Battered offensive line clears the way

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts offense has been playing at a record-setting pace. Not even a makeshift offensive line has been able to slow them down.\nAs Peyton Manning challenges the NFL's single-season touchdown record, Edgerrin James tries to complete his best season as a pro, and three wide receivers are on pace to top 1,000 yards, the Colts are again being forced to adjust their line.\nThis week they will likely play without starting center Jeff Saturday, who injured a tendon in his right calf and is expected to miss three to four weeks. Rick DeMulling will likely slide over from left guard to replace Saturday.\n"I played a little there during my rookie year, during the preseason and a little bit in practice," DeMulling said. "Jeff does it, so it can't be too tough."\nThis is not a new scenario for the Colts (8-3).\nThey've played the last two weeks without their two starting guards, DeMulling and Tupe Peko, and Indianapolis is again revising its plans.\nSaturday has been one of the Colts' steadiest linemen, starting 75 straight games at center before going down in the third quarter of Thursday's 41-9 rout of Detroit. DeMulling, in his fourth season, has started 38 NFL games -- none at center.\n"He'll do a great job," Saturday said. "He knows the system, he knows what he's doing. I have no doubt he'll perform well."\nThe difference for DeMulling on Sunday is that he'll be making the offensive line calls to protect Manning and pave the way for James instead of simply adjusting to them.\nSaturday's absence means the Colts are likely to play their third straight game with two rookie guards, Jake Scott and Ryan Lilja. Scott started the last three games in place of DeMulling, while Lilja has replaced Peko in the lineup the last two weeks.\nDeMulling said Monday the bruised chest that had kept him out of the lineup had healed. He's expected to spend most of this week working at center.\n"I played quite a bit there in preseason my rookie year and every day we do snaps in practice," he said. "If you're an inside player here, you rotate at all three positions."\nPerhaps that explains the Colts' remarkable success.\nSince 1998, they have not just played well, they have thrived with a group that includes few high draft picks and a handful of players who seemed to be misfits. Saturday and Lilja both entered the league as undrafted free agents, while DeMulling and Peko were both seventh round picks.\nManning has not been sacked more than 30 times in a season and three different runners have topped the 1,000-yard mark six times in the last seven years.