The health of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck remains a concern for the Indianapolis Colts, who open the season Sunday at home against the Detroit Lions.Luck missed nine games last season, including the final seven, after suffering a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle in a 27-24 loss to the Denver Broncos on Nov. 8. The Colts went 4-3 down the stretch without Luck but were not the same team.Luck is back and expected to start Sunday against the Lions, but he did pop up on the Colts injury report released Wednesday. He was listed as limited in practice with a shoulder injury.Luck missed two games last season with a shoulder injury. Initial media reports downplayed Lucks appearance on the injury report, but it is an obvious concern for Colts fans heading into Week 1, especially noting the other injury issues the team is battling.Our No. 1 corner, Vontae (Davis) is out, Pagano said. And Pat (Robinson) is our No. 2 (cornerback) and hes been out. Jalil (Brown) has been out. You can go on down the line, especially with Tevin (Mitchel) out. And with the chance to evaluate him, he tweaks his hamstring again (against Cincinnati in the final preseason game). Mitchel was placed on reserve/injured in the roster reduction to 53.Weve had some line issues, Pagano added. Theres nothing that we can do about it. We have to get healthy, and healthy in a hurry. Because the 11th is going to be here before we know it. It makes it difficult to get to that 53. We got some guys that we are hopeful that we get back.The Lions have their own concerns after finishing 7-9 last season, missing the playoffs and then having star wide receiver Calvin Johnson retire in the offseason.Johnson played all nine of his NFL seasons with the Lions, teaming up with quarterback Matt Stafford to form one of the most feared quarterback-receiver combinations in the NFL. He elected to hang up his cleats in the offseason, leaving the Lions wondering what life after Megatron will be like.Wide receiver Golden Tate will be looked to fill Johnsons shoes in part, and more pressure will be placed on Stafford, who could use of standout season to silence some of his critics. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,262 yards with 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season. But he was sacked 44 times and now faces a future without his go-to weapon.The emergence of second-year running back Ameer Abdullah also would be a blessing for coach Jim Caldwells offense that averaged a mediocre 22.1 points per game last season. But, similar to the banged-up Colts, there are more questions than answers right now for the Lions, who are expected to be among the bottom-feeders in the NFC.Listen, what does buzz do? Lions backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky said. Theres a lot of teams that have generated a ton of buzz and stink. Eventually, youve got to go out on the field 16 times and play. So they dont give awards, you dont get into the playoffs, you dont get all that stuff and good records because people think youre going to be good or not be good.Youve got to go play. Youve got to go play. No matter what happens, youve got to go line up and play.Caldwell spent 10 seasons on the Colts staff, the last three as head coach, before being fired in January 2012. He took Peyton Manning and the Colts to the Super Bowl in his first season in Indianapolis, losing the New Orleans Saints. Sundays game will be his first at Lucas Oil Stadium since being let go.Tate, who caught 90 passes, including six touchdowns playing alongside Johnson last season, was listed as limited with an ankle injury on the Lions injury report released Wednesday.Detroit tight end Eric Ebron missed a month of the preseason with an ankle injury but has returned to practice this week and reportedly was not limited.The Lions and Colts have not met in the regular season since 2012. Indianapolis has won the last four meetings.Kurt Warner Cardinals Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Andy Isabella Jersey . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. 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LOUIS -- Rookie Tavon Austin has missed another day of practice, lessening the odds hell be ready for the St.CHICAGO -- Best in the majors during the regular season, the Chicago Cubs are one win from reaching the NL Championship Series for the second straight year.Travis Wood took over when starter Kyle Hendricks got hurt and became the first relief pitcher since 1924 to hit a postseason home run , helping the Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 Saturday night for 2-0 NL Division Series lead.Madison Bumgarner, coming off a four-hit shutout of the New York Mets in the NL wild card game, tries to save the Giants season when the series resumes Monday in San Francisco.Cubs manager Joe Maddon remains wary of the Giants, World Series champions in 2010, 12 and `14.You watch how they react to different moments, Maddon said . Theyre never panicked. Theyre never concerned. ... I really believe our guys will come ready to play knowing that they are also. Thats just a given.The Cubs, who start reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, are now one win from a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers or Washington Nationals. Swept by the New York Mets in last years NLCS, Chicago led the big leagues with 103 wins during the regular season and is hoping for its first World Series title since 1908.Ben Zobrist hit a run-scoring single off former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija in the first, and Hendricks added a two-run, bloop single in a three-run second.The Cubs were leading 4-2 in the fourth when Hendricks left the game after with a bruised right forearm after being hit by Angel Pagans line drive.Wood struck out Conor Gillaspie to strand Pagan, then sent a one-out offering from George Kontos halfway up the left-field bleachers in the bottom half. The only other reliever to homer in the postseason was the New York Giants Rosy Ryan in Game 3 of the 1924 World Series.Given a curtain call by a screaming crowd of 42,392, Wood joined Rick Sutcliffe (1984) and Kerry Wood (2003) as the only Cubs pitchers to go deep in the postseason. Travis Wood has nine regular-season homers in his big league career.Wood pitched a hitless fifth and was credited with the win. Four moree relievers completed Chicagos second straight six-hitter, with Aroldis Chapman throwing 12 of 16 pitches at 100 mph and up for his second consecutive save.ddddddddddddHendricks, the major league ERA leader, gave up two runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings.We picked him up tonight, having his injury and stuff and thats what we have done all year long, Wood said. We pull on each other and end up backing each other up.Samardzijas first career playoff start was a short one. The right-hander, who spent his first 61/2 seasons with the Cubs, was pinch hit for in the third after allowing four runs and six hits.Down 4-0, San Francisco scored two in the third when Gregor Blanco doubled in a run and scored on Brandon Belt `s sacrifice fly.Just cant put your team in that much of a hole early in the game, especially against a good staff like they have over there, Samardzija said. Like to have that one back, for sure, that ones on me.HENDRICKS UPDATEHendricks said his arm feels pretty good right now and he hopes to be ready in a few days after X-rays showed no structural damage.He said he felt pain after a few warmup pitches and exited after a discussion with Maddon.He told me if theres anything at all, he didnt want me in there, Hendricks said.SEENsActor and comedian Bill Murray was back cheering on the Cubs for the second night in a row. But no, he wasnt wearing an I Aint Afraid of No Goat shirt as he did on Friday.Former Cubs closer Lee Smith threw out the ceremonial first pitch , and Chicago native and former WWE star CM Punk delivered the Play Ball! call before the game.Actor Jeff Garlin sang Take Me Out To The Ball Game during the seventh-inning stretch.UP NEXTGiants: Bumgarner has pitched 23 consecutive postseason innings and is 8-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 13 postseason starts and 15 appearances.Cubs: Arrieta won 18 games but had a 4.60 ERA in five starts last month. He gave up seven runs in a loss to Pittsburgh on Sept. 28. ' ' '
