INDIANAPOLIS COLTS News and Notes for 2007/2008

[The General]

Colts running back Joseph Addai earned his first Pro Bowl selection Tuesday, and safety Bob Sanders was one of four other Indianapolis players chosen to represent the AFC.

Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning, center Jeff Saturday and receiver Reggie Wayne also made the team. Sanders, Wayne and Saturday were all named as starters for the Feb. 10 game in Honolulu.

You can't get too focused about it," Sanders said last week in anticipation of his second career selection. "It's definitely great to get recognized by your peers and the fans."

Sanders returned from an injury in last season's playoffs and sparked a dramatic defensive turnaround. He was the only Indianapolis defender chosen.

Known as one of the NFL's hardest hitters, he has anchored the league's No. 1 pass defense as the Colts lost three starters from last year's Super Bowl winning team in free agency and three more -- defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, linebacker Rob Morris and former sacks champion Dwight Freeney -- to season-ending injuries.

Sanders ranks second on the team with 119 tackles, has 2 1/2 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery, but his most important contribution has been staying healthy. After fighting through injuries each of his first three seasons, Sanders has missed just one game this year and has excelled playing closer to the line of scrimmage.

"I enjoy it," said Sanders, who made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2005. "It's definitely the strength of my game, being down in the box, and I've gotten a good grasp of seeing what's going on. It's been a lot of work."

Addai became the third Colts' running back to open his career with two straight 1,000-yard seasons. He ranks third in the NFL with 11 TDs rushing in his first season as Indy's feature back.

He was chosen over Jacksonville's Fred Taylor, a player who has never made it to Hawaii, even though coach Tony Dungy said Monday he thought Taylor deserved a Pro Bowl selection. Addai also has 39 receptions for 351 yards and three TDs.

"I guess it doesn't always go to who is having the best year, and there are always guys who don't make it that should," Dungy said. "But Joe is having a great year, and you're always happy when your guys make it."

Manning, Wayne and Saturday were all expected to make the team.

Manning, who will not start this year, has made it to Hawaii eight times in 10 seasons and is closing in on yet another 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown season. He's also moving up the NFL career charts, ranking fourth in career TD passes (303) and ninth in yards passing (41,220).

Saturday is going to Hawaii for the third straight year after helping lead the Colts offense to its 10th straight 5,000-yard season.

Wayne is making his second straight appearance after breaking through in 2006. He has 82 receptions for 1,280 yards, second in the AFC, and five 100-yard games. It's the ninth straight year the Colts have sent a receiver to the Pro Bowl.

This time, he will not be joined by the Colts perennial Pro Bowler, Marvin Harrison. After making eight straight Pro Bowl appearances between 1999 and 2006, the most of any Colts player in the Indy era, Harrison's season was derailed by a left knee injury in October. He has missed the last eight games and nine of the last 10.

Only two Colts -- Gino Marchetti and John Unitas -- have been selected to more Pro Bowls than Harrison and Manning. Marchetti and Unitas each played in 10 Pro Bowls during the 1950s and 1960s when the Colts called Baltimore home. Marchetti also was selected an 11th time but did not play in 1958 and was not credited with an appearance.

Addai, Sanders top list of Colts players headed to Pro Bowl - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

[The General]

Yes, the Indianapolis Colts are on a five-game winning streak, have a 12-2 overall record, have clinched a fifth straight AFC South crown and have nailed down the No. 2 seed in the upcoming AFC playoffs.

But despite all that success, the Colts continue to be a work-in-progress. According to head coach Tony Dungy, Indianapolis hopes to use the final two regular-season games against Houston this week and Tennessee on Dec. 30 as a springboard into the postseason.

"We have to get better. That's what we talked to the team about (Wednesday) morning. We had two days off after the Raiders game. We won it (21-14) but I don't think anybody was overly happy with our performance. We made some mistakes that can haunt you if (you) play that way in the postseason," Dungy said.

"So we want to practice well (this week). We want to come out and play sharp. We want to win the ball game (against the Texans). But more than anything else, we just want to make improvement from last week. I think if we do that, we'll be in good shape."

One area of concern for Indianapolis, at least offensively, has been the lack of a consistent running game over the past six weeks. Second-year running back Joseph Addai hasn't gotten close to a 100-yard rushing performance during that time span.

