Indianapolis Colts News

[TheGeneral+]

Colts' Vanderjagt hoping to set kicking record on his terms
MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - In Mike Vanderjagt's perfect world, he would never miss another kick.

Vanderjagt has made 37 straight field goals for the Indianapolis Colts, the second-longest streak in NFL history, and is closing on Gary Anderson's league record of 40.

Vanderjagt figures the record will fall in time, and he hopes on his schedule and according to his script.

"If I had my druthers, I'd go 3 for 3 this week and do it next week on national TV because I'm that humble kind of guy," he said, referring to a night game Dec. 21 against Denver.

The league's most accurate kicker also doubles as it's brashest.

During the offseason, he publicly criticized Colts coach Tony Dungy, quarterback Peyton Manning and other teammates. Vanderjagt revels when fans try to distract him with noise or opponents try to "ice" him.

But when you miss as infrequently as Vanderjagt, little else matters.

In six seasons, Vanderjagt has made 87.6 percent of his field goals and has missed just one extra point kick for the Colts (10-3).

If things go as planned the next three weeks, he will not only break Anderson's record, he will also become the most prolific kicker in Colts history. He needs seven field goals to break Dean Biasucci's franchise record (176), despite having almost 50 fewer chances.

He needs five more attempts to pass Lou Michaels (198) for second among Colts' kickers, 10 points to break the club's single-season scoring record (145 points), which he set in 1999, and with 136 points is on pace to break Anderson's single-season scoring record for all kickers (164 points).

He's just 50 points from passing Biasucci as the Colts' all-time leading scorer.

As usual, Vanderjagt is relishing his moment in the spotlight.

"I guess this is our weekly get together," Vanderjagt said in greeting reporters Wednesday. "The streak is coming to a head pretty soon."

Vanderjagt, who wears No. 13, isn't even superstitious. He enjoys the publicity, enjoys talking about the streak and openly acknowledges his new goal is 50 straight.

For a kicker, it's certainly not the norm.

When Dungy was asked this week whether he'd ever been around a player like Vanderjagt, he went all the way back to his playing days with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s and the likes of Dwight White to remember someone who exuded as much confidence as Vanderjagt.

"It's rare," Dungy said. "He doesn't have any trepidation about kicking."

Why would he?

Vanderjagt hasn't missed a regular-season kick since Dec. 8, 2002, and after going 5-for-5 in Sunday's 29-27 victory at Tennessee, he opened this month with his first AFC special teams player of the week award this season. He'd already been named the AFC's special teams player of the month in October and November.

Now that he's on the cusp of history - and perhaps his first Pro Bowl appearance - Vanderjagt isn't about to change.

"It's surprised me that I've made 37 in a row, but I feel I'm the best kicker in the league, so that doesn't surprise me," he said. "When you're this confident, you feel pretty good."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/7461369.htm

 

[TheGeneral+]

SITTING DOWN WITH DUNGY

Each week during the 2003 regular season, Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy will discuss topics pertinent to the Colts with Colts.com.

Question: The Colts won a huge victory over the Tennessee Titans Sunday, 29-27. That makes them 10-3, but it almost seems like a quiet 10-3. Not a lot of national notoriety.

Answer: That’s good, because I think from a national perspective, it is kind of a quiet 10-3. We had the Tampa game, which was on TV, but other than that, we’ve kind of taken care of our business. We’ve had three real tough, tight games that we didn’t win, so from our standpoint, that’s probably pretty good.

Q: There are teams with better records, but the Colts are the only team among the teams with the top records that that has had a chance to win every game in the fourth quarter. A good sign?

A: We won our share of close games, but the games we lost, we felt like we could have won all of them. I think that gives you confidence – knowing you’re going to be in every game and that you’ve got big-time players who are going to make those plays in close games and win them for you. We’re playing pretty good football and I think we’ve learned we don’t have to panic. Because of that, that’s allowed us to get back in some games where we’ve been behind. That’s allowed us to get ahead of people at times, too. I think it’s getting more comfortable with ourselves. We realize they’re long games, and when they’re long games, you’re going to have a chance to get into them no matter how they start.

Q: The second quarter Sunday – it seemed very similar to Miami. The Colts were down early, then kept kicking field goals and led by halftime. At one time, there might have been a tendency to rush things and get tied, but there was patience Sunday.

A: That’s kind of the way I was used to playing in Tampa. It’s taken this group a little while to get used to me. But going into the locker room Sunday, there was a good feeling. We were disappointed about not pushing a couple of those in for touchdowns, but there was no, ‘Oh, we’ve only got 12 points.’ We came in saying, ‘We’re two points ahead. We’re OK. We weathered the storm. Now, let’s go out in the third quarter.’ At the beginning of last year, there was a certain frustration with our whole team if we didn’t hit some big plays and get out in front early.

Q: And it certainly helps to have a kicker (Mike Vanderjagt) who’s pretty close to automatic.

A: It does help. If you get into those situations and you miss a couple – that happened to Atlanta Sunday night. If you’re down close and you miss a couple, you feel like, ‘We’ve got to throw a touchdown pass the next time we’re down there because we might miss the field goal.’ That can play on you. I think our team has learned that if you get in tight games and you play good teams, all the points matter. If you can get down there, get three, not turn it over and not come away empty, you’re going to be in good shape.

Q: This time last week, a day after the New England loss, the sky was falling. Everything was awful and the Colts couldn’t do anything right. One victory righted the ship. But your demeanor really didn’t change. You feel like that’s really your job, don’t you – to keep an even keel and to see the big picture.

A: That is the head coach’s biggest job. You have to sell the big picture all the time. This is going to be the most dangerous week we’ve got. Everybody’s going to say, ‘You beat the Titans, the team you had to beat. You beat big, bad Tennessee and now you’ve got 3-10 Atlanta coming in. You’re playing at home. This is an easy one. You just have to get ready for Denver.’ It’s not going to be that way. We’ve got to play better than we played last week. That’s always got to be our focus, whether it’s coming off a loss like New England or a victory. Somehow, we’ve got play a little better next week. Now, we’ve got a big win and we’ve got to play a little better. Don’t worry so much about what your record is, or what the home field will be, or what you need to do to clinch the playoffs, or any of that – just play a little better than you did the week before.

