Colts are so different on grass and the secondary is pathetic currently. Leftwich is a very maturing QB and looks very good. I doubt Colts really thought that coming in. Jags Defense is good. Not sure the Better TEAM won today. Jags have more balance (Offense/Defense) I think. Colts Win 24-17. Colt offense is fun to watch.
Oakland next week.
Colts 2-1 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-0 in AFC South, and 3-1 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars 12:00 PM W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS 12:00 PM
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 12:00 PM
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
Congrats to all Colt backers today.<!-- / message -->
Oakland next week.
Colts 2-1 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-0 in AFC South, and 3-1 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars 12:00 PM W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS 12:00 PM
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 12:00 PM
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
Congrats to all Colt backers today.<!-- / message -->
Stokley finds growing role in Colts offense
INDIANAPOLIS - When the Jacksonville Jaguars tried to eliminate Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne from the Colts' offense on Sunday, Peyton Manning didn't fret.
He just threw to Brandon Stokley.
Stokley has suddenly become one of Manning's favorite targets and is clearly one of the hottest receivers in the NFL.
In four games, Stokley has 22 catches for 311 yards and three touchdowns - ranking him among the AFC's top 10 in all three categories. He's caught nine TDs in the Colts' last 10 games, including last season's playoffs.
"He knows what he's doing, he can make the clutch catch and when he gets one-on-one matchups, he can win," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "He's the guy who's in the middle of the field."
When opponents early this season double-teamed Harrison, the only receiver in league history with four straight 100-reception seasons, Reggie Wayne produced back-to-back 100-yard games.
So the Jaguars tried to defend both.
Stokley foiled that strategy by catching six passes in the first half and finished with eight receptions for 97 yards, just missing his second straight 100-yard game.
After the Jaguars adjusted to Stokley, space started opening up for others. Running back Edgerrin James averaged 4.4 yards on 19 carries and tight end Marcus Pollard caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown.
To the Colts (3-1), this is how it is supposed to work.
"Most receivers don't mind going over the middle if they get the ball," Dungy said. "I think we were looking for exactly what we've gotten from Brandon."
---
SATISFACTION: After three weeks in which the tight end almost vanished from the Colts' passing offense, nobody was happier with Sunday's results than Pollard.
He caught a touchdown and did his trademark layup over the crossbar.
Pollard couldn't hide his satisfaction Monday, and it wasn't just because he was making catches again.
"It was a lot of fun for me Sunday," he said. "I got a lot of good blocks, caught a couple of passes, scored a touchdown and we got a win on top of that. What could be better?"
Pollard now has eight catches for 56 yards and two TDs this season, but is still well below the pace for his career high - 47 catches in 2001.
---
ON THE MEND: Safety Mike Doss has missed three games. Safety Idrees Bashir sat out Sunday. Safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Joseph Jefferson haven't even played this year.
Now the news is improving for the Colts' secondary.
Dungy said Monday it was possible all four could play after the bye week. Indianapolis faces Oakland on Sunday, then has a weekend off before hosting Jacksonville in a rematch Oct. 24.
In the meantime, the Colts appear to have a solution for their depleted secondary - safety Gerome Sapp, a second-year player who was waived by the Baltimore Ravens.
The Colts signed Sapp two weeks ago and he made a significant impact Sunday with five tackles. Dungy noticed.
"He hustled and played well," Dungy said. "We like him."
---
RHODES' ROAD: Running back Dominic Rhodes expected to get a workout against Green Bay. He carried the ball just one time.
On Sunday, Rhodes got a few more chances and looked like the back who rushed for 1,104 yards in 2001 and set the NFL record for an undrafted rookie. He finished with five carries for 37 yards, a 7.4 average, by darting quickly through holes and avoiding tacklers.
"Dominic is a guy with great explosion through the hole," Dungy said. "He's hitting the hole quickly, and he also gave Edgerrin a blow. It's good to have both guys running the way they are."
---
PUNTS: Entering Monday night's game between Baltimore and Kansas City, Harrison, Stokley and Wayne all ranked among the AFC's top 10 in receptions, while James was third in the conference in yards from scrimmage. ... Manning threw his first interception in 123 attempts Sunday. ... The Colts are now tied for third in turnover margin at plus-2. ... After Sunday's game at Jacksonville, the rushing average for Colts' opponents dropped from 4.7 to 4.4 yards a carry.
www.mercurynews.com
INDIANAPOLIS - When the Jacksonville Jaguars tried to eliminate Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne from the Colts' offense on Sunday, Peyton Manning didn't fret.
He just threw to Brandon Stokley.
Stokley has suddenly become one of Manning's favorite targets and is clearly one of the hottest receivers in the NFL.
In four games, Stokley has 22 catches for 311 yards and three touchdowns - ranking him among the AFC's top 10 in all three categories. He's caught nine TDs in the Colts' last 10 games, including last season's playoffs.
"He knows what he's doing, he can make the clutch catch and when he gets one-on-one matchups, he can win," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "He's the guy who's in the middle of the field."
When opponents early this season double-teamed Harrison, the only receiver in league history with four straight 100-reception seasons, Reggie Wayne produced back-to-back 100-yard games.
So the Jaguars tried to defend both.
Stokley foiled that strategy by catching six passes in the first half and finished with eight receptions for 97 yards, just missing his second straight 100-yard game.
After the Jaguars adjusted to Stokley, space started opening up for others. Running back Edgerrin James averaged 4.4 yards on 19 carries and tight end Marcus Pollard caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown.
To the Colts (3-1), this is how it is supposed to work.
"Most receivers don't mind going over the middle if they get the ball," Dungy said. "I think we were looking for exactly what we've gotten from Brandon."
---
SATISFACTION: After three weeks in which the tight end almost vanished from the Colts' passing offense, nobody was happier with Sunday's results than Pollard.
He caught a touchdown and did his trademark layup over the crossbar.
Pollard couldn't hide his satisfaction Monday, and it wasn't just because he was making catches again.
"It was a lot of fun for me Sunday," he said. "I got a lot of good blocks, caught a couple of passes, scored a touchdown and we got a win on top of that. What could be better?"
Pollard now has eight catches for 56 yards and two TDs this season, but is still well below the pace for his career high - 47 catches in 2001.
---
ON THE MEND: Safety Mike Doss has missed three games. Safety Idrees Bashir sat out Sunday. Safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Joseph Jefferson haven't even played this year.
Now the news is improving for the Colts' secondary.
Dungy said Monday it was possible all four could play after the bye week. Indianapolis faces Oakland on Sunday, then has a weekend off before hosting Jacksonville in a rematch Oct. 24.
In the meantime, the Colts appear to have a solution for their depleted secondary - safety Gerome Sapp, a second-year player who was waived by the Baltimore Ravens.
The Colts signed Sapp two weeks ago and he made a significant impact Sunday with five tackles. Dungy noticed.
"He hustled and played well," Dungy said. "We like him."
---
RHODES' ROAD: Running back Dominic Rhodes expected to get a workout against Green Bay. He carried the ball just one time.
On Sunday, Rhodes got a few more chances and looked like the back who rushed for 1,104 yards in 2001 and set the NFL record for an undrafted rookie. He finished with five carries for 37 yards, a 7.4 average, by darting quickly through holes and avoiding tacklers.
"Dominic is a guy with great explosion through the hole," Dungy said. "He's hitting the hole quickly, and he also gave Edgerrin a blow. It's good to have both guys running the way they are."
---
PUNTS: Entering Monday night's game between Baltimore and Kansas City, Harrison, Stokley and Wayne all ranked among the AFC's top 10 in receptions, while James was third in the conference in yards from scrimmage. ... Manning threw his first interception in 123 attempts Sunday. ... The Colts are now tied for third in turnover margin at plus-2. ... After Sunday's game at Jacksonville, the rushing average for Colts' opponents dropped from 4.7 to 4.4 yards a carry.
www.mercurynews.com
RCA Dome will be stage for NFL's best wide receivers, Rice and Harrison
Peyton Manning doesn't spend a lot of time soliciting autographs. He stays busy signing them.
So when the Indianapolis Colts quarterback made an exception, it was telling. It happened at the 2002 Pro Bowl game in Honolulu.
"The only thing I have signed in my house is a Pro Bowl helmet with Jerry Rice on one side and Marvin (Harrison) on the other," Manning said. "I just thought that was sort of cool, and I did it and everybody said, 'Man, that's a great idea,' and everybody was trying to copy it.
"That kind of tells you what I think of (Rice) and what he's done, and obviously, I think Marvin is right in there with him."
Rice is the greatest wide receiver in the NFL's 85 years. The Colts' Harrison might be the best in the game today. Their paths will cross Sunday, perhaps for the final time, when Oakland visits the RCA Dome.
Rice has caught more passes for more yards and more touchdowns than anyone in league history, but he will be 42 on Wednesday. This is his 20th season, and it's different from any that have gone before: five catches, 67 yards, no touchdowns. Those used to be halftime numbers. They are Rice's totals at the season's quarter pole.
His NFL record streak of games with a reception ended at 274 last month against Buffalo. Fellow receiver Tim Brown is gone to Tampa Bay. Coach Norv Turner's offense is new. The philosophy is to throw deep and spread it around to a speedy, young crowd comprised of Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry, Doug Gabriel and Alvis Whitted. Rice remains a starter, but he is a possession target, a third option.
"Jerry can still play," Turner said Wednesday.
"The clock is ticking," Rice told Bay area reporters.
Great players don't always come to great ends.
A rare pair
Harrison and Rice first mingled where Manning had the inspiration to sign them: at the 2002 Pro Bowl. Harrison was making the fourth of five consecutive appearances. It was the last of Rice's 13 trips.