"I think, offensively, we can improve in a lot of areas," quarterback Peyton Manning admitted. "From last week's game and the overall execution, you want to try to get back to being a little more balanced if we can as far as being able to run it on first down effectively, to drop back and pass and to throw in a little play action.

"All three of those things kind of feed off one another. So overall, offensively, we'd like to improve this week and play better against Houston."

Part of the problem with the Colts' running game can be traced, at least partially, to the spate of injuries along the offensive line. Consistency and continuity have been somewhat of a problem this season.

"Right now, especially for us up front, we're not very happy with our performance coming out of Oakland. So we need to get back on the field and get some things cleaned up and work towards being a better playoff team. That's really all we're focused on right now," center Jeff Saturday said.

"I think it's a number of factors (why the running game is struggling a bit right now). But obviously we need to run better than we are. So whatever we have to do to fix (it) internally, we'll take care of it. I know, from my own perspective, I'd like to see a little better numbers than we have. I don't care about total yards. But I do want our yards per carry to be higher than it has been and do that for Joe. So that's our goal."

SERIES HISTORY: 12th meeting. Colts lead series, 10-1. Indianapolis won the first meeting of the two teams this season, posting a 30-24 decision at Reliant Stadium on Sept. 23. The last time the two franchises met in a December game, the Texans posted a 27-24 win (Dec. 24, 2006) at Houston. It's their only win in the 11-game history of the series. Over their last three meetings, the Texans have averaged 25 points against Indianapolis. Houston had averaged 13.6 points in its previous eight meetings. The Colts are averaging 30.1 points in their previous 11 meetings with Houston. Colts coach Tony Dungy has a 10-1 career coaching record against Houston. Texans coach Gary Kubiak has a 1-2 career coaching record against the Colts.

FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Indianapolis Colts Team Report

[nydoc]

like houston this week. line is 7. lots of colt starters wont play. doubt starters will play whole game

[The General]

Good luck on your play.




Drafted to slow Peyton Manning, Texans' Mario Williams hasn't yet.

When the Houston Texans drafted Mario Williams, owner Bob McNair said a big reason they chose him was so they could beat Peyton Manning and the Colts.

The Texans did get their first win over Indianapolis last season, but Williams didn't have much to do with it.

In three meetings with the Colts, Williams hasn't sacked Manning, but he has gotten the quarterback's attention with his recent play.

"In the film that we've seen of him, he is what we call a disruptive guy and he's certainly a guy that I think you'll be paying attention to on every single play," Manning said.

Williams is second in the NFL with 13 sacks this season and has nine in his past five games. He is the only player in the league to have at least one sack in each of the past five games.

He had a career-high 3 1/2 sacks in last week's win over Denver.

"He's an excellent player," Manning said. "He's really playing at a high level -- really kind of took over the Broncos game himself in a lot of ways and put a lot of pressure on their passing game."

Williams hopes to get that kind of pressure on Manning this week when the Texans look to win their eighth game for the first time in franchise history. He said Manning and the Colts present a number of different challenges.

"It's just the whole thing," he said. "It's the offensive line and it's him just knowing the scheme of things and getting rid of the ball," Williams said.

Last season, Williams wasn't comfortable enough to be moved around on the line and preferred to stay at right defensive end. As he's gained confidence this season, coaches have been able to shuffle him around and create more problems for opponents.

"Last year, there was so much stuff thrown at me and now I'm just a lot more comfortable," Williams said. "So it's just something that I've gotten accustomed to doing and I like doing it. Everything's pretty good right now."

Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said he thinks Williams will win over fans who wanted the team to draft Vince Young or Reggie Bush. Dungy even compared him to his star defensive end Dwight Freeney.

"He has played outstanding football the last seven, eight games that we just looked at here and I'm sure that's what everybody envisioned," Dungy said. "That type of play helps you win championships. No question about it. He's giving them the type of impact that Dwight gave us with our first pick when I was here."

Coach Gary Kubiak said Williams is enjoying himself, and that he's so excited in practice he often asks to take scout team snaps.

"He loves to do it," Kubiak said. "It makes our offensive line guys mad, but that's a good thing. He's getting really comfortable with who he is as a pro and where he's headed with his career. It's not hard for him out here anymore. He loves practice. That's the key to being a great player."

Drafted to slow Peyton Manning, Texans' Mario Williams hasn't yet - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

[The General]

In Bob Sanders’ mind, there’s little question.

