip flexor. No team wants to be short any corners when facing Peyton Manning. Aside from Hobbs, the bye week seems to have done a lot of good for the Eagles’ health.
Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne are must starts, as usual. Wayne is going to continue to see increased looks with Clark and Gonzalez out and Collie nursing a hand injury. Donald Brown could be a sleeper this week as the Colts are lacking another option. The Eagles rank 18th in the NFL against the run and Brown should receive plenty of touches if Addai and Hart sit out. As we mentioned before, tight end Jacob Tamme could be worth another start. Peyton Manning likes to throw to the tight end, and if Tamme can handle the looks he could turn into a top-10 tight end the rest of the way.
The Colts haven’t been able to stop the run, so LeSean McCoy is a must start this week. DeSean Jackson is always a big-play threat, but who knows if he’ll have any type of hangover from the concussion. I’d consider him a WR3 this week. Vick is a risky play because we don’t know how healthy he truly is. As we all know, he needs to be able to run the ball to be successful. He usually doesn’t shy away from contact but I doubt the coaching staff will want him going head first into anyone and risking another injury.
The Colts benefited from facing the worst pass defense in the league on Monday night. They were able to throw the ball at will against the Texans despite their numerous injuries. The Eagles defense is much better than Houston’s and they should do a better job of exploiting Indy’s weaknesses. A lack of depth at running back and injuries to their receiving corps should lead to the Colts struggling a bit on the road.
