Luke Links: The "Emerging From Dark Days" Edition

This edition of Luke Links is dedicated to getting us all through the fourth (ok, technically, fifth) and final week of the 2010 NFL preseason.  For me, these have been dark days, in part because I just haven't caught enough of a glimpse to feel comfortable with our Day 1 offense.  But mostly they have been dark days because of all the injuries the team has already suffered prior to any meaningless game.  Gone to IR are promising TE Tom Santi, special teams ace S Jamie Silva, and intriguing prospect DB David Caldwell.  Already wounded are starters LT Charlie Johnson, C Jeff Saturday, TE Dallas Clark, LB Gary Brackett, CB Jerraud Powers and DT Antonio Johnson.

Thankfully none of these men has been declared lost for the season, and none has yet been placed on the PUP list, meaning there is still hope that all could appear in the Week 1 game at Houston.  So I am starting to peek from under my blanket, and although I expect the final preseason game against the Bengals to be equally ugly as the previous three, I know we are on our way to the light of the regular season.

FROM THE SADDLE
Official Team News

• John Oehser (Special to Colts.com)
  • Coach Caldwell with the understatement of the year
  • Coach tempers the panic a bit, too
  • Bill Polian thinks the umpire placement rule is a work in progress
  • Pat Angerer is getting more comfortable each time he steps onto the field
• Jake Thompson (Colts.com) recaps the game against Green Bay
• Videos / Media
  • Coach Caldwell's post-game press conference
  • Bob Lamey and Kevin Lee host Jim Caldwell, Pat Angerer, and Pierre Garcon
  • Sounds of the game, with Bob Lamey

GREEN APPLES AND ROAD APPLES
Positive and Negative Analysis

• Paul Kuharsky (ESPN)
  • offers his observations from the game
  • comments on the new umpire position rule
  • quotes Manning regarding his thoughts on the new umpire position
• Michael Marot (Associated Press) The Colts are coordinated on offense
• Matt Bowen (National Football Post) breaks down the Colts' offense
• Associated Press The Colts' franchise bucks the trend and increases in value
• Associated Press The Colts make a number of roster moves to trim to 75
• USA Today Anthony Gonzalez re-enters a crowded field
• Tom Pedulla (USA Today) This year is a fresh start for Adam Vinatieri
• Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) reveals what he learned from summer camps, including a lot of Colts mentions
• Sports Xchange has some personnel updates (including injury notes) on the Colts
• Phillip B. Wilson (Indy Star)
  • Gets to know Colin Cloherty
  • Gets to know Blair White
  • Catch up with Phil B.'s blog
• Mike Chappell (Indy Star)
  • Despite the outcomes, the Colts accomplish what they need to in preseason
  • Let's hope Mike's sources are good
  • The Colts make some roster moves in advance of the August 31 deadline to cut to 75
  • The return game is still a mess
  • Mike Chappell answers readers' questions
• Phil Richards (Indy Star)
  • Clint Session was eager to get back on the field
  • Peyton Manning doesn't like the new umpire positioning
• Bob Kravitz (Indy Star) wants the pain pills
• John Oesher (Indy Football Report, AOL Fanhouse)
  • takes a next-day look at the game
  • Clint Session is developing into an elite linebacker
  • The new umpire rule may impact the Colts' offense
  • Bill Polian doesn't think it will (for more rebuttal, check out Peter King's MMQB... he promised over the weekend that he would write about it)
    
• The Sports Xchange (ColtPower.com) The Colts are unconcerned with preseason records
• Brad Keller (ColtPower.com) evaluates which of the Colts' players might be high on your fantasy draft board... for the wrong reasons
• Larry Hawley (IndySportsNation.com) Bill Polian thinks they can work out the umpire problem
• Nate Dunlevy (18to88.com)
  • analyzes the 3rd preseason game
• Brett Mock (Coltzilla)
  • joins the group in reminding us to not panic
  • updates his roster prediction
• Greg Cowan (Coltzilla)
  • posts the first of a three-part series on whether a work stoppage will impact Manning's historic chase
• Robert Itoh (Coltzilla)
  • gives us 5 things he thinks he knows
  • offers up his own roster prediction
• TJ Higley (Coltzilla) posts a local TV special on Devin Moore
  

IN THE PADDOCK
News About This Week's Opponent

• Mike Vandermause (Green Bay Press Gazette) The Packers' defense left Manning speechless
• James Walker (ESPN)
  • reviews Cincinnati's game against the Bills
  • looks at the strange case of Antonio Bryant
• Joe Reedy (Cincinnati Enquirer)
  • The Bengals are hurting in their secondary
  • There were bright spots in the Bengals' loss to the Bills

OUTSIDE THE STABLE
Around the League

• Jim Wyatt (The Tennessean) A week after engaging in a "pillow fight" with the Jets, the Panthers seemingly did it again against the Titans
• Vito Stellino (Florida Times-Union) The Jaguars continue to be inconsistent in the preseason
• Richard Justice (Houston Chronicle) The Texans improved their game against the Cowboys
• Bob Raissman (NY Daily News) has an interesting idea to reduce expenses and increase revenue for the NFL