QUARTERBACK

Peyton Manning is coming off one of the finest seasons of his 12-year career. He completed 393 of 571 passes for 4,500 yards (second in NFL), 33 touchdowns (second) with 16 interceptions, resulting his NFL record fourth MVP award. No quarterback is better at reading defenses, finding weaknesses and distributing the ball – he had five receivers with 47 catches or more last season. He’s been durable, having started 192 consecutive games, second only to Brett Favre’s 285. But Manning has shown some wear in recent years, including offseason neck surgery. His backup, Curtis Painter, who looked mediocre as a rookie last season, completing 8 of 28 passes for 83 yards and two interceptions, must improve.

Grade: A

RUNNING BACK

Joseph Addai had a resurgence last season, rushing for 828 yards and 10 touchdowns, and getting career-high 51 receptions for 336 yards and three touchdowns, after the Colts drafted a running back (Donald Brown). Addai runs the Colts’ signature stretch play well and his blocking is solid. Brown showed the flashes that made him a first-round pick – he had 281 yards and three touchdowns on 78 carries – but he was banged up much of the year and didn’t seem to master the offense. Brown will get more touches this season, giving the Colts a decent two-pronged attack, after they ranked last with 80.9 rushing yards per game last season.

Grade: C

WIDE RECEIVER

Quite possibly the NFL’s deepest receiving corps, the Colts are led by Reggie Wayne, who reeled in 100 catches for a career-best 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns, and went to his fourth straight Pro Bowl last season. Pierre Garcon (47 catches, 765 yards, four touchdowns) will usually play opposite Wayne, while the slots will be occupied by Austin Collie (51 catches, 336 yards, three touchdowns) and Anthony Gonzalez, who missed most of last season with a knee injury. The options are limitless here, and the receivers’ only drawback is they aren’t the greatest blockers for the run game.

Grade: A

TIGHT ENDS

Dallas Clark’s 100 catches, tops among tight ends last season, for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns, established him as one of the the best at his position. With the rare ability to line up in the slot or on the line, Clark’s speed and sure-handedness have made him Manning’s go-to guy in key situations. He’s also a solid blocker. Beyond Clark, the Colts’ tight ends are relatively unproven, though fifth-round pick Brody Eldridge from Oklahoma received rave reviews in training camp. His experience in college as a center and guard mean his value is in blocking as much as passing. Gijon Robinson has a knack for getting open, but also for dropping passes, while Jacob Tamme has been slow to develop.

Grade: A

OFFENSIVE LINE

The offensive line was in flux before training camp even began, and then its most dependable piece, center Jeff Saturday, underwent knee surgery that could keep him out this week. If there’s a concern on offense, it’s on the line. Ryan Diem is a solid right tackle, although prone to taking penalties. Charlie Johnson is a capable left tackle but not the long-term answer. After years of failing at several spots, the injured Tony Ugoh (foot) was waived Wednesday. If Saturday cannot play, Mike Pollak will probably be the guy in the middle, while Jamey Richard could get a shot at left guard. Rookie Jeff Linkenbach could see time at tackle. Kyle DeVan is the right guard.Almost every lineman has battled injuries recently. Still, the Colts always seem to find the right combination on the line – Manning was sacked 10 times last season, fewest among starting quarterbacks – and the pressure is on new line coach Pete Metzelaars to keep that going.

Grade: C

DEFENSIVE LINE

When it comes to rushing the passer, the Colts are blessed to have the most menacing combination in the NFL. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis combined for 23 sacks last season, including Freeney’s career-best 13 1/2 . Freeney’s spin move off the line is so good it often draws double teams from opposing teams. Mathis’ speed is so stellar that even if he’s driven to the outside, he can still often recover and obstruct a quarterback’s throws. And Mathis can be used as a linebacker in a 3-4 alignment. But the middle of the defensive line is suspect and the reason the Colts were 24th against the run last season (126.5 yards per game). Incumbent starters Antonio Johnson and Daniel Muir combined for 81 solo tackles, and both are stout at about 311 pounds, but they struggle to react to the jukes of opposing running backs.

Grade: B

LINEBACKERS

Defensive captain and middle linebacker Gary Brackett racked up a career-high 81 solo tackles last season. While his strength is thinking the game – he calls the defensive alignments – his 5-foot-11, 235-pound size means he can’t be left to one-on-one tackling against bigger running backs. Clint Session is one of the hardest hitters in the league, with 148 solo tackles and four forced fumbles over the last two years, but his aggressiveness can cost the Colts in pass defense. Philip Wheeler is the weak link. He’s got good size (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) and good speed, but he sometimes takes too long to react and gets caught for big-yardage runs. Rookie Pat Angerer will probably get some playing time; he had 145 combined tackles last season at Iowa.

Grade: C

SECONDARY

After missing 27 games over the last two years, former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders is back from injury. The hard-hitting safety gives the Colts a bevy of talent at this position. Antoine Bethea, who had 75 solo tackles and four interceptions, went to the Pro Bowl last season. Melvin Bullitt, whose role will likely be reduced to nickel and dime packages, had 97 tackles and four interceptions in Sanders’ absence and will be a capable fill-in should Sanders go down again. At cornerback, Kelvin Hayden is able to take on No. 1 receivers – he has seven interceptions and 29 pass deflections over the last three years – while second-year players Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey showed promise. Last season, the Colts ranked 14th against the pass (212.7 yard per game) and gave up a league-low 27 passes of more than 20 yards. Those in the secondary are also good at reacting to run plays. There is very little depth among the corners.

Grade: A

SPECIAL TEAMS

Adam Vinatieri’s durability has to be a question after he missed all but six games last season with a knee injury. He made 7 of 9 field goals before Matt Stover took over for him, and he has 22 game-winning field goals in the final minute of games in his career. Despite being 38, he still has the ability to make it from beyond 50 yards. Punter Pat McAfee averaged 44.3 yards, ranked 14th in the NFL, and he got great hang time on his kicks as a rookie. As a kickoff specialist, he added needed length. The Colts struggled returning kicks and punts last season, and they’re continuing to audition candidates for the role. Devin Moore will likely be the guy.

Grade: B

COACHING

Jim Caldwell’s first season as head coach couldn’t have gone much better. He helped the team to a 14-0 start, before he opted not to chase the perfect season, and he got the Colts to the Super Bowl. Like his predecessor, Tony Dungy, Caldwell prides himself on his calm, his trust in his players and his ability to assign responsibility to his assistants. It paid off last season with the emergence of many youngsters in pivotal roles. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer’s attacking style was successful in his first season with the team; there was more blitzing and the run defense was improved. While Tom Moore remains on staff, Clyde Christensen takes over the offensive play calling. There shouldn’t be a noticeable difference. Metzelaars’ job may be the toughest with the uncertainty on the offensive line, but he had six years watching his predecessor, Howard Mudd.

Grade: B

Season prediction: 13-3

jcohn@jg.net