INDIANAPOLIS COLTS News and Notes for 2007/2008

[The General]

2007 REGULAR SEASON

WK	DATE	OPPONENT
1	9/6	NEW ORLEANS SAINTS	41 - 10 W
2	9/16	@ Tennessee Titans	22 - 20 W
3	9/23	@ Houston Texans	30 - 24 W
4	9/30	DENVER BRONCOS	38 - 20 W
5	10/7	TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS	33 - 14 W
6	10/14	BYE	-
7	10/22	@ Jacksonville Jaguars	29 - 7 W

[The General]

All week, the Colts were reminded of the numbers.

All week, they were reminded of the past.

One problem:

All the Colts were thinking of Monday night was the present.

And for the present, this much is true:

The four-time defending division champions lead the AFC South by two games.

The Colts (6-0), the AFC South champions each of the past four seasons, beat their division rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars, 29-7, in front of 67,164 Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on Monday night in a game with first place in the division at stake.

“It’s a new year,” said Colts safety Bob Sanders, who led a dominant defensive effort with an interception and a key, momentum-turning fourth-down tackle for a loss.

“It’s a new season, new guys. We can’t dwell on last year. You have to come in and get ready for this year and go play. Last year was last year.

“Our goal was to move on and learn from those mistakes and we came out and tried to play better today.”

The Colts, who were out-rushed by the Jaguars 375-34 in a 44-17 loss last December, not only played well defensively on Monday Night, slowing the Jaguars’ running game, they were efficient, methodical and effective offensively, out-rushing the Jaguars, 141-117.

The Colts’ defense allowed 226 total yards, registered three sacks and forced three turnovers.

The Jaguars’ lone touchdown drive came on a 40-yard drive.

“They certainly answered the challenge,” Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said of the Colts’ defense. “I was proud of the way they played.”

The Colts led 7-0 after the first quarter, 17-0 at halftime, and pulled away in the second half to beat a team that had won four consecutive games since a season-opening loss.

Indianapolis out-gained Jacksonville 384-226 and held a 34:07-25:53 time-of-possession advantage.

“It was really a nice team win,” Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said. “We watched the tape of last year. We watched it after the game we played last year. We made some corrections. We got some different guys playing.

“We’re playing a little better than we played at that time. We knew what we were in store for. This is a good football team, so we’re happy to come out with a win.”

The rushing effort came against a team that had allowed 50 yards a game rushing over the last four games.

The Jaguars previously had allowed no more than 17 points in a game this season.

Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, with wide receiver Marvin Harrison playing less than usual because of a knee injury, caught nine passes for 131 yards.

“We just do what we do,” Wayne said. “We don’t try to do anything extra. We just go out and play football and take what the defense gives us. I thought our defense did a great job, controlling the run, getting us the ball back, and the offense did a great job as well.”

The victory gave the Colts a two-game lead in the AFC South, with road victories over all three division opponents.

“It’s real big,” Colts defensive end Robert Mathis said. “We have the toughest division in the league. It’s tremendous.”

The Colts earlier this season won at Tennessee, 24-22, and at Houston, 30-24.

Indianapolis went 0-3 on the road in the division last season.

“Last year, same scenario, we lost all three of these games,” Colts middle linebacker and defensive captain Gary Brackett said. “We’re just, I think, a step ahead of where we were last year as far as going on the road and picking up some divisional wins.

“We’ve still got a long season to go, but it’s a start.”

Said Dungy, “I think that speaks to our team. I thought Houston, Tennessee and Jacksonville – from what I could see on tape – were all better than they were last year. Last year, we couldn’t beat them on the road and this year, we did.

“We’re playing a little better and we’re going to have to play better the rest of the year.”

The victory also kept the Colts as one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL this season along with the New England Patriots.

Indianapolis also has started 6-0 for a third consecutive season.

The Colts started the 2005 season 13-0 and started last season 9-0. They were the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten team each season.

Indianapolis will visit Carolina Sunday before playing the Patriots at home the following week.

“This was our big focus,” Dungy said. “We really thought these first six games – these three AFC South road games – were going to be critical. We’re going to celebrate that – the fact that we were able to come through it – and then we’ll start watching Carolina. Then, I think we play those guys (New England) the week after if I’m not mistaken.

“We’re not going to fall into that trap.”

The Jaguars cut into a 17-0 halftime lead when running back Maurice-Jones Drew returned the second half kickoff 64 yards to set up a short touchdown drive. Jones-Drew capped a 10-play 40-yard drive with a 1-yard run to make it, 17-7, Indianapolis.

The Jaguars forced a punt on the Colts’ next possession, but Colts punter Hunter Smith’s kick was downed at the 4-yard line.

The Colts regained momentum on the second play after Smith’s punt when defensive end Dwight Freeney sacked backup quarterback Quinn Gray for a safety and a 19-7 lead.

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri pushed the lead to 22-7 with a 20-yard field goal with 13:34 remaining and tight end Dallas Clark caught a 35-yard from Manning with 3:58 remaining to extend the Colts’ lead to 29-7.

It was Clark’s fifth consecutive game with a touchdown reception.

The Colts turned in a solid first half, taking a 17-0 with a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter.

Manning extended the Colts’ lead to 14-0 with 5:25 remaining in the half with a 1-yard sneak. That play capped an 11-play, 76-yard drive that started when Sanders intercepted a pass from Gray, who was subbing for starter David Garrard.

Garrard left the game after sustaining a sprained ankle on the Colts’ first sack of the game, by rookie defensive tackle Ed Johnson.

On the drive after Manning’s sneak, Sanders stuffed Jones-Drew for a 1-yard loss on 4th-and-1 from the Jaguars 49.

Eleven plays later, Vinatieri’s 36-yard field goal made it 17-0, Indianapolis, with 29 seconds remaining in the half.

