The young Indianapolis Colts have been doing more with less all season long. That theme will have to continue.
Running back Donald Brown will miss two to three weeks after tearing cartilage in his knee, Colts interim coach Bruce Arians told reporters. The Indianapolis Star also reported that defensive end Robert Mathis will miss two to three weeks with a sprained knee.
Brown underwent surgery this week to repair the knee that he injured on the final play from scrimmage in last Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers. He'll be replaced in the lineup by Vick Ballard.
Arians expressed faith in Ballard and also said he was anxious to see what second-year pro Delone Carter can do after returning to the lineup. The Colts also have Mewelde Moore on the roster. Brown leads the team with 239 yards on 60 carries. Ballard has 42 yards on 21 carries for a wildly suspect 2 yards per carry.
Mathis is an even bigger loss. The Colts finally looked like the Colts again with Mathis and Dwight Freeney playing together for the first time since Week 1. Without Mathis, the team's suspect secondary could be exposed.Â
Arians and the Colts take their show on the road Sunday against the New York Jets, and the coach acknowledged the challenge of helping a young team pull off a win in a hostile environment. Losing Brown and Mathis changes things, but the Colts have fought through bad news all season.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
