"Jacob Tamme has caught more passes for more yards than any other NFL tight end this November, and there's a reason:

He had to.

"This is a position in our offense that has to make plays," Tamme said.

It has been a remarkable breakout for a special teams specialist who caught six passes and made a single start in his first 21/2 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Going into a Sunday date at New England, Tamme has caught 24 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns in three starts this month.

He is playing in place of Dallas Clark, who out of the Colts' "Y-back" position last season became the second tight end in NFL history to catch 100 passes. Clark is out for the season after surgery for a wrist injury suffered at Washington on Oct. 17.

"We always thought (Tamme) had some playmaking abilities," Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said. "It was just when and why would you ever take Dallas off the field?"

Clark's singular versatility allows him to play in tight formation, in the slot, set wide and in the backfield. He's a tight end-wide receiver hybrid. There was seldom reason to take him off the field.

So Tamme made himself a standout on special teams, particularly kick and punt coverage. Meanwhile, he studied his position. He studied Clark, and if there's one thing Tamme is, it's a good student.

He was named the Southeastern Conference's Scholar Athlete of the Year by league coaches as a University of Kentucky senior in 2007, when he also was the conference's consensus first-team tight end.

"The good thing for me is I've been in the position for three years and, like I think Dallas said at one point, you don't really get everything until your third year . . . so it's a little bit of a blessing in some ways to be able to grasp everything, learn a lot from guys like 'Dal' and now be ready to get in there and run some plays.""