NFL FanHouse

Bob Sanders Reportedly Out for Season

Matt Snyder — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, AFC South, NFL Injuries

There's never a good time to have half of your defensive backfield hurt, but having it happen immediately before facing the Houston Texans' powerful passing attack is close to the worst possible situation during the regular season. But that is exactly what's happening in Indianapolis.

News broke Thursday that Marlin Jackson would be out for the season with a torn ACL -- for the second consecutive year. Friday, the Colts learned that Bob Sanders needs surgery to repair his injured elbow -- which will end his season, according to Adam Shefter of ESPN -- and that starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden has been definitively ruled out for Sunday's game as well.

This means that the Colts are left with Antoine Bethea, Melvin Bullitt, Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers to deal with the mighty Texans pass offense this Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium. Though the Texans will be without star tight end Owen Daniels, they have plenty of weapons in Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones, Steve Slaton and Ryan Moats.

Hayden will reportedly miss up to four weeks with a knee injury.

Sanders, the oft-injured former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is apparently having surgery to clean up some lingering issues in his elbow. For now, the Colts are saying he's out for an undetermined amount of time. Some reports say he'll miss at least a month while Shefter broke the news that he'll miss the rest of 2009. The Colts are certainly used to playing without him, as he's only suited up twice this year after missing 10 games last year. It's a real shame Sanders can't keep himself healthy, because he is a punishing player. Apparently he punishes his own body more than opponents.

Bob Sanders Reportedly Out for Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colts' Marlin Jackson Out for Season

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, AFC South, NFL Injuries

In what will surely be a big blow to the Colts' very solid pass defense, Indianapolis starting cornerback Marlin Jackson confirmed Thursday that he has torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. The unfortunate injury reportedly occurred on the last play of Wednesday's practice -- it's the second straight year that Jackson's suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

The timing is especially bad for the Colts, as they gear up to face the league's third-ranked passing attack this weekend, in the Houston Texans. This also further jumbles the situation as to who will guard superstar wideout Andre Johnson, considering Kelvin Hayden is also banged up for the Colts.

The timing for Jackson is actually worse than it is for his team. He's scheduled to be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 season and he likely won't be healthy enough to prove himself until most teams will have filled their most pressing depth chart needs.

The Colts (7-0) face a big test this weekend against the upstart Texans (5-3). Johnson leads the NFL with 697 receiving yards. He also led the NFL with 1,575 receiving yards last season. The Texans average 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air per game.

The Colts do have a solid pass defense, ranking seventh in the NFL, but they haven't faced a high-powered attack like Houston provides and this injury further presents a challenge.

Jackson was a first round draft pick out of Michigan for the Colts back in 2005. He has been a starter, when healthy, for the past three seasons. One notable play for Jackson was he made the interception which iced the game in the Colts victory over New England for the 2006 AFC Championship. He has battled injuries the past two seasons, but the Colts are better with him on the field.

Colts' Marlin Jackson Out for Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colts Face Big Test ... Against Houston?

Matt Snyder — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, AFC South

Much has been made about the Indianapolis Colts and their 7-0 start. As I pointed out in the power rankings, they are actually 82-21 in the regular season since the beginning of 2003. They are an absolute juggernaut. Thus far this season, we've heard lots of talk about how Peyton Manning looks better than ever and the Colts are firing on all cylinders. This week, we're bound to hear a lot about how the Colts are the biggest test yet for a Houston Texans team looking to visit the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

The funny thing is, in a movement worthy of Bizarro-World status, the Texans are actually the first big test for the Colts.

Say what?

The Texans have only beaten the Colts one time in franchise history, and that was in Houston.

It's true that this game is a much bigger test for the fledgling Texans, who appear ready to make the playoffs for the first time ever. But let's not act like the Texans are the only team being tested here. The San Francisco 49ers recently gave each respective team here quite the scare at home. The Texans escaped by three; the Colts by four.

The Texans have also won four of their last five games and are presently a better football team than anyone the Colts have dealt with thus far in the 2009 regular season. The only team the Colts have defeated who currently sports a winning record is the Arizona Cardinals. The Texans did lose to that same Arizona team, but the Texans have steadily improved since that game and the Cardinals have been so inconsistent it's hard to figure which Cardinals team will show up on any given Sunday. It would be hard to find a legitimate argument that the Week 9 Houston Texans are a worse team than the Week 3 Cardinals' squad the Colts manhandled.

Houston also sports the type of high-powered offense the Colts haven't had to defend yet. The Cards are the highest-ranked passing offense the Colts have faced, and they check in at eighth, while the Texans are third. Houston Quarterback Matt Schaub is having a stellar season. He's completing 2/3 of his passes while leading the NFL with 2,342 passing yards and is tied for the lead with 16 touchdown passes. Yes, his stats are a bit padded by not having had a bye yet, but he's playing well enough for a 100.5 passer rating.

The biggest plus for Schaub this week is the Colts haven't seen him since September 23, 2007 -- just his third start as a Texan. He's a bit more comfortable at the helm now and has developed a rapport with Andre Johnson rivaled by few QB-WR combos in the NFL (and, yes, including Manning and Reggie Wayne).

The offense is finally getting some complementary defensive play, though. The defense for Houston has long been the source of embarrassment for the Lone Star State, but this season they are actually in the top half in total defense (barely, checking in at 16th). They have especially improved against the run since Week 3, no longer being manhandled at the line of scrimmage. The growth of rookie Brian Cushing has especially lent a hand in this marked improvement.

