Colts’ fans everywhere know this isn’t ideal. Sure most NFL fans would be ecstatic to be in the Colts’ position – the AFC’s lone undefeated team on a 16-game regular-season winning streak but this week in a word…SUCKED.

In Sunday’s win over the 49ers, Bob Sanders tore his biceps tendon and is now lost for the season. What a tease! Sanders missed the first five games of this season after undergoing offseason knee surgery. He returned to play against the Rams and 49ers before injuring the biceps tendon in the latest injury that will end his season.

Wait there’s more. Cornerback Kelvin Hayden is expected to miss up to a month with a knee injury. The Colts play the Texans, the Pansies- whoops I mean Patriots, and the Ravens, all teams with good quarterbacks.

Oh- you thought that was bad. Hang on. Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday that will sideline him two to three weeks. Gonzalez suffered a setback in practice that led to surgery to clean out loose particles in his right knee. Pretty sure he shouldn’t have been practicing.

Ok so now to the Texans game right? No more injuries this week right? Sorry there’s more. Cornerback Marlin Jackson tore his ACL in practice Wednesday and has been placed on the season-ending injured reserve list. This is where it starts to get eerie. Jackson tore the ACL on the final play of practice and is expected to have surgery next week. The FINAL PLAY OF PRACTICE! Dude you were almost home free!

Oh I almost forgot the Colts will be without starting linebacker Tyjuan Hagler, who is out for the rest of the year with a ruptured biceps. Hagler was one of the main reasons the Colts run defense had been playing at such a high level.

Add all of those injuries together and you’ve got one depleted defense. With a 5-3 record the Houston Texans are off to their best start in franchise history. Matt Schaub leads an offense that has already matched a franchise record set last season with four 400-yard games. He has also thrown a career high 16 TDs.

Working in the Colts’ favor however is the fact that Tight end Owen Daniels, with his 40 receptions, 519 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns, will miss the rest of the season after tearing a knee ligament last week.

Also working for us…we have #18.  Coming off a lackluster performance against San Fran Manning should be fired up for a win against a divison opponent. A division opponent that he seems to own. Indianapolis is 13-1 all-time against Houston with the loss coming on a last-second field goal in 2006. Manning has been lights out against the Texans, passing for 3,859 yards with 33 TDs and only 5 INTs.  He has 17 TD passes and one pick in the last seven meetings.

It’s not time to hit the panic button yet Colts fans but I do think the scared button is getting some use in Indy this week. I think the Colts will handle the Texans as always but one more injury might signal the beginning of the end.