Q: So, you take records out of equation as much as possible?

A: You have to be realistic. I’ll show them, ‘Here’s where we stand. Here’s where the whole AFC is, but we’ll be fine if we keep playing better.’ The team that wins it might end up being the fourth or fifth seed, but they’re going to be hot. They’re going to be playing better every week and they’re going to be confident coming into the playoffs. You want to be playing well at the end. The best year we had in Tampa Bay (in 1999), we didn’t get to first place until Week 15. We were never in first the first 14 weeks, but we were playing our best football down the stretch.

Q: You won one division title in Tampa Bay. It’s hard to win one of those things, and now the Colts have an opportunity. Do you express to players how difficult it is?

A: They’re hard to win and when you get close, you have to take advantage of it. It’s easy to say, ‘We’ll get it next year,’ but you don’t know. We have that opportunity right now – we can get it with two wins – so that’s got to be our focus. Let’s win these next two games, then worry about what happens from there. Division championships – you go places, and I don’t care how good the team is, you’re not going to see many banners in the rafters. It’s not easy to do.

Q: Right now, a division winner is guaranteed of at least one home playoff game – regardless of record. There has been talk of reseeding the playoffs so that a Wild-Card team with a better record than a division winner could play at home instead of the division winner. But it sounds like you favor the current system, rewarding the division winner.

A: There still has to be a reward for winning a division – otherwise, we should just have an AFC and an NFC.

Q: There are people who think winning a division means less now that there are four in each conference.

A: I don’t agree with that. To us, it means more. Right now, it means you definitely have a home game and it means you have a chance to get a bye. Winning that division, you’ve got to put the emphasis on it. It’s the only way you guarantee you’re in the playoffs. Everybody goes in in July saying, ‘We’ve got to win the division.’ That’s the number one goal of everyone.

Q: There have been several 15-yard penalties in recent weeks – unsportsmanlike-conduct type penalties. You seem to be about at your end with those.

A: They really just killed us against Tennessee. We had a situation where it was going to be 3rd-and-10 and another where it was going to be 3rd-and-5. Both drives go on and end up being scoring drives after unnecessary penalties. We didn’t give ourselves a chance. The one on (Colts defensive end) Raheem (Brock), I thought was a bad call. The one on (Colts cornerback) David (Macklin) – he was trying to be aggressive, but those penalties just can’t happen. We had three situations where we had a chance to get (Titans quarterback) Steve McNair in 3rd-and-long – there was offside penalty – and all three of those drives they scored on. When you have a chance to stop those 3rd-and-longs and make them punting situations, if you don’t force those, that usually beats you in a close game.

Q: A striking difference in the turnovers in the Colts-Titans series. A year ago, the Titans forced six turnovers and committed one against the Colts. This year, the Colts forced six and committed none. The Titans swept the Colts last season and the Colts swept the Titans this season.

A: That is the whole thing. There was a perception last year that they were more physical than us, that they took it to us. That really wasn’t the case. We gained many more yards than they did. We couldn’t stay with our running game because of the turnovers, so it looked like they out-hit us last year. They couldn’t stay with their running game this year, so they’re throwing the ball in the fourth quarter trying to catch up. We made just enough plays to win. I’m sure they’re saying down there, ‘What happened to the running game and what happened to the run defense?’ It’s just who makes the mistakes.

Q: It seemed like the defense did a good job pressuring McNair.

A: We did. The only thing we did wrong was we made some mistakes and we had the penalties. Had that not happened, we wouldn’t have been sweating the game at the end. Against a quarterback like that, you can’t give extra chances. He’s going to make things happen at the end he’s never going to quit. But overall, we played hard and we gave ourselves a chance to win.

Q: The secondary seemed like it did a good job staying aware of where he was on the field, too.

A: We wanted to feature our zone coverage where everybody had a chance to see him, and we didn’t want to get into situations where we had our backs to him. For the most part, we did a pretty good job.

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=1779

 

[TheGeneral+]

NFL's most exciting player visits the rca dome - Colts better beware

With Michael Vick back in the lineup, Falcons are dangerous 3-10 team.


Michael Vick is back and Dan Reeves is gone, but the Atlanta Falcons are more than just a curiosity for the Indianapolis Colts.

This is a team the Colts must beat.

This is a must-win game Sunday at the RCA Dome for playoff positioning, one that can't slip away early with excessive Vick highlight plays or slip away late with a great, but just-short Colts comeback. This is one of those games where the Colts' defense absolutely, positively can't allow more than their usual three scores.

Did I mention it's a must win?

There's something scary about the 3-10 Falcons. Something dangerous. Something that can't help but leave the Colts feeling a temptation for trepidation.

Who's kidding whom? That something is Vick.

The Colts' defense, hardly stellar the last six weeks, hasn't seen anyone like Vick. There isn't anyone like Vick. No quarterback has his elusive maneuvers, his sixth sense of finding the open running lane or his ability to create scoring plays out of what looks like a sure sack.

We forgot, during Vick's nearly three months away with a broken leg, that he is the most exciting football player on Earth.

We remember now. Vick reminded us last Sunday against Carolina, rushing for 141 yards and a touchdown and passing for 179 yards in a 20-14 overtime win.

This was a man shaking off the rust?

With Vick back to form, he'll be the most difficult opponent the Colts have faced this season. The Falcons' intensity level could also be spiked in the aftermath of coach Dan Reeves being fired Wednesday and replaced by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

Vick missed some practice time this week because of an ankle sprain. But as the Colts learned in facing Tennessee's Steve McNair last week, a hobbled great quarterback is still a great quarterback.

The Colts' defense seemed improved during the first third of the season, but as legs tired and opposing offenses adjusted, it's become vulnerable. It retains its big-play blasts from defensive end Dwight Freeney and others, but has had a recurring tendency to put the offense in a first-half hole.

How might the Falcons' offense change with Reeves gone? The likely answer is, not much. Three days is not enough for a major overhaul, even under an experienced interim coach such as Phillips. Plus, Phillips is the defensive coordinator. He won't be drawing plays in the artificial turf.