The Colts may not be the most-talked about team in the NFL. They may not be the most hyped. But to Sanders, the Colts’ two-time Pro Bowl safety, what they are despite a difficult, trying, injury-plagued is something more important.

They are a team capable of playing its best football in January.

They are a consistent team.

And most of all, Sanders said, they are a good team. A very good team.

Even better, Sanders said, than they were this time last season, a season that ended with the team’s first Super Bowl title in 36 seasons.

“We’re doing a lot of good things,” Sanders said this week as the AFC South Champion Colts (12-2) prepared to play the fourth-place Houston Texans (7-7) in a division game at the RCA Dome on Sunday at 1 p.m.

“I think we still have room to improve, but I think we’re playing a little more consistent now, and it definitely feels good to be able to do that.”

The Colts, with a 21-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders last week, not only clinched the AFC South title for a fifth consecutive season, they clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

The Colts have made the playoffs the last six seasons, and since the 2002 arrival of Head Coach Tony Dungy they have the NFL’s best record, but only once during that span have they entered the postseason as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. That was in 2005, when they entered as the AFC’s top seed before losing to Pittsburgh in an AFC Divisional Playoff game.

Last season, the Colts lost four of their last seven games, and needed a victory in the regular-season finale against Miami to secure the No. 3 seed.

This season, after a two-game losing streak in early November against division leaders New England (AFC East) and San Diego (AFC West), they have won five consecutive games, including a 28-25 victory over Jacksonville, a team widely considered one of the hottest teams in the AFC.

The success this season has come despite a slew of off-season personnel losses and a roster hit as hard by injuries as any Colts team during their postseason streak.

Cornerback Nick Harper. Cornerback Jason David. Linebacker Cato June.

All started for the Colts in Super Bowl XLI, and all left as free agents before the beginning of the season.

Offensive tackle Tarik Glenn. He started Super Bowl XLI, and retired in the off-season.

Defensive tackle Anthony “Booger” McFarland. Linebacker Rob Morris. Defensive end Dwight Freeney.

All started for the Colts in Super Bowl XLI, and all have missed all or significant parts of the season with season-ending injuries.

Defensive tackle Raheem Brock. Safety Bob Sanders. Safety Antoine Bethea. Linebacker Freddy Keiaho. Defensive end Robert Mathis. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Running back Joseph Addai. Tight end Dallas Clark. Offensive tackle Tony Ugoh. Offensive tackle Ryan Diem. Linebacker Tyjuan Hagler.

All are starters. All have missed at least one game with injuries this season, with Harrison – an eight-time Pro Bowl selection – missing the last eight.

This past Sunday, as the Colts clinched their playoff positioning, only two defensive players who started the Super Bowl – Sanders and middle linebacker Gary Brackett – started against the Raiders.

Still, the Colts rank second in the NFL in total defense.

That’s remarkable success in the face of adversity, but what players said this week may be most remarkable is approach taken by their head coach during such times.

“The easy answer is it starts with (Colts Head) Coach (Tony) Dungy,” Colts tight end Dallas Clark said. “He always has stressed, ‘Next Guy In.’ Don’t worry about the guys who aren’t playing. Let’s focus on the guys are playing and get everyone ready.’ It kind of lends itself to, ‘No excuses, no explanations.’ That’s kind of mentality we’ve had. First string, second string, practice squad – the coaches hold everyone to such a high standard of always getting better, always learning, always trying to learn something new. In this league, you’re always a play away from being a starter. I think it’s a question of the younger guys doing a good job of learning, and stepping in and making big plays.”

The Colts’ young players and reserves have done just that much of the season. Consider:

• With Harrison out eight games, rookie wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez – the team’s first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft – has started the last four games at flanker, catching 20 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns in his last four games.

• When Addai – a second-year player – missed a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 7, first-year running back Kenton Keith rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL start.

• With Brock and Mathis out, and Freeney on injured reserve, this past week against Oakland, three rookies/first-year players – tackles Ed Johnson and Keyunta Dawson and defensive end Jeff Charleston – started alongside four-year veteran end Josh Thomas. The Colts held the Raiders to 253 total yards.

• When Glenn retired before the season, Ugoh – a second-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft – moved into the starting lineup and the Colts won his first six starts.

• When Ugoh was out five games with a neck injury, second-year veteran Charlie Johnson started five games and the Colts went 3-2.