Of course, the Colts have improved drastically against the run since being shred by the Dolphins and Bob Sanders is now back in the fray. They would probably also like to point out the Texans have only defeated one team with a winning record (the Bengals). Oh, and did we mention Schaub?

The Colts have Manning. And Manning owns the Texans. He is 13-1 in his career against them with 33 touchdowns and just five interceptions -- good for a 116.5 rating. There is no team in the NFL Manning has defeated more times, and he's won 124 games.

So, obviously the test for the Texans is a big one. Probably a much bigger test than the one the Colts are being provided.

Just don't trick yourself into thinking only one team is being tested in Indy this coming Sunday, because it's a two-way test.

When you are talking Texans-Colts, that's certainly something new -- and quite refreshing. A little competition never hurt anyone.

Colts Face Big Test ... Against Houston? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's the Story on Steve Slaton?

Stephanie Stradley — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, AFC South, Fantasy Football

If you write about the Houston Texans, the No. 1 question you get from fans and fantasy football types is what's up with Steve Slaton? In the last game against the atrocious run defense of the Buffalo Bills, Slaton was benched after only one catch and carry because he fumbled the ball. Yet again. Slaton has a league-high seven fumbles for the year.

Coach Gary Kubiak was up front about the benching, talking about it to Slaton and the team: "I told Steve in the locker room to get his chin up. This team needs him playing well and making plays and I'm expecting him to come right back next week and help us."

I don't know if anyone knows whether Slaton can get on track. Kubiak wants two things of his runners: one, no negative yards, no dancing in the backfield, just pick a hole and go; and two, no balls on the ground. Slaton has struggled with both of these things this year. Given that the best way to beat the Colts is to keep quarterback Peyton Manning off the field, the Texans are going to want to be able to run the ball this Sunday, and Kubiak says he wants Slaton to be a part of that.

Kubiak certainly needs Slaton's help facing the Colts on the road, a place where the Texans have never won. Last year in Indy, Slaton had his best rushing day in the NFL with 156 yards on the ground and no receiving yards. With tight end Owen Daniels done for the year with an ACL tear after leading all league TE's in yards, the Texans are going to need the rest of their playmakers to make plays. Though Slaton has very much struggled this year in his rushing yards, he has 314 receiving yards despite being pulled so early in the Bills game. The top three receivers for the Texans have been Andre Johnson, Daniels and Slaton, so they certainly want him to be on track.

Last year, Slaton got carries because the Texans had few choices. Running backs Ahman Green and Chris Brown were out due to injuries, and Ryan Moats was a guy who was added to the roster after camp. Though Moats and Brown are both healthy, the Texans are going to want Slaton's big play ability. Even so, Kubiak is going to want to reward Moats' three-touchdown performance against the Bills because he tends to want to reward great play on the field whether it comes from named stars or not. Moats had a good performance earlier in the season in limited minutes, but didn't play the next week due to a turf toe injury.

Kubiak in talking about the running back situation in his Monday press conference said he wanted to "play them all," and that he may look to working in Slaton at different downs.

The running game in general has struggled for the Texans partially due to both starting guard positions being replaced for injuries. In addition, last year, the running game started off slow and improved as the year progressed, mirroring Slaton's season. Now that teams see that he fumbles the ball, they are holding him up and trying to strip it as he tries to gain extra yardage in traffic.

What's the Story on Steve Slaton? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vince Young Takes a Step Forward, but Has a Long Way to Go

JJ Cooper — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:48:00 EST

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

Vince Young did everything he needed to do on Sunday to stake a claim to the Titans' starting job for the rest of the season, but did he really do anything to show he should be around in 2010 and beyond?

Young clearly gave the Titans a spark. In the most important stat of all, Young is 1-0 this season as a starter while Kerry Collins is 0-6. The inaccuracy that has plagued Young in the past wasn't visible. Young arguably had two bad passes all game, and only one of those -- a near interception on a deep ball to Justin Gage -- was a true mistake.

But before people start annointing Young as the Titans quarterback of the future again, it's worth noting that Young was 15-of-18 for only 125 yards, and almost all of his passes were of the dump-off variety.

He did show his arm strength with a back-foot pass on a sideline route to Kenny Britt, but he was more often checking down to tight end Bo Scaife. He also showed that he was just as comfortable taking off and running if no one was open downfield.

All of that was good, but Young playing like he did on Sunday wins games when Chris Johnson breaks long runs and the defense plays well. It's the kind of approach that can win a lot of games, but you do have to wonder if it's enough to get the Titans to the Super Bowl.

If this is just the start for Young, he could somehow resurrect his career in Tennessee. But if that was VY at his best, than his best just isn't good enough.

Vince Young Takes a Step Forward, but Has a Long Way to Go originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Slaton Pulled in Houston Win

Matt Snyder — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Texans, AFC South

My high school coach used to say, "no back is worth two fumbles," meaning if a running back lost two fumbles in one game, he should be immediately removed. Sunday in Buffalo, Houston's Steve Slaton didn't even get that chance. After just one carry and one catch, Slaton lost a fumble and was benched for the rest of the game. It was the seventh fumble -- losing five of them -- on the season for the diminutive back from West Virginia.

Even worse news for Slaton, and his fantasy football owners, was what Ryan Moats did in his stead. Moats racked up 126 yards on 23 carries and scored three touchdowns in the Texans' 31-10 victory over the Bills.

