Dallas Clark

In a game for early control of the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts showed they're still in charge by dominating every facet of the game in a 29-7 win over the Jaguars (4-2) last night. Peyton Manning had plenty of time to pick apart the secondary, Joseph Addai came up with a big fourth-down run and the defense overwhelmed a surprisingly pass-happy Jaguars offense. Manning (23-for-37, 259 yards) threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark in the fourth quarter. He also ran for a 1-yard score in the second quarter and Kenton Keith scored on a 3-yarder in the first quarter.

Tony Gonzalez, Falcons: Showed no signs of slowing down with 96 catches and 10 TDs last season at age 32. He should make quarterback Matt Ryan's life even better, especially in the red zone. Antonio Gates, Chargers: Gets into the end zone more than most at this position and seems to be as healthy as he's been in a few years. San Diego ought to be the class of a bad AFC West, and Gates, thanks to Gonzalez' departure, will be the top tight end in the conference. Jason Witten, Cowboys: No T.O. should mean more opportunities - and less drama - for Witten.

The Indianapolis Colts' injury problems still could be lingering by training camp this summer. President Bill Polian said yesterday he does not expect perennial Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison, Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders or former sacks champion Dwight Freeney to be ready to start training camp. All have had surgery, and Polian insists the team shouldn't bring them back before they're healthy. The three biggest names aren't the only ones who could land on the physically unable to perform list this summer.

While celebrities were making a Hollywood-style grand entrance in Miami, Peyton Manning slipped in a side door. Manning threw two touchdown passes to take some sheen off the Dolphins' glitzy makeover under new owner Stephen Ross, and the Indianapolis Colts came from behind four times to win 27-23 last night. The Dolphins rolled out an orange carpet for the pregame arrival of Ross' celebrity partners. The crowd included Serena and Venus Williams, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Buffett and Colts fan Tiger Woods.

The use of human growth hormone is more of a problem in baseball than in football, the president of the NFL Players Association insists. "We feel it's not something that's common in our space," former Eagles defensive back Troy Vincent said yesterday before the start of the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. The NFL and other leagues do not test for HGH. Vincent said the question of how soon a reliable test would be available was a topic of discussion at a meeting yesterday involving commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw, and more than a dozen players.

Another day, another couple of unemployed NFL offensive coordinators. The Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars are the latest to put their offensive bosses in the recycling bin. The Bears fired former Rutgers coach Terry Shea after a 5-11 season in which the team ranked last in scoring and total yards, using four quarterbacks. They had more lost fumbles (21) than offensive touchdowns (19). Shea was previously the quarterbacks coach of the high-scoring Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hopes the NFL is close to an agreement that will allow former New England Patriots employee Matt Walsh to tell the league about the tapes he is said to have made of the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl. "The lawyers are still talking and we're anxious to speak to him. We're anxious to get an agreement to get him to come forth," Goodell told the Associated Press yesterday before the start of the NFL combine. Walsh, now a golf pro in Maui, did video work for the Patriots when they won the first of their three Super Bowls after the 2001 season.

The price of tight ends just went up for fantasy football owners. Indianapolis tight end Dallas Clark, a beneficiary of the prolific Peyton Manning, suffered a season-ending wrist injury last Sunday. This comes a week after Green Bay's Jermichael Finley, another blue-chip TE, saw his season ended by a knee injury. Of course, fantasy leagues will differ as far as which players might be on waivers, but a tight end who could still be widely available because he was so unproductive until recently is Pittsburgh's Heath Miller.

Chris Johnson didn't get any votes for MVP. He didn't miss any for the Associated Press 2009 NFL All-Pro team. The Tennessee Titans' 2,000-yard rusher was the only unanimous choice for the squad, announced yesterday. He's joined in the backfield by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who won an unprecedented fourth Most Valuable Player Award last week, when only quarterbacks received votes. "That'd be a good thing," said Johnson, who won the Offensive Player of the Year award Wednesday.

The NFL yesterday refused to retract wording in a letter to the Broncos' John Lynch that warned that he could be ejected for making another illegal hit like the one that knocked Colts tight end Dallas Clark out of last weekend's game. The league fined the Denver safety $75,000 for the helmet-to-helmet hit on the Indianapolis tight end. Along with the fine, NFL disciplinarian Gene Washington sent a letter reprimanding Lynch for the hit and informing him that officials for tomorrow's playoff rematch at Indianapolis have been alerted to keep an eye on Lynch and to eject him if warranted.