Kenton Keith, the Colts’ backup running back, scored on a 3-yard run late in the first quarter to give Indianapolis a 7-0 lead.

The Colts drove past midfield on their first drive but were forced to punt. Two possessions later, they again drove into Jaguars territory, with Keith finishing the drive with a 3-yard run up the middle with :27 remaining in the first quarter.

“We just wanted to go out there and continue some of the things we’re doing good this year – flying around to the football, getting off the field on third down, stopping the run and making them one-dimensional,” Brackett said.

And that, Mathis said, was all the Colts thought about all week.

Not the numbers. And certainly not the past.

Just the present.

“You have to let that stuff go – have amnesia and keep on trucking,” Mathis said. “Hopefully, we can put that to bed now. Last year was last year. This is a new team, a new attitude. We’re moving on to the next week.”


The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

A Capsule Look at this Week’s Colts Opponent, the Carolina Panthers.

Synopsis: The Colts’ run of playing NFL division leaders continues Sunday.


And the end is far from near.

The Colts (6-0), who have played division leaders in four of six games this season, will play another Sunday when they visit the NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers (4-2), a playoff team two of the past four seasons.

The Colts played division leaders in Week 2 (Tennessee), Week 3 (Houston), Week 4 (Denver) and Week 5 (Tampa Bay). They faced defending NFC South champion New Orleans in the season opener, and when they faced Jacksonville this past week, the Jaguars trailed Indianapolis by a game in the AFC South.

Indianapolis will play AFC East-leading New England November 4, followed by games against San Diego – last season’s AFC West champions – and this year’s West leaders, the Kansas City Chiefs.

This week’s opponent, the Panthers, have ascended to the top of the NFC South despite early-season adversity.

“It’s a very good 4-2 football team,” Colts President Bill Polian said this week. “We’re focused on Carolina. We need to be focused on Carolina.

“It’s a tough ballgame. It’s a tough environment.”

The Panthers, who had a bye last week, have started three different quarterbacks – starter Jake Delhomme (out for the season), former Houston Texans No. 1 overall selection David Carr and longtime veteran Vinny Testaverde. Including rookie Matt Moore, four players have played quarterback for Carolina this season.

“They have improved,” Polian said. “They have gotten better each week. The quarterback situation is unsettled, but Vinny is a very capable backup and their running game protects the starter (Carr) pretty well. He’s not exposed like he was down there in Houston. They have a much better – much, much better – defense with him in Carolina than he had in Houston. He’s in a position where he can boot the ball and do the things he does well.”

They also have started three middle linebackers – starter Dan Morgan, James Anderson and rookie first-round selection Jon Beason.

“There have been adjustments at the quarterback position on both sides of he ball, but we have had players step up in adverse situations,” Panthers Head Coach Jon Fox said.

As has typically been the case in Carolina in recent seasons, the Panthers’ success has been largely because of a solid defense.

After a 2-2 start, Carolina has won its last two games, allowing a total of 23 points during that span. The Panthers are ranked 19th in the NFL in total defense, and their defensive line – which features three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers and three-time Pro Bowl tackle Kris Jenkins – is among the NFL’s best.

The Panthers have just four sacks this season, but have 13 takeaways and a plus 5-turnover margin.

Offensively, the Panthers are balanced, with a two-back system similar to that used by the Colts’ last opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Running back DeShaun Foster leads the Panthers with 404 yards and a touchdown on 97 carries and DeAngelo Williams has rushed for 289 yards and a touchdown on 53 carries.

Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith, also a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is again one of the NFL’s most dangerous big-play receivers.

“Any time he touches the ball, he can go all the way,” Polian said.

The Panthers never have lost to the Colts and have a 3-0 all-time record in the series.

2007 Record: 4-2, 1st in NFC South.

Head Coach: John Fox, 6th season as Panthers Head Coach and NFL Head Coach (48-38, 53-40 including playoffs).

Last Game: The Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals,

25-10, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz., on October 14.

2007 NFL Rankings: Offense – Overall, 22nd (317.7 yards per game); Rushing, 8th (132.5 ypg); Passing, 27th (185.2 ypg); Defense – Overall, 19th (331.5 yards per game); Rushing, 18th (110.3 ypg); Passing, 21st (221.2 ypg).

2007 Leading Passers: Jake Delhomme (55-86, 626 yards, 64.0 pct., 8 TD, 1 INT, 111.9 rating); David Carr (32-62, 330 yards, 51.6 pct., 2 TD, 2 INT, 64.6 rating; Vinny Testaverde (20-33, 206 yards, 60.6 pct., 1 TD, 0 INT, 88.7 rating).

2007 Leading Rusher(s): DeShaun Foster (97 carries, 404 yards, 1 TD); DeAngelo Williams (53 carries, 289 yards, 1 TD).

2007 Leading Receiver(s): Steve Smith (35 receptions, 496 yards, 6 TD).

2007 Leading Sacker(s): Julius Peppers (1.5).

2007 Turnover Breakdown: Plus-5 (13 forced, 8 committed).

First-round draft choice: Jonathan Beason, linebacker. With the 25th overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Panthers selected Beason, an outside linebacker from the University of Miami. Beason (6-foot, 237) has played in all six games for Carolina this season, starting at weakside backer for the first four games, then the last two at middle linebacker. He leads the Panthers with 44 tackles through six games and also has two quarterback pressures and a pass defensed. Beason started nine games at weakside backer for Miami last season, leading the team with 92 tackles. He also had an interception and 2.5 sacks as a senior.

Key free agents acquired: David Carr, QB (Houston); Deke Cooper, S (San Francisco).

Key free agents lost: Vinny Ciurciu, LB (Minnesota); Chris Draft, LB (St. Louis); Mike Seidman, TE (Indianapolis).

2007 Review: The Panthers, after splitting their first four games, have won back-to-back road games to move into first place in the NFC South.

They also moved to 4-2 in unusual fashion, winning all four of their road games and losing both home games.