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Chris Brown also saw action out of the backfield, garnering 22 yards on seven carries, giving the Texans 186 yards rushing and 4.7 yards per carry. They entered the game averaging just 79 yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry on the ground. With all this in mind, it's definitely plausible that there might be some sort of shakeup in the Texans' backfield.

With the win, the Texans are now 5-3 and a legitimate threat in the AFC for the first time in franchise history. They will test their mettle next week when they visit the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

Steve Slaton Pulled in Houston Win originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Titans Make Another Change

JJ Cooper — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:34:00 EST

Filed under: Titans, AFC South, NFL Injuries

Mark Jones lost the Titans' return job during the preseason because he couldn't stay healthy. Now he's lost it again because of yet another hamstring injury.

Tennessee put Jones on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and signed ex-Jaguars returner Alvin Pearman to replace him, a week after Jones' injured his hamstring again. The decision to put Jones on injured reserve is a pretty strong sign that the Titans aren't very concerned about losing him -- there was a chance Jones would be healthy in four to six weeks, but considering how often he's injured his hamstring this year, the Titans decided it was better not to wait on him to get healthy.

Don't expect Pearman to be much more than a fill-in himself -- he's returned three punts and kicks in the past two years -- but he should be able to catch the ball, which is better than Ryan Mouton was able to do when he tried ot handle the job against the Jets.

While Pearman isn't a signinficant signing, this is one of the things a struggling team should do. Tennessee can sort through waiver wire players week after week to see if any of them can contribute to the 2010 club.

Titans Make Another Change originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Titans' Timing for Vince Young Switch Is Pretty Good

JJ Cooper — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:55:00 EST

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

At 0-6, there are clearly no sure-thing wins for the Titans. But if you were going to pick a point in the schedule where new starter Vince Young could succeed, you could do a whole lot worse than this week: he gets to face the Jaguars, 49ers and Bills after a bye week.

None of those are sure-fire wins, but all three are winnable games (especially since the Jaguars and Bills passing games should help give the beleaguered Titans secondary a bit of a break). Win two of those games and Young all of a sudden looks like a spark, no matter what his passing stats look like.
What no one is discussing yet is what exactly will determine if Young's second chance as a starter is a success. It's almost impossible to expect Young to pile up 300-yard passing games, but if he can move the chains, show improved passing accuracy and avoid interceptions, maybe Tennessee can avoid going into next season looking for a young quarterback again.

If it happens, it means that Young learned a lot from sitting on the bench for the past season, but hey, at this point with the playoffs out of reach it's worth finding out what Young can do.

Titans' Timing for Vince Young Switch Is Pretty Good originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeff Fisher Vague on QB Starter

JJ Cooper — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:11:00 EST

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

Whenever he's been asked before this week, Titans coach Jeff Fisher has made it clear that Kerry Collins is his quarterback.

Vince Young has played a little in mop-up duty of blowout losses (which is happening a lot), but Collins has been the undisputed starter.

But with his team sitting at 0-6 having already wrapped up the title of "NFL's most disappointing team of 2009," Fisher isn't ready to say who his quarterback this week. Instead, he's answering with what can best be termed as double talk.

"We've had a week to do some different things and considering the circumstances we're in right now with the record, there's things that you need to do differently,'' Fisher said on Monday. "Let's just say I am not going to be as specific and open-ended from a competitive standpoint.''

I've read fine print on credit card applications that were more clear than that. Reading between the lines, what Fisher seems to be trying to say is he's not telling anyone who is going to be the starting quarterback this weekend. Unlike Eric Mangini's attempts to gain a competitive advantage with his "Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson" debacle before the opener, Fisher's more likely leaving things vague so Young and Collins don't have to answer questions about it all week.

This would appear to be the logical week to give Young another chance to start--the team's going nowhere, Kerry Collins hasn't played well and the team needs to know what they have in Young before his $4 million bonus comes due this offseason.

Jeff Fisher Vague on QB Starter originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andre Johnson Taken to Hospital

Matt Snyder — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:41:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, AFC South

For the Houston Texans, celebrating their 24-21 victory over the 49ers will likely come while they are holding their collective breath. That's because Andre Johnson, easily one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL, had to be taken to the hospital for examination following the game.

Houston coach Gary Kubiak described the injury as a chest contusion, and it occurred on a play during the fourth quarter. He actually returned for one play before realizing he couldn't continue to stay on the field in his condition. After discussing the situation with Houston medical personnel, he left the field.

"We're concerned," (head coach Gary) Kubiak said. "He could not go at the end and so there is concern until we see."

Kubiak said he would further update Johnson's status at his Monday press conference.

Johnson caught two passes for 62 yards in the game, but, even when he doesn't put up huge stats, he is an integral part of the Texans' offense. He often draws double coverage, which frees up his teammates in their high-powered passing attack.

The Texans are now 4-3 after the victory Sunday and will travel to Buffalo to face the Bills next week.

Andre Johnson Taken to Hospital originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Sanders to Make 2009 Debut

Matt Snyder — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, AFC South, NFL Injuries

It's been a long wait for Bob Sanders. The 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year hasn't suited up since last Dec. 18 against the Jaguars, but he'll be back for the Colts this Sunday in St. Louis. In fact, as of right now, he's able enough to start the game. He's close to finally being recovered from offseason surgery on his right knee.

