The 34-7 shellacking by the Houston Texas in the opener has many Colts fans in full-blown freakout mode. But guest columnist Megan Magiera says that it’s not time to panic quite yet.

For thirteen years, no one has had to wonder what football would be like without Peyton Manning. Colts fans have watched 208 consecutive starts filled with Peyton’s hand signals, code words, and heroic drives.  But if you are one of those few who ever wondered what life after Peyton would be like, now you know: it’s not pretty.

When the Colts said Peyton would be out Week 1, they meant he would be out for the year, or at least a considerable amount of time. They did not have to put that in words — you just knew. Whether you want to admit it or not, you knew. Think about it. If he had a chance to play in Week 2 or even Week 3, would he not have at least taken a snap to keep the streak alive? He’s a competitor. Of course he would. But not only did Manning not take a snap for the Colts this past Sunday, he wasn’t even on the sideline (let alone in the same state) as his team. So Colts fans got to experience something they have avoided thinking about for the past 13 years: a team without Peyton Manning.

If you knew nothing about the NFL, by watching the Colts play you would have though the lockout ended 48 hours before they took the field. They looked lost, confused, and somewhat helpless at times. Here was a team that spent the week complaining about being thrown under the bus and ranting about how there were more players and more talent to the team than Peyton Manning. Yet when it came down to it, they looked like a team who needed their leader. The offensive line was nonexistent, to the point that Kerry Collins probably questioned why he came out of retirement. Now we can throw out every excuse in the book for them (and trust me, the announcers did), but it doesn’t take away from the fact that they underperformed. If these guys were so talented, then why does their talent disappear when one player disappears?

Despite the looming thought that Colts fans may need to borrow brown bags from the Detroit Lions before this season is over, this game was a cause for concern, not panic. This is a team now forced to rebuild and regroup years before they planned to. From the coach on down, everyone must start over. Let’s be honest, Caldwell was handed a team in a gift-wrapped bag with a shiny blue bow. He was given a team instilled with Tony Dungy’s work ethic and a quarterback who ran everything. Up until now, Caldwell was just another man with a headset. It’s time for him to take control. It’s time for him to have a team.

Patience, not panic, should be on the mind of the Colts and their fans. These players, and this team as a whole, need to step up and prove why they deserve the respect that they feel was taken from them. It’s time for guys like Caldwell, Garcon, and the young defensive backs to step up and prove they are meant to be here.

Patience, not panic. Kerry Collins was pulled out of retirement; give him some time to shake the rust off. He already proved he can still throw bombs, and although not accurate, they were still bombs. The offensive line and receiving corps will have to learn a new offense, and guys like Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne need to step up and lead instead of playing the “I wish Peyton was here” card.  Special teams for the Colts have always been, well, special, so it’s really no loss or gain in that department.  And did you really expect to have a defense that could stop the run? Me neither.

So calm down Colts fans. Sure, last week was ugly and more of an embarrassment than most were ready for, but look on the bright side…they play the Browns this week!

Megan’s entertaining Colts-focused tweets can be found on Twitter at @Paint_me_blue