Ten players miss Colts practice

What was said around the Indianapolis Colts locker room Thursday:

Making use of everyone

The Colts have been forced to rely on an all-hands-on-deck approach this season. Injuries bit them early and continue to gnaw away.

Ten players were held out of Thursday’s practice, including cornerback Greg Toler (groin), offensive linemen Joe Reitz (concussion), Jeff Linkenbach (quad) and Hugh Thornton (neck); wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (shoulder); special teams standout Sergio Brown (groin); and defensive tackle Montori Hughes (knee).

“It’s a daily grind,” admitted General Manager Ryan Grigson. “Sometimes you’ve got to plug-and-play. That’s what we’re doing.”

According to the NFL, the Colts have used a league-high 71 players this season. The Chiefs have used 59. The most players used by a team since 1993: Jacksonville, with 75 in each of the past two seasons.

Forty-two players have started at least one game. The Colts have used six offensive line combinations and had eight running backs on the active roster.

“Everybody has injuries. No one is going to feel sorry for you,” Grigson said. “Every day, you have to find a way.

“That’s why we have scouting departments and that’s why we pay guys to advance scout and go to games and drive all over creation. It’s the job of the scouting department to supply the coaches with players that are capable of winning.”

At some point during the stretch drive, Grigson insisted, it can be mind over body.

“This time of year it’s more about will than anything, and being a team,” he said. “That’s what Chuck (Pagano) has instilled.

“It’s cold and everybody’s depleted. It’s got to be about will and heart and fighting to grind it out.”

Our analysis: Grigson’s right. No one cares that injuries have made the 2013 season an uphill climb, or that the Colts share the NFL lead with 14 players on the injured reserve list. The Green Bay Packers’ playoff hopes were severely impaired when quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone Nov. 4 against the Chicago Bears.

But the stream of players from the active roster to IR has stressed the overall depth. Backups are backups for a reason, and free agents signed in December were available for a reason.

Charles in charge

He wears No. 25, but don’t let that fool you.

As far as the Colts’ defense is concerned, keeping track of Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles will be No. 1 on their “to do” list Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Or, according to Pagano: “He’s Public Enemy No. 1. He’s everything. He drives the bus.”

It’s impossible to overstate Charles’ ability to take over a game, or his versatility.

The Raiders limited Charles to 20 yards on eight rushing attempts last Sunday in Oakland. Job well done? Hardly. Charles caught eight passes for 195 yards and four touchdowns as Kansas City ran away 56-31.

When the Colts won 20-13 at Arrowhead Stadium last December, they allowed Charles only one catch for 4 yards. Job well done? Nope. He rushed 22 times for 226 yards, including an 86-yard TD. It was the second-most rushing yards allowed by the Colts.

The only reason they were able to overcome Charles’ brilliance was the overall ineptitude of quarterback Brady Quinn. He tossed a pair of interceptions, including one that Darius Butler returned 32 yards for a touchdown, and finished with a 32.8 passer rating.

Luck on the move

With 7,673 passing yards in 30 regular-season starts, Andrew Luck needs 248 for the most by a quarterback in his first two seasons. Carolina’s Cam Newton had 7,920 in 2011-12 and the Colts’ Peyton Manning 7,874 in 1998-99.

Also, Luck has 20 wins, tied for fourth-most by a QB in his first two seasons. Seattle’s Russell Wilson has 23 with two games to play while Ben Roethlisberger had 22 in 2004-05 and Dan Marino 21 in 1983-84.

Call Star reporter Mike Chappell at (317) 444-6830. You can follow him on Twitter at @mchappell51.