No, this game will be skill against skill, Vick's mastery of the art of the drive vs. a Colts defense that alternates between dominant and full of holes, but is never wholly dominant.

To prepare for Vick, Colts coach Tony Dungy went with the unorthodox approach of using punter Hunter Smith at quarterback against the defense Thursday. Smith's athletic ability allowed him to scamper in the manner of Vick, much more than regular No. 2 quarterback Brock Huard, who claimed to run the 40-yard dash a full second slower than Vick.

Smith gave the Colts a better simulation of Vick's elusiveness.

"We wanted to get a look at that, the sense of staying alive," Dungy said. "He did a good job of making (the defense) run."

The Colts can't stop Vick. When he's healthy, he's going to make some big plays happen. They must limit those big plays to one or two per half, however.

As formidable as a healthy Vick is, there's one factor working in the Colts' favor.

For the Falcons to win, their defense has the not-so-small task of stopping Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Vick's potential aside, Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL this season and the likely league MVP.

Keeping Manning on the field -- as the Colts did in beating Tennessee last week -- is the best defense against Vick.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/7484236.htm

 

[TheGeneral+]

Nothing Impressive against a weak Atlanta team, but a win...

Colts 38 Falcons 7

11-3

 

[TheGeneral+]

Colts no longer waiting to exhale


INDIANAPOLIS - Nine weeks without taking a breath was long enough.

No wonder so many Indianapolis Colts fans are blue in the face. And here you thought that was paint.

The Indianapolis Colts finally exhaled with a 38-7 win over Atlanta on Sunday at the RCA Dome. It was a well-deserved respite from a season worth of last-minute heroics interspersed with a couple of heartbreaks.

Not since a 55-21 whipping of New Orleans on the last Sunday in September had the Colts relaxed in the fourth quarter. Eight of the nine games that followed were decided by no more than a touchdown, and five of them by four points or fewer.

Finally, there was time to reflect on just how special this season has been_which, of course, isn't even close to how special it might become.

"Some of these guys, like (rookie Michael) Doss from Ohio State, they're used to winning all the time," Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said. "11-3 in the NFL is special. When you have a chance for something like this, you want to keep it going. You don't take it for granted."

Before I praise a near-flawless Colts performance, there's a caveat. The Falcons played as if they had been abruptly awaken from a long winter's nap. Or, possibly, they were still asleep.

Now then, the praise. The Colts can't play much better than they did Sunday.

They can't harass the quarterback any more feverishly than they did Michael Vick. Vick knows almost exactly how much Colts defenders Marcus Washington, Larry Tripplett and Robert Mathis weigh because he had them on his back all afternoon.

Vick was supposed to be the wild card in the Falcons' deck. Instead, he was the joker, discarded before the Falcons had a chance to deal. Vick was 6-of-19 passing for 47 yards with 30 yards rushing and was sacked four times.

"The plan was to blitz a lot and keep him off balance," Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said.

The plan worked.

The offensive plan, meanwhile, was business as usual. A thriving business, it is. The Triplets_Manning, running back Edgerrin James and receiver Marvin Harrison_showed why they are the finest combination of their kind in the game. Forgive me for listing too many statistics, but these numbers don't lie. They add up to excellence:

Manning: 25-of-30 passing, 290 yards, five touchdowns. He's the first NFL quarterback to throw 25 or more touchdowns in six straight seasons.

James: 20 carries, 126 yards (6.3 per carry) and a season-long 43-yard run which helped push him past 1,000 yards this season.

Harrison: 7 catches, 117 yards, two touchdowns and his usual phenomenal catch. On his latest miracle grab (negated by penalty, alas), he stretched, batted the football, caught it, and walked a tight-rope along the end zone while balancing a running chainsaw on his elbow. (OK, the chainsaw is an exaggeration, but he could do it, I'm sure, if he wanted to.)

"I heard somebody on TV call Michael Vick the Jordan of football,'' Colts tight end Marcus Pollard said. "I think we've got our own Michael Jordan on this team."

Not to mention Magic Johnson at quarterback and a miniature Karl Malone at running back. And I believe I saw Dennis Rodman sacking Vick once.

The Colts (11-3) clinched at least a wildcard playoff berth, and remain one win or one Tennessee loss away from clinching the AFC South title. They have a Sunday night ESPN home showdown with Denver this week, then finish at Houston, and still have a chance to earn home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

They've never looked better in 20 years in Indianapolis.

"I think they have a chance," Atlanta coach Wade Phillips said, "to go a long, long way."

Manning labeled Atlanta a "trap game," meaning the Colts could have gotten trapped with complacency after a big road win at Tennessee last week and before a prime-time game against Denver.

Trap spotted, avoided. Mathis hit Vick and forced a fumble on the first series of the game and Manning hit Reggie Wayne for a touchdown pass on the Colts' first play from scrimmage. That was it for suspense.

The rest of the game was Indianapolis starring in a real-time season highlight video. All the performance lacked was synchronized music and a public-service announcement for the United Way. They could have sold it, just in time for the holidays, for $19.95 as fans exited. Special bonus footage: Brandon Stokley scoring twice.

"We need to keep it going the next two weeks," Manning said. "We want to be playing at a high level going in, and hopefully we can take care of that."

It's been a breathtaking Colts season so far. We pause briefly to exhale.

But next Sunday night, watch for blood pressures, heart rates and the suspense of a special season to heighten once again.

www.bayarea.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Colts can move up with help

For one afternoon, Tony Dungy's allegiance will stray.

Saturday afternoon, the Colts coach will be cheering for the Minnesota Vikings, who entertain the Kansas City Chiefs. That evening, he'll be pulling for the New York Jets, who play host to New England.

Smiling, Dungy insisted his interest in the Vikings was "because of my background in Minnesota."

And the Jets? One of his closest friends is Jets coach Herman Edwards.

"That's the only reason," Dungy said Monday afternoon.

Not exactly.

The Colts (11-3) earned their fourth playoff appearance in the past five seasons with Sunday's 38-7 lacing of Atlanta. They can clinch the AFC South title, at least a No. 3 seed and a first-round home game by beating Denver (9-5) Sunday night in the RCA Dome, or if Tennessee (10-4) loses at Houston (5-9).