Honolulu is where the game's best players go after a long, tough season. They go to suck on beer, soak in sunshine and adulation, and enjoy one another's company.
"We have practice, and Jerry's running around like we're the same age," recalled Harrison, 32. "I go, 'What's the deal?' and he's, 'I'm just having fun.'
"This is supposed to be a low-scale affair. There are a lot of guys who don't want to practice, or just want to get practice over with. But he's getting prepared for another game. The minute the whistle blows, he wants to practice, hard."
The same approach defines Harrison. He loves the art, science and essence of football. He worships the work that underpins it all. This was a meeting of soul mates, Rice and Harrison, No. 80 from tiny Crawford, Miss., and Mississippi Valley State, and No. 88, from brawny Philadelphia and Syracuse. They are uncommon marriages of talent and ambition and commitment. Every effort on every snap. Flat out on every route. Take each catch to the goal line.
Colts wide receiver Troy Walters was a Stanford University sophomore when he hooked up with Rice, who then played for the San Francisco 49ers. Rice conducted his rigorous offseason workouts at Stanford, and a dozen college and professional players worked with him, fed off him.
The sessions began in mid-February. They began with "the hill," a twisting 11/2-mile trail of agony. They ran up it, then back down.
"It challenges your mind and your will because there's a part at the end that's called 'fourth quarter,' " Walters said. "It's probably about a half-mile. It's straight uphill. Jerry was always in the lead. If you can stay up with him, you're doing well.
"He sets the tone. Like Marv."
Going deep
Harrison is sitting on the picnic table in the grove of trees that overlooks the practice fields behind the Colts' Union Federal Football Center. Practice is over. He is smiling. The sweat has dried. His breath is even, his eyes fixed on a future only he can see.
Harrison finished last season, his eighth, with 759 receptions. That's more than any other player has had in his first nine years. Harrison has averaged 6.2 catches a game, more than Rice (5.3), more than any player in NFL history.
Through four games of his ninth season, Harrison has 785 catches. Rice had 634 at the same point. Harrison has had four years of 100-plus receptions. Rice had one through nine seasons.
Yet the way Harrison sees it, somewhere out beyond those practice fields, he hasn't done anything yet.
"I'm still learning the game, still learning the people around me, learning my opponents," he said. "Right now, I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do, but there's going to come a time when there's going to be doubt, and that's when I'm going to take it to another level."
It is Harrison's heartfelt conviction that greatness comes in years 10, 11, 12. That's when the good players fall away, injured or weary, satisfied or distracted, and the great players emerge. Rice caught 112 passes in 1994, his 10th season, and followed it with 122 and 108 receptions the next two years. It is the best three-season stretch of his career.
Harrison ranks No. 11 on the NFL career receptions list now. Project his current numbers -- 26 catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns -- over 16 games and you get 104 receptions for 1,004 yards and 12 touchdowns. That would carry him to sixth on the receptions list at season's end.
Of the players who still would rank above him -- Rice, Cris Carter, Brown, Andre Reed and Art Monk -- only Rice and Brown remain active. All five have played 16 seasons or more. That's what Harrison admires and covets: the longevity, the consistency, the sustained excellence and the commitment required to achieve them.
Those are the things Rice sees in Harrison.
"The thing about him is his work ethic, and the chemistry they have together, him and Peyton," Rice said. "He's a worker, a small guy with a lot of heart and determination, and it shows up on the football field."
Like Rice, the 6-foot, 175-pound Harrison is a freak of nature and a product of perspiration: Zero body fat. Unlimited endurance. And a stubborn resistance to breakdowns. Each has had one serious injury: Rice a knee that cost him 14 games in 1997, Harrison a shoulder that sidelined him four games in 1998.
Rice has caught 1,524 passes. That's 423 more than Carter, the next man on the list, and 739 more than Harrison. It's a tall mountain, one Harrison intends to climb one Sunday, one Monday, at a time.
"I don't want to miss a Monday practice. I'm not going to miss any practice if I can help it," he said. "Being my love for the game and being on the field, I can see me doing it for a long time."
Last go-around
Harrison and Rice have met twice on the football field.
Harrison caught six passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns at San Francisco in 1998. Rice caught four for 36. The 49ers won the game 34-31.
Harrison had eight catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns when Oakland visited the RCA Dome in 2001. Rice caught four passes for 44 yards. The Raiders won 23-18.
"I'm sure I'll probably see him before the game," Harrison said. "I'll welcome him to Indy and send him on his way, hopefully with a loss."
It figures to be the last time their paths cross this side of Canton, Ohio. Rice is a first-vote lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Harrison appears to be on his way.
Sunday is a little like two weeks ago, when Green Bay came to the dome: Packers quarterback Brett Favre on one sideline, Manning on the other. Greatness achieved vs. greatness promised. It was a shootout for the ages, a combined 58 completions in 84 attempts for 753 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions.
Harrison-Rice figures to be less dramatic but no less historic.
"Craftsmen like that, that are just the best at what they do over a long period of time, you always want to match yourself against them," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "I'm sure it's going to mean something special to all our receivers."
Rice holds 13 NFL records, including all those most meaningful to a receiver: receptions (1,524), yards (22,533), receiving touchdowns (194) and overall touchdowns (205).
Some men admire mountains. Others prefer to climb them.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Marvin did it," said Manning, a climber. "I'd like to help him do it."
All-time receiving leaders
The NFL's career leaders in receptions:
<TABLE rules=all width="100%" border=0 frame=box><TBODY><TR><TD class=related>Pos.</TD><TD class=related ?>Player</TD><TD class=related align=right>Years</TD><TD class=related align=right>Recpts.</TD><TD class=related align=right>Yards</TD><TD class=related align=right>Avg</TD><TD class=related align=right>TD</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>1.</TD><TD class=related ?>Jerry Rice*</TD><TD class=related align=right>20</TD><TD class=related align=right>1,524</TD><TD class=related align=right>22,533</TD><TD class=related align=right>14.8</TD><TD class=related align=right>194</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>2.</TD><TD class=related ?>Cris Carter</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>1,101</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,899</TD><TD class=related align=right>12.6</TD><TD class=related align=right>130</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>3.</TD><TD class=related ?>Tim Brown *</TD><TD class=related align=right>17</TD><TD class=related align=right>1,086</TD><TD class=related align=right>14,850</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.7</TD><TD class=related align=right>100</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>4.</TD><TD class=related ?>Andre Reed</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>951</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,198</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.9</TD><TD class=related align=right>87</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>5.</TD><TD class=related ?>Art Monk</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>940</TD><TD class=related align=right>12,721</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.5</TD><TD class=related align=right>68</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>6.</TD><TD class=related ?>Irving Fryar</TD><TD class=related align=right>17</TD><TD class=related align=right>851</TD><TD class=related align=right>12,785</TD><TD class=related align=right>15.0</TD><TD class=related align=right>84</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>7.</TD><TD class=related ?>Larry Centers</TD><TD class=related align=right>14</TD><TD class=related align=right>827</TD><TD class=related align=right>6,797</TD><TD class=related align=right>8.2</TD><TD class=related align=right>28</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>8.</TD><TD class=related ?>Steve Largent</TD><TD class=related align=right>14</TD><TD class=related align=right>819</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,089</TD><TD class=related align=right>16.0</TD><TD class=related align=right>100</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>9.</TD><TD class=related ?>Shannon Sharpe</TD><TD class=related align=right>14</TD><TD class=related align=right>815</TD><TD class=related align=right>10,060</TD><TD class=related align=right>12.3</TD><TD class=related align=right>62</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>10.</TD><TD class=related ?>Henry Ellard</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>814</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,777</TD><TD class=related align=right>16.9</TD><TD class=related align=right>65</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>11.</TD><TD class=related ?>Marvin Harrison *</TD><TD class=related align=right>9</TD><TD class=related align=right>785</TD><TD class=related align=right>10,324</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.2</TD><TD class=related align=right>86</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
indystar.com
Peyton Manning doesn't spend a lot of time soliciting autographs. He stays busy signing them.
So when the Indianapolis Colts quarterback made an exception, it was telling. It happened at the 2002 Pro Bowl game in Honolulu.
"The only thing I have signed in my house is a Pro Bowl helmet with Jerry Rice on one side and Marvin (Harrison) on the other," Manning said. "I just thought that was sort of cool, and I did it and everybody said, 'Man, that's a great idea,' and everybody was trying to copy it.
"That kind of tells you what I think of (Rice) and what he's done, and obviously, I think Marvin is right in there with him."
Rice is the greatest wide receiver in the NFL's 85 years. The Colts' Harrison might be the best in the game today. Their paths will cross Sunday, perhaps for the final time, when Oakland visits the RCA Dome.
Rice has caught more passes for more yards and more touchdowns than anyone in league history, but he will be 42 on Wednesday. This is his 20th season, and it's different from any that have gone before: five catches, 67 yards, no touchdowns. Those used to be halftime numbers. They are Rice's totals at the season's quarter pole.
His NFL record streak of games with a reception ended at 274 last month against Buffalo. Fellow receiver Tim Brown is gone to Tampa Bay. Coach Norv Turner's offense is new. The philosophy is to throw deep and spread it around to a speedy, young crowd comprised of Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry, Doug Gabriel and Alvis Whitted. Rice remains a starter, but he is a possession target, a third option.
"Jerry can still play," Turner said Wednesday.
"The clock is ticking," Rice told Bay area reporters.
Great players don't always come to great ends.
A rare pair
Harrison and Rice first mingled where Manning had the inspiration to sign them: at the 2002 Pro Bowl. Harrison was making the fourth of five consecutive appearances. It was the last of Rice's 13 trips.