“The bar is set really, really high around here with the success the Colts have had in the past, and obviously last year,” Colts veteran linebacker Rocky Boiman said. “I think guys here realize it. Sometimes, you think the Super Bowl is a very far off thing that could never happen. It actually happened, so you see that it can. The bar is set really high.

“We’ve seen we can do it and nobody wants to let the other guy down. If you’re watching game film and some guy does something, you’re judged at the same level no matter who’s in there. It’s not like, ‘If so and so was on there, they would have done it.’ It’s not like that at all. It’s expected from everybody. I expect it out of myself and I know everybody’s the same way.

“A lot of guys have stepped up. It shows the character of your team, when some guys are hurt and things aren’t going in your favor. We’ve battled through some things. Hopefully, we’re hitting the right stride and doing the right things this time of year, which is the time you need to come together.”

The Colts not only have won despite injuries, new players and young players, they have flourished. They have the second-best record in the AFC behind New England and are tied with Dallas and Green Bay for the second-best record in the NFL.

They are second in the NFL in point differential behind New England, which leads the league with a differential of plus-291. Indianapolis is next at plus-171 followed by Green Bay (plus-151) and Dallas (plus-144).

“It’s just guys willing to put the work in,” Colts safety Antoine Bethea said. “It’s guys willing to come to work and practice hard. They go out on Sunday and get the job done. Whoever’s out there, it’s just relying on them to get the job done. It’s what we’ve been doing this year and we’ve been doing a great job of that.”

Said Sanders, “No excuses – Coach Dungy stresses that so much, that it’s the next man in. No excuses, no explanations. We have to go out and do our job. He expects everyone to play at a high level week in and week out, regardless of who’s playing. That’s what he says. Somebody may get hurt every week. The next man in has to be able to step in, pick up the slack and keep moving on.

“There is no, ‘Well, he’s a young guy,’ or, ‘He hasn’t had much experience.’ None of that matters. They expect us to play at a high level all the time. I think all of the guys and the guys who have been here really feed into that and grab on it.”

Brackett said he fully realized how much the Colts have overcome this season at a recent appearance. Another speaker at the event mentioned that the Colts had won their last five games, and had done so without Freeney and Harrison, a pair of players with 11 Pro Bowl appearances between them and a pair of players many considered among the team’s most important four or five players.

“Winning five games in a row without Dwight in there and Marvin Harrison – a lot of other teams, they lose two franchise type players, they’re going to go down in the dumps,” Brackett said. “We find a way to win every week. No matter what the situation is, we find a way to win.

“That’s a credit to the coaches, the players. No matter what the score or the situation, we always believe we’re going to find a way to win.”

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

Victories in Final Two Games Now the Focus, Dungy Says.

Tony Dungy sees importance in the number.

Not an importance above all else, and certainly an importance to keep in perspective, but the Colts’ Head Coach said the idea of getting 14 victories this season is certainly appealing one.

It would tie the franchise record for victories in a season.

It would match the most victories he has had in a season as a head coach.

It would assure the Colts at least the second-most victories in the NFL this season.

And to do it, the Colts not only must win this week, they must also win next week – which Dungy said, after all, is very much still the goal.

“We’ve been 12-4 a couple of times,” Dungy said this week as the AFC South Champion Colts (12-2) prepared to play the fourth-place Houston Texans (7-7) in a division game at the RCA Dome Sunday at 1 p.m.

“We’re shooting for 14. That would be an outstanding year. That’s what makes this a meaningful game. Our guys are focused on that.”

A 13- or 14-victory season not only would be an outstanding season for the Colts, it would rank among the better seasons in the NFL in recent seasons.

Since the league moved to a 16-game regular season in 1978, only twice have the Colts exceeded 12 victories. That was in 1999, when they went 13-3 en route to the AFC East title and in 2005, when they went 14-2 and won the AFC South.

Since 1978, 101 NFL teams have won 12 or more games in a season, but in that same span, only 44 teams have won 13 or more games and only 20 have won 14 or more games.

If the Colts win their final two regular-season games, they would join the 1986 Chicago Bears, the 1998 Atlanta Falcons and the 2004 New England Patriots as the only teams to win 14 regular-season games and not be the top seed in their conference.

Despite the team’s success, the Colts have been relatively overlooked nationally this season, something Dungy said isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“That’s pretty good,” Dungy said. “Maybe it’s where we are. Maybe it’s being in Indianapolis. We kind of like it that way. Last year at this time, we’d lost a few games, so people weren’t focused on us. We were just able to concentrate and do our job.