However, the stakes rise significantly if either the Patriots (12-2), the AFC's current No. 1 seed, or Chiefs (12-2), seeded No. 2, stumble on Saturday.

Assuming the Colts win their last two games to finish 13-3, they could enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed. That means a first-round bye and home field for the next two rounds.

A three-way tie involving the Colts, Patriots and Chiefs results in the Colts earning the No. 1 seed. The Colts would get the nod based on common opponents: Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Cleveland. They would be unbeaten against those teams. Kansas City has lost to Denver. New England fell to the Bills.

In a two-team tie, New England finishes ahead of the Colts based on their victory on Nov. 30. But the Colts would have the edge on the Chiefs because of the common-opponents tie-breaker.

Manning third in voting

Quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison finished among the top 10 vote-getters in the fan balloting for the Pro Bowl.

Manning was third overall with 854,259 votes while Harrison was seventh with 769,782. Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair topped the list (896,189), followed by Kansas City running back Priest Holmes (894,403).

The Pro Bowl squads will be announced Thursday. The selection combines voting by fans, players and coaches.

In the AFC, Harrison led all receivers and Mike Vanderjagt topped place-kickers.

Dad's back to normal

Dungy said his father, Wilbur, was "doing fine" after a brief visit to St. Vincent's Hospital Sunday evening.

Wilbur Dungy, 77, was taken to the hospital when he felt ill after the Colts' win over Atlanta. After doctors checked him out, they were unable to convince him to stay overnight.

The nature of the elder Dungy's illness wasn't released, but he returned to his home in Jackson, Mich., Monday morning.

Medical update

Dungy was unable to give an update on guard Adam Meadows, who suffered a sprained right knee during Sunday's game. If Meadows is unable to play against Denver, rookie Steve Sciullo will return to the starting lineup.

Starting free safety Idrees Bashir, who has missed six games with a shoulder injury, likely will return. Backup safety Cory Bird, bothered by a shoulder injury, might be available.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/102692-2819-036.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Colts have waited almost two years to see Edgerrin James run like this - with power, elusiveness and speed.

As the regular season winds down, James seems to be warming up.

He's run for 544 yards and seven touchdowns the last five weeks, and, not surprisingly, the Colts' offense has been more productive.

"From our standpoint, when he's running well, that really sets up a lot of other things we can do," coach Tony Dungy said.

While it's not clear if James has completely regained the form that made him the NFL's rushing champ in 1999 and 2000, before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, he certainly is running more like his old self.

In Sunday's 38-7 victory over Atlanta, James broke off a 43-yard run - the longest since his rookie season.

He's caught passes, been productive in short-yardage situations and again is breaking tackles.

The Colts have responded by scoring 31.2 points per game over the last five weeks despite playing two defenses ranked in the league's top six and three in the top 14.

A year ago, James was struggling at this point in part because he was running on two bad ankles and sore ribs.

But the biggest difference aside from health, Dungy believes, is that James is fresh.

"He's got a real, real patient style, and when he gets to the end of the run he really explodes and falls forward," Dungy said. "He's been really good the last five or six weeks."

---_

TWO CHEERS: Dungy made it clear Monday he would be cheering for two teams this weekend - the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings.

The reason seems obvious.

Although the Colts can clinch the AFC South title with a win over Denver, or a Tennessee loss, Dungy's squad still needs help to move past either New England or Kansas City and earn a first-round bye.

On Saturday, the Jets host New England and the Vikings host Kansas City.

But Dungy explained there were other reasons he'd root for the Jets and Vikings.

"We will be cheering for the Vikings on Saturday because of my background with Minnesota and that sort of thing," Dungy said with a sly smile. "And I'll be rooting for the Jets because of Herman Edwards."

Dungy played and coached at the University of Minnesota and served as a defensive coordinator for the Vikings from 1992-95. Edwards is a longtime friend and a former assistant with Dungy at Tampa Bay. He didn't say if he had any allegiance to the Chiefs, for whom he coached the defensive backs from 1989-91.

---

ON THE MOVE, AGAIN?: When the Colts' secondary was depleted with injuries, the coaches moved rookie Donald Strickland from his usual spot at cornerback to safety.

Now that it appears starter Idrees Bashir could return after missing six weeks with a dislocated right shoulder, Strickland could be moving again.

Dungy said Strickland may spend the rest of this season playing both cornerback and safety, a versatility that many teams around the league covet.

"Donald has done well," Dungy said. "It's a learning experience every time he goes out there. Idrees should be ready to go, so he'll probably move back and forth a little more."

---

PEYBACK: Peyton Manning spent Monday night, an off day for the Colts after they beat Atlanta, with his father, Archie, at the third annual Peyback Foundation holiday celebration.

Through the years, the celebration has expanded from 225 children to more than 1,000 who were selected from 32 community agencies this year.

But now Manning's holiday party is expanding beyond Indianapolis.

His foundation is sponsoring similar festivities in New Orleans, Manning's hometown, and Knoxville, Tenn., where he played college football at the University of Tennessee.

"Obviously, it's been a sweet couple of days," Manning said after throwing for five touchdowns Sunday. "But this definitely puts things in perspective at the end of the season. I'm glad to put smiles on kids' faces."

---

PUNTS: Vanderjagt's 144 points leave him one short of his own franchise scoring record, 145, which he set in 1999. ... Manning needs 99 yards to extend his NFL record for consecutive 4,000-yard seasons to five. No other player has had more than three. ... The Colts have forced nine turnovers in the last three games and are now tied for second in the AFC with a plus-10 turnover ratio. ... The Colts defensive ranking has improved to No. 8 overall.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/7505457.htm

 

[TheGeneral+]

Colts Quarterback Wins Honor for Second Time This Season
INDIANAPOLIS – Peyton Manning was nearly perfect Sunday, missing a perfect passer rating by less than 10 points.

Manning didn’t miss much else Sunday.

And for a second time this season, that meant he is the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week.

Manning, the Colts’ three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, completed 25 of 30 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns in the Colts’ 38-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, earning the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for the second time this season.