Honolulu is where the game's best players go after a long, tough season. They go to suck on beer, soak in sunshine and adulation, and enjoy one another's company.
"We have practice, and Jerry's running around like we're the same age," recalled Harrison, 32. "I go, 'What's the deal?' and he's, 'I'm just having fun.'
"This is supposed to be a low-scale affair. There are a lot of guys who don't want to practice, or just want to get practice over with. But he's getting prepared for another game. The minute the whistle blows, he wants to practice, hard."
The same approach defines Harrison. He loves the art, science and essence of football. He worships the work that underpins it all. This was a meeting of soul mates, Rice and Harrison, No. 80 from tiny Crawford, Miss., and Mississippi Valley State, and No. 88, from brawny Philadelphia and Syracuse. They are uncommon marriages of talent and ambition and commitment. Every effort on every snap. Flat out on every route. Take each catch to the goal line.
Colts wide receiver Troy Walters was a Stanford University sophomore when he hooked up with Rice, who then played for the San Francisco 49ers. Rice conducted his rigorous offseason workouts at Stanford, and a dozen college and professional players worked with him, fed off him.
The sessions began in mid-February. They began with "the hill," a twisting 11/2-mile trail of agony. They ran up it, then back down.
"It challenges your mind and your will because there's a part at the end that's called 'fourth quarter,' " Walters said. "It's probably about a half-mile. It's straight uphill. Jerry was always in the lead. If you can stay up with him, you're doing well.
"He sets the tone. Like Marv."
Going deep
Harrison is sitting on the picnic table in the grove of trees that overlooks the practice fields behind the Colts' Union Federal Football Center. Practice is over. He is smiling. The sweat has dried. His breath is even, his eyes fixed on a future only he can see.
Harrison finished last season, his eighth, with 759 receptions. That's more than any other player has had in his first nine years. Harrison has averaged 6.2 catches a game, more than Rice (5.3), more than any player in NFL history.
Through four games of his ninth season, Harrison has 785 catches. Rice had 634 at the same point. Harrison has had four years of 100-plus receptions. Rice had one through nine seasons.
Yet the way Harrison sees it, somewhere out beyond those practice fields, he hasn't done anything yet.
"I'm still learning the game, still learning the people around me, learning my opponents," he said. "Right now, I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do, but there's going to come a time when there's going to be doubt, and that's when I'm going to take it to another level."
It is Harrison's heartfelt conviction that greatness comes in years 10, 11, 12. That's when the good players fall away, injured or weary, satisfied or distracted, and the great players emerge. Rice caught 112 passes in 1994, his 10th season, and followed it with 122 and 108 receptions the next two years. It is the best three-season stretch of his career.
Harrison ranks No. 11 on the NFL career receptions list now. Project his current numbers -- 26 catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns -- over 16 games and you get 104 receptions for 1,004 yards and 12 touchdowns. That would carry him to sixth on the receptions list at season's end.
Of the players who still would rank above him -- Rice, Cris Carter, Brown, Andre Reed and Art Monk -- only Rice and Brown remain active. All five have played 16 seasons or more. That's what Harrison admires and covets: the longevity, the consistency, the sustained excellence and the commitment required to achieve them.
Those are the things Rice sees in Harrison.
"The thing about him is his work ethic, and the chemistry they have together, him and Peyton," Rice said. "He's a worker, a small guy with a lot of heart and determination, and it shows up on the football field."
Like Rice, the 6-foot, 175-pound Harrison is a freak of nature and a product of perspiration: Zero body fat. Unlimited endurance. And a stubborn resistance to breakdowns. Each has had one serious injury: Rice a knee that cost him 14 games in 1997, Harrison a shoulder that sidelined him four games in 1998.
Rice has caught 1,524 passes. That's 423 more than Carter, the next man on the list, and 739 more than Harrison. It's a tall mountain, one Harrison intends to climb one Sunday, one Monday, at a time.
"I don't want to miss a Monday practice. I'm not going to miss any practice if I can help it," he said. "Being my love for the game and being on the field, I can see me doing it for a long time."
Last go-around
Harrison and Rice have met twice on the football field.
Harrison caught six passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns at San Francisco in 1998. Rice caught four for 36. The 49ers won the game 34-31.
Harrison had eight catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns when Oakland visited the RCA Dome in 2001. Rice caught four passes for 44 yards. The Raiders won 23-18.
"I'm sure I'll probably see him before the game," Harrison said. "I'll welcome him to Indy and send him on his way, hopefully with a loss."
It figures to be the last time their paths cross this side of Canton, Ohio. Rice is a first-vote lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Harrison appears to be on his way.
Sunday is a little like two weeks ago, when Green Bay came to the dome: Packers quarterback Brett Favre on one sideline, Manning on the other. Greatness achieved vs. greatness promised. It was a shootout for the ages, a combined 58 completions in 84 attempts for 753 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions.
Harrison-Rice figures to be less dramatic but no less historic.
"Craftsmen like that, that are just the best at what they do over a long period of time, you always want to match yourself against them," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "I'm sure it's going to mean something special to all our receivers."
Rice holds 13 NFL records, including all those most meaningful to a receiver: receptions (1,524), yards (22,533), receiving touchdowns (194) and overall touchdowns (205).
Some men admire mountains. Others prefer to climb them.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Marvin did it," said Manning, a climber. "I'd like to help him do it."
All-time receiving leaders
The NFL's career leaders in receptions:
<TABLE rules=all width="100%" border=0 frame=box><TBODY><TR><TD class=related>Pos.</TD><TD class=related ?>Player</TD><TD class=related align=right>Years</TD><TD class=related align=right>Recpts.</TD><TD class=related align=right>Yards</TD><TD class=related align=right>Avg</TD><TD class=related align=right>TD</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>1.</TD><TD class=related ?>Jerry Rice*</TD><TD class=related align=right>20</TD><TD class=related align=right>1,524</TD><TD class=related align=right>22,533</TD><TD class=related align=right>14.8</TD><TD class=related align=right>194</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>2.</TD><TD class=related ?>Cris Carter</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>1,101</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,899</TD><TD class=related align=right>12.6</TD><TD class=related align=right>130</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>3.</TD><TD class=related ?>Tim Brown *</TD><TD class=related align=right>17</TD><TD class=related align=right>1,086</TD><TD class=related align=right>14,850</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.7</TD><TD class=related align=right>100</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>4.</TD><TD class=related ?>Andre Reed</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>951</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,198</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.9</TD><TD class=related align=right>87</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>5.</TD><TD class=related ?>Art Monk</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>940</TD><TD class=related align=right>12,721</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.5</TD><TD class=related align=right>68</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>6.</TD><TD class=related ?>Irving Fryar</TD><TD class=related align=right>17</TD><TD class=related align=right>851</TD><TD class=related align=right>12,785</TD><TD class=related align=right>15.0</TD><TD class=related align=right>84</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>7.</TD><TD class=related ?>Larry Centers</TD><TD class=related align=right>14</TD><TD class=related align=right>827</TD><TD class=related align=right>6,797</TD><TD class=related align=right>8.2</TD><TD class=related align=right>28</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>8.</TD><TD class=related ?>Steve Largent</TD><TD class=related align=right>14</TD><TD class=related align=right>819</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,089</TD><TD class=related align=right>16.0</TD><TD class=related align=right>100</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>9.</TD><TD class=related ?>Shannon Sharpe</TD><TD class=related align=right>14</TD><TD class=related align=right>815</TD><TD class=related align=right>10,060</TD><TD class=related align=right>12.3</TD><TD class=related align=right>62</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD class=related>10.</TD><TD class=related ?>Henry Ellard</TD><TD class=related align=right>16</TD><TD class=related align=right>814</TD><TD class=related align=right>13,777</TD><TD class=related align=right>16.9</TD><TD class=related align=right>65</TD></TR><TR><TD class=related>11.</TD><TD class=related ?>Marvin Harrison *</TD><TD class=related align=right>9</TD><TD class=related align=right>785</TD><TD class=related align=right>10,324</TD><TD class=related align=right>13.2</TD><TD class=related align=right>86</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
indystar.com
Colts played a good game against a weak opponent, although they got a little lazy at the end much like many NFL teams. Would be great to get some of the better secondary players back after the bye week. Preparation for another big AFC South game next. The good news is that the inexperienced guys in the secondary have gotten some great game experience thus far.
Colts 3-1 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-0 in AFC South, and 4-1 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS W 35-14
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 12:00 PM
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
Congrats to all Colt backers today.<!-- / message -->
<!-- / message -->
Colts 3-1 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-0 in AFC South, and 4-1 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS W 35-14
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 12:00 PM
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
Congrats to all Colt backers today.<!-- / message -->
<!-- / message -->
Colts' top draft pick eager to start hitting
Bob Sanders has waited nearly six months to practice with his new teammates.
He might finally get a chance Wednesday.
"I feel ready," he said. "I've been ready to do this for a long time."
Sanders, the Colts' second-round pick in April's draft, has never gone through a full workout with the team.
Colts doctors advised him not to participate in the team's offseason practices so he could recover from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot. Then he held out in a contract dispute for all of training camp and did not sign until late August.
Since then, Sanders has been running but not practicing. Coach Tony Dungy has said the muscular 5-foot-8, 206-pound safety needed to get into playing shape.
Now it appears he's healthy and ready to go.
If he proves he can play this week, coach Tony Dungy could have his top three safeties - Mike Doss, Idrees Bashir and Sanders - available for the first time this season in an Oct. 24 rematch with Jacksonville.
