Colts hopeful to get back 3 key defenders

[Jetfan13]

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts are hoping to get three key defenders back this week to face the Jets, but coach Jim Caldwell hardly exuded confidence about them yesterday.

Linebacker Clint Session, defensive tackle Dan Muir and left cornerback Kelvin Hayden -- three starters -- are trying to make it back for Saturday's AFC wild-card matchup here.

Session is nursing an elbow injury, Muir has a chest issue and Hayden is battling a neck ailment. Asked about all three facing the Jets, the famously wooden Caldwell was even quieter than usual yesterday.

"Not real sure yet," Caldwell said before Session was scheduled to a small amount of work in yesterday's practice here.

Session missed the final nine regular-season games, Muir was absent for the last two and Hayden the final five.

Tyjuan Hagler is Session's backup. Muir has rookie Ricardo Mathews behind him, and Justin Tryon likely would start if Hayden can't go at corner.

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The Colts think they dodged a bullet with linebacker Gary Brackett , who was sweating out a potential suspension after a helmet-to-helmet hit last Sunday.

Indianapolis' defensive captain already has been fined twice this season for illegal hits, and there was thought a third incident could get him booted against the Jets. But suspensions usually are announced early in the week, and Brackett's name has not been called.

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Caldwell said he is especially concerned with Jets RB Shonn Greene because the Colts are undersized on defense.

"Obviously he is highly productive like a lot of backs we've seen, but he is more of a powerful, brutish runner," Caldwell said. "He is one of those guys who runs extremely well behind his pads. He can wear you down."

Greene had two 100-yard rushing games in the playoffs last year before being held to just 41 yards by Indianapolis in the AFC title game.

"He is just as strong at the end of the game as he was at the beginning of the game and seems to be getting stronger," Caldwell said. "He is more of a power runner than what we've faced in recent times."

[Bleedin Green]

Greene had two 100-yard rushing games in the playoffs last year before being held to just 41 yards by Indianapolis in the AFC title game.

Wow, that is some horrible, lazy reporting. Clearly the writer couldn't be bothered to do anything but look at the box score and see what the Colts "held him" to. Greene was running over Colts defenders left and right before he got hurt and knocked out of the game, which ultimately put a screeching halt to the Jets entire offense in that game.

[BroadwayJoe12]

Greene had two 100-yard rushing games in the playoffs last year before being held to just 41 yards by Indianapolis in the AFC title game.

"He is just as strong at the end of the game as he was at the beginning of the game and seems to be getting stronger," Caldwell said. "He is more of a power runner than what we've faced in recent times."

He was held to 41 yards on 10 carries, because he had to leave the game with a rib injury and we had to ride behind TJ's ~2 yards per carry the rest of the game. The complete magnitude of the game changed with that injury and I look forward to seeing what he can do this game.

Also, really hope Tamme or White doesn't do to us what Garcon did...11 catches for 153 yards. I remembered how brutal that second half was to watch.

[Bleedin Green]

He was held to 41 yards on 10 carries, because he had to leave the game with a rib injury and we had to ride behind TJ's ~2 yards per carry the rest of the came. The complete magnitude of the game changed with that injury and I look forward to seeing what he can do this game.

Also, really hope Tamme or White doesn't do to us what Garcon did...11 catches for 153 yards. I remembered how brutal that second half was to watch.

While the Jets obviously have had some problems over the middle this year, and will need to take care of that, I don't think we'll see anything like we did with Garcon last year. Consider at that point, Sheppard was in the dog house and wasn't even active, and both Strickland and Lowery got hurt in that game (although Lowery did come back). Coleman had to play a ton of snaps and wasn't playing nearly as well last year as he has been this year, and there was nobody beyond him. Now you've got Cromartie who's far better than any of those guys, Wilson who has shown improvement, Coleman who's significantly better this year, and Cole who's been getting some real time at CB the past few weeks and playing well. It's always tough against Manning for sure, and it won't always be pretty, but the Jets aren't in the kind of position where they're going to let something like that happen again.