#18 and the Colts

Playoffs: Colts Vs. Jets, Three Things To Watch For

2011-01-08T10:18:00.000-05:00

In a rematch from last year's AFC Championship game, the Indianapolis Colts take on the New York Jets tonight in what is sure to be a very good game.

The Colts have the better offense, but they will be tested against this Jets defense that has been very good at times but has been a little weaker in recent weeks, so we will see what happens.

Here are the matchups that I will be keeping an eye on tonight:

Peyton Manning vs. Jets Pass Rush

The Jets have not really had a consistent pass rush all year and it has cost them some games, such as the game against the New England Patriots, where they got torched by Tom Brady. In fact, I would say that their ability to pass rush is the key to the game.

You know that Manning is going to burn you on blitzes almost every time, so you have to get to him and bring him down if you want to win, especially if Rex Ryan is going to be sending defensive-backs in on blitzes. Manning will find the open man if you don't sack him, so that is obviously something to watch in tonight's game

I'm going to give the edge to Peyton Manning though, because he has proven in the past that Rex Ryan defenses don't stop him, considering he has a 5-1 record against Ryan coached defenses, and the only loss came when he was lifted late in week 16 last year and Curtis Painter came in. So edge goes to Manning.

Jets Running Game vs. Colts Defensive Line

The Colts have done an outstanding job the last three weeks at stopping the run, and we aren't talking about just any running-backs. They have held Maurice Jones Drew, Darren McFadden, and Chris Johnson all under 50 yards in the games they played against each of them in the past three weeks.

That's a pretty good chip on the shoulder of the Colts defensive line, as they will try to stop the Jets running attack led by familiar foe LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, who have combined for 1,680 yards this season, but have not been spectacular in recent weeks.

I'm going with the hot hand here, and I'm giving the edge to the Colts. They have played outstanding run defense recently and they seem to have found the right combination of guys to plug up the hole in the middle of the defensive line.

Mark Sanchez vs. Colts DB's

The Colts defensive-backs are going to have their hands full all night with the Mark Sanchez and his receivers. Antoine Bethea is going to have to have a big game to stop the Jets passing attack, because he is pretty much back their with a bunch of rookies and undrafted free agents like Justin Tryon and Aaron Francisco.

Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes are probably going to have a big night, but the Colts have to stand strong in the red zone and hold them to field goals. If Sanchez gets these guys the ball deep, I don't have much confidence in those fill in players the Colts have playing.

Edge easily goes to the Jets here, no question.

Overall it looks like it should turn out to be a good game to watch, with the possibility of a very high score. But Colts fans should not expect to see the same type of win as last year's AFC Championship game victory. I believe it's going to be really close tonight, but I'm saying the Colts prevail 31-28.

Kickoff is at 8:05 PM, and you can watch it on NBC.

Hey Rex Ryan, Stick a Foot In It!: Jets' Coach Has No Reason To Talk

2011-01-04T19:23:00.002-05:00

When the Indianapolis Colts play the New York Jets on Saturday, in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game, they will get yet another opportunity to shut up the loudest mouth in the entire league again.

It' no secret that the Jets head coach, Rex Ryan, likes to talk a lot, and most the time it's a lot of hot air in my opinion.

Last season, his bold press conferences and interviews took the NFL by surprise, and it was a nice change of pace from the normal old boring coach comments, cue Bill Belichick. But Ryan is a tired act now and needs to tone it down, especially since his team hasn't and is not close to accomplishing the goal he said they would achieve this season, and that's to win the Super Bowl.

He said they were going to win it all once they were in the playoffs last season, and the Colts put an end to that dream, beating the Jets 30-17, and Indy will have another chance to shut Rex up this weekend.

Speaking of the Colts, here's what rambling Rex had to say about them: "With Peyton Manning it’s like, ‘I want to beat him,’' Ryan said Monday. 'I don’t know when I’m going to beat him, but I want it to be Saturday. Is it personal? Yes. Is it personal against him, Reggie Wayne, all these guys; (Dwight) Freeney and (Robert) Mathis, and all those other dudes? Absolutely.'

Speaking about Peyton Manning and the AFC Championship game last year: "You lose a playoff game, it's devastating," he continued. "I want to put the shoe on the other foot. I know this team does too. We want him to experience it this time."