DENVER - With TV cameras tracking the airplane, then the silver SUV, that carried Peyton Manning to Denver Broncos headquarters Friday, the league's only four-time MVP opened his free-agency tour of NFL suitors. About 48 hours after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, Manning met with another Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway, and coach John Fox. The three chatted while taking a tour of the team's practice field and heading to the weight room.

Five years after he entered the NFL through the back door as an undrafted free agent, Eagles cornerback Dimitri Patterson finally got his first starting opportunity yesterday. The fact that it came against a guy who, just a couple of days earlier, was voted the eighth greatest player in the history of the NFL didn't faze him in the least. "I was excited about that," said Patterson after the Eagles' impressive 26-24 win over Peyton Manning and the Colts. "I was excited to show [what I could do]

The price of tight ends just went up for fantasy football owners. Indianapolis tight end Dallas Clark, a beneficiary of the prolific Peyton Manning, suffered a season-ending wrist injury last Sunday. This comes a week after Green Bay's Jermichael Finley, another blue-chip TE, saw his season ended by a knee injury. Of course, fantasy leagues will differ as far as which players might be on waivers, but a tight end who could still be widely available because he was so unproductive until recently is Pittsburgh's Heath Miller.

A quick look at NFL depth charts and the players worth considering either on draft day or during the season as a waiver-wire pickup. ARIZONA (BYE: WEEK 6) QB: Matt Leinart RB: Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet TE: None K: Jay Feely ATLANTA (BYE: WEEK 8) QB: Matt Ryan RB: Michael Turner WR: Roddy White, Harry Douglas TE: Tony Gonzalez K: Matt Bryant BALTIMORE (BYE: WEEK 8) QB: Joe Flacco RB: Ray Rice WR: Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason TE: Todd Heap K: Billy Cundiff BUFFALO (BYE: WEEK 6)

MIAMI - Peyton Manning did not intend that gift for New Orleans, no matter how much he loves his old hometown. Wow, was it ever expensive. Manning's most memorable and most heartbreaking throw of Super Bowl XLIV went for a pick-six by Tracy Porter and led to the Indianapolis Colts' 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Sun Life Stadium. That one throw cost Manning a possible second Super Bowl title and second Super Bowl MVP and - worst of all - gave his critics another round of ammunition to question his legacy.

Hank Baskett got to see the NFL equivalent of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel this season. Now Peyton Manning's masterpiece is nearly complete, thanks to the fine artistry the Indianapolis Colts quarterback achieved during yesterday's AFC championship game. Forced to throw to two young wide receivers who had a combined four catches before this season, Manning has led the Colts to their second Super Bowl in four seasons, and he may have never been better than he was yesterday in his team's 30-17 win over the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Chris Johnson didn't get any votes for MVP. He didn't miss any for the Associated Press 2009 NFL All-Pro team. The Tennessee Titans' 2,000-yard rusher was the only unanimous choice for the squad, announced yesterday. He's joined in the backfield by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who won an unprecedented fourth Most Valuable Player Award last week, when only quarterbacks received votes. "That'd be a good thing," said Johnson, who won the Offensive Player of the Year award Wednesday.

I dedicate this column to all the owners who went up against Drew Brees, Andre Johnson, Ray Rice, or Dallas Clark last week. (Or, as they?re known in the Pardon the Horn league, Kornheiser?s team.) There are buzz saws and then there are Sun?s Out, Guns Out, Mortal Kombat Flawless Victories . And anyone who ran into any of the above players ? or Chris Johnson, Brandon Marshall or the 49ers? D (!?!) ? well ? may the Fantasy gods have mercy on your soul. But if you managed to survive, congrats.

While celebrities were making a Hollywood-style grand entrance in Miami, Peyton Manning slipped in a side door. Manning threw two touchdown passes to take some sheen off the Dolphins' glitzy makeover under new owner Stephen Ross, and the Indianapolis Colts came from behind four times to win 27-23 last night. The Dolphins rolled out an orange carpet for the pregame arrival of Ross' celebrity partners. The crowd included Serena and Venus Williams, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Buffett and Colts fan Tiger Woods.