“I think it will help us. We like where we are. We like it being quiet like this.”

Also on Friday, the Colts released their third injury report of the week, with safety Antoine Bethea (knee), defensive tackle Raheem Brock (rib), offensive tackle Ryan Diem (knee), linebacker Ramon Guzman (foot), wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee) and defensive end Robert Mathis (knee) listed as not participating in practice.

Brock, Diem and Harrison have been ruled out, according to the injury report, with Bethea, Guzman, Mathis, linebacker Clint Session (ankle) and tight end Ben Utecht (shoulder) listed as questionable and wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe (illness) listed as probable.

Also on Friday, Dungy said the injury to Steelers running back Willie Parker on Thursday won’t influence his decision-making in the final two games. Parker sustained a season-ending fibula injury in Pittsburgh’s victory over San Diego.

Having clinched the No. 2 seed, the Colts’ final two regular-season games won’t affect their playoff positioning.

“You feel bad for the Steelers in that situation, losing a good player,” Dungy said. “But it can happen. I think what you have to do is go out and play hard and not worry about the injuries too much.”

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

Meaningless game? Colts say no.

Colts have kinks to work out.

No. 2 seed is clinched, but Indy seeking to improve today in a number of areas.

It would be a mistake to call the Indianapolis Colts' game with Houston this afternoon at the RCA Dome meaningless. The Colts might not need to win it, but they do need to play it.

"We need to get back on the field and get some things cleaned up and work toward becoming a better playoff team," Colts center Jeff Saturday said.

The running game, pass protection and a better pass rush from the injury-thinned defensive line are points of emphasis. To that end, the Colts (12-2) will go mostly with starters against a 7-7 team playing for the best record in its six-year history.

"I envision some of our younger guys and second-team guys in there with the first team," Dungy said. "I don't think it will be just wholesale substitution: 'OK, this unit's out.' We want to get some guys in there in the heat of battle with guys they might be in there playing with in the playoffs."

The Colts have clinched the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed. That guarantees a first-round bye and a divisional-round home game but little else.

No. 2 seeds are 26-8 (.765) in the divisional playoffs, 10-16 (.385) in conference championship games and 5-5 (.500) in the Super Bowl since the current playoff format was implemented in 1990. That's a 41-29 (.586) aggregate, and although they have produced only five Super Bowl champions in 17 seasons, they have taken the title three of the past six years: New England in 2001 and 2004 and Tampa Bay in 2002.

The Colts lost their opener as the No. 2 seed in 1999. They defeated second-seeded Kansas City in 2003 and Baltimore last year in the divisional round.

Colts have kinks to work out | IndyStar.com

[The General]

Indianapolis 38, Houston 15

The Indianapolis Colts are playoff ready.

Just ask the Houston Texans.

Peyton Manning looked sharp, Indy's running game was efficient, the defense forced three turnovers and there was no letdown Sunday in what's likely to be the Colts final postseason tuneup. Indy scored on six of its first eight possessions and had 38 consecutive points in a 38-15 rout.

"I think it says a lot about guys taking their jobs seriously and being professional by coming out and getting a win today," Manning said.

The result had little significance to the Colts (13-2), who had already clinched their fifth straight AFC South title, the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. Instead, Indy was more concerned about working out kinks before it starts defense of its Super Bowl title.

Did they ever.

The Colts had a season-high 458 yards, tied the second-most first downs in a game in franchise history with 33 and three running backs helped produce Indy's first 100-yard rushing day since Thanksgiving night.

All that was accomplished without perennial Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison, who was out for the ninth straight game, and with most of the starters pulled after three quarters.

Manning was his typical self, finishing 28-of-35 for 311 yards with three TDs and a rating of 132.3. Joseph Addai, Kenton Keith and Clifton Dawson finally got the Colts' sagging ground game back in sync. Indy ran 31 times for 120 yards, its highest total since Oct. 28.

Reggie Wayne caught 10 passes for 143 yards, and Dallas Clark broke two franchise records. With six catches, two for TDs, Clark surpassed John Mackey's single-season marks for tight ends in both categories. Clark has 57 catches and 11 TDs. Mackey's bests were 55 receptions and nine TDs.

"I made the announcement to the team after the game, and I don't think many of them know who John Mackey was," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "But I remember him, and to me, he's the gold standard, so that's something special."