Sanders, when on the field, is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Back in 2006, the year the Colts won the Super Bowl, they had severe problems stopping the run late in the season. When Sanders returned for the playoffs, they were -- all of a sudden -- able to stuff the run. That's the element he brings to the defense.

Of course, the violent nature of his play has taken its toll on his body. The bone-crushing 28-year-old is just 5-foot-8 and 206 pounds. He plays like a much bigger man, but his body just can't keep up. Out of a possible 85 career games, Sanders has played just 45 -- due to various injuries through the years.

This year, the Colts' defense has actually been pretty solid without him. They have the top passing defense in the NFL. Sanders' forte has always been run support and the Colts currently rank 14th against the run in the league -- and that's including the 239 ground yards for which the run-happy Dolphins shredded them.

Put simply: if Sanders can stay healthy -- granted, that's one gigantic "if" -- the Colts' defense is going to be among the NFL's best. Team that with their scary-good offense, and this is clearly bad news for every other team in the NFL.

Bob Sanders to Make 2009 Debut originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees

Thomas George — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, Saints, AFC South, NFC East, CFL

Now that Drew Brees has revealed he would have joined the Miami Dolphins back in 2006 as a free agent had they trusted his throwing shoulder was healed, had they believed in him, here comes Brees for an encore visit on Sunday to Miami.

I think the Dolphins and quarterback Chad Henne know the score.

They know that Henne will enter into a scrap with Brees where Henne had better light it up or be lit up.

"Oh, Drew Brees is coming?" Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland joked about the hot passing hand of Brees and the 6-0 New Orleans Saints. "Chad is aware of it. Of course. But he's got enough on his plate. He has to worry about that Saints defense. It leads the league in turnovers. It leads in interceptions. That would be his concern, but I would think being the competitor he is, he is anxious to get into competition with Drew Brees. Chad is a tremendous competitor. He is not going to back down from a fight. Being a competitor is something people sometimes take for granted in this league. Everybody has to compete at this level. But the way Chad has all of his life is a rare trait."

This move by the Dolphins from Chad to Chad, from Pennington to Henne, was forced upon them when Pennington had his right (throwing) shoulder mangled at the San Diego Chargers in Week 3. Henne entered in the third quarter and by game's end had thrown a pick that was returned for a touchdown. Miami lost 23-13.

Losses to the Atlanta Falcons (19-7) and to the Indianapolis Colts (27-23) preceded that misery in San Diego where Pennington was lost for the season. Like the New England Patriots early last season when they lost quarterback Tom Brady for the year, the Dolphins scrambled. How do you reassemble an offense that is built on a quarterback who means everything to the scheme, to the franchise? How do you rekindle hope?

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there. He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field."
- Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland When the Jets spurned Pennington for Brett Favre last season and Pennington landed in Miami, the Dolphins were joyous. They found a quarterback who would lead them to the AFC East championship. They gained a franchise stabilizer and more.

"All of the things Chad Pennington brought to us were spectacular," Ireland said. "You came to know with Chad Pennington that you were going to get a game manager, that he would play smart. There are not many situations he hasn't been in. You knew he would be prepared as well as any quarterback in the league. He was outgoing and vocal. You got accuracy, ball location, not a lot of turnovers. We had to move from a 10-year vet to virtually a rookie who had played only a handful of snaps the year before."

This is where the Dolphins distinguished themselves.

They understood the importance of having a quality quarterback or two "in the hopper," as Ireland calls it.

A few months before Pennington arrived, Miami had drafted Henne from Michigan in the 2008 draft using the 57th overall pick. In this year's draft Miami selected Pat White from West Virginia using the 44th overall pick. And two days after Pennington was lost, the Dolphins traded for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who was with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Henne is 24. White is 23. Thigpen is 25.

White is an emerging weapon in the Dolphins' Wildcat offense and rushing attack that leads the league in average yards gained per game (177).

But Henne is the axis now at quarterback.

He has beaten Buffalo (28-10) and the Jets (31-27) in his two starts. He has helped lift Miami to a 2-3 record. Beating Brees and the Saints would help Henne and the Dolphins firmly plant their feet.

This quarterback was the fourth selected in the '08 draft behind Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Brian Brohm. He can excel at deep throwing, evidenced by his 53-yard scoring bomb to receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., versus the Jets.

Henne said his offensive teammates are looking up to him in the huddle now and that he is getting comfortable with that. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said his young quarterback is handling things "very well" and that he likes to give him space, yet, visit with him often about things other than football.

Keep him rooted.

Keep him calm.

Here is what the Dolphins liked about this quarterback whom they thought had a chance to be their future who is now forced to be their present: played at a big college, lots of starts, performed in front of big crowds, had to win his starting job every year, major battles and production in bowl games, poised, level emotions, great listener.

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there," Ireland said. "He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field. Not too much rattles him. Obviously, we have a long way to go to develop this quarterback into a championship type of player with all the things it takes.

"We saw some things against the Jets that we didn't see against Buffalo. He had to run the two-minute offense. He had to come from behind. He showed some of the things -- ball location, game management, tempo, speed in and out of the huddle -- that we were looking for. The exact words we told Chad after the San Diego game was he was the next man up."

And he is the next quarterback in line opposite of the fancy Drew Brees.

The Dolphins' course is different now. But their ultimate goals remain the same with Henne.

"It's his show now," Ireland said. "He'll give us his best."

Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colts Need More Super Bowl Titles to Immortalize Great Manning Era

Matt Snyder — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, AFC South

The Montana-Young 49ers, the '70s Steelers, the '70s Dolphins, the '90s Cowboys, the Belichick-and-Brady Patriots: what do they all have in common? They are all-time great NFL teams that racked up many wins in a handful of seasons. You know what else they have in common? None of them have ever put together as impressive a regular season resume as the current Peyton Manning-era Colts.

That's right, after beginning this season 5-0, the Manning-era Colts are now 80-21 since the beginning of 2003. The '70s Steelers went 87-27-1 from 1972-1979. From 1981-1998, the 49ers were always pretty stout, but they never put together a six-plus season run where they played close to .800 ball like the current Colts (they came closest from 1987-1992 when they went 75-20). The '90s Cowboys went 70-20 in their best stretch. From 2001-2007, the Patriots went 86-26. Shula's '70s Dolphins, at 67-16-1, check in as the best competition.

So, these Colts should go down as one of the best teams of all-time, right? Uh, no. Not yet, at least.

You know what else those teams have in common (that the Colts don't have)? Of course you do. It's the same thing the Gibbs-led Redskins, Parcells-led Giants, Big Ben-Polamalu era Steelers, Elway-TD Broncos, Plunkett Raiders and Lombardi's Packers have: More than one Super Bowl ring.

Should the Manning-era Colts not win another Super Bowl here in the next few years, they will be just another team who won a Super Bowl, instead of being considered among the immortal groups in the NFL. They can join the Bears of the 1980's (who went 52-11 for a four-year stretch, but won only one Super Bowl and have been relegated to being a one-year wonder instead of an immortal team), and the Brett Favre-era Packers (who went 160-91 under Favre, including seven seasons with 11 or more wins and visited the playoffs 11 times -- yet won just a single Super Bowl). Sure, it's better to have won the big one instead of failing to win it at all (sorry, Minnesota Vikings teams of the '70s and late '90s and the Jim Kelly-Thurman Thomas Bills teams). Winning the big one is what defines greatness, but winning more than one is how you achieve immortality.

We see potentially great all-time teams fall short of multiple championships and not end up getting the relative recognition they seemingly deserve in other sports, too. Look at the Atlanta Braves in baseball -- they won 13 straight division championships, which is just absurd. They were only able to win the World Series one time, though, and have been greatly overshadowed by the New York Yankees and even the Boston Red Sox in recent memory. What about the Detroit Pistons earlier this decade in the NBA? They went to the conference finals six consecutive years, losing less than 30 games in the final five years of that stretch. They only won one ring.

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Indianpolis Colts Photos

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts is pictured during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Peyton Manning

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Indianapolis Colts Photos

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans is pictured during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vince Young

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans throws the ball during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vince Young

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans runs with the ball during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vince Young

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: A Tennessee Titans fan shows her support during the 31-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Dwight Freeney #93 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates a sack during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Colts won 31-9. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dwight Freeney

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning throws against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. Manning passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns as the Colts improved to 5-0 with a 31-9 win. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Tennessee Titans fans wear bags on their heads during the 31-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Tim Jennings #23 of the Indianapolis Colts tackles Mark Jones #84 of the Tennessee Titans during the NFL game at LP Field on October 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Colts won 31-9. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Jennings;Mark Jones

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Instead of being thought of as transcendent teams, the Bears, Packers, Braves and Pistons teams mentioned above are actually thought of as relative failures. Not because they didn't win, but because they only won the big prize once. Whether or not that's fair, that's how it is in the annals of sports history. Look at the talent those teams had and the number of chances they had to add to their ring total. Not being able to do so sticks in the craw of fans. The current Colts are staring down the barrel of joining this group.

And, really, that would be a shame. These Colts are so good during the regular season, we take them for granted. Look around at the remaining unbeaten teams this season. You have the Vikings undefeated after netting Brett Favre. You have the upstart, Josh McDaniels-led, Broncos. You have the Saints, who are garnering press for actually having a good defense now opposite the stellar Drew Brees. The Giants are just killing teams and have been really impressive. And then, you have the Colts. Ho hum, just another 5-0 start -- their fifth in the past six seasons. They have now won 14 straight regular season games. When watching the Colts these past three games -- when they throttled the Cardinals, Seahawks and Titans -- how boring was it? It was just an "oh well, the Colts are blowing someone out again" feeling. You can make excuses about the competition all you want, but when anyone else outscores teams 97-36 in three games, you usually get to hear about how great they are. When it's the Colts, opposing fans scoff and find ways to downplay it -- all simply because it's nothing new.

That's how good they are (again, in the regular season).

It all starts with Manning, who is easily one of the top-10 quarterbacks of all-time. In fact, you could make an argument for the best ever (and his stats will show it before he retires). The only argument you can make against him? The one I'm talking about right now: "he's only won one Super Bowl!" Sure, Marvin Harrison is a Hall of Famer (and Reggie Wayne probably will be before it's all said and done). Dallas Clark has morphed into one of the premier tight ends in the league. Edgerrin James and Joseph Addai are Pro Bowlers. But Manning makes them look better by running the offense the way he does. He also makes guys like Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon, Brandon Stokley, Dominic Rhodes, Marcus Pollard, Anthony Gonzalez and herds of others appear studly at times. As amazing as it sounds, Manning is actually playing the best ball of his illustrious career at present. He's not going to have the gaudy stat-line of 2004, but he's more efficient and polished this time around.

