McFarland injury jeopardizes Indy's chances to repeat

Colts defensive tackle Booger McFarland is out indefinitely with a knee injury. Damian Strohmeyer/SI

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KIRKLAND, Wash. -- I have one thing to say about the Indianapolis Colts, my Super Bowl pick from June: Uh-oh.

With defensive tackle Booger McFarland now likely lost for the year because of a knee injury -- and the odds pretty slim of replacing him with any warm-bodied adult male who could do the job at 60 percent of McFarland's effectiveness -- the Colts might have just suffered the loss that breaks them. Already battered by the loss of five key defensive players in free agency and the retirement of left tackle Tarik Glenn, Indy may have suffered the worst blow of all by losing McFarland.

The Colts don't have the cap money to go get a big-name defensive tackle -- as if one were available at this time of year anyway. Defensive tackle is a commodity everyone in the league looks for, and the good ones are in short supply.

My advice to Colts architect Bill Polian: Scout the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at Pittsburgh. Look hard at No. 97 for the Pack, Johnny Jolly. He's a 6-foot-3, 317-pound hulk with movement, who, when I saw him last Friday, was every bit the specimen of first-round pick Justin Harrell. And the Packers might not have a spot for him in their DT rotation. Jolly was a sixth-round pick in 2006, and my guess is the Packers would take a low fourth-rounder for him. That's the kind of fix the Colts need to make now, and the kind Polian is so good at. He's often made chicken salad out of chicken feathers, and Indianapolis needs his Midas touch this month as much as ever.

Now onto your mail:

THE CHIEFS NEED JOHNSON. From Susie of Kansas City: "I just read your Chiefs camp postcard and your thoughts on LJ not coming to camp. I would respectfully have to disagree because him not being there is really not good for the morale of the other players. You think LJ will be back with that contract he wants or just to play?''

Susie, my feelings on the running back position are pretty clear. You can find good backs out there. The Chiefs' biggest problem this year, I can guarantee you, won't be the lack of Larry Johnson. If the running game doesn't work, don't blame this holdout. Blame a patchwork offensive line, with journeymen Damion McIntosh and Chris Terry at the tackles, assuming they win the jobs.

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