Yeah, well that's all fine and good Rex, but Peyton Manning is 5-1 against teams that you coached the defense for, so he obviously has your number and until you beat him in the playoffs, you have no room to talk about him, or anybody else for that matter.

So I will be rooting for the Colts on Saturday, not just because I'm a fan, but also because I simply don't respect the way Ryan handles himself off the field and it would be funny to watch him fall through on his Super Bowl guarantee he made in the preseason.

As for the Colts, who enter their record tying ninth straight postseason, they go about their business with complete professionalism and speak with their actions on the field, and that is generally what every other team in the NFL does too. So why can't the Jets?

Well, you can ask Rex Ryan that, but until his team wins a Super Bowl like he says they will, Rex needs to stick a foot in it and just shut up.

Colts Are 2010 AFC South Champions!

2011-01-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and in doing so have become the AFC South Champions for the second straight year and for the seventh time in eight years.

Dominic Rhodes fumbled the ball away with a little under two minutes remaining, but Titans QB Kerry Collins did the same with a minute and a half left to go in the game.

After a series of first downs, Adam Vinatieri booted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give the Colts the 23-20 victory.

The Colts did not need to win the game to capture the AFC South crown, as Jacksonville had already lost to Houston, but none of the Colts players or coaches were allowed to know that score. So they played to the end.

The Colts have now reached the playoffs for the ninth straight year, tying the Tom Landry's Cowboys for most consecutive years in the postseason.

Congatulations to the Indianapolis Colts on their division title and record tying day.

Indianapolis Colts Vs. Tennessee Titans: Everything You Need To Know

2011-01-01T17:49:00.001-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts take the field on Sunday with an opportunity to clinch the division and possibly improve their playoff seeding.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans come into Lucas Oil Stadium with relatively nothing to play for other than to try and hurt the Colts, but don't let Herm Edwards hear you say it doesn't matter.

But in all reality, the Titans look like a demoralized team that has quit on their coach, and that is truly a shame because Jeff Fisher is a well respected coach around the league, not to mention the longest tenured coach in the NFL as well.

NBC's Sunday Night Football analyst Rodney Harrison went as for as to say this "Tennessee quit last week, and their going to quit again this week."

Their season has been a disaster, from the Vince Young drama to their offensive coordinater, Mike Heimerdinger, being diagnosed with cancer. Nothing has really gone their way, and I think that the entire organization is happy that 2010 is now over.

Indianapolis Colts and Playoffs

As for the Colts, they are hoping to clinch the division crown and reach the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, a stretch that would draw them even with the Cowboy's NFL record nine year playoff run in the late 80's and early 90's.

The Colts can clinch the division with a win or a Jacksonville loss to the Texans on Sunday. And if they do win, then Colts fans should be rooting like crazy for the Oakland Raiders to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, which would give the Colts the number three seed in the AFC playoffs.

Why is that significant? Well, if the Colts are the three seed, and win in the first round of the payoffs, they would have to either play at Pittsburgh or Baltimore, while the fourth or fifth seed would have to play at New England. Which would you prefer?

But that is all to far ahead, the Colts should be focused on winning this week and then worry about who they play next, and I think that has been their exact mindset for the past three weeks, just keep winning.

Records and Milestones

Sunday's game also could be a milestone game for several Colts' players.

When Peyton Manning takes his first snap, he will surpass Gene Upshaw's record of 207 consecutive games played to start a career. He is also three touchdowns shy of 400 for his career, and on a lesser note, he is two interceptions shy of 200 for his career. And if he were to throw for 122 yards, he would set a new career high for most passing yards in a single season.

Reggie Wayne will be looking to catch his 69th career touchdown, which would put him above Colts hall of famer Raymond Berry on the all time touchdown receptions list. Reggie could also set a single season high for most receptions, should he make three catches on the day.

Injury Report

The Colts should see LB Clint Session return after practicing all week, this would be his first game action since week eight against Houston. However, the Colts will likely be without CB Kelvin Hayden for the fifth straight week, as he recovers form a neck injury.

Don't expect to see Dan Muir play, but Eric Foster, Charlie Johnson and Mike Hart should be available.

The Titans have no significant injuries and all players listed on their injury report are probable.

It is important to note that the Jacksonville Jaguars (the only other team that could win the division) will be without starting QB David Garrard and RB Maurice Jones Drew, so they will be at an extreme disadvantage in a must win for them against the Texans.