Bill Polian probably deserves more credit, because he is the man who constructed this franchise, and he's pulled all the right strings. He drafted Manning. He's given Manning the weapons to survive and has constantly reloaded the offensive arsenal at the expense of spending more money on defense. He's gathered the book-end pass rushers (Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis) and other important pieces (Bob Sanders, Cato June, Antoine Bethea, Marlin Jackson, etc.) that help keep the defense respectable at worst and very solid at best. He's shuffled in the right offensive lineman (including Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday) to keep his quarterback upright and healthy. He hired Tony Dungy, who found a way to blend all the talent into a championship team. He helped install the current coaching staff, which is thriving due to the continuity after Dungy's departure.

We could go on and on about all the great things about the Indianapolis Colts for the past decade -- and everything will come back to one negative: post-season failures. The Super Bowl championship is overshadowed by the 3-8 postseason record in all the other playoff seasons under Manning/Polian (including six first-round losses).

By my estimation, the 33-year-old Manning has roughly five years left while fully in his prime. In order for the Manning-era Colts (or even Polian-era Colts, if you prefer) to be truly appreciated, they need to bring home the hardware one more time. If they are really serious about being a transcendent team, they'll do it at least twice -- just for good measure.

After all, that is what a truly immortal team would do.

Colts Need More Super Bowl Titles to Immortalize Great Manning Era originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeff Fisher: Kerry Collins Is Still My QB

JJ Cooper — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:26:00 EST

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

Jeff Fisher isn't promising that Kerry Collins will be his quarterback all season, but he is the quarterback for this week's Patriots game.

When asked if would consider making a change to Vince Young, Fisher made it clear that he doesn't think Collins is any more to blame than anyone else in the starting lineup. And because of that, he still thinks that Collins gives the team the best chance to win.

"We have to improve as a team and that is what we are working on," Fisher said. "Kerry is not the reason. Our football team is the reason we're at where we're at, not the quarterback position.''

Collins has been pretty awful at times recently -- his 67.4 quarterback rating is 29th among the 36 qualified quarterbacks. But it's hard to say that he's any more responsible for the Titans problems than the receivers problems catching the ball or the secondary's complete collapse. So with the Titans sitting at 0-5, there's some argument for keeping Collins on the field.

But after a loss or two, there's not really any reason to keep Collins on the field. At 0-5, there's still an unrealistic chance that Tennessee could turn things around and earn a playoff spot. But the season is a loss or two away from becoming a complete failure, and at that point it's time to play Young and get an idea if Young has any chance of being the team's long-term answer at quarterback.

Jeff Fisher: Kerry Collins Is Still My QB originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adam Vinatieri Has Knee Surgery, Colts Ink Matt Stover

Matt Snyder — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:44:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, AFC South, NFL Injuries

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was forced to undergo surgery on his right knee to remove some cartilage. Early Wednesday, the Colts announced the surgery has been successfully completed and they expect the 37-year-old to miss four to eight weeks with the injury.

In his absence, the Colts have signed 41-year-old Matt Stover to take over field goal and extra point duties. Stover had previously kicked for 18 full NFL seasons, all with the Baltimore/Cleveland franchise -- 13 for the Ravens after five for the original Cleveland Browns. He's a very accurate kicker, having made 83.7 percent of his career field goal attempts and 99.5 percent of his extra point tries. Believe it or not, Colts fans, losing Vinatieri for Stover actually doesn't hurt the team much, if at all.

First of all, the next few weeks shouldn't pose an issue for the Colts. They have a bye, followed by a trip to St. Louis, before taking on the 49ers and Texans at home. None of those games should come down to a last-minute field goal, otherwise you can blame other areas of the team for being in that position.

Secondly, the only area that really seemed lacking in Stover's game heading into the season was in long kicks. He hit on 22-of-23 kicks from under 40 yards last season. He was 5-of-9 from 40-49 yards and 0-for-1 on field goals of more than 50 yards. Not only will the Colts' offense generally get their kicker closer, but Vinatieri isn't all too different than Stover. Vinatieri hit 14-of-16 kicks from under 40 yards last year, 4-of-7 from 40-49 and 2-of-2 from 50 or more. He might seem to have more range, but he hadn't hit a 50-plus yarder since 2002 until last year. He's already missed a 32-yarder this year. Also, consider Stover has never kicked for a team who plays indoors in bad weather and has better career percentages in both extra points and field goals.

This isn't to say Stover's a better career kicker than Vinatieri, but, if he's not, the gap isn't very wide. All things considered, the Colts landed themselves a fine replacement kicker for the injured Vinatieri.

Adam Vinatieri Has Knee Surgery, Colts Ink Matt Stover originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguars Player Reportedly Causes Two Car Wrecks, Tries to Flee Scene

Matt Snyder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:50:00 EST

Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, NFL Police Blotter

Friday, Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Quentin Groves was headed to the airport to catch his team's chartered flight to Seattle -- where they'd eventually get their teeth kicked in, 41-0. On the way, though, he wasn't exactly what you would call a cautious motorist.

According to reports from the Jacksonville area, Groves did some damage to two different vehicles with some careless driving. Reportedly, Groves clipped one car while changing lanes -- sending it spinning -- and then abruptly changed lanes again before slamming on the brakes. This caused another car to end up wedged under Groves' car.