Manning, in his sixth NFL season, previously won the award for throwing a franchise-record six touchdown passes in the Colts’ 55-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints on September 28.

Through 14 games this season, Manning is the AFC’s second-rated passer, having completed 341 of 505 passes for 3,901 yards and 28 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He did not throw an interception against the Falcons, the fourth time in the last five games he has not thrown an interception.

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=1806

 

[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Colts are getting ready for the postseason. The Denver Broncos hope they are, too.

With the Colts trying to wrap up the AFC South and the Broncos still fighting to get into the playoffs, Sunday night's game in Indianapolis has a playoff feel.

"It's fun to be in that mode," Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer said. "But we have to beat maybe the best team in the NFL, at their place."

The Broncos (9-5) have already spent a month on the brink.

After losing 19-10 at home to Chicago, Denver dropped to 6-5 and the playoffs seemed to be slipping away. Three straight wins have put the Broncos back in contention, and they could clinch a postseason spot by beating Indianapolis (11-3) and having either Cincinnati or Baltimore lose Sunday.

The Colts are taking a different approach after securing their fourth playoff trip in five years.

A win over Denver would give Indianapolis its first division title since 1999 and its second home playoff game since 1984. It would keep open the possibility of a first-round bye and could give them a mental advantage if they meet again two weeks from now in the first round. If the playoffs were held now, that would be the pairing.

"It's going to be played at a high level. It's going to be fun," said Montae Reagor, a former Denver defensive tackle who has been looking forward to this game since signing with the Colts as a free agent in the offseason.

Plummer has survived the pressure before.

In 1998, he led the Arizona Cardinals to wins in their last three games to qualify for the playoffs. That year, the schedule played into Plummer's hands, with the last two games at home.

This year, the schedule-makers weren't as kind.

Denver finishes the season with trips to Indianapolis and Green Bay, teams still fighting for playoff position. With Miami, Cincinnati and Baltimore all 8-6 and just one game behind the Broncos for the final wild-card spot, a loss could change everything.

"You always think they're must wins," Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. "Indianapolis is probably thinking the same way. It's a big game for them and for us."

Indianapolis is playing some of its best football of the season. Peyton Manning leads the NFL in touchdown passes (28) and yards passing (3,901). He needs 99 yards to become the first player in league history with five straight 4,000-yard seasons.

Running back Edgerrin James has averaged 109 yards and scored seven touchdowns in the last five games, and last week Manning threw touchdowns to three different receivers.

The defense also is improving. It has forced nine turnovers the last three games and limited Michael Vick last week to 47 yards passing and 30 rushing.

Then there's Mike Vanderjagt, who beat the Broncos last year with two field goals from beyond 50 yards in the snow. He's made 38 in a row and needs two more field goals to tie Gary Anderson's NFL record.

Dungy couldn't have scripted it any better, but that doesn't mean the Colts are satisfied.

"Any time you have a chance to win your division, it's a special thing," center Jeff Saturday said. "We have as much to play for as anyone in the NFL."

The Broncos, meanwhile, could be without their biggest weapon.

Clinton Portis, the AFC's second-leading rusher with 1,591 yards, left last week's game with right ankle and knee injuries when Cleveland's Tyrone Rogers rolled onto his leg in overtime.

He did not practice early this week and is listed as questionable.

If Portis can't go, the Broncos will likely start Mike Anderson, the offensive rookie of the year in 2000 when he ran for 1,487 yards. This year, he's carried just 51 times for 201 yards and was suspended for four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

"It doesn't really matter who the back is. They have a blocking scheme that's worked for them," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "They try to stay after you, create seams and they'll cut-block you, too."

Still, Denver knows its recent success has only put it in position for the playoffs. On Sunday, the Broncos intend to make their late-season charge pay off.

"We've been playing playoff games," Plummer said. "We've been telling each other that if we lose one, we're out of it."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/7539263.htm

 

[TheGeneral+]

Denver 31-17

Colts 11-4

 

[TheGeneral+]

Of the 40 teams that have played in the Super Bowl over the past 20 years, 34 had first-round playoff byes and home-field advantage in the divisional round.

The Indianapolis Colts squandered an opportunity to put themselves on that merry path Sunday night when they were battered, 31-17, by the Denver Broncos at the RCA Dome in a home-field smackdown that was as embarrassing as it was comprehensive. They also failed to clinch the AFC South title and the first-round home game it would assure on wild-card weekend Jan. 3-4.

The bye is gone, but the latter, at least, is recoverable. A victory next Sunday in the Colts' regular-season finale at Houston (5-10) would secure the South title. It also could well mean a rematch with these same Broncos in a wild-card game.

"It's disappointing that we had so much to play for, so much at stake," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "We were playing at home and had a great crowd going. We just didn't get it done.

"We got outplayed by a team that had a lot to play for also. That's probably the biggest disappointment for our guys right now. We had so much on the table sitting out there."

That's a fact. It was the Broncos (10-5) who did what they wanted and took what they wished, including clinching a wild-card playoff slot.

Denver played without Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis, the NFL's No. 2 rusher with 1,591 yards and 14 touchdowns. Portis suffered right-ankle and knee sprains last week during the Broncos' 23-20 overtime victory over Cleveland. He was inactive Sunday night, but Denver hardly missed him.

The Broncos took the football and did what they wanted with it, which was mostly keep it. They had a preposterous time of possession advantage of 44:58 to 15:02. The Colts ran 37 offensive plays, the fewest in their 51 years of NFL membership. The old record was 38 at Buffalo in 1982.

The Colts couldn't take the football away, and did nothing with it on the rare occasions Denver permitted them the opportunity.

Quentin Griffin, a rookie from Oklahoma who filled in for Portis, rushed 28 times for 136 yards. Griffin had run for 135 yards in Denver's first 14 games.

The Broncos totaled 227 rushing yards, the most the Colts have yielded since the New York Jets punked them for 302 in 1998. Denver's offensive line dominated the Colts defensive front. Its No. 1-ranked running game looked the part.

Denver quarterback Jake Plummer completed 14-of-17 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown. He ran six times for 22 yards and two more touchdowns.

Ashley Lelie abused Colts cornerbacks Walt Harris and David Macklin. Lelie caught five passes for 115 yards.

