What to Watch This Weeks as the Colts ‘Prepare’ for Bengals

OK, OK, the Colts aren’t actually going to prepare to play the Bengals this week.   Nobody really does that these days, right.

Random Player:  “Who are we playing next week?”

Coach:  “The Bengals.”

Random Player:  “Cool!”

Coach: “See you Sunday morning.”

But the Colts still do have a lot of work to do before (and after) their last pre-season game.   Here are some stories to watch as the trip ti Cincinnati looms.

• Rosters will be cut from 90 to 80 on Tuesday, and some Colts who might be in trouble include Mike Hartline, Jerry Hughes and Chip Vaughn (UPDATE: Hartline and Vaughn are already gone!).
• Kerry Collins is presumably in line to get the start against Cincy, but team brass has been discussing this with the media over morning waffles after Curtis Painter’s performance on Friday.
• The offensive line continues to be in flux, though the picture is becoming clearer.   The current starter with the most to lose seems to be Ryan Diem, and rookie Ben Ijalana would like a seat at the table.
• There are a lot of bodies available for the backfield, and the Colts need to make some decisions there.   Addai is a given, but Donald Brown continues to fight Delone Carter in the pecking order, and others have made noise as well.
• The Colts’ free-agent signings on defense haven’t shown much during the pre-season, but LB Ernie Sims looked decent in his first action against the Packers.   Expect to see more work from Sims, Tommie Harris and Jamaal Anderson against Cincy.
• Cornerback is still a thin position, and Kelvin Hayden is still out there.   Could the Colts bring him back on the cheap?
• We in the fanbase could get a shot of confidence, though artificial, when Peyton Manning is activated soon.   Just remember that activation doesn’t necessarily mean playing time.