Injuries Force Three Colts Starters Out Of Practice Wednesday

NFL News - January 21st, 2010 - Written by John

Injuries are indiscriminate. They happen. Regardless of whether a team sits it's starters to arrive unharmed to the NFL Playoffs in hopes of a safe path to the Super Bowl.

The Indianapolis Colts, despite practicing that method at the end of the regular season, should know.

Their injury report is down to only 18 players, but they will come into the AFC Championship a little banged up after a rough meeting with the Baltimore Ravens and may have to do without three more starters against the New York Jets.

Cornerback Jerraud Powers was held out of practice Wednesday to nurse a foot injury, and is questionable for the game against the Jets. Powers started last week's divisional round game, and has started in 12 of Indianapolis' first 13 games.

Tight end Dallas Clark and Antoine Bethea were also held out for parts of the practice. Bethea has the most to be concerned about between the two after crash landing on his lower back during an interception last week. Clark is simply weathered from an undisclosed illness.

Bethea and Powers have been two of the most critical players in the 2009 NFL Season, mainly because the secondary has been ravaged by injuries from the start. The Colts lost All-Pro safety Bob Sanders for the year, then said goodbye to Marlin Jackson, as well. Still, Indianapolis was 14th in pass defense in the regular season, and only allowed three points to Baltimore when no defender had more than seven tackles.

The duo both had interceptions in that game in which the Colts forced four turnovers.