Could the Colts Seize the South?

NBC 2 videographer A.J. Schub looks at the Colts chances of a division title.

Courtsey si.com

A three game lead with five games to play.  In the NFL that sort of a cushion is exactly what a division leading team should hope for with a little more than a month remaining in the regular season. That kind of a lead is as hard to give away as it would be to hand out a pair of tickets to see the Kansas City Chiefs play at the Cleveland Browns during Week 14.  That collapse would be of epic proportions, but not unheard of.

Let us take a trip in our DeLorean back to the year 1993, and to the city of Miami. The 'Phins were leading the AFC East by one game over the Buffalo Bills (not exactly the same scenario as the Texans/Colts in 2012, but hear me out).  Miami had just cruised through its ninth win of the season defeating the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving (the Texans just beat the Lions on Thanksgiving for their 10th win, the irony!) and the Bills were coming off of a loss to playoff bound Kansas City. Five games to play in the season, the Dolphins had a one game lead with their next three at home, including one contest against the Bills.  Then Miami collapsed.

The Dolphins would go 0-5 down the stretch and were outscored 165-115, including a 47-34 loss to the aforementioned Buffalo Bills.  That is just one case in the last 20 years where a stellar team has collapsed and found themselves out of the playoff race, but it is not the only one. 

The Houston Texans could be the next team to inexplicably falter and cave into the pressure. They may finish the year 5-0.  They also could easily drop three of their last five, lose the division and still make the playoffs.  If you're a Colts fan, that is what you hope for.  You hope for the Colts to beat the Texans both times they play in the next five weeks and for Houston to drop at least one of the games they play against the Titans, Vikings, and Patriots. That, however, wouldn't secure anything for the Colts.

hark.com

Indy would need to end their year rolling off five consecutive victories (six if you start by counting last week's win versus Buffalo, the same team to surpass Miami all those years ago....) against three teams that combine for a current record of 9-24, and then two games against Houston. If the blue and white tame the three bottom feeding teams and knock off Houston once, the Week 17 match-up between the top two teams in the South could very well have division championship implications.

The scenario involving the Colts and Texans is very similar to that of the Bills and Dolphins two decades ago. Miami, like Houston, controlled their own destiny but lost to the team behind them in the standings.  Indianapolis hopes to pull off a miracle of their own by beating the division leading Texans two times in the final three weeks of the season to get a chance at the division crown. I would tell Colts fans to believe in miracles, but the funny thing is that they already do. It's a miracle that the worst team from the 2011 season is in the hunt for a division title. It's a miracle the team has held it together for their coach as he battles cancer. It's a miracle that the loss of one of the greatest quarterbacks of this generation did not cause the franchise to wallow in the NFL's cellar for half a decade. This Colts team thrives on beating the odds. Yes, they need a bit of help, but it's not impossible.

Mayer: Colts vs. Packers, A Game to Remember

I had the chance to cover the Colts vs Packers game on Sunday in Indianapolis. It was a truly special experience for me. As I've mentioned before, I'm a pretty die hard Packers fan. I've seen Green Bay play twice before: Once during the Favre era in San Diego (a blowout of the lowly Chargers) and a couple years back in Green Bay (a bad loss to the Texans on a last second field goal). So, this was only the third time seeing my favorite team and this time I was covering them professionally. Talk about a dream come true.

Indianapolis was playing for more then a win. Earlier in the week it was learned coach Chuck Pagano had been diagnosed with a treatable form of  leukemia. The first year head coach had already created a strong bond with the team. He sent players an e-mail urging them to play on and focus on the football field. That is always easier said then done. There were players on both teams wearing shirts supporting the coach as well as signs in each endzone.

 
 The Colts came into the game big underdogs. Although Indianapolis was by no means playing like a bad team, they were still playing with a rookie quarterback and facing the Packers who were needing a win and considered one of the better teams in the league. Andrew Luck has impressed everyone so far this season with his poise and decision making. He may still have a ways to go, but after leading a brilliant comeback, this was undoubtedly a monumental game in his career.

The Colts were excited to get one of the greatest defenders in their history back. Dwight Freeney had yet to take the field in the regular season due to a nagging ankle injury. Fans were excited to see a familiar number on defense and hoped he would wreak havoc for Aaron Rodgers.

I won't go into a long recap because I have to think everyone either watched this game, saw highlights, or heard about what happened. The Packers played with ease in the first half behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers on offense leading to 21 points and on defense the pressure was put on by Clay Matthews and company. Charles Woodson had the tough task of covering Reggie Wayne, who would put on an other worldly performance accumulating over 200 yards and wearing orange gloves in support of his coach. Despite their effort, Indianapolis found themselves with a 18 point deficit going into the third quarter.

Indianapolis absolutely dominated the second half. There are times in sports that emotion makes the difference. While Indianapolis made great adjustments and out played the Packers physically and mentally, the emotion was special to see. Call it cliche, but the Colts pushed it to the next level playing for their coach.

The Colts fought back, not allowing a point while continually putting drives together and converting key third downs. Reggie Wayne played like a man possessed, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. The Packers doubled, bumped at the line, played man, played zone; it didn't matter. Andrew Luck showed incredible poise and some serious guts. Specifically, on one play when he was being tackled for a sack by Matthews, who grabbed his arm, and shook off the defender eventually completing a HUGE third down (to Wayne of course). The other play was his run near the goal line after the play broke down, diving forward to get the first. The Packers missed a 50 yard tying attempt to tie the game and Indianapolis stormed onto the field in one of the most inspirational and emotional victories you'll ever see.