The Colts defense went into the game ranked eighth in the NFL, but one wonders how. Denver was the third visitor in the Colts' past four home games to score at least 31 points.

While Plummer was doing pretty much as he pleased, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was under assault and played like it. Manning completed 12-of-23 passes for 146 yards, his most meager production since the Colts' 2002 finale against Jacksonville.

Again and again, Manning, under pressure, threw into double- and triple-coverage. Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison caught six passes for 85 yards and broke up several others to prevent interceptions.

"They threw a lot of blitzes at us and different things," said Dungy said. "And we didn't have the ball enough to decipher it."

The Colts rushed for a season-low 47 yards and totaled 183 yards, their leanest output since a 192-yard day against San Diego in 1998.

The Colts started quickly. On third-and-6, nickel linebacker Gary Brackett stepped in front of Griffin on a crossing route, made an interception and returned it 31 yards for a 7-0 lead.

It was the only third down the Colts stopped in the first half. Denver rushed for 113 yards, passed for 186 and took a 28-17 lead to the locker room at halftime.

The visitors averaged 8.3 yards a snap. They converted 4-of-5 third downs. On one 12-play, 81-yard drive, Denver faced no third downs. It converted second-and-6, second-and-5, second-and-15, 7, 4 and 2. At one point, the Broncos had 156 yards, the Colts minus-10.

The Colts never did much to right the preposterous imbalances.

So it's off to Houston, which took Tennessee to the wire Sunday before losing 27-24 on a last-minute touchdown.

"We'll be ready to play, no doubt," Dungy said. "There's so much at stake."

No more than Sunday.

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indianapolis Colts' playoff chase hit a major bump Sunday night in the RCA Dome, one that injected increased significance into their regular-season finale at Houston.

In the aftermath of a 31-17 loss to Denver, any chance of a No. 1 or No. 2 seed and first-round bye in the AFC playoffs was ground into the RCA Dome's artificial turf by the Broncos. Now, the best the Colts can hope for is a No. 3 seed and a home game in the first round, either Jan. 3 or Jan. 4.

The Colts (11-4) will claim their first AFC South title and earn a home playoff game with a victory next Sunday over the Texans (5-10).

"Any time you lose a game that you had a chance to clinch the division and do all those things, it's very disappointing," said running back Edgerrin James, who rushed 10 times for 42 yards and one touchdown. "But the thing we do have on our side is we have another opportunity.

"We got a wake-up call going into the postseason. We've got to go down to Houston and take care of our business next week."

If the Colts regroup, handle Houston and take and No. 3 seed, their likely first-round opponent: Denver.

The Colts already have clinched their fourth playoff berth in the past five seasons and seventh since their move to Indianapolis in 1984.

However, should they follow their stumble at home against the Broncos with another at Houston, their playoff fate could fluctuate between the No. 3 seed as the division champ and the No. 6 seed as the AFC's second wild-card entry.

Even with a second consecutive loss, the Colts could back into the AFC South title if Tennessee (11-4) drops its regular-season finale at home against Tampa Bay (7-8).

The Titans, though, have won two in a row, including a 27-24 decision at Houston on Sunday, since the Colts took control of the division with a 29-27 victory in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 7. The defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, meanwhile, already have been eliminated for the playoffs.

If Tennessee repeats as AFC South champion and the Colts are relegated to wild-card participants, they might do so as the No. 6 seed. Denver would earn the No. 5 seed with a closing win at Green Bay. Under that scenario, the Colts and Broncos finish with 11-5 records, giving Denver the No. 5 seed based on its win over the Colts.

The seeding difference between No. 3 and No. 6 isn't so much night and day as it is indoors and outdoors.

As the No. 3 seed, the Colts would be home in the first round of the playoffs.

As No. 6, they hit the road for a first-round matchup against the No. 4-seeded AFC North champion, either Baltimore (9-6) or Cincinnati (8-7).

The enormity of the regular-season finale at Houston wasn't lost on coach Tony Dungy.

"Houston is a big game for us," he said. "They played very well (Sunday) against Tennessee. They could have won the ballgame.

"We're going to have our hands full going down there. It's a must-win game for us now. We need to turn around and regroup pretty quick."

The Colts will go to Houston as solid favorites and with a three-game winning streak against the Texans. But nothing has come easy against Houston, which has made great strides in its two years in the NFL.

The Colts handled Houston 30-21 in the RCA Dome on Oct. 26, but trailed 14-3 in the second quarter. Quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 269 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Edgerrin James rushed for 104 yards.

In 2002, the Colts swept the Texans. Again, neither approached a blowout: a 23-3 win in Indy and a 19-3 win in Houston.

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

NFL Insider
Dec. 23, 2003 12:00 AM


The Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts are two of the NFL's more exciting teams.

At a time when many teams prefer to play for field goals, the Chiefs and Colts go for the end zone. Kansas City running back Priest Holmes has tied Emmitt Smith's record of 25 rushing touchdowns. And few quarterbacks have ever had a better season than the Colts' Peyton Manning, who has become the first quarterback in league history to throw for 4,000 yards in five straight seasons.

The Chiefs and the Colts are a combined 23-7 and in first place in their respective divisions. The prospect of a Kansas City-Indianapolis shootout in the AFC title game has CBS executives drooling.

But with the playoffs about ready to start, both teams appear to be in trouble. Big trouble.

The reason? Defense.

Defense is why the Chiefs and Colts are looking like candidates for early playoff flameouts.

The red-helmeted Chiefs defenders looked like so many traffic cones in Saturday's 45-20 loss at Minnesota. The Vikings led 31-0 in the third quarter before the Chiefs made it respectable. One week after managing 10 points against the middling Chicago Bears, Minnesota gained 469 yards and controlled the ball for 36 minutes and one second.

Afterward, a loud argument erupted in Kansas City's dressing room in the Metrodome. Reporters were ushered out of the room.

"Everybody's frustrated," quarterback Trent Green told reporters later.

The Colts looked no less vulnerable in a 31-17 home loss to Denver on Sunday night. Led by quarterback Jake Plummer, the Broncos moved the ball seemingly at will. Denver controlled the ball for 44 minutes, 58 seconds. And the Broncos did it with star running back Clinton Portis watching in sweats on the sideline.