Prediction

The only way the Titans win is if Kerry Collins leads them to victory, especially the way the Colts defense has been stopping the run game recently. And I don't believe Collins has the capability to lead a pass-heavy offense any more, I'm saying the Colts win 28-17 and clinch the AFC South Division.

Indianapolis Colts Wednesday Injury Report: Updates On Hayden, Session, Others

2010-12-29T23:49:00.002-05:00

Wednesday injury reports don't always have the biggest meaning in the overall gameday picture, but they do give us an update on how some of the players are progressing, so here's the Colts Wednesday injury report.

Full Participation: Mike Hart and Clint Session.

Limited Participation: Eric Foster.

Did Bot Practice: Al Afalava, Dwight Freeney, Kelvin Hayden, Charlie Johnson, and Dan Muir.

First and foremost, this probably one of the smallest injury reports for the Colts that I have seen all season, so that is certainly a welcomed sight.

As for the players in the report, lets start with the good news.

Clint Session practiced in a limited role all of last week and even went as far as to say that he expected to play on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Well, he did not play last week, but seeing him fully participating is good news for Colts fans, and I fully expect him to play this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, as the surging Colts defense looks to shut down another premiere running back for the third straight week.

Mike Hart might be back at full strength, but even if he is, I don't believe he will much of an impact in a suddenly crowded Colts backfied, with Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, and Donald Brown all being c above Hart in the pecking order right now.

Now to the bad news, and that is starting CB Kelvin Hayden still not practicing. He has not practiced in three weeks and has missed the Colts last four games with a neck injury. The Colts need to get him healthy, and this could simply be another week of rest for him, to insure that he is ready to go in the playoffs, provided the Colts make the playoffs. But if this injury is still serious;y hampering his playing ability, then the Colts could be very weak if they run into a pass-heavy offense.

Two others that I would like to point are Dan Muir and Eric Foster, who are both quietly having good seasons, but are both hurt now and could leave a gaping hole in the middle of the Colts defensive line, which would put a lot of pressure on second year-player Fili Moala to fill the gap between the bookends Freeney and Mathis.

Speaking of Dwight Freeney, no worries, he is just getting his customary day off.

The Colts take on the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday with a chance to win the AFC South. Kickoff is at 4:05 PM.

Hawaii Four-O: Indianapolis Colts Have Four Pro-Bowl Bound Players

2010-12-28T20:47:00.002-05:00

The NFL announced the 2011 Pro Bowl players today, and the Colts have four players that are headed to Hawaii for their performance this year. The four would be QB Peyton Manning, WR Reggie Wayne, DE Dwight Freeney, and DE Robert Mathis.

For Peyton Manning this will be the 11th time he has been named to the team, which ties him with DE Gino Marchetti for most Pro Bowl nominations in Colts franchise history. This also marks Peyton's ninth consecutive Pro Bowl nomination.

Manning has thrown for 31 touchdowns and 4,436 yards this year, connecting on 423 of 638 passes. Overall it has been a tough year for him, but after losing All-Pro TE Dallas Clark, WR Austin Collie, and being without starting RB Joseph Addai for seven weeks, he has still turned in a tremendous performance that just might lead the Colts to the Playoffs, and possibly to even greater heights beyond that.

He will be behind starting QB Tom Brady and then Phillip Rivers this year, one of the few times that you could say Peyton Manning is a third string QB.

Manning's favorite target since Marvin Harrison left will also be accompanying him to the Pro Bowl. Reggie Wayne was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and he will be a starter along with his former University of Miami teammate, Andre Johnson.

Wayne has reeled in 102 receptions this year for 1,287 yards, including five touchdown receptions. The stat that impresses me the most is his 68 first down receptions this year, which is second most in the NFL. He also ranks second in receptions and third in receiving yards in the NFL this season.

The best defensive end tandem in the game today and maybe ever, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, will also be heading to the Hawaii for yet another season of outstanding pass rushing.

Freeney has recorded nine sacks this year and 17 quarterback hurries, along with a team high five forced fumbles in 2010. Freeney has continued to wreak havoc on opponents offensive linemen and QB's this year, and since entering the NFL in 2002, his 93 sacks and 41 forced fumbles lead the league.

Freeney's partner in crime is nearly as good as him, and Robert Mathis will be starting on the other side of the defensive line for the AFC just as the two bookend defensive ends have all year. This will be the third consecutive nomination for Mathis, who leads the team with 11 sacks this year, and if he were to get just one more sack this week against Tennessee he would have a new single-season career high.

