So much for being hindered by the dreaded injury bug. Despite one grim piece of news after another on the injury front last week, the Colts somehow managed to win their 17th straight regular-season game Sunday — good for the third-longest run in league history. After placing starting SLB Tyjuan Hagler and Pro Bowl SS Bob Sanders on injured reserve with ruptured biceps, doing the same thing with starting CB Marlin Jackson after he suffered a left knee injury during a non-contact drill in a midweek practice last week, and letting it be known that both CB Kelvin Hayden and WR Anthony Gonzalez would remain out for prolonged stretches with knee issues, the Colts had every reason to feel down and out entering their key divisional tilt Sunday at home against the up-and-coming Texans.

But after Kris Brown’s 42-yard field-goal attempt sailed just wide of the left upright in the waning seconds, the Colts couldn’t have felt more rejuvenated following an uplifting 20-17 victory. But with the archrival Patriots on tap this coming Sunday evening, the fear that the Colts’ injuries will catch up to them lingers, as the team’s depth has become paper-thin with the second half of the season about to begin. Although CBs Jerraud Powers (10 tackles and an interception vs. Houston) and Jacob Lacey (nine tackles) and SS Melvin Bullitt (seven tackles) continue to perform remarkably well in starting roles in place of Hayden, Jackson and Sanders, the Colts’ secondary does appear to be playing with fire. That Houston converted 10-of-11 third-down conversions in one stretch Sunday was not lost on concerned team observers.

The PFW spin

Fear not, says Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, who very quietly is doing as good a job as any head coach in the league. In his Monday press briefing, Caldwell made a point of saying that he does not consider Powers and Lacey to be rookies. “We don’t allow them to use inexperience as an excuse, and they have stepped up,” Caldwell said.

But could it be asking too much for these youngsters to continue performing like seasoned veterans? At the very least, the secondary’s depth is a major cause for concern because of the trickle-down effect it creates on special teams. All of the aforementioned players (Bullitt is the special-teams co-captain) normally play key roles on special teams, but those roles have been lessened with the additional focus on their starting roles.

The saving grace, however, could be the special teams’ ability this season to perform at peak efficiency week in and week out under first-year special-teams coach Ray Rychleski, who is said to have made a major difference with his rah-rah college approach and attention to detail. Rychleski's handiwork was in evidence on a few occasions yesterday, with subtle moves he employed becoming key factors right up to Brown’s failed FG attempt at the end of the game. On that play, Lacey laid out on his rush and, according to teammate Cody Glenn, who had earlier blocked a Brown FG attempt, caused the Houston kicker to push his final kick just enough to keep the Colts perfect.

One other encouraging note on the Colts amid all the injury-induced pessimism: When it absolutely had to yesterday, the team’s suspect ground game got the job done, which is something it is going to have to continue doing as the season wears on.

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