The Colts defense went into the game ranked eighth in the NFL. But Denver became the third visiting team in the Colts' past four home games to put up at least 31 points.

That's a trend the Colts have to change if they want to go to the Super Bowl.

"We're better than that," defensive tackle Montae Reagor told the Indianapolis Star. "No excuses. No explanations. We just didn't play well. Every guy. Every single guy."

The scariest part for the Colts is that they may face the Broncos - with Portis - in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks.

It's possible that the Chiefs and Colts, having already qualified for the playoffs, simply weren't as desperate as the Vikings and the Broncos, who faced must-win scenarios. But both Kansas City and Indianapolis need to adjust quickly.

Offense is fun to watch. It gives Chris Berman something to scream about on ESPN's highlight show.

But defense wins championships. It's a cliche, but it's true. Just look at Tampa Bay last year. Even the high-scoring, 1999 St. Louis Rams had to survive an 11-6 NFC title game on their way to a Super Bowl victory.

Unless the Chiefs and Colts figure out a way to tackle someone, they're going to be watching the Super Bowl on television.

www.azcentral.com

 

[RobFunk]

 

[TheGeneral+]

Win would clinch home playoff game, giving Indy up to a $13 million lift from TV exposure to concessions.


If the Indianapolis Colts win Sunday at Houston to secure a home playoff game for just the second time, it would mean millions.

That is, dollars for the city, not necessarily the Colts.

NFL teams appearing in the opening round receive $500,000 from the league for postseason expenses. The checks increase as teams advance in the playoffs, but Colts senior executive vice president Pete Ward said playoff operating costs exhaust most, if not all, of the bonus money.

"It's not uncommon for a team that goes to the Super Bowl to lose money," Ward said.

Playoff gate receipts go to the league, and they're shared among all of the league's teams. Concessions and parking revenue go to the city.

The real winner is the city, specifically Downtown, which by modest estimates could generate as much as $13 million from a combination of media exposure, consumer spending, hotel costs and parking and concessions.

The $13 million breaks down into $6 million to $8 million for media exposure, $3.5 million in Downtown consumer spending, $1 million from hotels and $650,000 in concessions and parking.

The largest chunk would come from media exposure, be it television and radio, "free" advertising from those 30-second TV snapshots of Monument Circle and other attractions, the Internet and national media reporting on the game.

Based on past first-round NFL playoff games in other markets, media exposure could be as much as $8 million, according to Eric Wright, vice president of research and development for Joyce Julius and Associates, a national sports marketing evaluation firm in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"That's quite a step up from a normal regular-season game," Wright said. "It sort of takes the spotlight for three hours."

A regular-season game probably generates between $1 million and $2 million in media exposure, Wright said, because 15 other cities are hosting games in an NFL week.

By comparison, last May's Indianapolis 500 had an estimated media exposure value of $13.5 million, Wright said. A Joyce Julius study on the Super Bowl in New Orleans two years ago estimated a media exposure value of $22.7 million.

The $3.5 million in potential consumer revenue is based on a 2002 Indianapolis Downtown Inc. perception survey that estimated the average amount spent by a Downtown visitor at $62. Take that $62 times a dome sellout crowd of 57,000 and it totals $3.5 million.

"We would definitely be hoping the economic impact would be in the millions," said Jennifer Hanson, IDI communications manager.

That doesn't include hotel and lodging revenue. According to IDI, there are 5,388 hotel rooms Downtown, with the 2002 average room rate at $100.02 per night. If 10,000 fans from that sellout crowd stay in a Downtown hotel for at least one night, that's $1 million.

"There's no doubt that playoff games are wonderful for Downtown," said Jesse Ghumm, general manager of the Downtown Hampton Inn and vice president of the 83-member Greater Indianapolis Hotel and Lodging Association. "A home playoff game counts twice as much."

Ghumm said about half his hotel, or 30 rooms, was used by fans attending Sunday night's Denver Broncos-Colts game.

"People going to the Colts games get a fever," he said. "They say that next time, they'll stay two days. They're amazed at everything we have Downtown. There's an underlying message that the city is a great place to come."

The other piece in the city's playoff pie, stadium concessions and parking, is based on the most recent numbers available. The Denver game generated $640,000 in food sales and $10,740 in parking, according to Barney Levengood, executive director of the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome.

Put it all together and the Colts appear to be on the short end of profiting from a playoff run. But the Colts won't walk away empty-handed.

They could make a modest profit from those league expense checks, which increase to $580,000 for advancing to the second round and $900,000 for the conference title game. A Super Bowl berth provides a winner's bonus of $3.5 million and a loser's share of $2.6 million. The difference is, winning teams stay in town longer and have a parade, Ward said.

"You might make a little money," he said. "But you definitely hope to break even. You hope it pays off down the road."

The only other time Indianapolis had a home playoff game, in 2000, the Colts enjoyed boosts in sponsorship sales and season tickets for the next season.

"It helped substantially in terms of sponsorship sales," Ward said. "And I believe it's the last time we were over 40,000 season tickets."

The Colts' season ticket base has fluctuated between 36,000 and 38,000 the past three seasons.

"The primary benefit of being in the playoffs is succeeding in a league that's just incredibly competitive," Ward said. "You can't put a dollar sign on that."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/105195-7989-036.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS - It's no secret that Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy hasn't been totally satisfied with his defense's play this season.

Although the Colts defense has improved from last year, game-to-game consistency has eluded them in 2003. Indianapolis can clinch the AFC South division with a win at Houston on Sunday, but how the team does defensively over the next four weeks will be key in determining just how far the Colts can go in the postseason.

"We're not as consistent as I would like to see us be," Dungy said after Thursday's practice. "I thought that we wouldn't be so up and down. We've had good quarters. We've had a game with 25 running plays where we've had 20 played pretty well and five that have not been played well.

"I kind of thought that ratio might be a little bit better for us. We're making progress, but we've just got to string together four good games in a row now."

Dungy isn't blaming his personnel - just their ability to adjust.