Combined, Freeney and Mathis have registered an amazing total of 167 sacks during their careers, which to me makes them the best DE duo in league history.

The Pro Bowl will be played a week before the Super Bowl again this year on January 30th, but it is back in Hawaii after last year's was played in Miami

All Rhodes Lead To The Playoffs: Running Game and Defense The Key To Success

2010-12-27T15:25:00.000-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Oakland Raiders yesterday 31-26, but the score doesn't tell the whole story of the game, at least not the story you would expect to hear if you just saw that score.

A person who didn't watch the game would probably assume that Peyton Manning passed for about 300 yards with a couple touchdowns, and the Colts defense came together and stopped Oakland on their final drive to hold for the win.

Well, Manning did throw three TD's, but that's about it. He actually had a sub par day, as far as Manning standards go. He threw two interceptions, and only passed for 179 yards, completing 16 of 30 passes. Certainly not the typical day at the office for him, but it was good enough to get the job done.

That would mean the Colts running game had to ave had a big day, and they really did. They rushed for a 2010 team-high 198 yards against the Raiders. Joseph Addai did return this week but his 45 yards were second to Dominic Rhodes' 98 yards. Donald Brown chipped in with 28 yards, but the longest run of the day was for 25 and belonged to, that's right, get ready for it, Peyton Manning!

The Colts have finally found a running attack and it is helping out greatly, and this gives them back to back 150+ rushing yard games for the first time all year. As mentioned before Dominic Rhodes was the star, and if he can continue to grind out performances like this, we could be looking at a deep playoff run if the Colts win next week.

I'm sure most of you Colts fans out there remember the 2006-2007 Super Bowl winning team, and the playoff games leading up to that victory. The running game was a big part of those games and the two running backs were none other than Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes.

But I'm not going to get too carried away, because the Colts still are not in the playoffs yet, needing a win against the Titans or a Jaguars loss on Sunday to get in.

Back to the game though, and let's talk about the defense. One would assume that the defense had a bad day when they see 28 points on the board, but really the defense had a good day.

You have to take into consideration that the Raiders ran the opening kickoff back for a TD, and got three points off of Manning's two interceptions.

So the Colts defense did well on Sunday, and what impressed me the most was the fact that they held Darren McFadden to only 45 yards. This makes it two weeks in a row that they have held a dominant running back to under 50 yards in a game, including Maurice Jones Drew a week ago.

The Raiders actually only scored one offensive TD on the day, relying heavily on Sebastian Janikowski, who kicked four out of five field goals, including a booming 59-yarder from mid-field. And while we are on the kicking game, Adam Vinatieri did have a field goal yesterday, making him an impressive 23 for 25 this year.

So overall the defense played well, and the win was a great team effort, which is certainly good to see because that's what it will take for this team to go the distance and win it all.

The Colts conclude their regular season schedule next week at home against the Tennessee Titans, where if the win they are AFC South Division champs once again, they can also lose the game if the Jaguars lose at Houston and still win the division.

Indianapolis Colts Vs. Oakland Raiders: Three Matchups To Watch

2010-12-26T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts head out to Oakland to take on the Raiders this week, as they look to extend their two game winning streak and keep themselves in line to win the AFC South title, which will belong to the Colts if they win their last two games.

The Raiders haven't been that good of a team in recent memory, but this year is different and they are competing for the AFC West division crown, although their playoff hopes are dwindling, none the less they still have hope and that should be enough to stand tall against the Colts today.

The problem with Oakland is that they are incredibly inconsistent, thanks to their heavy reliance on the run game and a sub par QB in Jason Campbell. Same story for the defense, who could be missing some key members this week.

So here are the matchups that I will be keeping a close eye this week.

Peyton Manning vs. Oakland Defense: Richard Seymour, the ex-New England Patriot, would be licking his chps for a chance to play his old friend Peyton Manning normally, but with a hamstring injury he is questionable to start Sunday.

Another Pro Bowl player on the Raider's defense that is battling an injury is CB Nnamdi Asomugha, who has struggled with an ankle injury all year. He is unquestioned the best player on their defense and maybe the team. Even if he does play, it would appear that he will not be 100%.