The Panthers, a playoff team in 2003 and 2005, won their opener at St. Louis, 27-13, over the Rams but lost 34-21 at home to Houston, which at the time was 2-0 and one of the league’s hottest teams.

They won the following week at Atlanta, 27-20, then lost a key early-season game at home to Tampa Bay, 20-7, a game they trailed 20-0 before a late touchdown. They since have moved past the Buccaneers into first place in the South by winning at New Orleans, 16-13, and at Arizona, 25-10.

Carolina was idle this past week.

Last time in Playoffs: 2005.

Last time in Super Bowl: 2003.

Super Bowl Championships: None.

2006 Pro Bowl Selections: Kris Jenkins, DT; Julius Peppers, DE; Steve Smith, WR.

Quotable I: “It’s good that we are where we are right now, but still, we still have an ill feeling inside of us because we know we haven’t really played a complete game yet where the offense, defense and special teams have been clicking all on one cylinder. We feel we have that game in us, and hopefully this will be a good game to do it in, against the Indianapolis Colts.”

--- Panthers Cornerback Ken Lucas

Quotable II: “I think you've got to prepare the same way every week, whether you're the starter, the backup or the third guy. Really, you're always one snap away if you're the backup, so you better be prepared. The only way to do that, that I know of, is to prepare like you're the starter.”

--- Panthers Quarterback Vinny Testaverde


The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

Week 7: Colts vs. Panthers

Bill Polian, in his 10th season as Colts president, has a resume unique in the NFL. One of two men to win NFL Executive of the Year five times, Polian in the 1980s built the Buffalo Bills into a four-time Super Bowl participant. In the mid-1990s, he built the expansion Carolina Panthers into a team that made the NFC Championship Game in its second season, 1996. Since joining Indianapolis in 1998, he built the Colts from a 3-13 team in 1997 and 1998 into one that has made the playoffs seven of the last eight seasons, including an AFC Championship Game appearance after the 2003 and 2006 seasons, AFC South titles in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and a Super Bowl championship following last season. Each week during the season, in The Polian Corner, Polian and Colts.com will discuss issues pertinent to the Colts and the rest of the NFL.

Question: A 29-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville on Monday Night. A short night and a long trip home, but for the Colts, certainly a game well worth the trip . . .

Answer: As (Colts Head Coach) Tony (Dungy) said after the game, 'Rest, but do it quickly.'

Q: The Colts did an awful lot of impressive things in a lot of phases in Jacksonville . . .

A: Yes, they did. It was really a team win. More important than that, we did it in a fashion that people don’t expect from us, especially against a team that is as good, as talented, as physical as the Jacksonville Jaguars are. So, it was very gratifying, a good way to play - hard-nosed, tough, physical football on both sides of the ball. One of the ESPN crew stopped me at halftime and said with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, ‘Nice finesse team you have there.’ I said, ‘Yeah, that’s true.’ I saw a quote from (middle linebacker and defensive captain) Gary Brackett that said essentially the same thing, that we have the reputation of being a finesse team and of course, that isn’t true. Anybody who has followed us knows it isn’t true, but those perceptions – as Tony is fond of pointing out – die hard. If anybody doubted that the perception is not true, they were disabused of that notion on Monday Night.

Q: As you reviewed tape Tuesday, anything jump out at you that you didn’t see on Monday Night?

A: Not really. The sense that you got from watching the game Monday Night from the press box was that we were a little more in control than the tape showed. Every yard we got were hard yards. Defensively, they (the Jaguars) really played well, which is no surprise because they’re an outstanding defense. I think you didn’t notice the ferocity with which they (the Jaguars) played and the kinds of plays that they made quite so much from above as you did seeing it on the tape. Every yard we gained was hard-earned. The hitting was ferocious and it stayed that way throughout the ballgame. We more than gave as good as we got, but they really put up a heck of a battle. There was no such thing as domination or any of those kinds of silly words and phrases people throw around. That was a hard-fought football game, top to bottom. We made fewer mistakes and therefore won the game. As I said, we gave as good as we got in the physicality department and therefore won the game, but it wasn’t easy.

Q: You and Tony each talked during the week about matching the intensity you knew Jacksonville would bring. It seemed as if the Colts did just that . . .

A: They did, because their defense (the Jaguars’) was playing with the kind of intensity, and the kind of effort and the kind of efficiency we expected from them. I keep saying it over and over again: they really are good. They are a good defense. They may be the best defense that no one knows about in the national media and around the National Football League, because they’re not covered a lot. But they deserve great credit. They are an outstanding defense. They’re well-coached. What they do is well-conceived. They got us on a couple or three blitzes that we didn’t pick up and they caused bad plays with them throughout the game. The interception (in the fourth quarter) – they earned that. That wasn’t a (Colts quarterback) Peyton (Manning) bad throw. That was an interception they earned through good scheming and good execution. The defense had to keep us in it at point where it was difficult for us to gain yards. The yards we did gain were hard-earned. We had to match their intensity. We had to match their physicality. And we did to our credit. But to their credit, too. I’m repeating myself, but it was a hard-fought football game.

Q: Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney has 3.5 sacks this season, but he had two Monday and recorded his first NFL safety. He’s having a better year than his numbers indicate, isn’t he?

A: I don’t think he’s had as good a year as he has had since his rookie year, since people ‘discovered’ him. The two sacks he got on Monday Night were sacks he got when he was single-blocked. That was the only time he was single-blocked all night. The rest of the time they chipped him, they doubled him – they did everything they could to prevent him from getting sacks. I’m very surprised – and it’s to (quarterback) Quinn (Gray)’s great credit – that he didn’t fumble the ball in the end zone for a touchdown (on Freeney’s safety). That was a hard hit and Dwight’s a great guy for causing fumbles. It just didn’t come out at that point in time. Actually, I thought to myself, ‘Oh, boy. I’m a little upset that that we didn’t get a fumble recovery and a touchdown, because we’re hanging on for dear life in this ballgame. They can erupt at any time.’ We did a really good job staying with it for the rest of the game and we also did a good job scoring when we needed to and had the opportunities. Dwight has had a tremendous year. In the opener (against New Orleans), he was held seven times. They were takedowns, horse collars, tackles – you name it. He would have had numerous sacks in that ballgame had they not held him the whole time.

