Pat

Angerer

After the game, Angerer declined to specify the exact nature of his injury, but did say he was the victim of a crack-back block. “I thought it would loosen up, but it didn’t. I couldn’t plant on it,” he said. Angerer is still tied for second in the NFL in tackles with 112, trailing only Redskins MLB London Fletcher.

Angerer described it as a routine procedure to remove a bursa sac. He injured the knee on Dec. 4 and played through the swelling for the remainder of the season. Angerer should be ready for OTAs, though the Colts may opt to ease him back in.

Angerer was shown on the sideline with his helmet off and is unlikely to be available for the remainder of the game. It would be a significant loss if he were to miss extended time. He currently leads the NFL with 112 tackles.

“It’s been getting better,” Angerer said before practice. “I’m excited and optimistic about it. I’m going to practice today, go out there and run around. (I want to) test it out and see how it feels. I think that’s the main thing, seeing how sore it is tomorrow.” Angerer’s 112 tackles this season are second only to London Fletcher’s 124.

The injury requires surgery. It’s a huge blow for a run defense that ranked 29th in the league last season, as Angerer could miss upwards of 3-4 games. Angerer was fourth in the NFL with 148 tackles in 2011. He was expected to be the linchpin in new coach Chuck Pagano’s 3-4 scheme. According to Pagano, Moise Fokou, Greg Lloyd, Jerrell Freeman and Mario Harvey will all compete for Angerer’s spot, but the Colts will explore the free agent market. Keep in mind the Angerer injury for early-season matchup purposes. The Colts face the Bears (Matt Forte), Vikings (Toby Gerhart/Adrian Peterson), and Jaguars (Maurice Jones-Drew/Rashad Jennings) in the first three games.

Angerer has been limited to individual drills since breaking his foot in the preseason opener. He hasn’t been ruled out for Week 5 against the Packers, but he’ll likely be eased back in slowly. Backup Jerrell Freeman has been solid, racking up 27 tackles, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble in his three starts.

Angerer still isn’t ready after breaking his foot in the preseason opener. There’s no timetable for his return. Backup Jerrell Freeman has racked up 35 tackles, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and one pass breakup in four starts. The Colts surprisingly will have CB Vontae Davis (ankle), who came in listed as “doubtful.” The rest of their inactives: QB Chandler Harnish, NT Martin Tevaseu, G Joe Reitz and DE Fili Moala.

Angerer is coming off a broken foot sustained in the preseason opener. He worked at the “Mike” linebacker spot, seeing most of his snaps next to fellow inside ‘backer Jerrell Freeman. Angerer posted three tackles and two quarterback hits. Last year, he racked up 148 tackles, one sack, one interception, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups as an IDP monster. Angerer will return to an every-down role shortly.

That explains Reitz’s extended absence. Pagano expects both Reitz and ILB Pat Angerer (foot) to return against the Packers after the Week 4 bye. Seth Olsen, a major liability in pass protection, has been filling in for Reitz.

Jerrell Freeman will get the start. The two inside ‘backers figure to form a rotation, creating an IDP situation to avoid. Indy’s leading tackler a season ago, Angerer has been sidelined since breaking his foot two months ago. When fully healthy, Angerer should return to the lineup as an every-down player.