This is all good news for Peyton Manning who has been very efficient in the past two weeks, including zero interceptions. It would appear that the Manning could have a big day against a dinged up Raider's defense.

Darren McFadden vs. Colts Defense: The Colts defense is coming off an outstanding performance against Jacksonville, where they held Maurice Jones Drew to under 50 yards, which was by far his worst single game performance against Indy ever.

But the Colts will be tested again this week as the run happy Raiders are set to unleash another great running back, and that would be speedster Darren McFadden. He has 212 carries for 1,112 yards, which is good for an average of 5.2 yards per carry.

To make matters worse, the Colts will be without Daniel Muir, who is probably their best run stuffer in the middle of the line. Despite reports earlier in the week, LB Clint Session will miss this game as well. As big as a day that Peyton Manning might have, McFadden might have an even better day.

Colts Special Teams vs. Oakland's Jacoby Ford: The Colts will have to be very careful when kicking off today, because Jacoby Ford is a threat to return it for a touchdown every time.

Ford already has two this year, and his average return is out past the 20 yard line, so Pat McAffee needs to handle the kickoffs with extreme caution. If he does not, then we could all be hearing ESPN's Chris Berman say "He Could Go All The Way!"

For the game I predict a Colts victory, 35-28. Enjoy the game everyone.

12/24/10 Injury/Practice Report (Friday)

2010-12-24T21:49:00.001-05:00

Friday brought the Colts some good news and it appears extremely likely that Joseph Addai will play Sunday at Oakland. As for the rest........

Full Participation: Joseph Addai, Brody Eldridge, Tyjuan Hagler, Mike Newton, Jamey Richard, and Gijon Robinson.

Limited Participation: Mike Hart and Clint Session.

Did Not Practice: Al Afalava, Kelvin Hayden, Charlie Johnson, and Dan Muir.

Tyjuan Hagler and Gijon Robinson are both probable for Sunday. While Joseph Addai, Brody Eldridge, Mike Hart, Kelvin Hayden, Charlie Johnson, Dan Muir, Mike Newton, Jamey Richard, and Clint Session remain questionable. Al Afalava has been ruled out.

After three days of full practices, it seems highly likely that starting running back Joseph Addai will return after a seven week absence, a stretch that the Colts are 3-4 in.

Tyjuan Hagler is healthy and should play, so that adds depth to the linebackers, who should be busy with their hands full playing Darren McFadden this week.

Kelvin Hayden is listed as questionable, but he hasn't practiced all week and I don't believe that he will play. He is a veteran and might give it a go, but is it really worth it to risk further injury playing against a team that really doesn't have an elite passing attack?

I say that he sits on Sunday, just a guess and could be wrong, but I don't see Caldwell putting him in there.

Clint Session has been limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for the game, so who knows about him. He has said that he expects to play, but we have to take into consideration that he is recovering from a broken arm and a dislocated elbow, probably a game-time decision.

If Session does return it will help the Colts defense immensely, as they try to slow down the run happy Oakland Raiders offense. He plays all out and is a good linebacker, who knows how to hit people hard and makes big plays. His return would be great.

As for the Raiders, they are not 100% healthy themselves. Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour is questionable with a hamstring injury, and you never can tell with a hamstring. Another Pro Bowler, corner back Nnamdi Asomugha has been battling an ankle injury all year, but is probable.

Peyton Manning would certainly like to see those two out, but if they play they still aren't going to be 100%, so good news either way for Colts fans.

The Colts play at Oakland on Sunday, kickoff is 4:05 PM.

Happy holidays to everybody out there.

12/23/10 Injury/Practice Report (Thursday)

2010-12-23T23:15:00.003-05:00

It would appear that Joseph Addai is healthy and will play this week which helps the Colts in several ways on offense, but the defense might be a little thin on Sunday.

Full Participation: Joseph Addai, Brody Eldridge, Dwight Freeney, Tyjuan Hagler, Mike Newton, Jamey Richard.

Limited Participation: Mike Hart, Clint Session.

Did Not Practice: Al Afalava, Gary Brackett, Kelvin Hayden, Charlie Johnson, Robert Mathis, Dan Muir, Gijon Robinson.

It is certainly good to see Addai fully practicing and it appears that he will be back this week when the Colts play the Oakland Raiders. He even went as far to say himself, that he expects to play and is optimistic that he can.