Q: Another Colts veteran, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, had a big-time catch at the 6-yard line on one of the best pass/catch plays you’ve seen in a while . . .

A: A great catch and a great throw. That’s why they (Manning and Wayne) are both Pro Bowlers. You don’t see those kinds of players very often. I couldn’t and didn’t hear the television replay, but they had to be raving about that. That’s one of those plays that only the best in the National Football League make.

Q: Can you comment on rookie defensive tackle Ed Johnson, who had a key early sack on Monday? He was signed as a collegiate free agent, but just how did he come to play for Indianapolis?

A: Ed Johnson is a perfect example of how our scouting system works. We knew a lot about Ed Johnson at Penn State. We recognized that he was a talented player. He had lots of problems at Penn State off the field. Some on, but not much – a lot of it off the field. There was some question about whether or not he would fit for us, because we had difficulty determining, really, how good an athlete he was at the collegiate level and whether or not he would really fit our system. As a result, he was a second-day choice. He was what we call a back board player. He went undrafted and we made little or no attempt to sign him as a collegiate free agent because we thought the off-the-field issues were something we didn’t want to deal with. (Penn State Football) Coach (Joe) Paterno, who has a longstanding relationship with many of us here, called and said, ‘I really would like you to take a look at this guy. I think he has grown up. I think he has gotten to a point where he can be a contributor to a pro team. He has been in my dog house for a long time, but I think I have him straightened out.’ That’s good enough for me, so I said, ‘Fine. If you vouch for him, that’s recommendation enough.’ We signed him and of course, the rest is history. You have to do your homework, but you also have to have a little bit of luck. Ed’s very lucky that he had a coach like Joe Paterno who was willing to go to bat for him.

Q: When you see a play like Reggie Wayne or other Colts players made on Monday, does it ever amaze you or are you immune to it after so much time?

A: It does amaze me. Their level of ability is incredible and it’s what makes professional football so great and it’s what makes the best teams in professional football – which we’re one of at the moment – really outstanding and fun to watch. That’s why the NFL has become America’s No. 1 sport. I’m always amazed at what they do. Frequently, when people come here who never have seen a pro football organization, an NFL team, up close and personal, they’re always agog at the size of the players. I must admit when we’re around them everyday that isn’t an issue. Visitors or people who are down on the field will always say, ‘My goodness, look at the size of those players.’ We sort of shrug our shoulders and say, ‘Yeah, I guess so.’ Familiarity breeds familiarity in that case, but in terms of the way they perform on game day and some of the athletic feats they can perform it’s incredible.

Q: On Sunday, the Colts will play Carolina, a team that started a 43-year old quarterback – Vinny Testaverde – in their last game.

A: He’s still playing and he’s still playing well. It looks as though they may start (David Carr). We’ll find out later in the week, but Vinny is a formidable opponent. He came off the street, hadn’t been in camp since July and he went out there and performed admirably. He got a win for the Panthers. They have a mini quarterback controversy down there I understand. The fans have taken to Vinny. Some fans have mentioned the New England game (with the Colts on November 4). I realize fans and media may be looking forward to that, but we’re not. We’re looking forward to the Carolina game. We better concentrate on that. That’s a 4-2 football team with every bit the same kind of physical defense we faced against the Jacksonville Jaguars. We have to be ready to play on Sunday.

Q: And the short week doesn’t make it easier . . .

A: The schedule maker really didn’t do us any favors here – probably by design. To have to go on the road after a Monday Night game is tough enough, but to have to do it after a divisional road game as we did is very difficult. We’re one of only two teams that had to do it multiple times in the last five years. Frankly, it’s a hardship. But you shrug your shoulders and move on. We have to concentrate. We have to get ready. We have to go out and do our best against a very physical football team.

Q: Can you explain the term, “healthy scratch” and why has a player such as defensive tackle Dan Klecko not played much this season?

A: That’s a phrase I guess the media came up with. You have 45 players and if you use a third quarterback, you have a third quarterback that you can dress every week for a total of 46 players. You have 53 players on the active roster, so that leaves seven or eight players who do not dress. The purpose of those seven and eight spots is to try to make sure that if you have injured players – as we did in the Tampa Bay game, for example – that you don’t have to put them on injured reserve and lose them for the season, that they can sit in an inactive category and get themselves healthy. It so happened in the Tampa game that every player who was on the inactive list was injured. That happened 16 out of the 17 weeks last year. This year, it hasn’t happened quite as much. We’ve had about 3-to-4 players on average, which by the way is the league average, who are injured every week and cannot play. That leaves 3-to-4 players who are healthy and could have played if you needed them. Lots of times what you do is juggle the roster in terms of who is active based on special teams and based on worries about active players who are injured. On Monday, for example, we had a very difficult decision to make. We had to decide whether or not to keep an extra linebacker active because Clint Session had a balky hamstring and Gary Brackett had a balky oblique muscle. If either of those men could not have finished the game in a hot, humid climate where muscle strains are the norm then you would have been real short at the position – so much so that one more injury might have caused us to go to nickel rather than be able to play three linebackers. We debated whether or not to bring an extra linebacker up. That would have necessitated a roster move off the 53. We decided not to do it. Tony and I and (Vice President of Football Operations) Chris (Polian) had a lot of sleepless hours trying to determine what the best course of action would be. Fortunately, we got through the game without any injury, but those are the things you worry about. When you have a player like Dan Klecko – who believe me will play a big role for this team before the season is over – inactive every week it’s sometimes because you have to go heavy at other positions to accommodate for injuries. It’s a juggling issue every week. As we get to Thursday, that’s the toughest decision we have to do in terms of managing the roster.

