INDIANAPOLIS -- All Kerry Collins really wants is a chance to make things right.
He has been studying the playbook, refining the timing with receivers, getting acclimated to shotgun formations and the Indianapolis Colts' no-huddle offense. By Sunday, the quarterback hopes all of his extra work will help him make a better impression in his Colts home debut against the Cleveland Browns.
"I feel more and more comfortable every day running the offense, making decisions," Collins said Wednesday. "It (more practice) is really going to help me, no question. We just have to keep grinding away and get better than we were last week."
Hey, it couldn't get much worse.
The Colts were manhandled by the AFC South rival Houston Texans in their opener last Sunday, losing 34-7 in a flat, mistake-filled outing that has fans wondering if Indianapolis will win at all without four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning. And though Collins wound up with decent passing numbers at Houston -- 16 of 31 for 197 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions and a higher passer rating than Houston's Matt Schaub -- they paled in comparison to the glaring miscues, which included two lost fumbles in less than 15 minutes.
"We played about as bad as we could play offensively," ColtsPro Bowl center Jeff Saturday said. "We really didn't give ourselves a chance to get drives going, and when we did get drives going, we got penalties. I know what we did. I watched the film. I know what we can do, and I know we need to get better."
It all starts with Collins, who blamed himself for not taking care of the ball.
"We'll improve, we have to improve," Collins said. "There were too many mistakes, too many turnovers. You know any kind of start would be better than what we had last week."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