Addai is a better at blocking and receiving than the contingent of Donald Brown, Mike Hart, and Jevarris James. That helps Peyton Manning who is now without Austin Collie the rest of the way, as well as the offensive line which has been inconsistant this year. The Colts are 3-4 without Addai this year.

No worries for Gary Brackett, Dwight Freeney, or Robert Mathis. They are all getting their usual rest days.

But Kelvin Hayden is not healthy, and stands a good chance to miss his third straight game. With Jerraud Powers done for the season the Colts are left with an extremely thin defensive backfield, with Antoine Bethea being the only constant all year.

Hayden has missed both practices this week and I expect him to be out, so that means more pressure on Jacob Lacey, thankfully Oakland doesn't exactly have the elite passing attack that could hurt the Colts big time this week, and lets hope it stays that way.

Clint Session has been limited in both practices this week and doesn't seem to be ready to go, I would list him as doubtful right now. He has said that he remains day to day, but I believe he will miss his eighth straight game, which hurts especially when the colts are taking on a run happy team with a dangerous back like Darren McFadden.

Dan Muir, who has done a decent job in the middle of the defensive line, also appears doubtful for Sunday. This hurts as well, obviously for the above reasons mentioned, and leaves a hole in the middle of the line.

Looks like this week could shape up into a high scoring affair when it's all said and done. We will have to wait and see what Friday's practice results are.

The Colts play at Oakland on Sunday, kickoff at 4:05 PM.

Jim Caldwell's Case For Head Coach Of The Year

2010-12-23T11:08:00.006-05:00

As the regular season begins to wind down, the Indianapolis Colts find themselves in a playoff push mode for the first time in many years.

People say injuries are no excuse, well in the Colts case they are, you can't overcome them all, and they have most certainly cost the team a couple wins this season.

Just take a look at some of the names that have missed significant time over the course of this year: Dallas Clark, Gary Brackett, Joseph Addai, Austin Collie, Jerraud Powers, Clint Session, Pierre Garcon, Melvin Bullit, Bob Sanders(not really a surprise).

You can't deny that all these injuries have taken their toll on the team, and they are not as good as they have been in years past because of it.

Yet the Colts still find themselves with a chance to make the playoffs after a strong team effort to beat division rival Jacksonville, and now can win out to make the playoffs.

And head coach Jim Caldwell is right in the middle of it, he has tolled his team that the playoffs started last week against the Jaguars and that they need to continue to win.

Caldwell even showed a bit of emotion last week, a rare site indeed from the usually soft spoken coach. He was yelling at his players and telling the refs what he thought of their calls.

I think that is good for the team, all these years under Tony Dungy and Caldwell's first, which was a mirror image of Dungy's coaching prowess, have always been more of a relaxed coaching strategy.

But now Caldwell is feeling the sense of urgency and has instilled that into his team. And the team is responding to this new coaching attitude, posting back to back wins over two divisional opponents, knowing that if they just keep on winning, they will make the playoffs.

A lot of people have said that being the head coach of the Colts is the easiest job in the NFL, having Peyton Manning and all those weapons on offense. Well that may have been true for the past 8 years, but most certainly not this year much in part due to injuries, and Caldwell has done a great job of holding this team together in the face of such adversity.

Team President Bill Polian had this to say "Regardless of the outcome (of this season), we went to the Super Bowl last year and won 16 games. Regardless of what our final record is this year, Jim Caldwell has done the best coaching job of anybody in the National Football League this year to keep this team afloat given everything that's gone on. But they're believers and they have big hearts."

And I too, believe that Caldwell has done the best coaching job this year, and for that he deserves to be Head Coach of the Year.

12/22/10 Colts Injury/Practice Report (Wednesday)

2010-12-22T19:39:00.006-05:00

Today's injury report brings a mixed bag of good and bad news for the Colts.

Full Participation: Joseph Addai, Mike Newton, Jamey Richard.

Limited Participation: Brody Eldridge, Mike Hart, Clint Session.

Did Not Practice: Al Afalava, Dwight Freeney, Tyjuan Hagler, Kelvin Hayden, Charlie Johnson, Dan Muir.

It is good to see Addai fully participate, and hopefully this is a sign that he is moving closer to a return, because the Colts are 3-4 in his absence this season.

Donald Brown had a big game last week, but Addai is still such a big part of this offense and is a better blocker and receiver than Brown, Hart, or Jevarris James. His return to the field would be great for the team.