Q: But even though he’s not always active, he practices hard and prepares as if he’s starting . . .

A: He’s the quintessential pro. He goes out and practices hard every day and his time will come. I’m certain of it. I’m absolutely certain of it. Just as (rookie defensive tackle) Quinn Pitcock has done that. He has gone out and practiced hard and gotten himself ready to play and because of the nature of the offenses we’ve been playing – last week with Jacksonville, the week prior to that with Tampa Bay, this week with Carolina – Quinn has a role to play. Everybody has to be ready. Tony emphasizes the fact that it’s 53 men. And at some point in time, you’re going to be called upon.

Q: What was the big play late in the game?

A: It was Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark (for a touchdown) that allowed us all to breathe a little easier at the end of the game.

Q: It seemed Reggie was wide open on the play, too.

A: Reggie had a few more people in the vicinity. What Peyton did was look at Reggie and pump and that opened Dallas wide open. I was worried because it was one of those ones where you say, ‘Please catch it.’ The ball is coming so softly that you say, ‘Ooh, this could backfire,’ but they got him and of course, it was a great play late. It salted the game away.

Q: Do you see backup running back Kenton Keith remaining an integral part of the offense?

A: Surely, Kenton will get more playing time. He did Monday Night. They split the carries 50-50, basically. He has earned all the playing time. He has done a great job. Every week, he has gotten better and better and more confident in his ability. It has turned into a great tandem.

Q: Has there been any consideration given to re-signing wide receiver John Standeford?

A: We don’t have any openings on the roster and our receivers are healthy, so there is no spot for him. If we had a rash of injuries, I’m sure he would be one of the first people we would consider.

Q: In recent seasons, 3rd-and-1 had been a tough situation for the Colts at times. This season, Keith is 5 for 5, Joseph Addai is 5 for 6 and Clifton Dawson has converted one. What’s the difference this season?

A: For one thing, I think Luke Lawton has done a pretty good job at fullback opening holes. He’s not 290 pounds, but he packs a wallop and he knows who to block. He gets there and gets the job done. That has been a real plus and I think our guys run really hard. They don’t dance. They get up in the hole. In Kenton Keith’s case, along with Joseph – all three, actually – they’ve got second-effort surge, which we’ve never had before. They’re guys who bang in there and they’ll give you another yard and a half with surge at the end. Kenton’s not that big, but he has that surge in his legs, so it has been really good for us.

Q: He picked up a first down in that manner Monday.

A: And the touchdown was a second-effort play.

Q: What’s the key behind the Colts being able to field a quality team with quality people?

A: It’s a combination of a lot of things. No. 1, we always look for players who have what we call good football temperament, which means they’re dedicated to the game, that they’re hard workers, that they’re tough people, that they understand and respect the game and that they play by the rules. At the same time, Coach Dungy constantly emphasizes to them the responsibility they have as professional athletes to obey the rules and to play and live their lives in a way that reflects well in this organization and most importantly on themselves. It’s a combination of a number of things. We’ve gone a long time with this franchise without having any significant off-field incidents and some of that is because we emphasize it and some of it is the luck of the draw. Things do happen. Often times, these things are creations of our society these days. The fact is, Coach Dungy deserves the bulk of the credit for making sure he emphasizes the right way to play the game and the right way to be a pro with our players everyday.

Q: And now, the Quick Change of the Game . . .

A: I thought it was (safety) Bob Sanders’ tackle on (Jaguars running back) Maurice Jones-Drew on 4th-and-1 that put us in a position to take the ball over in the second quarter in plus territory. We marched down and got a field goal out of that and pretty much changed the tenor of the game.

Q: Is that a gamble to go for it on 4th-and-1 from midfield in that situation?

A: They had a big history of making it, No. 1. No. 2, they have a situation with those two running backs where when you have a yard, two yards, to go, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to make it. You put the ball in Jones-Drew’s hands, you like his chances. He’s that difficult to tackle. One man rarely brings him down. In this case, Bob made a great tackle, but we had two or three other fellows who got to the ball very quickly and didn’t give him a chance to break out. I would say it’s a pretty good gamble with the ball in his hands.

Q: And a clutch play by Sanders to make the stop . . .

A: They had shown an offshoot of that play before, but that was just a great, instinctive play by Bob.

Q: Can you explain what goes into draft-day decisions?

A: You’re looking for players who have certain qualities at certain positions. Let’s use (offensive tackle) Tony Ugoh, for example. It has been a long time since we have been able to identify a player we had a chance at that wasn’t being drafted in the Top 10 that had the kind of feet and arm length and athleticism that we need to play left tackle. Tony Ugoh was such a player. By feet, I mean the ability to move his feet quickly and stay on balance and stay in front of a rusher. When we saw Tony Ugoh, everyone in the building started jumping up and down, saying, ‘Here’s a player who really fits our needs.’ We just said, ‘Put him up there on the board; we’ll do the best we can to find a way to draft him.’ We made a trade. We won’t have a first-round draft choice next year because we traded it to the San Francisco 49ers in order to get Tony Ugoh, but I would make that trade any day of the week.

Q: Ugoh left the game early on Monday. How is he?

A: He’s fine. He had a burner, which is going to require some treatment over the course of the week, but I think he’ll be OK and the doctors feel he’ll be OK for Sunday. (Reserve offensive tackle) Charlie (Johnson) did a good job of stepping in there. Charlie had a couple of rocky situations where they speed rushed him on the edge and you recognize – as good a player as Charlie is – what rare feet Tony has, because those kinds of rushers don’t bother him at all.

Q: Bob Sanders and Dallas Clark each played at the University of Iowa. The Hawkeyes’ program has had quite an impact on the Colts . . .

