For the second straight week, Matt Hasselbeck will start for the Colts. (Getty)
Colts QB Andrew Luck is injured, but at least he wasn’t in the hospital this week.
Luck is hurt, but backup QB Matt Hasselbeck is hurting. Hasselbeck, who is starting in place of Luck for the second straight week, spent time in an emergency room late Early Tuesday morning. Adam Schefter initially reported that Hasselbeck was ill, and NFL Network’s Stacey Dales got the official word from Hasselbeck tonight:
Matt Hasselbeck told me he has a bacterial infection. On antibiotics. Energy levels extremely low, hoping he can make it thru 4 quarters.
“Hoping to play for quarters” is a statement that should make every Colts fan nervous. Andrew Luck is inactive for tonight, leaving Hasselbeck with Josh Johnson as the only possible backup. Johnson, who hasn’t played an NFL game since 2013, has spent less than a week with the Colts.
It would be easier for Hasselbeck if the Colts could get the run game going. Last week against Jacksonville Hasselbeck attempted 47 passes, a number higher than backup quarterbacks should be attempting. If the Colts can get a push against Wilfork and the Texans, Frank Gore could be a big factor in tonight’s outcome.
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