The slim hope that center Khaled Holmes would play in Week 1 are just about gone. With the Colts claiming A.Q. Shipley off waivers from Baltimore and giving him first-team practice reps all the signs point to him starting.
Holmes is listed as questionable but did not practice again on Friday. His absence would be most noticeable in the running game for a Colts offense trying to get Trent Richardson going early.
We are not as concerned about Shipley in the passing game and he has half of the 2012 season as experience in snapping the ball to Andrew Luck.
The Colts will enter Denver as a touchdown underdog against the Broncos. Little of that can be blamed on the absence of Holmes.
