Peyton Manning is healthy enough to start playing games.
Now the Colts must find out how well his left knee will hold up to the hits.
Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy reiterated Monday that Manning would probably start Sunday night's season-opener against Chicago, perfect timing for a starting offence that failed to score a single touchdown in five pre-season games.......................................
..............The bigger concern may be the battered offensive line.
Pro Bowl centre Jeff Saturday, who makes the offensive line calls in the no-huddle offence, could miss at least six weeks after injuring a ligament in his right knee..............................
.................. Also out will be left guard Ryan Lilja, who was placed on the physically unable to perform list Saturday, and Mike Pollak, the Colts' second-round pick who was battling three-year veteran Charlie Johnson for the vacant right guard spot..................................
......................."The thing about it is you can't overblow the situation," Dungy said. "The guys have to feel like they can do their job. We played with three rookies on the line against Detroit on Thanksgiving a couple of years ago, and they did their job and we put up a lot of points."
Now, though, they will be protecting Manning against a defense that typically ranks among the league's best units - and one that will try to hit Manning hard.
"We'll bump him up a little bit in practice this week," Dungy said. "But it's not like we want him getting hit anyway."