Clint Session would be huge if the Colts could get him back soon, he is such a great linebacker and adds a toughness edge to the Colts defense.

Freeney is just getting his usual day of rest, and Hagler has an illness, so nothing serious with those two.

But Hayden is key to the defense, the team needs him badly now that Jerraud Powers is out for the year. His status is definitely one to keep an eye on, as he recovers from a neck injury.

Charlie Johnson is dealing with a groin injury and Dan Muir has a chest injury, they are also two players to watch over the week.

There a few players who are hurt for the Colts, but it is early in the week and there is still time for them to get back into practice and ready for gameday hopefully.

The Colts play at Oakland this Sunday, 4:05 PM start time.

WR Austin Collie Done For The Year

2010-12-22T13:11:00.001-05:00

The Colts announced today that Austin Collie is done for the year after being placed on IR.

Collie sustained his second concussion of the year in a collision with Jaguar's defensive back Darryl Smith in Sunday's game.

This really hurts the Colts, because it is obvious that Collie is one of Peyton Manning's favorite targets. And despite missing quite a few games this year he still managed to have a fairly productive year catching 58 passes for 649 yards, along with eight touchdowns.

His absence will put more pressure on Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon to carry the load, along with fill in players like Jacob Tamme and Blair White.

Peyton Manning and the Colts offense will certainly suffer from Collie being gone, just look at the comparison between games where Collie played and the ones he didn't.

In the five games missed by Collie so far, Manning combined to throw eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, in the nine games Collie played, Manning threw only seven interceptions and 20 touchdowns. Take from that what you will.

The Colts IR list continues to grow, now including Collie, Dallas Clark, Bob Sanders, Jerraud Powers, among others.

I think that the Colts will still make the playoffs, but their chance of success in the playoffs seems to be waning as the season wears on.

And the NFL wants to go to an 18 game season, ha.

Indianapolis Colts Are in Good Shape To Win AFC South Now

2010-12-21T16:08:00.000-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts have had a very tumultuous season to say the least, but they are starting to kick it into gear at exactly the right time.

For the first time in a long time, the Colts found themselves in a must win regular season game here in Week 15, against division rival Jacksonville.

It was pretty simple for both teams. For the Jaguars, win and the division is yours. For the Colts, win and you're still alive, and you control your own destiny.

Peyton Manning answered the bell and had a very efficient day, throwing for 229 yards on 29-of-39 passing, with two touchdowns. But it could be argued that Manning was not the hero this day.

The Colts finally found a ground attack, as Donald Brown led the way with a career-high 129 yards on 14 carries, which included a career-long 49-yard run and a score. Overall the Colts rushed for 155 yards on the day, which is their third-highest total this year.

The defense has to be given a lot of credit as well, as they held Maurice Jones-Drew to a harmless 46 yards on 15 carries, which obviously put more pressure on the shoulders of QB David Garrard to deliver in this big game.

And Garrard did have a good day, passing for close to 300 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw costly interception to Antoine Bethea.

The special teams were a big part of this game as well, really making the score a lot closer than it should have been. The Jaguars returned a punt for a touchdown, but returner Mike Thomas was clearly waving his hands in the air to signal a fair catch, thus he could not run back the punt—but the refs gave it to him.

However, the special teams would ultimately be the undoing of the Jaguars, as a late fourth-quarter onside kick was returned by Tyjuan Hagler for a touchdown to seal the victory for Indy.

The win was bittersweet, though, because WR Austin Collie, who caught both of Manning's TD passes, sustained yet another concussion late in the second quarter, which possibly could end his season. Obviously Collie is one of Manning's favorite targets, and if he is indeed lost for the year, the Colts may have trouble in the playoffs—if they make it to the playoffs.

Speaking of making the playoffs, with the win on Sunday, the Colts are now tied with the Jaguars at 8-6 atop the AFC South standings, and they control the ever important tiebreaker between the two teams.

Why is the tiebreaker so important: Well, I think that both teams will finish the season at 10-6, considering that the Jaguars play the Redskins and Texans while the Colts play the Raiders and Titans. Fairly easy schedules, but with the tiebreaker in hand, the Colts win the division and would play a wild-card team in Indy for the first round of the playoffs.

So it is wide open for the Colts now—they just have to stay focused and win these games that they should win. Or as I would put it, carpe diem, which means "seize the day."