A: Our feeling about Bob and Dallas is certainly shared in Iowa City. Tom Moore, our offensive coordinator, is an alumnus of the University of Iowa. He was out there for the bye week and Dallas was there, too. All the TV could talk about while broadcasting the Iowa game was what a tremendous welcome Dallas got. I guess he spoke with the team and was introduced on the field. They’re heroes in their hometowns. We always kid Dallas about the fact that he could be elected governor of Iowa some day. And Bob might be lieutenant governor.

Q: The Jaguars punted on their free kick after the safety. Is that within the rules?

A: It is a free kick and you can choose to kick it any way you want. What has happened is that over time people have decided punting the ball is the best option because you have the ability to hang it up higher and get down and cover it much more than you would a kickoff. But you can do anything you like in that situation.

Q: When a play call at the line of scrimmage doesn’t work, is it the matter of it being a bad play or bad execution?

A: I would say about 95 percent of the time it’s just failure to execute. He (Manning) gets us in the right play and then we fail to execute a block or we don’t hit the right hole or we don’t necessarily have the right timing on a route of something of that nature. The other five percent of the time a team just beats you as occurred on Monday Night. They had a late dropper, a defensive lineman if I recall correctly. It was a corner blitz coming off the other side. They dropped a defensive lineman so they essentially had Dallas surrounded by three players. The dropper didn’t show until he was just about ready to release the ball. There was nothing he could do. Credit them on that one. As Mike Murphy, our linebackers coach, is fond of saying, ‘The other team gets paid, too.’ That happens about five percent of the time. About 95 percent of the time, we’re in the right play and where we want to go.

Q: A lot of folks say, ‘Why look at the film from the 44-17 loss to Jacksonville last year?’ Nothing can be gained from it. Did the players want to look at it?

A: They wanted to look at it. There are two things that can be gained from it. The first is that you see how they blocked you and what we did incorrectly. We did a lot of things mechanically incorrectly in that ball game. So, it’s a teaching point. The other thing is it’s a little bit of motivation. I’d say it’s 90-10 teaching and making sure you’re honing in on what’s right to do as opposed to what’s incorrect. The other 10 percent is motivation.

Q: A road game at the Carolina Panthers is next. The Panthers are 4-2 and lead the NFC South by a half game.

A: It’s a very good 4-2 football team. They have a really good front four – Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker, Julius Peppers – outstanding pass rushers. They have a very good young linebacker in Beason, their first-round draft choice – Jon Beason out of the University of Miami. We thought very highly of him. Dan Morgan, their former middle linebacker, has been bothered by injuries his whole career. Whether he will play or not and where he’ll play, remains to be seen. If they have both of them in the lineup, they’re a very formidable front seven. They lost Mike Minter, their great safety who I was fortunate enough to be with down there, and they have been a bit unsettled in the secondary, largely due to injuries. As we know, a good front seven makes up for a lot of sins in that regard. On offense, what (Chicago Head Coach) Lovie Smith said about the Bears last year could be said about the Panthers, ‘They get off the bus running.’ In DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster from UCLA, they have two outstanding running backs. Williams is a home-run hitter. He was right up there on our draft board with Joseph Addai and Laurence Maroney and Maurice Jones-Drew. He’s a back who has the ability to go all the way and they love to run the football. They have a big, physical offensive line and they want to knock you off the ball. It’s a similar 1-2 punch to what we faced in Jacksonville this week. A similar defense – big, physical front four and big, physical linebackers who can run. In the kicking game, there’s the venerable John Kasey, my first free-agent signee when I was with the Panthers and one of the greatest guys in the history of the National Football League – one of the great people. And still a wonderful field-goal kicker. They have improved. They have gotten better each week. The quarterback situation is unsettled, but as we said earlier, Vinny is a very capable backup and their running game protects the starter (Carr) pretty well. He’s not exposed like he was down there in Houston. They have a much better – much, much better – defense with him in Carolina than he had in Houston. He’s in a position where he can boot the ball and do the things he does well. And they have one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL in Steve Smith. He is a true home-run hitter. Any time he touches the ball, he can go all the way. We’re focused on Carolina. We need to be focused on Carolina. It’s a tough ballgame. It’s a tough environment. It’s scheduled in a way that in many ways is designed to handicap us, to put us behind the eight ball. We’ve got to play our best football. All the talk will be about who the best team in the league is and the showdown and all this other nonsense. That’s fine for media and fans, but it can’t affect us. We have to go play this football game on Sunday and it will take our best effort to win.

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

Despite Double Teams, Freeney Still among NFL’s Best Pass Rushers!


Dwight Freeney doesn’t like it.

He never has, and said he likely never will. After all, Freeney said, who likes something that makes their job harder? Doubly harder, at that.

But when it comes to the once-frustrating, now-amusing matter of not one, but two guys trying to stop him from doing his job on nearly every play, the Colts’ three-time Pro Bowl defensive end said it’s easier to handle these days.

He can deal with it, he said. Really.

Not that he has much choice.

“I see it on a consistent basis, so it’s part of my life,” Freeney said this week as the AFC South-leading Colts (6-0) prepared to play the NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers (4-2) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday at 1 p.m.

“I feel like I’m going to walk out the front door and it’s, ‘Here comes a double-team going to the escalator,’ ’’ he added with a laugh. “That’s just my mentality. I know it’s coming and it’s a case of, ‘Here it comes, deal with it and try to get as good as you can get at beating two guys. Then, when you get that one-on-one you’d better win.’ ’’

Freeney, the Colts’ first-round selection in the 2002 NFL Draft, has been one of the NFL’s top pass rushers for six seasons. As such, he has routinely faced not only double-teams, but tight ends, fullbacks and running backs “chipping” on him to assist left tackles.

Still, over the past six seasons, he has recorded 60 sacks, a Colts career record, and this season, he has a team-leading 3.5 sacks.

