Who needs band aids?

There's a new trend thats been sweeping the NFL this year. That trend is injuries. Star players have gone down early this year and that is really having a major affect on the league. I'm sure that you've heard about most of the big ones already.

Tom Brady is done for the year with a knee injury leaving behind some Shaq sized shoes for Matt Cassell to fill. Shawn Merriman has been trying to battle through a knee injury but it's showing its effects. But arguably no team has been hurt as bad this year so far by injuries as the Indianapolis Colts. Peyton Manning didn't take one snap in the preseason and it took him about a game and a half to get back into the flow of the game. Too bad that the Colts suffered a blowout loss to the Bears during that time and they just survived a major scare from the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday.

But they were missing more than just a prepared Peyton Manning. Center Jeff Saturday is out for a few weeks and and that leaves them very susceptible to any kind of blitz up the middle. They lost another offensive lineman which forced them to start a rookie. During the bears game, tight end Dallas Clark got injured and he missed the second half of the Bears game and the Vikings game. Him being out eliminates one of the most dynamic and versatile tight ends in the league.

And just this sunday they suffered another big blow, this time on defense. Pro bowl safety Bob Sanders is going to be out for 4 to 6 weeks. Without him, it is going to be much harder for the Colts defense to do its job. Sanders is a key factor on that defense in stuffing the run and in defending the pass. Right now, I don't have confidence in the Colts defense to effectively do its job with out their leader.

Granted, whenever Peyton Manning is in the lineup, there is always a chance they can win. But if your defense can't stop anybody, that puts a lot of pressure on that offense and Peyton Manning, and they are going to have to show the NFL that they can step it up and still convincingly win games before the name "Indianapolis Colts" gives anyone the shivers again.