Cornerback Joseph Jefferson also could make his season debut against Jacksonville after missing more than a month since having knee surgery.
"That's what we hope," Dungy said. "We hope Joseph is back and he'll be ready to do some things in practice this week - Mike and Bob, too."
For Sanders, Wednesday's practice cannot arrive soon enough.
Known as a big-hitter during his college career at Iowa, Sanders has been waiting to demonstrate what he can do on the field.
"This is the best I've felt in a couple years," he said. "I'm a playmaker, and I feel I can bring a lot of tenacity, speed and anger to the game."
---
READY TO KICK@: Kicker Mike Vanderjagt also plans to play against Jacksonville after missing Sunday's game with a strained right hamstring.
On Monday, Vanderjagt said he probably could have kicked against Oakland but that the coaches held him out as a precaution so he would have more time to rest.
This weekend's bye will give Vanderjagt almost three full weeks to recover, and the break could make Vanderjagt even more dangerous.
"I'll be very fresh," he said. "I haven't taken two or three weeks off for a long time, so my legs won't know what hit them and the balls will be jumping off my foot."
Vanderjagt was replaced by Matt Bryant who missed one field goal Sunday.
---
UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Dungy uncharacteristically used his both of his replay challenges in the first half Sunday.
How unusual was it? Consider Dungy didn't challenge a single call last year and has been an outspoken proponent of eliminating replay.
But when Nick Harper picked off a Kerry Collins pass in the first half, which officials ruled a trap, Dungy wanted the officials to take a closer look. It was overturned.
He also made a quick decision on a possible touchdown catch by Brandon Stokley in the second quarter. The second challenge was upheld.
Had Dungy won both, he would have received a third challenge under this year's new rules and blamed himself for taking a chance on the second call.
"You hope it's a little different in the end zone because all you have to do is get your feet on the ground," he said. "But if you're on the ground, you've still got to maintain possession, so it was not real smart."
---
MORE INJURIES: Dungy said the Colts had no serious injuries in Sunday's 35-14 victory over Oakland.
Two players, returner Brad Pyatt and starting guard Rick DeMulling, both left with sprained ankles. Dungy said Monday he didn't expect either to miss the Jacksonville game.
The bigger question is tight end Marcus Pollard, who did not play Sunday because of a bruised left knee.
"We'll have to see how that one goes," Dungy said.
---
PUNTS: By rushing for 136 yards Sunday, running back Edgerrin James now leads the AFC with 547 yards rushing. Curtis Martin of the New York Jets is second with 502 but has played one fewer game. ... Punter Hunter Smith's net average of 41.2 yards leads the AFC. ... Cornerback Nick Harper's three interceptions are tied for the AFC lead. With two more picks, Harper would have the highest total for a Colts player since Ray Bucahanan had eight in 1994.
www.mercurynews.com
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Bob Sanders has waited nearly six months to practice with his new teammates.
He might finally get a chance Wednesday.
"I feel ready," he said. "I've been ready to do this for a long time."
Sanders, the Colts' second-round pick in April's draft, has never gone through a full workout with the team.
Colts doctors advised him not to participate in the team's offseason practices so he could recover from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot. Then he held out in a contract dispute for all of training camp and did not sign until late August.
Since then, Sanders has been running but not practicing. Coach Tony Dungy has said the muscular 5-foot-8, 206-pound safety needed to get into playing shape.
Now it appears he's healthy and ready to go.
If he proves he can play this week, coach Tony Dungy could have his top three safeties - Mike Doss, Idrees Bashir and Sanders - available for the first time this season in an Oct. 24 rematch with Jacksonville.
Cornerback Joseph Jefferson also could make his season debut against Jacksonville after missing more than a month since having knee surgery.
"That's what we hope," Dungy said. "We hope Joseph is back and he'll be ready to do some things in practice this week - Mike and Bob, too."
For Sanders, Wednesday's practice cannot arrive soon enough.
Known as a big-hitter during his college career at Iowa, Sanders has been waiting to demonstrate what he can do on the field.
"This is the best I've felt in a couple years," he said. "I'm a playmaker, and I feel I can bring a lot of tenacity, speed and anger to the game."
---
READY TO KICK@: Kicker Mike Vanderjagt also plans to play against Jacksonville after missing Sunday's game with a strained right hamstring.
On Monday, Vanderjagt said he probably could have kicked against Oakland but that the coaches held him out as a precaution so he would have more time to rest.
This weekend's bye will give Vanderjagt almost three full weeks to recover, and the break could make Vanderjagt even more dangerous.
"I'll be very fresh," he said. "I haven't taken two or three weeks off for a long time, so my legs won't know what hit them and the balls will be jumping off my foot."
Vanderjagt was replaced by Matt Bryant who missed one field goal Sunday.
---
UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Dungy uncharacteristically used his both of his replay challenges in the first half Sunday.
How unusual was it? Consider Dungy didn't challenge a single call last year and has been an outspoken proponent of eliminating replay.
But when Nick Harper picked off a Kerry Collins pass in the first half, which officials ruled a trap, Dungy wanted the officials to take a closer look. It was overturned.
He also made a quick decision on a possible touchdown catch by Brandon Stokley in the second quarter. The second challenge was upheld.
Had Dungy won both, he would have received a third challenge under this year's new rules and blamed himself for taking a chance on the second call.
"You hope it's a little different in the end zone because all you have to do is get your feet on the ground," he said. "But if you're on the ground, you've still got to maintain possession, so it was not real smart."
---
MORE INJURIES: Dungy said the Colts had no serious injuries in Sunday's 35-14 victory over Oakland.
Two players, returner Brad Pyatt and starting guard Rick DeMulling, both left with sprained ankles. Dungy said Monday he didn't expect either to miss the Jacksonville game.
The bigger question is tight end Marcus Pollard, who did not play Sunday because of a bruised left knee.
"We'll have to see how that one goes," Dungy said.
---
PUNTS: By rushing for 136 yards Sunday, running back Edgerrin James now leads the AFC with 547 yards rushing. Curtis Martin of the New York Jets is second with 502 but has played one fewer game. ... Punter Hunter Smith's net average of 41.2 yards leads the AFC. ... Cornerback Nick Harper's three interceptions are tied for the AFC lead. With two more picks, Harper would have the highest total for a Colts player since Ray Bucahanan had eight in 1994.
www.mercurynews.com
<!-- end body-content -->
Can Colts' offense get any better?
By almost any measure the Indianapolis Colts have the AFC’s most dangerous offense.
They lead the conference in yards and the NFL in points. They have the AFC’s top-rated quarterback, the conference’s No. 2 runner and three receivers ranked among the top 11 in receptions.
Peyton Manning still believes they’re improving.
“We’d love to have no turnovers, but we want to kind of build on what we’ve started,” said Manning, last year’s co-MVP.
Indianapolis (4-1) has spent the bye week refining some of the few kinks Manning has diagnosed before Jacksonville (3-2) visits next week in a game that could give the Colts a substantial edge in the AFC South race. The Colts already hold a one-game lead on Jacksonville and have beaten Tennessee and the Jaguars on the road.
Five games into the season, the question is how much better can the offense can be?
Edgerrin James has looked less like a man coming back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and more like the runner who captured NFL rushing titles in 1999 and 2000.
Brandon Stokley and Reggie Wayne have become two of Manning’s top targets, and although Marvin Harrison hasn’t been getting as many balls thrown in his direction, he’s still catching enough to top 90 receptions at this pace.
Stokley’s 25 catches already are a career high and all three receivers are on pace to top 1,000 yards.
Around the locker room, nobody is complaining.
“As a whole, I think we’re doing extremely well,” Harrison said. “I’m happy to be in the situation we’re in.”
On the field, the Colts might be tougher than advertised.
When opponents double-team Harrison, Manning has routinely hooked up with Wayne and Stokley for big plays. When defenses play man-to-man coverage, Manning has been content handing off to James.
The result is the Colts have scored no fewer than 24 points in a game, have topped the 30-point mark twice and 40 once.
For coach Tony Dungy, who came to Indianapolis three years ago with a reputation for creating stout defenses, this is the offense he’s always envisioned.
“We’ve been able to play all types of games and we’re playing with patience,” he said. “Even though we’re playing with more patience, we’re scoring more points. This is probably the best we’ve played (on offense) since I’ve been here.”
But there are a few areas Manning, a perfectionist, believes could use work.
He entered the season with a goal of completing 70 percent of his passes. He’s at 66.2 percent. The Colts have scored 15 touchdowns and two field goals on 20 trips inside the red zone, and Manning thinks they can become more proficient.
The Colts have converted a conference-high 49.0 percent of third-down conversions, a number Manning hopes to increase.
And although nine of 16 AFC teams have committed more turnovers than the Colts (six), Manning and the offense believe reducing that number will increase their overall output.
“The key is not to say how many points or yards you have, the most important thing is how many times you turn the ball over,” Harrison said. “I think that’s the league’s mind-set and that’s Tony’s philosophy.”
The warning for opponents is that the Colts are only getting started.
Tight end Marcus Pollard has been slowed by a bruised left knee and tight end Dallas Clark has just two catches. Running back Dominic Rhodes has just started to emerge as another dangerous runner, and wide receiver Troy Walters hasn’t played since breaking his right arm in the second preseason game. Walters isn’t expected back until November.
Should Pollard, Clark, Rhodes and, eventually, Walters become bigger players in the offense, opponents would be facing a worst-case scenario: Manning playing at a high level with so many options they can’t keep up with them all.
“If you play smart and take advantage of what the other team is giving you, that’s all you have to do,” Dungy said.
Manning sees it a little different.
While he acknowledges the offense is clicking like few others he’s been around, he also knows the Colts must continue to focus on improving.