As a Packer fan I was disappointed for two reasons. First, this game put Green Bay under .500 and in official Worry-Mode for a season that had sky high expectations. Secondly, it's never fun to see your team lose in person. However, talking to the Colts in the locker room after the game, feeling the joy and sense of accomplishment was special. These men came together for their coach. They were not afraid to make it known how much he meant to them and how they were able to take those feelings and channel them into positive energy during the second half. I feel lucky to have been at a game that went way beyond a W. This is a victory that everyone who was there and watched will remember.
 

Pensky: Honoring the Edge, My Favorite Colt

  Peyton Manning gets most of the credit for the Colts decade-plus run of excellence, but don't kid yourself, Edgerrin James was perhaps the second most important piece to the franchise turning the corner. In fact, I believe, if the Colts had a better defense when James was healthy, the franchise would have more than one Super Bowl victory.

   As the Colts prepare to induct James into their prestigious Ring of Honor this Sunday during their game against Jacksonville, I find myself reflecting on both what James did statistically, and what he brought to the Colts from a personality standpoint.

   Let's make no mistake about it, the numbers James put up in an injury shortened career were pretty staggering:

--Franchise best 9, 286 yards rushing

--Franchise best 2, 188 rushing attempts

--Franchise best 49 100-yard rushing games

--Franchise best 5 1,000-yard rushing seasons

--Ranks 11th All-Time in the NFL with 12, 246 yards rushing

--Only player to lead the NFL in rushing his first 2 years in the NFL

   He was so important to the Colts that the year he first suffered a season-ending knee injury (2001), turned out to be the only year the Colts missed the playoffs from 1999 to 2010. He was so important to the Colts that even while he was finishing his career with the Arizona Cardinals, Colts owner Jim Irsay sent James a Super Bowl ring, after the Colts beat the Bears in 2007. 

   And yet even with all of these numbers, and with his humongous role on the field, it was his personality that I have missed the most. James seemed flamboyant with the famous dreadlocks. But the truth is, he was one of the most honest athletes I have ever been around. He showed up to training camp in Terre Haute one summer in a taxi cab, and with camera's rolling, got out of the cab, giggled and said, "this is what happens when you lose your license." 

   The very next summer, he showed up in a yellow school bus, with a hoard of underprivileged children who were his special guests.

   During one interview session in Terre Haute, a nervous reporter asked James how he would "prefare" (instead of prepare) for the coming game, and James smiled and said "Man you gotta get it right!" He then proceeded to give the reporter an incredibly well thought out response. He liked to have a laugh, but it was all in good fun.

   Another summer as the team prepared to play a pre-season game in Japan, James admitted that a friend of his had told him to get a message, and ask for a happy ending. He smirked when he said that, like a 10 year old child would who had just said something he probably shouldn't have. 

   James loved a challenge off the field as much as on it. He would welcome strangers to his dorm room at Rose-Hulman during training camp if they were competitive Madden video game players (James played Madden as the Jets, never as the Colts). And he was routinely spotted playing pool at BW3's throughout camp in Terre Haute, never one to stay in his room for fear of being recognized. 

   There was an true innocence to his personality that led to honesty, and likability. He said what he thought, he was always true to himself, and true to who he was as a person and athlete. I have missed that ever since he left.

   Congrats to James, truly my favorite Indianapolis Colt of all-time!

A Colts fan at Soldier Field

We had the best seat in the house for arial shots... The very top row of the stadium.

WTWO's own morning producer, Ashley Curtis, headed up to Chicago for the opening week game between the Colts and Bears. Here are a couple of photos and thoughts. 

Being a Colts fan in a Bears world Sunday, I was actually worried about all the harassment I'd endure. Sure enough I met some really nice Bears fans who just enjoyed a nice round of friendly 'smack talk.' 

My all-Bears group and I pulled into the tailgating lot and it wasn't until the place started to get crowded that anyone actually parked next to us. Of course everyone joked it was because no one wanted to park next to that ONE Colts fan in the area. 

The tailgating lot was such a great atmosphere. People are serious about their pre-game festivities. The air was filled with waving Bears flags, the smell of early morning grilling and the sounds of fans singing "Bear Down Chicago Bears," but not actually knowing any of the rest of the lyrics. 

Walking to the stadium is when I heard most of the heckling. I appeared to be the only fan of my Reggie Wayne jersey along the way. It was fun to run into the occasional Colts fan though. We'd high five and everyone would boo.

Of course the booing didn't last long once Jay Cutler was sacked and the Colts got a pick six, but as the game went on, it was clearly in the Bears' favor. I was hoping it would be a closer game, but I'm not bitter about the loss. 

I wish Andrew Luck could have gone out and shined over the Bears defense, but it was only his first game. Once he gets into a routine with the team, he will dominate and we won't see as many overthrows and interceptions (hopefully).
Indianapolis has a pretty new team that just needs to settle down and play like they all know how.

I did however cheer for Matt Forte. His 80 yards and touchdown efforts gave me 19.1 points for my Fantasy team. (Helping me to a week one victory might I add.)

Overall it was a good experience. No matter what team you're a fan of, being a football fan is always an exciting time. I can't wait to see what both teams accomplish this season.

They had the Marching Illini perform. I'm always impressed by marching bands.

My attempt to get a picture of the Colts, but with minimal zoom I opted for a both team jumble picture

The play after Forte almost ran in a touchdown (and got me six points) but was pushed out at the one yard line