Peyton Manning: Will Neck Injury End Colts' Reign of Supremacy in AFC South?

The Indianapolis Colts are on the brink of disaster, and frankly, I don’t see any way for them to wake up from this nightmare.

If the Colts aren’t faced with their worst case scenario, then I’m not sure what it would be.

Short of aliens descending upon Lucas Oil Stadium and beaming up the entire team, this has got to be one of the darkest moments in the organization's proud history.

According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, star quarterback Peyton Manning is expected to undergo surgery and miss significant time this season:

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With rampant rumors and reports regarding the status of quarterback Peyton Manning, a source with knowledge of the situation tells us that Manning could have neck surgery as soon as today, and that he will miss “significant time” as he recovers.

It’s currently expected that, after the surgery, Manning will recover and play again, possibly this year.

Manning has had two neck surgeries in the past two years.  The most recent procedure occurred on May 23.  He returned to practice last week, but a setback has forced him back to sidelines.

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Simply put, Manning is the Indianapolis Colts, and without him they are in a lot of trouble.

With him under center, they are a perennial Super Bowl contender. We got a taste of what life without Manning looks like for the Colts during the preseason, and it’s a long-shot from the Super Bowl.

Frankly, they will be lucky to win a game without him.

He is the key to their team, and without the key, it just can’t run.

Sure, you can try a jump start by bringing in wily old veteran Kerry Collins, but is anybody really feeling that confident in what he brings to the table?

The Colts' other option would be Curtis Painter, but even though he has shown some flashes, he is in no way a reliable quarterback.

Indianapolis needs Manning to be a major factor in the AFC.

Without him, it may not even be a factor in its own division.

With this news, the Houston Texans become the new favorites to win the AFC South. They have an explosive offense and an improved defense. Without Manning under center, I expect that the Colts will lose both of their games against the Texans.

While the argument could be made that Indianapolis may still be better than Jacksonville and Tennessee, I don’t think that is the case anymore.

Any team that has Chris Johnson in the backfield is always a threat to win in my opinion, and I think Matt Hasselbeck is going to end up surprising some people with the Titans.

Even the Jaguars have a few very good pieces to put around their young quarterbacks, and at the very least, they will push the Colts to their breaking point.

While it is important to note that there isn’t an official timeline for Manning to come back, even the long-term prognosis is bad for the Colts.

The team has been getting older, and Manning is starting to show some chinks in his armor.

They decided not to address a replacement for Manning in this year’s draft, and now even that decision may come back to haunt the organization.

The Colts may not just struggle within their division this season, but when you consider that all of the other teams in the AFC South are planning for the future, struggles for the Colts aren’t out of the question moving into the next few years.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the end of a very long reign of supremacy for the Indianapolis Colts.

They say that every good thing must come to an end, but they never said that it was an easy reality to accept.

It’s time for the Colts to face the music.