It wasn't just the Colts offense dominating, either.

Bob Sanders, Matt Giordano and Melvin Bullitt all had interceptions. The Colts defense, playing for the second straight week without any of this season's projected starters on the defensive line, allowed Houston to drive as deep as the Colts 40 only once the first three quarters.

For Houston (7-8), trying to win a franchise record eighth game, it was downright ugly.

"We were dominated," coach Gary Kubiak said. "We had been playing some pretty good football, and we came in here expecting to continue to play well. We got outplayed, outcoached; we got our butts kicked big time."

Sage Rosenfels was 22-of-36 for 233 yards with two TDs and three interceptions, including one in the Colts' end zone. He closed out the scoring with a 6-yard TD pass to Andre Johnson with 1:07 left.

There were some flaws for the Colts, however.

They lost tight end Ben Utecht with a shoulder injury and receiver Anthony Gonzalez with a bruised foot in the first half. Defensive back Tim Jennings also left in the final minute of the game with an undisclosed injury. None of the three returned, and Dungy had no immediate updates.

Addai played sparingly after the first quarter when he reportedly sustained back and shoulder injuries. The report was later denied by Colts spokesman Craig Kelley who said Addai was out because of a coach's decision.

After the game, Dungy said Addai and Gonzalez could have returned.

"Those guys are not nicked up too bad," Dungy said.

Manning led the Colts on first-half drives of 54, 92, 92 and 26 yards setting up a short field goal, Addai's 2-yard TD run and Clark's TD receptions of 6 and 11 yards to make it 24-7 at the half.

Dawson scored on a 4-yard run to open the second half, and Manning threw a 27-yard TD pass to Wayne in the third quarter, prompting Dungy to pull most of his starters, a situation that likely would have been replayed next week against Tennessee -- except the Titans need a win to secure an AFC wild-card berth. That game has been switched from afternoon to prime time under the NFL's flex TV schedule.

This game, though, was just what the Colts needed.

"More than anything, I was just really impressed by the way our team came out and played and the level of precision we had," Dungy said. "We talked this week about what we wanted to accomplish. Winning the game was No. 1, but we also wanted to do some things a little better and I think we did."

Notes

Mario Williams sacked Manning in the second quarter, his sixth straight game with a sack. ... Houston defensive end Anthony Weaver injured his right shoulder in the first half but returned in the second half. Texans right tackle Eric Winston also got kicked in the back but was expected to be OK. ... Manning topped 30 TD passes for the fourth time in his career. ... The Colts have now won 10 straight home games against division foes.

NFL - Houston Texans/Indianapolis Colts Recap Sunday December 23, 2007 - Yahoo! Sports

[The General]

Regular Season
Thu 9/6	New Orleans	W 41-10
Sun 9/16	at Tennessee	W 22-20
Sun 9/23	at Houston	W 30-24
Sun 9/30	Denver	W 38-20
Sun 10/7	Tampa Bay	W 33-14
	bye
Mon 10/22	at Jacksonville	W 29-7
Sun 10/28	at Carolina	W 31-7
Sun 11/4	New England	L 20-24
Sun 11/11	at San Diego	L 21-23
Sun 11/18	Kansas City	W 13-10
Thu 11/22	at Atlanta	W 31-13
Sun 12/2	Jacksonville	W 28-25
Sun 12/9	at Baltimore	W 44-20
Sun 12/16	at Oakland	W 21-14
Sun 12/23	Houston	W 38-15
Sun 12/30	Tennessee	8:15 pm

[The General]

Colts won't focus on what Tennessee, Cleveland need.

Tony Dungy expects the lobbying from Cleveland and Nashville to start in earnest later this week.

While the phone didn't ring much Monday morning, the Indianapolis Colts coach anticipates a barrage of calls the next few days from the 216, 440 and 615 area codes, which encompass the two cities vying for the AFC's final playoff spot.

"I'm looking for those area codes to show up on my phone," Dungy joked. "Not necessarily from the coaches, but from the fans in those cities."

Nobody would blame them for trying.

In an odd twist, the defending Super Bowl champions that have been overshadowed all season by New England now find themselves squarely in the spotlight going into their regular-season finale against Tennessee.

The scenario is about as simple as it gets with the playoffs.

A Titans win would give them their first postseason berth since 2003. A Tennessee loss sends the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Cleveland doesn't even have to win to make it.

