Indianapolis Colts: Without Peyton Manning, Is Indy Worst Team in the NFL?

The Indianapolis Colts are battling the Kansas City Chiefs for the dubious honor of the worst NFL team.  After the injury to Peyton Manning, most felt that this Colts team would struggle.  However, the thought was they would remain competitive.  This Colts team is anything but competitive, struggling to move the football and stop the opposing offenses.

Manning's ability to make calls at the line and put his teammates in a good position is irreplaceable.  Kerry Collins shouldn't be expected to be able to make those calls, being only his fifth week in this offense.  Collins has some talent but is aging, and joined the Colts after retiring.

The quarterback position is what makes each NFL team successful, and issues at that position make it difficult to win.  However, quarterbacks are not solely responsible for the play on the field.  They need everyone else to contribute and produce.  Right now, the Colts are struggling to get any production.

Joseph Addai and Delone Carter combined for 110 yards on 25 carries.  Their production was the lone bright spot from the Colts' Week 2 loss.  However, this team needs to improve on the defensive side of the ball if they hope to compete.

The defensive unit has surrendered 61 points in the first two games, 25 to an unimpressive Browns offense.  When you struggle to score and cannot stop anyone the result won't be pretty.  This is the situation the Colts find themselves in, without Peyton Manning.

Are the Colts the worst team in the NFL? Yes, but that is because they are struggling to overcome the loss of their leader.  The team does have talent, but they need to find a new identity.  Finding that identity will take time, resulting in poor play.

Jon Dove is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report, covering the NFL and NFL draft. Check him out on Twitter @Jon_Dove42.