Colts defeat Broncos 38-20; lose Harrison, Morris to injuries

For the third consecutive year, the Indianapolis Colts are 4-0. But Sunday’s 38-20 home win against the Denver Broncos came at a price. \nPro Bowl wide receiver Marvin Harrison and starting linebacker Rob Morris suffered injuries during the first half, causing them to leave the game. Morris had a brace placed on his strained left knee and was carted off the field near the end of the half. \nHarrison bruised his thigh in the first quarter, returned to action, then left the field for the locker room. Neither returned to play. \nColts coach Tony Dungy said he is unsure of Morris and Harrison’s status and said he is not too concerned. \n“I never really worry till we get the (official) word,” Dungy said.\nColts quarterback Peyton Manning said Harrison must have experienced serious pain if it caused him to leave the game. \n“He’s not a drama guy,” Manning said. “He’s a guy that’s played through a ton of injuries and that’s played hurt a lot but doesn’t want anybody to know it. I just hope he can get back, but there’s no question that it’s different when he’s not out there.”\nRunning back Joseph Addai left the game in the fourth quarter with a sore shoulder, and starting safety Bob Sanders left the game with bruised ribs. Dungy said Addai was ready to play, but the Colts coaching staff didn’t want to risk it. \n“It just seemed like everyone was dropping like flies,” said Colts tight end Dallas Clark, who caught two touchdowns in the win. “You don’t want it to be you, and you just hope that everyone that’s hurt, it isn’t serious.”\nThe Colts managed to overcome the injuries – and a 131-yard day from Broncos running back Travis Henry – to cap a perfect September.\nHenry’s dominance put the Colts in an early hole. In the first quarter alone, Henry rushed for 67 yards on nine carries, which set up a Jason Elam field goal and a Jay Cutler touchdown pass to put Denver up 10-0. \nBut on the Colts’ second possession, Addai barreled over defenders en route to a 14-yard touchdown run. \nAnother Elam field goal increased Denver’s lead to six before Manning hooked up with an outstretched Clark to put the Colts up 14-13. \nAfter the touchdown grab, Clark spiked the ball in the end zone and the ball bounced up in the stands. The only problem? Clark likes to keep all of his touchdown balls for his personal collection. \n“I was sitting there and I didn’t really know, do I have the right to ask for it back?” Clark said. \nClark asked a fan for the ball back and at the end of the game gave the man an officially licensed ball – just not the touchdown one. \n“Hopefully I get to the point, like Marv(in Harrison) and those guys, where it’s old hat. But it hasn’t got like that,” Clark said. \nWith Harrison out, Clark lined up in an unfamiliar wide-out position and created a mismatch for the Broncos defense. Denver sent linebackers and defensive backs to cover Clark, including Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey. \nBut Clark made them pay. \nHe ran a fade route against Broncos linebacker Ian Gold for his second touchdown grab of the day in the third quarter and burned Bailey on a 27-yard catch that helped put the Colts in position for a 5-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Reggie Wayne.\nClark finished the night with six catches for 76 yards and two scores.\n“It’s nice to have a guy like Dallas that presents that X-factor – that challenges them to think how they’re going to play it,” Manning said. “When you have a tight end that can get open on a good cover corner, that tells you you’ve got a guy that’s very versatile.”