This past Monday, Freeney registered two sacks, two forced fumbles and his first NFL safety – the latter of which came on a play on which he was single-blocked – and was named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Still, Freeney and Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said plays when Freeney can go one-on-one with a left tackle are rare.

And that they are, Dungy said, is very much a testament not only to Freeney’s talent, but to his stature within the NFL.

“I was with (the late sack specialist) Derrick Thomas in Kansas City,” Dungy said this week. “It got very similar. Derrick would get frustrated. He (Freeney) is facing a lot of chips, fullbacks, tight ends on his side. That’s the mark of a good rusher.

“When you put yourself in that category – Reggie White, Derrick Thomas, (Carolina defensive end Julius) Peppers. You don’t see them get single-blocked very often. You have to learn how to beat double-teams. You have to learn how to beat chips if you want to be productive.”

Freeney has learned, and at times, he has discussed his dilemma with other defensive ends past and present.

“It’s a little different,” Freeney said. “They see it, but they don’t see it on a consistent basis like I see it.”

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

Two-Game Lead Hardly Insurmountable After Six Games, Dungy Says

The Colts through six games this season accomplished what they wanted.

They won all six games.

They won three games in the division, all on the road.

They established a two-game lead in the AFC South.

All of which is great, Colts center Jeff Saturday said this week, and all of which – in the context of a 16-game season – means very, very little.

“We’re six games into the season,” Saturday said as the AFC South-leading Colts (6-0) prepared to play the NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers (4-2) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday at 1 p.m.

“There’s a whole lot of football to play.”

Saturday then cited what he referred to as a Dungyism – a favorite mantra of Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy.

You can’t win the division in October.

“I don’t think you can,” Saturday said. “You have to keep playing football. You win it in November and December, so let that take care of itself.”

Despite their 3-0 record in the division, and despite the two-game lead, Saturday and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said the South is too competitive to allow complacency to become an issue.

The AFC South teams are a combined 17-7, with five losses in the division and two out of the division – a Tennessee loss to Tampa Bay and a Houston loss to Atlanta.

“There’s no question you put a lot of emphasis on those games, especially when we lost those three (division road) games last year,” Manning said. “Guys were focused on responding to what happened last year. We have played decent on the road so far, but we need to do it again this time.

“You hope the guys are the right kind of guys to sort of focus on the job at hand. I think we’ve shown we have the right kind of guys to put a game behind us and move on to the next one. That’s the approach this week.”

The Colts, who went 24-8 on the road from 2002-2005, went 4-4 away from the RCA Dome last season. They are 3-0 on the road this season and haven’t played at Carolina since 1995, when they lost to the Panthers, 13-10, in Carolina’s inaugural season.

“It’s kind of an uneasy feeling, because it’s a team we haven’t played that often,” Dungy said Thursday. “They’re playing well and have won a couple of games in a row. Going in there we know how tough it’s going to be, so I think we’ll be ready and mentally we’ll be on top of things. We’re going to have to be.”

Another challenge for the Colts this week is playing a Sunday road game following a Monday Night road game. The Colts played just once on Monday Night Football in 2006, beating the Cincinnati Bengals at home in December, then losing at Houston the following week. They were 3-0 following Monday Night games in 2005 and 1-0 in 2004. Their last loss following a Monday Night game came in 2003, when they lost at home to Carolina following a road loss on Monday Night to Tampa Bay in early October.

Preparing on a short week is difficult, Colts safety Bob Sanders said, but Carolina and Jacksonvlille are comparatively similar. Sanders said that could help this week.

“They do a lot of the same stuff and they’re pretty much the same type of team,” Sanders said. “We’re going to prepare the same. We’re going to do the same things we’ve been doing. The game plan is pretty much the same. We just have to execute. If we execute well enough to do some good things, we’ll be fine.”

Also on Thursday, the Colts released their second injury report of the week, with safety Matt Giordano (hamstring), wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee), wide receiver Aaron Moorehead (team decision), safety Bob Sanders (team decision), offensive tackle Tony Ugoh (shoulder) and linebacker Victor Worsley (team decision) listed as not participating in practice.

Defensive end Dwight Freeney, who missed practice Wednesday because of a team decision, returned to practice Thursday, according to the injury report. Linebacker Freddy Keiaho (head) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.

“We’ve got some guys were resting based on the short week, but all in all, I think we’re in pretty good shape,” Dungy said.

Also, the Colts awarded game balls this week for performances in the Jacksonville game to wide receiver Reggie Wayne (offense), defensive end Dwight Freeney (defense) and punter Hunter Smith (special teams).

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

INJURY REPORT
NO.	NAME	POS	STATUS	INJURY	DATE UPDATED
58	Brackett, Gary	Linebacker	Questionable	Abdomen	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
57	Gandy, Dylan	Offensive Guard	Questionable	Illness	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
83	Hall, Roy	Wide Receiver	IR	Shoulder	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
88	Harrison, Marvin	Wide Receiver	Questionable	Knee	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
92	McFarland, Anthony	Defensive Tackle	IR	Knee	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
94	Morris, Rob	Linebacker	IR	Knee	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
42	Seidman, Mike	Tight End	IR	Knee	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
37	Smith, Antonio	Defensive Back	IR	Clavicle	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM
51	Worsley, Victor	Linebacker	Questionable	Foot	10-20-07 - 01:39 PM

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[wrigley]

General is Harrison playing Sunday seen this at Mad Jacks but they did not name a source, what you hearing.
-----------------------------------------
The Indianapolis Colts will be without two starters when they meet the Carolina Panthers Sunday.

Eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee) and weak-side linebacker Freddy Keiaho (post-concussion syndrome) have been ruled out of the game and will not accompany the team to Charlotte.

There was no comment from the team on either player.

