Clearly, the Colts’ playbook will be drastically scaled back for however long Collins plays. Collins is a smart player who knows how to prepare himself, but the Colts are ill-equipped to change their fundamental nature quickly. Their running game, with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown (neither of whom reached 500 yards last year), is something of an annual adventure. Last year, the Colts ranked 28th in the N.F.L. in rushing attempts and 29th in rushing yards. This year is even harder to forecast because their offensive line is in flux.
The Colts are dependent on Manning and the points he produces; last year, the Colts ranked fourth in the league in points, averaging 27.2 a game, enabling them to win 10 games and their division even though they ranked 23rd in points allowed, with 24.2. That is especially bad news considering that after a Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns, they play one of the N.F.L’s perennial superpowers, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Colts have been fortunate for nearly 15 years to not have to think about a future without Manning.
But if he is not back by the time the Colts face the Steelers, the glance ahead will be unavoidable. And probably painful.