So all AFC eyes are focused on Indianapolis to see if Dungy plays his starters in the NFL's final regular season game, just as they were for the league's season-opener in September.

And the usually cautious Dungy won't tip his hand much.

He's scheduling backup quarterback Jim Sorgi to play at least one half, perhaps longer if perennial Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison returns to the lineup after missing nine games.

If Harrison doesn't play, Manning could leave even earlier, drawing cheers from Cleveland.

In the 2004 and '05 regular-season finales, when the Colts faced similar situations, Manning was a combined 2-of-4 for 11 yards and played just one series. It could happen again Sunday night, although Dungy sounds like he'll give Manning a few more snaps.

"That's the way the schedule works out and you feel bad about it sometimes," he said. "One of the only times I missed the playoffs, in '98, I remember finding out we were eliminated on the plane ride back home. That was my message then and now is that you don't put yourself in that position. You play for your team, you coach for your team and you can't worry about anyone else."

Even if it is personal.

Dungy has been around the league long enough, a quarter-century, to have friends in every NFL city and some of those friends are on the coaching staffs in Cleveland and Tennessee.

As much as Dungy may want to send a gift someone's way, he refuses to let friendships get in his way of doing what's best for the Colts.

Right tackle Ryan Diem will likely take his fourth straight week off after Dungy announced Monday that the lineman had recently undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Tight end Ben Utecht, who reinjured his left shoulder Sunday against Houston, will likely sit out.

Decisions on receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who has been filling in for Harrison, and defensive tackle Raheem Brock will be made later this week. Gonzalez left Sunday's game with a concussion, while Brock missed the last two games with a rib injury.

There's a good chance, however, starting safety Antoine Bethea and defensive end Robert Mathis will return after sitting out Sunday with sprained knees.

"They'll play in the playoffs for sure," Dungy said. "Antoine and Robert have a good chance to play this week, so we'll see. Robert we'll probably be a little more cautious with."

The updates will undoubtedly produce opposite reactions in Cleveland and Tennessee.

But Dungy won't let that color his game plan for Saturday. He simply can't let it affect his decisions.

"We've got the same type of situation this week, where the game really doesn't mean much, and we got some rest for some of our regulars at the end of the game," he said. "That's probably what we'll do this week only a little earlier. We do plan to play everybody, we're just not sure how long yet."

Colts won't focus on what Tennessee, Cleveland need - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

[The General]

The statistic comes as no surprise to Tony Dungy.
Because in this case, what the statistic does is confirm what the Colts’ head coach has believed throughout the season:

That the AFC South is the toughest division in the NFL.

How good has the South been this season?

Good enough that if the Houston Texans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Houston Sunday, it will be the third division since the 2002 NFL realignment – and the first in five seasons – to have all four teams finish .500 or better.

How good?

Good enough that if the Tennessee Titans beat the Colts on Sunday, they will become the second division since realignment to qualify the maximum possible teams – three – for the postseason. The NFC East qualified three teams for the playoffs last season.

The NFC East can again place three teams in the postseason this season if Washington wins Sunday.

“The fact we could have three teams out of four in the playoffs confirms what I thought all along – that it was going to be the toughest division in football,” Dungy said this week as the AFC South Champion Colts (13-2) prepared to play the Titans (9-6) at the RCA Dome Sunday at 8:15 p.m.

“There are awfully well-coached, awfully good teams in this division.”

How good has the South been this season?

By more than one measure, it has been the toughest division since realignment. If neither the Texans-Jaguars game or the Colts-Titans game ends in a tie, the four division teams will combine for 42 victories, the most by four teams from one division since realignment.

If the Titans beat the Colts, who have won the last five division titles, the South will become the first division since 2002 in which three of four teams finished with 10 or more victories.

How good?

The AFC South enters the weekend with a combined record of 40-20. They are 30-10 outside the division, with the Colts – who are 5-0 in the South – finishing 8-2 outside the division and the other three teams finishing as follows outside the division: Jaguars (9-1), Titans (6-4) and Titans (7-3).

“As much as you’d like to have a couple of gimmes in your division, we didn’t have that luxury this year,” Colts tight end Dallas Clark said. “It’s great. It keeps you on your toes. It keeps you focused. It keeps the season interesting. There’s no off week. You have to go at it 15-to-16 weeks.

“I think it makes us a better team. When you play in those types of games in those types of situations, you can learn a lot about your team and a lot about yourself and overcome a lot of things and find ways to win.”