“It still comes down to execution,” he said. “The real key is balance. We’re playing pretty good, executing in the run game and we’ve been pretty solid so far. Some of the things we are doing, we can do better.”
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6251714/
By almost any measure the Indianapolis Colts have the AFC’s most dangerous offense.
They lead the conference in yards and the NFL in points. They have the AFC’s top-rated quarterback, the conference’s No. 2 runner and three receivers ranked among the top 11 in receptions.
Peyton Manning still believes they’re improving.
“We’d love to have no turnovers, but we want to kind of build on what we’ve started,” said Manning, last year’s co-MVP.
Indianapolis (4-1) has spent the bye week refining some of the few kinks Manning has diagnosed before Jacksonville (3-2) visits next week in a game that could give the Colts a substantial edge in the AFC South race. The Colts already hold a one-game lead on Jacksonville and have beaten Tennessee and the Jaguars on the road.
Five games into the season, the question is how much better can the offense can be?
Edgerrin James has looked less like a man coming back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and more like the runner who captured NFL rushing titles in 1999 and 2000.
Brandon Stokley and Reggie Wayne have become two of Manning’s top targets, and although Marvin Harrison hasn’t been getting as many balls thrown in his direction, he’s still catching enough to top 90 receptions at this pace.
Stokley’s 25 catches already are a career high and all three receivers are on pace to top 1,000 yards.
Around the locker room, nobody is complaining.
“As a whole, I think we’re doing extremely well,” Harrison said. “I’m happy to be in the situation we’re in.”
On the field, the Colts might be tougher than advertised.
When opponents double-team Harrison, Manning has routinely hooked up with Wayne and Stokley for big plays. When defenses play man-to-man coverage, Manning has been content handing off to James.
The result is the Colts have scored no fewer than 24 points in a game, have topped the 30-point mark twice and 40 once.
For coach Tony Dungy, who came to Indianapolis three years ago with a reputation for creating stout defenses, this is the offense he’s always envisioned.
“We’ve been able to play all types of games and we’re playing with patience,” he said. “Even though we’re playing with more patience, we’re scoring more points. This is probably the best we’ve played (on offense) since I’ve been here.”
But there are a few areas Manning, a perfectionist, believes could use work.
He entered the season with a goal of completing 70 percent of his passes. He’s at 66.2 percent. The Colts have scored 15 touchdowns and two field goals on 20 trips inside the red zone, and Manning thinks they can become more proficient.
The Colts have converted a conference-high 49.0 percent of third-down conversions, a number Manning hopes to increase.
And although nine of 16 AFC teams have committed more turnovers than the Colts (six), Manning and the offense believe reducing that number will increase their overall output.
“The key is not to say how many points or yards you have, the most important thing is how many times you turn the ball over,” Harrison said. “I think that’s the league’s mind-set and that’s Tony’s philosophy.”
The warning for opponents is that the Colts are only getting started.
Tight end Marcus Pollard has been slowed by a bruised left knee and tight end Dallas Clark has just two catches. Running back Dominic Rhodes has just started to emerge as another dangerous runner, and wide receiver Troy Walters hasn’t played since breaking his right arm in the second preseason game. Walters isn’t expected back until November.
Should Pollard, Clark, Rhodes and, eventually, Walters become bigger players in the offense, opponents would be facing a worst-case scenario: Manning playing at a high level with so many options they can’t keep up with them all.
“If you play smart and take advantage of what the other team is giving you, that’s all you have to do,” Dungy said.
Manning sees it a little different.
While he acknowledges the offense is clicking like few others he’s been around, he also knows the Colts must continue to focus on improving.
“It still comes down to execution,” he said. “The real key is balance. We’re playing pretty good, executing in the run game and we’ve been pretty solid so far. Some of the things we are doing, we can do better.”
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6251714/
Even after a bye week to rest and recuperate, the Colts’ situation in the secondary remains uncertain.
But it’s not nearly as uncertain as before.
Because now, there is depth.
Nick Harper, a starting left cornerback for the Colts, missed practice Wednesday with an elbow injury. Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said he expects Harper to play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If Harper can’t play, the Colts have a veteran option:
Cornerback Joseph Jefferson.
Harper, a starter the past two seasons and the only player in the Colts’ secondary to start each of the first five games, leads the team in interceptions this season with three.
He had one in the Colts’ last game, a victory over Oakland October 10.
“I think Nick’s going to play — hopefully, he should practice (Thursday),” Dungy said Wednesday as the AFC South-leading Colts (4-1) prepared to play the second-place Jaguars (4-2) Sunday at noon at the RCA Dome.
“He’s got an elbow that’s given him some trouble. We have a brace for it. I think he should be able to practice in it and play in it.
“He http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=2004_doitbest should be OK by Sunday.”
If Harper can’t play, Dungy said he expects Jefferson to start in his place.
Jefferson, a third-year veteran, missed last season with an injury and missed the first five games of this season with a knee injury. He played in one game as a rookie in 2002.
If Harper plays, Dungy said Jefferson likely will play nickel back, with rookie Jason David starting at the other cornerback position.
The Colts also got positive news at safety, where second-year veteran Mike Doss and rookie Bob Sanders each practiced after practicing Monday.
Sanders had been out the entire season with a foot injury and Doss missed the last four games with a hamstring injury. Sanders practiced Monday for the first time since being selected in the second round of last April’s NFL Draft, and said he was encouraged with how his foot responded Tuesday.
“It felt great,” Sanders said. “I was excited the way I felt after practice. Everything went well. Today will be another step to see how far along I am as far as conditioning, wearing the pads and everything. We’ll see how it goes.
“(Tuesday) was a big day for me. Today (Wednesday) will be another big day. If I get through today, OK, we’ll really know I’m ready to go.
“Everything’s looking good for me.”
Dungy, who earlier this week said he was uncertain if Sanders — the team’s first draft selection this past off-season — would play Sunday even if healthy, said after practice Wednesday Sanders may play Sunday.
“He’s got a chance to,” Dungy said. “Today was his first real hard practice — thorough, all the way through. He did fine. We’ll see how he comes in tomorrow.
“If he doesn’t have any ill-effects, I’d say we’ll probably upgrade him.”
Asked how Sanders, might be used, Dungy smiled and said, “I don’t suppose I’d rather reveal that.
“I’d say tune in and see,” Dungy said. “We don’t want to tell Jacksonville we’ve got a secret weapon.”
Dungy said even if Sanders plays, “We can’t play him too much.”
“We’ll let him get in the flow of things slowly,” Dungy said. “The natural tendency, especially for young guys, but for everybody, is when you’ve been away from it a little bit to get over-hyped, to do things a little too fast. Hopefully, he’ll slow down.”
The Colts’ injury report reads as follows:
Wide receiver Troy Walters (upper arm fracture, out), Harper (elbow, questionable), wide receiver Brad Pyatt (ankle, questionable), offensive guard Rick DeMulling (ankle/knee, probable), Doss (hamstring, probable), Jefferson (knee, probable), linebacker Cato June (shoulder, probable), defensive end Robert Mathis (groin, probable), tight end Marcus Pollard (knee, probable), running back Dominic Rhodes (shoulder, probable), safety Bob Sanders (foot, probable), wide receiver Brandon Stokley (hip, probable) and kicker Mike Vanderjagt (right hamstring, probable).
Pyatt missed practice Wednesday, and Dungy said a decision on his status could be made Saturday.
“We’re going to give him every opportunity to heal up and get rested up,” Dungy said. “If he can come out here and run on Saturday and make the cuts, then we’ll have him up. If he’s not 100 percent, we won’t.”
DeMulling and Pollard each practiced and Dungy said it appears they will play.
“I’m not 100 percent, but I’m going to try to practice and see how I feel from there,” Pollard said.
http://www.colts.com
But it’s not nearly as uncertain as before.
Because now, there is depth.
Nick Harper, a starting left cornerback for the Colts, missed practice Wednesday with an elbow injury. Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said he expects Harper to play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If Harper can’t play, the Colts have a veteran option:
Cornerback Joseph Jefferson.
Harper, a starter the past two seasons and the only player in the Colts’ secondary to start each of the first five games, leads the team in interceptions this season with three.
He had one in the Colts’ last game, a victory over Oakland October 10.
“I think Nick’s going to play — hopefully, he should practice (Thursday),” Dungy said Wednesday as the AFC South-leading Colts (4-1) prepared to play the second-place Jaguars (4-2) Sunday at noon at the RCA Dome.
“He’s got an elbow that’s given him some trouble. We have a brace for it. I think he should be able to practice in it and play in it.
“He http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=2004_doitbest should be OK by Sunday.”
If Harper can’t play, Dungy said he expects Jefferson to start in his place.
Jefferson, a third-year veteran, missed last season with an injury and missed the first five games of this season with a knee injury. He played in one game as a rookie in 2002.
If Harper plays, Dungy said Jefferson likely will play nickel back, with rookie Jason David starting at the other cornerback position.
The Colts also got positive news at safety, where second-year veteran Mike Doss and rookie Bob Sanders each practiced after practicing Monday.
Sanders had been out the entire season with a foot injury and Doss missed the last four games with a hamstring injury. Sanders practiced Monday for the first time since being selected in the second round of last April’s NFL Draft, and said he was encouraged with how his foot responded Tuesday.
“It felt great,” Sanders said. “I was excited the way I felt after practice. Everything went well. Today will be another step to see how far along I am as far as conditioning, wearing the pads and everything. We’ll see how it goes.
“(Tuesday) was a big day for me. Today (Wednesday) will be another big day. If I get through today, OK, we’ll really know I’m ready to go.
“Everything’s looking good for me.”