Harrison bruised his left knee Sept. 30 against Denver and missed the following game against Tampa Bay. He returned to the field last Monday night at Jacksonville, catching three passes for 16 yards, but did not practice all week.

Keiaho suffered a concussion against the Broncos, missed the Tampa Bay game and was cleared to play against Jacksonville.
__________________
"That damn Peyton Manning, he really irritated me today." -- Tampa Bay Coach Jon Gruden following the Colts 33-14 victory in which (6) Colts starters did not play.

[The General]

He is ?

[The General]

2007 REGULAR SEASON

WK	DATE	OPPONENT
1	9/6	NEW ORLEANS SAINTS	41 - 10 W
2	9/16	@ Tennessee Titans	22 - 20 W
3	9/23	@ Houston Texans	30 - 24 W
4	9/30	DENVER BRONCOS	38 - 20 W
5	10/7	TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS	33 - 14 W
6	10/14	BYE	-
7	10/22	@ Jacksonville Jaguars	29 - 7 W
8	10/28	@ Carolina Panthers	31 - 7 W

[The General]

Wayne Continues to Give Colts Offense Lift

Reggie Wayne was on the receiving end of history Sunday.
A nice thing, Wayne said.

A memorable thing, he said, too.

But not something about which Wayne – the Colts’ seventh-year Pro Bowl wide receiver – said he wanted to make a particularly big deal. That’s because being on the receiving end of history on Sunday meant scoring a touchdown.

And the Wayne sees it, scoring is what he ought to do.

“It’s kind of neat whenever you get in the end zone, period,” Wayne said after the Colts’ 31-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium Sunday afternoon.

“I was just doing my job, to go out there, keep the chains moving and play with the team. Whenever we can get points, it’s huge.”

Wayne, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, caught seven passes for 168 yards and a touchdown Sunday and his 59-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter pushed Indianapolis’ lead to 24-7.

It also pushed Colts quarterback Peyton Manning past John Unitas on the Colts’ all-time touchdown passes list.

Manning now has 288 touchdown passes. Unitas threw 287 for the Colts.

“It seems like every year, it’s something different,” Wayne said. “It comes with hard work and the territory. Peyton works hard, does a great job of putting us in the right situations. My part is easy. To me, basically, the hard part is throughout the week in practice.

“My job is to go out and catch the ball and make plays.”

Wayne, a 1,000-yard receiver each of the past three seasons, now has 44 receptions for 668 yards and five touchdowns this season.

The Colts have played two of the past three games – including Sunday – without eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Marvin Harrison. In those three games, Wayne has 23 receptions for 361 yards and two touchdowns.

Wayne, asked if the last three games had held any particularly importance, said, “Not necessarily.”

“We’ve got too many weapons on this team anyway,” Wayne said. “I’m out there doing my job. When the ball comes to me, I’ve got to catch it and get what I can and make plays. With this team, it can be anyone. Next week, it can be (tight end) Dallas (Clark) – whoever: wait until your numbers called and make the best of it.”

Said Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy, “There may be some more balls coming his way, but I think he has practiced the same way, taken that same approach. I haven’t detected much difference.”

EVEN HUNDRED: Colts running back Joseph Addai rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

Addai now has 592 yards and seven touchdowns on 123 carries this season, and has matched his touchdowns rushing total from his rookie season last year.

The Colts out-rushed the Panthers, 131-108, the sixth time in seven games this season they have out-rushed their opponent.

Reserve running back Kenton Keith added 33 yards on six carries.

LOOKING FORWARD: The Colts said often this past week they were very much focused on the Panthers.

In particular, they said they weren’t focused on the Patriots. The teams will play Sunday in a matchup of the last two remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL this season.

Immediately after Sunday’s game, Dungy was asked about New England.

“I think it will be a circus,” Dungy said. “I think it will be very, very much-hyped game. It’s going to be a great game. They’re a good team. They’ve played great football all year.

“Our team has played well. I think it’s going to be a big game.”

Several Colts players said afterward focusing on the Panthers this past week was easy, and said the thoughts of New England didn’t start until after the game Sunday.

Safety Bob Sanders said not thinking of New England wasn’t overly difficult.

“I haven’t watched TV,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t really watch sports channels much.”

Dungy gave Colts players Monday off, and Sanders said the talk of the Patriots can wait until Wednesday, when the team begins preparations.

“We’re going to rest up, and when the week comes, it comes and all those questions will be answered,” Sanders said. “We’re all going to enjoy these couple of days off.”

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE: The victory over Carolina meant Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has victories over all 31 other NFL teams.

Manning said he was proud of the record, but said there was another side, too.

“I’ve lost to all of them, too, except for about three or four, I think,” Manning said. “If I play long enough, I’m sure I’ll lose to all of them, too.”

UNBEATEN AGAIN: The Colts victory Sunday moved them to 7-0 and kept them unbeaten October for a third consecutive season.

The Colts’ last loss in either September or October?

Halloween of 2004.

“It’s a credit to the players for working hard in the off-season, getting in shape and being mentally ready to come out of the gates running and focused,” Manning said. “It’s such a competitive league now. You don’t want to get behind in a game. You don’t want to get behind in the division or the conference.

“It’s been good to get off to good starts. It’s all about trying to keep it going in November and December. That’s when it really counts. It’s a real credit to the players for coming out of the blocks running.”

UGOH INACTIVE: Tony Ugoh missed the first start of his NFL career Sunday.

Ugoh, a rookie who started the first six games this season, was one of eight players named inactive for the Colts Sunday. Other Colts inactives:

Cornerback Michael Coe, safety Matt Giordano (hamstring), linebacker Victor Worsley (foot), linebacker Freddy Keiaho (post-concussion syndrome), defensive end Jeff Charleston, wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee) and defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock.

Charlie Johnson, a second-year veteran who played extensively as a backup at right tackle as a rookie, was in the starting lineup in place of Ugoh.

Rookie wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez was i