"We've played pretty well when we've known exactly what's going on, here's how they're going to block us or here are the plays," he said. "New things, though, we haven't been confident enough to just rely on our (defensive) rules and play. There's been good and bad."

The good, according to Dungy, has been the tempo of the Colts' play for most of the season.

"I think we're playing with high energy week in and week out," he said. "And we've hung in there consistently, we've made plays in the fourth quarter when we've had to. We've been resilient."

---

MORRIS SITS OUT AGAIN Veteran middle linebacker Rob Morris sat out his second straight day of practice Thursday and remains questionable for this week's game at Houston.

Morris suffered a concussion in last week's 31-17 loss to Denver and is scheduled to undergo a neuro-psychological test Friday.

If he passes the test and is cleared by team doctors, he could start at Houston. If Morris is unable to play this week, rookie Gary Brackett - who had a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Broncos - would make his first career start.

In addition to having a concussion, Morris woke up Thursday with a sore back. Dungy said the two injuries are unrelated.

---

HARRIS, HARPER, BASHIR EXPECTED TO GO Defensive backs Nick Harper, Walt Harris and Idrees Bashir practiced Thursday and are expected to be ready for the Texans game.

Harper has seen limited playing time in recent weeks with a bruised lower back, but might start Sunday. Harris has been bothered with tendinitis in his knee since training camp.

Bashir suffered a dislocated right shoulder at Miami on Nov. 2 and has been unable to play for the last seven weeks. He could return to the starting lineup.

---

DOSS TO BE GAME-TIME DECISION Rookie strong safety Mike Doss will be a game-time decision Sunday. Doss hasn't practiced since suffering a sprained left ankle in the first half of last week's game against Denver.

Doss returned in the third quarter and finished the game, but his ankle remains sore and could keep him out of the lineup Sunday.

Another rookie, undrafted free agent Anthony Floyd, could see increased playing time against the Texans if Doss is unavailable.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/7571055.htm

 

[TheGeneral+]

HOUSTON - The Colts' trip to Houston on Sunday is a mere formality en route to the AFC South title, as far as two Indianapolis defenders are concerned.

Not so fast, says Texans guard Todd Washington.

"You've got guys over there already talking trash about celebrating on our field to clinch a division title," Washington said. "We're not going to lay down on our backs like dead cockroaches and say, `Here you go.' We're looking to punch somebody in the mouth."

Washington and the other Texans (5-10) are fully aware of comments by defensive tackle Montae Reagor and linebacker David Thornton as the Colts (11-4) tried to forget about blowing a chance to claim the division last week in a 31-17 home loss to Denver.

Reagor matter-of-factly said the Colts will "have to take it out on" the Texans. Thornton added, "We'll just have to hold the celebration next week in Houston."

The Colts have reasons to be confident. They've beaten Houston in all three meetings over the last two years, although the rivalry showed signs of life earlier this season. The Colts won just 30-21 despite knocking out Texans quarterback David Carr in the first half with a sprained right ankle.

Perhaps the Colts are miffed their poor performance against the Broncos wouldn't have mattered if the Texans hadn't let an upset of the Titans get away in the final seconds earlier last Sunday. Drew Bennett beat cornerback Marcus Coleman for a 23-yard TD pass from Steve McNair on fourth-and-10 in a 27-24 victory in Houston, the sixth straight Texans home game decided by less than a touchdown.

"They're a different team at home," Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said. "It's the last game of the year and I'm sure these guys want to leave the year making a good impression."

The Colts can clinch the division even if the Titans lose to Tampa Bay, but they can't count on that because both games kick off at the same time. The best they can do is ensure a home game against either the Broncos or Titans next week, while the worst-case scenario gives them the final seed and ensures their road back to Houston for the Super Bowl truly would be on the road.

Then again, maybe that wouldn't be so bad. The Colts are 6-1 away from Indianapolis, an oddity coach Tony Dungy struggles to explain.

"We've seemed to accept the challenge on the road. Our offense has done a great job of functioning and moving the ball when we've been on the road. That has probably been the biggest thing," Dungy said. "If you can handle the elements and the noise - that slows most teams down when they go on the road. We seem to do a pretty good job at that."

Another thing the Colts are good at is rebounding from a loss: Their streak of 24 straight regular-season games without back-to-back losses is the longest in the NFL.

The counterbalance is the Texans, unlike some other also-rans around the league, haven't shown any signs of quitting despite no hope for the postseason and a league-high 16 players on injured reserve. That includes 2002 Pro Bowlers cornerback Aaron Glenn and defensive end Gary Walker.

"We're going to try to do the same thing against the Colts that we did against the Titans," rookie running back Domanick Davis said. "We want to let them know we won't be an easy team they can come in and beat."

The Texans' offense seems genuinely motivated to get Davis and rookie receiver Andre Johnson into the record books.

No rookie teammates have put together 1,000-yard rushing and receiving seasons. Davis has 932 yards rushing and Johnson, the No. 3 overall draft choice, has 925 yards receiving.

Texans center Steve McKinney, a former Colt, guaranteed he and his mates on the offensive line will ensure Davis fulfills his half of the bargain.

"We're definitely going to get that," McKinney said. "For sure. We've had plenty of games where he went over 100. It's not like I'm guaranteeing anything outrageous."

The Colts know about Davis firsthand. He ran for 109 yards against them Oct. 26 in his second career start. So if Indianapolis hadn't game-planned for him back then when he still was a relatively unknown fourth-round draft pick, the Colts did this time.

"He's one of the better backs out there," Freeney said. "He's running the ball really hard and he likes to get a lot of yards after somebody hits him."

As for Washington, he's looking forward to get in a little hitting himself Sunday after Texans coaches made sure Reagor's and Thornton's positions were clear.

"I guess they forgot it's very hard to play here," Washington said. "Hopefully we can remind them early and often."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/7580883.htm

 

[TheGeneral+]

Vanderjagt ties FG record @ 40 straight in Houston.

 

[TheGeneral+]

With Vanderjagts record FG (41 straight) Colts beat Houston and win the South Division.

Colts 20 Houston 17

Colts 12-4

 

[TheGeneral+]

Denver to visit Indy in 1st round of playoffs.