Also on Thursday, Dungy said he would like to see Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne reach 100 receptions for the season.

Wayne, who last week was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, has a career-high 92 receptions for 1,423 yards and 10 touchdowns through 15 games.

“I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not, but I think when you get that close to a milestone, it would be nice to do,” Dungy said. “You just never know how that’s going to turn out. It would be a well-deserved thing, and we’ll see what happens.”

Wayne has increased his receptions total in each of his seven NFL seasons, and last week, he surpassed the previous career-high he set last season: 86.

“That’s one of the reasons I’d like to see him get 100,” Dungy said with a smile, “because he’d probably get 105 next year.”

Also on Thursday, Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison participated in practice after missing the last nine games with a knee injury. Dungy said early in the week he may know more about the likelihood of Harrison playing against Tennessee on Friday.

Safety Antoine Bethea returned to practice after missing two games with a knee injury and fullback Luke Lawton and defensive end Josh Thomas returned after missing practice Wednesday with an illness.

The Colts on Thursday released their second injury report of the week, with linebacker Gary Brackett (team decision), defensive tackle Raheem Brock (rib), offensive tackle Ryan Diem (knee), wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (foot), cornerback Kelvin Hayden (illness), cornerback Tim Jennings (concussion), defensive end Robert Mathis (knee), defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (groin), defensive back Keiwan Ratliff (hamstring), safety Bob Sanders (team decision) and tight end Ben Utecht (shoulder) listed as not participating in practice.


The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

[The General]

So, who is on the Colt wagon here? Do you want to see a repeat? I never did so I doubt non Colt fans want it either.

[The General]

Eight-time Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison returned to practice with the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday after missing 10 games.

Harrison took part in a full practice Thursday and may be available for limited work against Tennessee on Sunday night.

Harrison has not played since Oct. 22 because of a left knee injury. The lingering injury that he suffered against Denver on Sept. 30 has forced Harrison to miss 10 games this season, the last nine in a row. It has been unclear whether Harrison would play again this season.

"We would like for Marvin to be able to go and get some playing time in. That's our hope. We'll see if it materializes," coach Tony Dungy said earlier this week.

Whether Harrison plays Sunday may dictate how many snaps Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning gets. On Monday, Dungy said if Harrison played this week he might keep Manning in the game longer to work on their timing.

Offensive tackle Ryan Diem (knee) sat out Thursday's workout and is not expected to play this week. Also sitting out were middle linebacker Gary Brackett (team decision), defensive tackle Raheem Brock (rib), wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (foot), cornerback Kelvin Hayden (illness), cornerback Tim Jennings (concussion), defensive end Robert Mathis (knees), defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (groin), cornerback Keiwan Ratliff (hamstring), safety Bob Sanders (team decision), and tight end Ben Utecht (shoulder).

Brackett, Sanders and Hayden are all expected to start against Tennessee.

Safety Antoine Bethea (knee), running back Luke Lawton (illness) and defensive end Josh Thomas (illness) all returned to practice and also could play against the Titans.

Receiver Marvin Harrison returns to practice with Colts after missing 10 games - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

[The General]

Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders has signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with the Colts that includes $20 million in guaranteed money, according to NFL sources. The contract makes Sanders the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Sanders, whose playoff performance sparked the Colts on their run to a Super Bowl victory last season, would have been an unrestricted free agent after this season.


by Chris Mortensen

abc7chicago.com: Sources: Colts make Sanders highest-paid safety 12/28/07

[husker]

great news! the colts will easily be under the cap next year.

[The General]

Titans hope this is the week Colts let Sorgi work up a sweat
Indianapolis Star, United States - 11 hours ago
And let's face it: The Titans' chances of beating the Colts improve in direct proportion to the number of snaps Sorgi takes.

[The General]

Game Day: Titans at Colts.

KICKOFF: Sunday, 8:15 ET

TV: NBC, Al Michaels, John Madden

SERIES: 27th meeting. Colts lead the series, 15-11. The Colts won the most recent meeting, 22-20 in Nashville on Sept. 16. Indianapolis has won eight of the last nine and hasn't lost to Tennessee at the RCA Dome since 2002.

KEYS TO THE GAME: Win and they're in the playoffs, lose and they're out. With that prospect facing the Titans, they need RB LenDale White to be effective against a defense that will throw SS Bob Sanders at run support (as long as he's in the game) with