Dungy, who earlier this week said he was uncertain if Sanders — the team’s first draft selection this past off-season — would play Sunday even if healthy, said after practice Wednesday Sanders may play Sunday.
“He’s got a chance to,” Dungy said. “Today was his first real hard practice — thorough, all the way through. He did fine. We’ll see how he comes in tomorrow.
“If he doesn’t have any ill-effects, I’d say we’ll probably upgrade him.”
Asked how Sanders, might be used, Dungy smiled and said, “I don’t suppose I’d rather reveal that.
“I’d say tune in and see,” Dungy said. “We don’t want to tell Jacksonville we’ve got a secret weapon.”
Dungy said even if Sanders plays, “We can’t play him too much.”
“We’ll let him get in the flow of things slowly,” Dungy said. “The natural tendency, especially for young guys, but for everybody, is when you’ve been away from it a little bit to get over-hyped, to do things a little too fast. Hopefully, he’ll slow down.”
The Colts’ injury report reads as follows:
Wide receiver Troy Walters (upper arm fracture, out), Harper (elbow, questionable), wide receiver Brad Pyatt (ankle, questionable), offensive guard Rick DeMulling (ankle/knee, probable), Doss (hamstring, probable), Jefferson (knee, probable), linebacker Cato June (shoulder, probable), defensive end Robert Mathis (groin, probable), tight end Marcus Pollard (knee, probable), running back Dominic Rhodes (shoulder, probable), safety Bob Sanders (foot, probable), wide receiver Brandon Stokley (hip, probable) and kicker Mike Vanderjagt (right hamstring, probable).
Pyatt missed practice Wednesday, and Dungy said a decision on his status could be made Saturday.
“We’re going to give him every opportunity to heal up and get rested up,” Dungy said. “If he can come out here and run on Saturday and make the cuts, then we’ll have him up. If he’s not 100 percent, we won’t.”
DeMulling and Pollard each practiced and Dungy said it appears they will play.
“I’m not 100 percent, but I’m going to try to practice and see how I feel from there,” Pollard said.
http://www.colts.com
<TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=1 borderColorDark=#000000 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 borderColorLight=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">10/20/04</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg ">SS</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">Mike Doss</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">Hamstring</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">upgraded from "?" to probable.<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> display_player2 (); </SCRIPT> </TD></TR><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> display_player1 ('10/20/04', 'CB', "Bob", "Sanders", 'Foot', ''); </SCRIPT><TR><TD class="casino-greybg-left ">10/20/04</TD><TD class="casino-greybg ">CB</TD><TD class="casino-greybg-left ">Bob Sanders</TD><TD class="casino-greybg-left ">Foot</TD><TD class="casino-greybg-left ">upgraded from "?" to probable.<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> display_player2 (); </SCRIPT> </TD></TR><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> display_player1 ('10/20/04', 'CB', "Nick", "Harper", 'Elbow', ''); </SCRIPT><TR><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">10/20/04</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg ">CB</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">Nick Harper</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">Elbow</TD><TD class="casino-whitebg-left ">injured last game, upgraded to probable.<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> display_player2 (); </SCRIPT> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Lets get this secondary ready for the playoffs.
Lets get this secondary ready for the playoffs.
Tough Leftwich ready for showdown at Indy
Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich doesn't understand why his teammates and coaches rave about his toughness.
Sure, there was the memorable shin injury he played through at Marshall in 2002 -- when his linemen had to carry him downfield after big gains against Akron. Then there was the bruised shoulder and sprained ankle he played through last weekend against Kansas City.
But tough? He believes that's a word better used to describe Tennessee's Steve McNair or Green Bay's Brett Favre.
"I'm not a tough guy," Leftwich said Thursday. "I don't want to be a superhero. I just try to deal with pain the best I can and if I'm capable of helping my team, I will always do that. We'll worry about pain and whatever I did to myself after the game."
That was his plan in college and it will be again Sunday at Indianapolis, a game that could play a big role in deciding the AFC South.
Leftwich returned to practice Thursday and took the majority of the repetitions, a good indication he will start against the division-leading Colts. The Jaguars never questioned whether he would go.
Coach Jack Del Rio knew all about Leftwich's reputation when he drafted him with the seventh overall pick last year. But the coach said he learned even more about the second-year starter Sunday.
"I think you gain respect when you see somebody who's a real warrior, giving it up, playing through pain, playing through tough circumstances," Del Rio said. "I think anybody who saw his effort has to feel like this guy is pretty tough. I think we'll see more of it. I just think that's the way he's wired."
Leftwich bruised his left shoulder on the second series against Kansas City and had to be helped off the field. But he didn't miss a snap.
Then he sprained his right ankle late in the game and was hobbling around between plays.
Once again, he stayed in the game. He led the Jags on a 70-yard touchdown drive in the closing minutes and capped it with a 14-yard scoring pass to Cortez Hankton with 45 seconds to play, lifting Jacksonville to a 22-16 victory.
He was 7-of-8 for 67 yards on the final drive and finished the game 24-of-36 for 298 yards with three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing.
Leftwich limped off the field, left the stadium on crutches and was wearing a walking boot Monday. He also sat out practice Wednesday.
Although the ankle was still a little sore Thursday, Leftwich said he expects it to be close to 100 percent by gametime.
The Jags (4-2) sure hope so.
Not only is first place in the division on the line, but Jacksonville would fall two games behind the Colts (4-1) with a loss. And Indy also would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, essentially leaving the Jags three games back.
"If you get three games down, now you're asking everybody else for help," Leftwich said. "You're asking for other teams to help you instead of being in control of things yourself. We don't want to put it in nobody else's hands. But we're not going to say this is a make-or-break game for us to make it to the playoffs. There's still a lot of football to play, but we understand the significance of this game."
Leftwich threw for 318 yards three weeks ago against the Colts, and has led the team to three game-winning drives in the final minute.
He threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Wilford as time expired to beat Buffalo 13-10. He directed an 80-yard drive, which ended with Fred Taylor's short touchdown run with 9 seconds left, to upset Tennessee. And then there was last week's comeback.
"He's on the brink of being one of the elite quarterbacks in the league," receiver Jimmy Smith said.
And maybe one of the toughest.
"I think he's shown that he has some of those special qualities that you like to have in your quarterback," Del Rio said.
http://sfgate.com
<!-- END STORY -->
Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich doesn't understand why his teammates and coaches rave about his toughness.
Sure, there was the memorable shin injury he played through at Marshall in 2002 -- when his linemen had to carry him downfield after big gains against Akron. Then there was the bruised shoulder and sprained ankle he played through last weekend against Kansas City.
But tough? He believes that's a word better used to describe Tennessee's Steve McNair or Green Bay's Brett Favre.
"I'm not a tough guy," Leftwich said Thursday. "I don't want to be a superhero. I just try to deal with pain the best I can and if I'm capable of helping my team, I will always do that. We'll worry about pain and whatever I did to myself after the game."
That was his plan in college and it will be again Sunday at Indianapolis, a game that could play a big role in deciding the AFC South.
Leftwich returned to practice Thursday and took the majority of the repetitions, a good indication he will start against the division-leading Colts. The Jaguars never questioned whether he would go.
Coach Jack Del Rio knew all about Leftwich's reputation when he drafted him with the seventh overall pick last year. But the coach said he learned even more about the second-year starter Sunday.
"I think you gain respect when you see somebody who's a real warrior, giving it up, playing through pain, playing through tough circumstances," Del Rio said. "I think anybody who saw his effort has to feel like this guy is pretty tough. I think we'll see more of it. I just think that's the way he's wired."
Leftwich bruised his left shoulder on the second series against Kansas City and had to be helped off the field. But he didn't miss a snap.
Then he sprained his right ankle late in the game and was hobbling around between plays.
Once again, he stayed in the game. He led the Jags on a 70-yard touchdown drive in the closing minutes and capped it with a 14-yard scoring pass to Cortez Hankton with 45 seconds to play, lifting Jacksonville to a 22-16 victory.
He was 7-of-8 for 67 yards on the final drive and finished the game 24-of-36 for 298 yards with three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing.
Leftwich limped off the field, left the stadium on crutches and was wearing a walking boot Monday. He also sat out practice Wednesday.
Although the ankle was still a little sore Thursday, Leftwich said he expects it to be close to 100 percent by gametime.
The Jags (4-2) sure hope so.
Not only is first place in the division on the line, but Jacksonville would fall two games behind the Colts (4-1) with a loss. And Indy also would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, essentially leaving the Jags three games back.
"If you get three games down, now you're asking everybody else for help," Leftwich said. "You're asking for other teams to help you instead of being in control of things yourself. We don't want to put it in nobody else's hands. But we're not going to say this is a make-or-break game for us to make it to the playoffs. There's still a lot of football to play, but we understand the significance of this game."
Leftwich threw for 318 yards three weeks ago against the Colts, and has led the team to three game-winning drives in the final minute.
He threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Wilford as time expired to beat Buffalo 13-10. He directed an 80-yard drive, which ended with Fred Taylor's short touchdown run with 9 seconds left, to upset Tennessee. And then there was last week's comeback.
"He's on the brink of being one of the elite quarterbacks in the league," receiver Jimmy Smith said.
And maybe one of the toughest.
"I think he's shown that he has some of those special qualities that you like to have in your quarterback," Del Rio said.
http://sfgate.com
<!-- END STORY -->
Better team won today. Jax is a more well rounded team than Indy. The Indy Defense is just not good.
