According to Phil Richards of the Indy Star, and the updates from our own shake n bake, Bob Sanders practiced three times this week. He even practiced on Friday, and if you know the Colts you know that when people practice on Friday, chances are they play on Sunday. In addition, if players do not practice on Friday, it is often a pretty safe bet they will get scratched Sunday.
For the Colts, it looks like both Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are out for Sunday. Marlin's knee is acting up and Kelvin is still battling his hamstring pull. This means Tim Jennings starting (again) and Jacob Lacey playing nickel back.
With such injuries, the return of Bob would give the secondary, and the defense in general, a big lift. Already, even without Bob, the defense is having fun again. Larry Coyer has added some interesting wrinkles that have many Colts veterans buzzing around like kids wired on candy. From the Indy Star:
"I feel like a rookie right now. I'm running around and having fun," said left end Robert Mathis, a seven-year veteran.
"I'm moving from linebacker to D-tackle to defensive end," defensive lineman Raheem Brock said. "I'm moving all over the place and it's fun for me. The whole D-line is having fun with it."
Now, I realize I've been a bit of a grump with Bob Sanders of late. I don't "hate on Bob." I've just grown tired of the injuries. And not just little bumps and bruises, but injuries that force him to miss significant time. Meanwhile, players like Melvin Bullitt play the exact same position and (shock!) don't get hurt to the same degree as Bob does. In addition, Bullitt's production is on par with Bob's, and the defense overall hasn't missed a beat.
So, yeah. Bob consistently getting hurt is just plain friggin annoying.
But even though I am annoyed with Bob's frequency in the training room, I'm not stupid. Bob Sanders is a difference maker on the field, and if the Colts can get him into a big game, he almost always has a big impact. And if Jim Caldwell has him practicing three times in one week, I think it is likely we will see Bob Sanders make an appearance on Sunday.