When Groves stopped to confer with the driver of the vehicle under the back of his car, he simply said that he was "a Jaguar" and had "a plane to catch." So, he just took off, the reports said.

A good Samaritan-type in the area ended up following Groves and blocked his car about a quarter-mile away until police arrived. Reports late Sunday night on the Florida Times-Union's Web site indicate Groves was not charged with fleeing the scene. He was only given a warning, which is totally the police officer's discretion, for an improper lane change. There was ambiguity whether Groves was actually charged with causing both crashes, as a full police report had not been completed yet, according the the Times-Union's report.

Groves' actions, however, could be construed as hit-and-run and leaving the scene of an accident, which is a felony in many states, including Florida.

Groves was uninjured in the accident and his vehicle -- a Cadillac Escalade -- was apparently working well enough to still get him to the airport, but the others involved weren't so fortunate. One driver is still in the hospital with a concussion and back pain, and has around $5,000 worth of damage to his car, according to reports. The other has a totaled car and initially visited the hospital with back and arm pain, reports also said.

After all that, Groves still missed the chartered flight and had to fly commercial to Seattle.

Jaguars Player Reportedly Causes Two Car Wrecks, Tries to Flee Scene originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texans Rookie Anthony Hill Hospitalized With Swine Flu

Stephanie Stradley — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:35:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, AFC South

If starting off the season 1-2 isn't bad enough, the Houston Texans have confirmed that one of their players has been hospitalized with Swine Flu, or the more accurate name, the H1N1 virus. At first, the Texans believed that rookie Tight End Anthony Hill had pneumonia but on Friday afternoon confirmed the flu diagnosis.

Coach Gary Kubiak says that they do not believe any of the other players have the disease, though he did acknowledge that a number of players were sick on Thursday but were back Friday. The team is taking precautions against the spread of the disease. Kubiak says that there is no panic about the situation within the organization, and believes that Hill is recovering may be released from the hospital this afternoon.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the H1N1 virus is spread like other flu viruses, by being around someone sneezing or coughing with the flu or touching surfaces that contain the virus and then touching the mouth or nose.

Being in the close quarters of a team environment can't make it easy to prevent the spread of such diseases. The CDC claims that a person can be infectious one day before they show signs of illness to 5-7 days after, and that this contagion period can last longer in people with the "new H1N1 virus."

Hill has not been activated for any regular season games this year so it won't likely affect game days unless other players contract the disease.

Texans Rookie Anthony Hill Hospitalized With Swine Flu originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texans Defense Is the Worst in the NFL

Stephanie Stradley — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, AFC South, NFL Analysis

The Houston Texans are dead last in total defense. It is no surprise given the big touchdown runs given up by the Texans defense to Thomas Jones, Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew. Fantasy football players have been feasting on the Texans defense for years, and certain offensive players in the AFC South probably should owe a part of their paychecks to them.

Explanations for the predictable struggles are easier to identify than the solutions:

Defense is Hard-To-Fix Bad -- The Texans defense has been worst-of-the-league bad over the last four years. When Gary Kubiak took over the team in 2006, the defensive cupboard was pretty bare. Out of all the players on the defensive roster in 2005, only Dunta Robinson is left. The Texans have drafted defense high from the beginning of the franchise but missed numerous times, including with Travis Johnson (first round) and Jason Babin (first -- trading second-, third-, and fourth-round picks, and swapping fifth-round picks; yes, that really happened), followed by trading away their second- and third-round picks to the Raiders to get Phillip Buchanon.

Former GM Charley Casserly treated draft picks like Chuck E. Cheese tokens and devalued lower round picks. Missing on key high picks means that the Texans do not have many defensive players who should be entering the primes of their career.

Defense is Young Except When It is Ancient -- The Texans defense is extremely inexperienced as a unit with the exception of defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina, who is the oldest defensive player in the league. They rely on rookies at key positions, and need to start a number of young lower-drafted guys because they have no other choice.

Part of this is Casserly missing on defensive picks who should now be vets, and part of it is choosing very developmental players on defense. Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye came into the league in 2007 as the youngest player in the modern era. This year's second-round pick, defensive end Connor Barwin, is playing only his second year on defense as a converted offensive player. I'm not saying they're bad players but it is easier to accommodate younger players on a team if they don't have to depend on them right away because they are playing with many experienced vets.

Young players make mistakes. Young defenses, then, have more opportunities to make mistakes. It would be nice to have some more full-growned mens playing on this defense, but quality free agent veterans are hard to find in the modern salary cap era because teams tend to keep their best ones.

No Proven Leadership -- The best players on the Texans defense are DE Mario Williams, LB DeMeco Ryans and CB Dunta Robinson. All players drafted by the team. It's hard to lead a team when you have never had any success yourself. The Texans offense has the same situation but have had a bit of success to make them believe that they can play better. The defense has been so bad for so long it is hard to envision it being better. There are no successful veteran players for the Texans who are in the primes of their career who have played for other successful teams.

New Coaches -- The Texans have a new defensive coordinator, new defensive line coach and new secondary coach. None of those coaches have worked together on a defense before. They promised a new aggressive defense but perhaps it is more than this group of players can handle. The Texans' DC, Frank Bush, is new to being a defensive coordinator. The positive to his choice is that he already knew the players, but the negative is that calling a defensive game is new to him. He can't point to a previous defense he was in charge of and tell the players that, if they do things like that, they will be successful.