Colts 3-2 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-1 in AFC South, and 4-2 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS W 35-14
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS L 24-27
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
<!-- / message --><!-- / message -->
Colts 3-2 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-1 in AFC South, and 4-2 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS W 35-14
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS L 24-27
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
<!-- / message --><!-- / message -->
Posted 10-03-2004, 03:12 PM
http://forum.therx.com/showthread.php?t=123468&page=3&pp=35
They looked the better team 3 weeks ago.The General said:
http://forum.therx.com/showthread.php?t=123468&page=3&pp=35
Jaguars' latest last-minute madness upsets Colts
Byron Leftwich is getting used to these frantic finishes, and they all keep turning out right for the Jaguars. Feel the power ... of the magic dust.
Leftwich led scoring drives on Jacksonville's final three possessions, and rookie Josh Scobee hit a season-best 53-yard field goal with 38 seconds left to bring down the Colts, 27-24, yesterday.
The ball stayed inside the right upright and barely dropped over the crossbar, giving the Jags their fifth last-minute win. Who can be surprised? "We just find a way to pull it out," Leftwich said.
Jacksonville (5-2) moved past the Colts (4-2) and into first place in the AFC South, snapped the Colts' four-game streak and won for the first time in four games at the RCA Dome.
Leftwich threw for 300 yards with two scores, and running back Fred Taylor totaled 174 yards. Peyton Manning threw for 368 yards and three TDs.
http://www.newsday.com
Byron Leftwich is getting used to these frantic finishes, and they all keep turning out right for the Jaguars. Feel the power ... of the magic dust.
Leftwich led scoring drives on Jacksonville's final three possessions, and rookie Josh Scobee hit a season-best 53-yard field goal with 38 seconds left to bring down the Colts, 27-24, yesterday.
The ball stayed inside the right upright and barely dropped over the crossbar, giving the Jags their fifth last-minute win. Who can be surprised? "We just find a way to pull it out," Leftwich said.
Jacksonville (5-2) moved past the Colts (4-2) and into first place in the AFC South, snapped the Colts' four-game streak and won for the first time in four games at the RCA Dome.
Leftwich threw for 300 yards with two scores, and running back Fred Taylor totaled 174 yards. Peyton Manning threw for 368 yards and three TDs.
http://www.newsday.com
Colts bring seven-game win streak vs. Chiefs into Arrowhead
Someone has to say it: Home or away, the Indianapolis Colts are Kansas City's Hoosier Daddies.
Indianapolis owns a seven-game winning streak against the Chiefs. Two of those victories came in AFC playoff games at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Colts have beaten the Chiefs three straight and five times since 1996.
That's also where the teams meet Sunday, with Kansas City fighting to keep some momentum after a record-breaking 56-10 victory over Atlanta. The Colts, meanwhile, are trying to come off a mistake-filled showing - and a high-profile argument between quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Reggie Wayne - in last week's 27-24 home loss to Jacksonville.
Judging from recent history, Kansas City would seem the ideal place to regroup.
"These guys are 5-0 at Arrowhead," Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. "I don't know if there's another team in the NFL that's 5-0 against the Kansas City Chiefs in this stadium."
Actually, Indianapolis (4-2) isn't unbeaten in Arrowhead. It just seems that way. Since the Colts moved from Baltimore before the 1984 season, Kansas City (2-4) has beaten them once, at home in 1985.
"We've got four or five of our veteran players who have been through a few of those games," Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. "They practice with a little confidence, and they pass it on to the younger guys that you can go and get it done, and I think that does help.
"But every year is different, and you've got to go in and do it with the team that you have. We don't talk much at all about last year, and we don't talk at all about the previous years."
In Kansas City, though, the two postseason losses to the Colts are counted among the most stinging defeats in team history.
There was the AFC divisional game in 1996, when Kansas City turned the ball over four times, including three interceptions thrown by Steve Bono, and Lin Elliott missed three field goal attempts in a 10-7 loss.
Their names are still anathema to Chiefs fans.
And last year, after the Chiefs went 13-3 and won the AFC West title, the Colts went all day without punting and beat them 38-31, precipitating the firing of defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.
But while he's never lost in three visits here, Manning said Kansas City remains a tough place to play.
"I've always said I thought this was the loudest stadium that I've played in," said Manning, who threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in last season's playoff game. "It's very difficult to make calls, to make audibles. Everybody really needs to be tuned in."
The Chiefs insist there's no revenge factor this time around, but they acknowledge the lingering pain of the season-ending loss.
"We had to deal with that for the whole offseason," defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. "That's all anybody talked about, Peyton Manning and what he did when he came into Kansas City."
What sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is that the Chiefs didn't punt, either, although one drive ended in a missed field goal and another on Priest Holmes' lost fumble after a 48-yard gain. It was the only playoff game in NFL history without a punt by either team.
"Our offense went out and moved the ball up and down on their defense, but you don't hear anything about that," Holliday said. "You just hear about the Kansas City defense and how terrible we are, or we were."
There's no danger of anyone overlooking Kansas City's offense this week, though, after what the Chiefs did to the Falcons.
Their eight TDs rushing, four each by Holmes and backup Derrick Blaylock, set an NFL record and led to an unprecedented AFC player of the week award for left guard Brian Waters.
That might portend an offensive shootout on Sunday. But neither side was willing to predict big scoring numbers, especially after Kansas City's defense, which has had a rocky adjustment period in Gunther Cunningham's return as coordinator, held Atlanta without a touchdown last week. The Falcons' only score came on a punt return.
"The first thing that jumps out is the effort and the energy that defense has," Manning said. "Watching that Atlanta game, you see guys flying all over the field. They give you multiple looks every play. There are no rest plays, where it's kind of simple to see what they're doing."
Kansas City, which got off to a 9-0 start in 2003, already trails first-place Denver by 2 1/2 games in the AFC West.
"I know after this last game, everybody says, 'Oh, is the momentum back?' and 'playoffs,' and all that," quarterback Trent Green said. "But we're 2-4. We're just trying to get a win. If anybody is looking at that any differently, they need to wake up and look at the hole we've put ourselves in."
http://www.kansascity.com
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Someone has to say it: Home or away, the Indianapolis Colts are Kansas City's Hoosier Daddies.
Indianapolis owns a seven-game winning streak against the Chiefs. Two of those victories came in AFC playoff games at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Colts have beaten the Chiefs three straight and five times since 1996.
That's also where the teams meet Sunday, with Kansas City fighting to keep some momentum after a record-breaking 56-10 victory over Atlanta. The Colts, meanwhile, are trying to come off a mistake-filled showing - and a high-profile argument between quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Reggie Wayne - in last week's 27-24 home loss to Jacksonville.
Judging from recent history, Kansas City would seem the ideal place to regroup.
"These guys are 5-0 at Arrowhead," Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. "I don't know if there's another team in the NFL that's 5-0 against the Kansas City Chiefs in this stadium."
Actually, Indianapolis (4-2) isn't unbeaten in Arrowhead. It just seems that way. Since the Colts moved from Baltimore before the 1984 season, Kansas City (2-4) has beaten them once, at home in 1985.
"We've got four or five of our veteran players who have been through a few of those games," Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. "They practice with a little confidence, and they pass it on to the younger guys that you can go and get it done, and I think that does help.
"But every year is different, and you've got to go in and do it with the team that you have. We don't talk much at all about last year, and we don't talk at all about the previous years."
In Kansas City, though, the two postseason losses to the Colts are counted among the most stinging defeats in team history.
There was the AFC divisional game in 1996, when Kansas City turned the ball over four times, including three interceptions thrown by Steve Bono, and Lin Elliott missed three field goal attempts in a 10-7 loss.
Their names are still anathema to Chiefs fans.
And last year, after the Chiefs went 13-3 and won the AFC West title, the Colts went all day without punting and beat them 38-31, precipitating the firing of defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.
But while he's never lost in three visits here, Manning said Kansas City remains a tough place to play.
"I've always said I thought this was the loudest stadium that I've played in," said Manning, who threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in last season's playoff game. "It's very difficult to make calls, to make audibles. Everybody really needs to be tuned in."
The Chiefs insist there's no revenge factor this time around, but they acknowledge the lingering pain of the season-ending loss.
"We had to deal with that for the whole offseason," defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. "That's all anybody talked about, Peyton Manning and what he did when he came into Kansas City."
What sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is that the Chiefs didn't punt, either, although one drive ended in a missed field goal and another on Priest Holmes' lost fumble after a 48-yard gain. It was the only playoff game in NFL history without a punt by either team.
"Our offense went out and moved the ball up and down on their defense, but you don't hear anything about that," Holliday said. "You just hear about the Kansas City defense and how terrible we are, or we were."
There's no danger of anyone overlooking Kansas City's offense this week, though, after what the Chiefs did to the Falcons.
Their eight TDs rushing, four each by Holmes and backup Derrick Blaylock, set an NFL record and led to an unprecedented AFC player of the week award for left guard Brian Waters.
That might portend an offensive shootout on Sunday. But neither side was willing to predict big scoring numbers, especially after Kansas City's defense, which has had a rocky adjustment period in Gunther Cunningham's return as coordinator, held Atlanta without a touchdown last week. The Falcons' only score came on a punt return.
"The first thing that jumps out is the effort and the energy that defense has," Manning said. "Watching that Atlanta game, you see guys flying all over the field. They give you multiple looks every play. There are no rest plays, where it's kind of simple to see what they're doing."
Kansas City, which got off to a 9-0 start in 2003, already trails first-place Denver by 2 1/2 games in the AFC West.
"I know after this last game, everybody says, 'Oh, is the momentum back?' and 'playoffs,' and all that," quarterback Trent Green said. "But we're 2-4. We're just trying to get a win. If anybody is looking at that any differently, they need to wake up and look at the hole we've put ourselves in."
http://www.kansascity.com
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When you have a defense that can hardly compete with the best high school offense in the IHSAA, then what can you say? $70 million Peyton, $70 million, so that you can score 25 pts a game, but give up 31. Enjoy the spending buddy.
Colts 3-3 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-1 in AFC South, and 4-3 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS W 35-14
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS L 24-27
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs L 35-45
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
Colts 3-3 in AFC, 1-0 in NFC, 2-1 in AFC South, and 4-3 overall
2004 Schedule
1 9/9 @ New England Patriots L 24-27
2 9/19 @ Tennessee Titans W 31-17
3 9/26 GREEN BAY PACKERS W 45-31
4 10/3 @ Jacksonville Jaguars W 24-17
5 10/10 OAKLAND RAIDERS W 35-14
6 10/17 BYE
7 10/24 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS L 24-27
8 10/31 @ Kansas City Chiefs L 35-45
9 11/8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 9:00 PM
10 11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM
11 11/21 @ Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
12 11/25 @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM
13 12/5 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
14 12/12 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
15 12/19 BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:30 PM
16 12/26 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1:00 PM
17 1/2 @ Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
Will Colts defense ever catch up?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It has come to this: Peyton Manning's offense is now playing against two defenses every week. The other team's defense, and its own -- the latter group being the tougher challenge.
What we have here is what many of us suspected we would have: A reeling, 4-3 Colts' team that not only has no appreciable defensive presence, but a wanna-be championship contender that must continue to play as if it can't count upon its defense to do more than dress properly.
That means going for it on fourth-and-whatever, no matter how misguided a decision it may be.
That means trying for two-point conversions on most occasions, even if The Book insists otherwise.
That means considering a return to the slower, more traditional style of huddling up and milking the clock, just to keep the Colts defense on the sidelines, where it can't do any further damage.
"No way," tight end Marcus Pollard said when the idea was broached after Indy's 45-35 loss to the Chiefs. "If we're scoring a bunch and scoring fast, we've got to keep scoring a bunch and scoring fast. Like when the Lakers had Magic running the point. They fast-breaked, got lay-ups, it was Showtime. That's how we are."
Except, well, Magic, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar aren't playing defense for the Colts. Although they're always welcome.
So tell me: You have a better idea? The Colts quarterback, Manning, just threw for 472 yards and five touchdowns and LOST. Think about that. You know how hard it is to have your quarterback put up those kinds of numbers and … lose?
They are out of options. They have to play as if their defense is stuck in stadium traffic. They have to approach every game like they need 50 points to win.
Manning recognized pretty early Sunday his offense was going to need extraordinary measures to overcome both Kansas City's defense and his own.
Did you see him gesture angrily when Dungy decided to punt with the Colts trailing by 10 and fourth-and-six at the Indy 48 with more than 11 minutes remaining? Did that look like someone who trusted the defense to get him the ball back with a 10-point deficit?
Then came fourth-and-3 at the Chiefs' six-yard line, 5:31 remaining and the Colts down 10 points. In a two-score game, the smart move there was to take the easy three points. But no. Manning was going for it. The only thing that saved a truly bad decision was a great result. And even then …
"I told the offense, {grave}Y'all stay right there (on the field),' " Manning said. "They were going to have to pull us off. I know he (Dungy) wouldn't have wanted to burn a time out."
Manning quickly wanted it made clear that Dungy gave the decision his blessing.
Anybody else buying that?
Still, it was understandable, and it showed the depth of the offense's desperation. They don't trust the defense. And they shouldn't trust the defense.
Nobody wants to be mean-spirited about this -- really -- and it's not lost on us that the Colts spent less on defense than any other NFL team. You pay K-Mart prices, you're not getting Fashion Mall quality. Bashing the Indy defense has taken on the feel of clubbing baby seals.
But it's impossible to ignore.
Their defense is a joke.
"I've never been involved in 590 yards of offense," said Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil, who saw lots of offense during his days in St. Louis. "I don't add that high."
So what's wrong with the defense?
Dungy gave an answer after Sunday's game that he knows, deep in his heart, is complete nonsense.
"I told the team in the locker room, I don't think it's talent and I don't think it's effort," Dungy said.
Then what is it? Coaching? Suddenly, the cover-2 doesn't work? No, it's not coaching, and Dungy knows that the way we all know that.
The problem is talent. It's always been a problem of talent. They couldn't stop anybody under Vic Fangio. They can't stop anybody under Dungy and Ron Meeks. The common denominator? It's team president Bill Polian, whose job it is to handle personnel.
The minute Polian decided he could get by without adding a single defensive free agent, the die was cast. They're too young because they didn't bring in any veteran help. They lack depth because they counted on rookies.
And injuries? Please. Everybody's got injuries. This defense wasn't any good when it was healthy, so that's no explanation.
Polian believed the group he had was going to be good enough. Clearly, painfully, they are not. And that leaves the Colts looking like a group that is once again going to waste another year -- maybe the last year -- of Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison.
Which is more than just a pity. It's a crime.
For the time being, the Colts are publicly saying all the right things about winning as a team and losing as a team. But these are human beings, and they're not blind to what's happening before them. It's going to be hard -- very hard -- to keep this from becoming a simmering, festering issue.
"We can't let that happen," Manning said.
All the Colts really wanted from a defense this season was to be ordinary. Now, they're three bus transfers away from ordinary.
Tough enough that Manning and Co. have to face everybody else's defense. For now on, they've also got to deal with their own.
http://www.indystar.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It has come to this: Peyton Manning's offense is now playing against two defenses every week. The other team's defense, and its own -- the latter group being the tougher challenge.
What we have here is what many of us suspected we would have: A reeling, 4-3 Colts' team that not only has no appreciable defensive presence, but a wanna-be championship contender that must continue to play as if it can't count upon its defense to do more than dress properly.
That means going for it on fourth-and-whatever, no matter how misguided a decision it may be.
That means trying for two-point conversions on most occasions, even if The Book insists otherwise.
That means considering a return to the slower, more traditional style of huddling up and milking the clock, just to keep the Colts defense on the sidelines, where it can't do any further damage.
"No way," tight end Marcus Pollard said when the idea was broached after Indy's 45-35 loss to the Chiefs. "If we're scoring a bunch and scoring fast, we've got to keep scoring a bunch and scoring fast. Like when the Lakers had Magic running the point. They fast-breaked, got lay-ups, it was Showtime. That's how we are."
Except, well, Magic, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar aren't playing defense for the Colts. Although they're always welcome.
So tell me: You have a better idea? The Colts quarterback, Manning, just threw for 472 yards and five touchdowns and LOST. Think about that. You know how hard it is to have your quarterback put up those kinds of numbers and … lose?
They are out of options. They have to play as if their defense is stuck in stadium traffic. They have to approach every game like they need 50 points to win.
Manning recognized pretty early Sunday his offense was going to need extraordinary measures to overcome both Kansas City's defense and his own.
Did you see him gesture angrily when Dungy decided to punt with the Colts trailing by 10 and fourth-and-six at the Indy 48 with more than 11 minutes remaining? Did that look like someone who trusted the defense to get him the ball back with a 10-point deficit?
Then came fourth-and-3 at the Chiefs' six-yard line, 5:31 remaining and the Colts down 10 points. In a two-score game, the smart move there was to take the easy three points. But no. Manning was going for it. The only thing that saved a truly bad decision was a great result. And even then …
"I told the offense, {grave}Y'all stay right there (on the field),' " Manning said. "They were going to have to pull us off. I know he (Dungy) wouldn't have wanted to burn a time out."
Manning quickly wanted it made clear that Dungy gave the decision his blessing.
Anybody else buying that?
Still, it was understandable, and it showed the depth of the offense's desperation. They don't trust the defense. And they shouldn't trust the defense.
Nobody wants to be mean-spirited about this -- really -- and it's not lost on us that the Colts spent less on defense than any other NFL team. You pay K-Mart prices, you're not getting Fashion Mall quality. Bashing the Indy defense has taken on the feel of clubbing baby seals.
But it's impossible to ignore.
Their defense is a joke.
"I've never been involved in 590 yards of offense," said Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil, who saw lots of offense during his days in St. Louis. "I don't add that high."
So what's wrong with the defense?
Dungy gave an answer after Sunday's game that he knows, deep in his heart, is complete nonsense.
"I told the team in the locker room, I don't think it's talent and I don't think it's effort," Dungy said.
Then what is it? Coaching? Suddenly, the cover-2 doesn't work? No, it's not coaching, and Dungy knows that the way we all know that.
The problem is talent. It's always been a problem of talent. They couldn't stop anybody under Vic Fangio. They can't stop anybody under Dungy and Ron Meeks. The common denominator? It's team president Bill Polian, whose job it is to handle personnel.
The minute Polian decided he could get by without adding a single defensive free agent, the die was cast. They're too young because they didn't bring in any veteran help. They lack depth because they counted on rookies.
And injuries? Please. Everybody's got injuries. This defense wasn't any good when it was healthy, so that's no explanation.
Polian believed the group he had was going to be good enough. Clearly, painfully, they are not. And that leaves the Colts looking like a group that is once again going to waste another year -- maybe the last year -- of Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison.
Which is more than just a pity. It's a crime.
For the time being, the Colts are publicly saying all the right things about winning as a team and losing as a team. But these are human beings, and they're not blind to what's happening before them. It's going to be hard -- very hard -- to keep this from becoming a simmering, festering issue.
"We can't let that happen," Manning said.
All the Colts really wanted from a defense this season was to be ordinary. Now, they're three bus transfers away from ordinary.
Tough enough that Manning and Co. have to face everybody else's defense. For now on, they've also got to deal with their own.
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