Zero Continuity -- With all the turnover on the defensive side of the ball with both players and coaches, it has been hard to develop any sort of defensive continuity. Key defensive players were out for large portions of camp, including Robinson who was the only franchised tagged player in the NFL this season to skip camp and sign his tender right before the first game.

The Texans were experimenting with different lineups during the preseason trying to figure out some combinations that would stop the bleeding. It's hard playing as a team if you can't figure out what that team is supposed to look like.

Position Holes -- Remaking a roster over completely means that there will be more holes than ways to fix those holes. Next year, you could draft at just about any defensive position for the Texans and fill a need. Of particular problem right now is that they do not have the smart safety play that allows them to do some of the aggressive stacking of the line that they've been trying to do.

Defensive tackle has been an issue, with the Texans trying out different combinations all offseason. Cornerback is also an issue, with the Texans featuring Robinson and a bunch of young players who make big mistakes. Some of those mistakes are so large it makes Texans fans want Jacques Reeves back in the lineup after missing most of camp with a broken fibula.

In addition, former Cardinal Antonio Smith really hasn't persuaded anyone yet that he is the help that Mario Williams needs on the outside.

Can This Defense Be Fixed?

The question is whether this Texans defense can be fixed in 2009, and what does fixed mean? Can they get to the point where they look like a normal competant NFL defense? Can they stop giving up +60 yard TD runs?

This might be considered an overreaction after only three games in a season, but not so much after the defense has been so bad for so long.

The Texans publicly believe that these are mental and not physical issues that they can fix. For example, the Jones-Drew TD run was one the same play that they stuffed earlier in the game.

Some of the problems I identified are ones that may work out the more the team plays together as a team, but others may be harder to fix. It's not like the Jets, Titans and Jaguars are huge offensive teams, and given that the Texans face the Cardinals in the upcoming weeks, it appears as though things might get much worse before they get better.

Though the run defense is an obvious problem, it isn't like the pass defense is much better. Teams can pick their poison against the Texans because there is no such thing as an obvious passing down when running backs can break third and long for a TD. The Texans are dead last in the league in yards allowed on third down and second to the last in third downs given up, and most of that results from their performance on third and long.

In the short term, the best way for the Texans to reduce their total defensive yards given up is for the Texans offense to keep them off the field. The Texans offense demonstrated last year what they could do with long time-chewing drives.

In some ways, it appears as though the Texans defensive problems stem from trying too hard as opposed to not trying hard enough. Like many young defenses, they overpursue and don't always play smart, and fixing that sometimes can come from just experience.

With a defense that is young and inconsistent, the Texans will be as good as their offense can play from week to week.

Texans Defense Is the Worst in the NFL originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next 3 Games Critical for Titans

JJ Cooper — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:31:00 EST

Filed under: Titans, AFC South

An 0-3 start is never good, especially when you went 13-3 the year before. But that's not even the bad news for the Titans.

The bad news is that after facing the Jaguars in a very winnable game this week, Tennessee has Indianapolis and New England the next two weeks. Lose those two games and the season is basically over--it's too much to ask the Titans to go undefeated over the final 11 games of the season, and there's no guarantee that even 10-6 will get Tennessee in the playoffs.

But if Tennessee can go 2-1 over the next three weeks, the schedule does get much easier after their Week 7 bye week. The Titans will face the Jaguars, 49ers, Bills, Texans and Cardinals over the next five weeks. If Tennessee can fix their pass defense problems and pull off a 2-1 stretch over the next three games, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Tennessee could find itself at 7-4 heading into the home stretch of the season.

Back in 2002, the Titans started 1-4. The won 10 of their last 11 to earn a playoff spot. So it's not like a Jeff Fisher-coached team can't go on a run. But beating the Colts or the Patriots is vital to making it possible.

Next 3 Games Critical for Titans originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texans-Titans Brawl Results in Fines, Missing Chunk of Hair

Stephanie Stradley — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, Titans, AFC South

Andre Johnson isn't much of a talker by most accounts, though Cortland Finnegan got his attention last Sunday. During the Texans' 34-31 win over the Titans, Johnson and Finnegan were yapping at each other the entire day, which eventually turned into a brawl after Johnson threw Finnegan into the players on the Texans sideline.

The other sideline is a dangerous place for any player to be during a brawl, and, according to this report from Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle, one unnamed Texan took a chunk of Finnegan's red hair off the field as a souvenir of the fight. Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones was ejected from the game for throwing a punch and one of the smallest Texans, wide receiver David Anderson, was assessed an offsetting 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The NFL has fined two Texans players -- Johnson $7,500 for unnecessary roughness in throwing Finnegan to the ground by his facemask, and Jacoby Jones $5,000 for unnecessarily entering the fight area. After the game, Anderson denied doing anything that should have resulted in a penalty, and apparently the NFL agreed by not giving him a fine.

Jones was fined $5,000 for throwing a punch. He claims that he shoved someone and never threw a punch, and Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he couldn't see a punch on the coach's film. The TV cameras were very slow to show the fight, and there were many players in the brawl, so it was hard to see what was going on. Personally, I think it looked more like a shove than a fist, but it is hard to see looking at this YouTube:

It's a strange league when punch throwing gets less of a fine than a sock violation or a player wearing a Jason mask during pregame warmups.

Texans-Titans Brawl Results in Fines, Missing Chunk of Hair originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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