NFL FanHouse

Colts Survive Ravens With Defense

Matt Snyder — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:12:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, Ravens, AFC North, AFC South

Had you told the Baltimore Ravens they would win the turnover battle against Peyton Manning and the Colts on Sunday, I'm pretty sure they would have assumed the result would be a victory. Of course, getting into the end zone against Indy generally is a necessity in order to win the football game. The Ravens didn't do that and lost, 17-15.

Despite allowing 354 yards of total offense -- 135 to burgeoning star Ray Rice -- the Colts defense buckled down when in their own territory, forcing the Ravens to attempt six field goals and punt twice in their first eight possessions. The Ravens still had a chance to win the football game late, but Joe Flacco was intercepted by Gary Brackett with just over two minutes left at the Indianapolis 13.

More: Check Box Score | Saints Join Indianapolis at 10-0

"We are definitely a bend-but-not-break defense,'' Brackett said, according to the Associated Press. "They drove a couple of times on us, but we held them to field goals.''

The Ravens did almost have a last gasp for victory, as Ed Reed received a punt with just under 30 seconds left -- and a decent return would have pulled them within about 30 yards of (game-winning) field goal range. Instead, Reed desperately attempted to lateral to a teammate almost simultaneously as he was taken down. The ill-advised pitch went directly to Freddy Keiaho of the Colts. Replays showed the pitch happened at almost the exact same time Reed's knee hit the ground, thus, there wasn't conclusive visual evidence to overturn the call on the field (a fumble).

Manning took a knee on the next play, and the Colts extended their league-high win streak to 19 regular-season games. They joined the Saints at 10-0 with the best record in the NFL.

"To be able to come out of this game with a win is huge,'' Colts head coach Jim Caldwell said. "We're not going to ever sneeze at being 10-0, but we're doing it by a small margin these days.''

The final score suggests a slug-fest where neither team could move the football, but -- with over 700 yards in combined total offense -- that wasn't the case at all. Instead, each team repeatedly allowed lots of yardage before slamming the brakes on the opposing offense, either with a big stop or a takeaway. Manning passed for 299 yards, but threw two interceptions and just one touchdown. Tight end Tom Santi (who entered the game with no catches this season, but caught six balls for 80 yards Sunday) fumbled close to the Ravens' 1-yard line. Flacco, meanwhile, threw the aforementioned pick, and many other drives stalled. Both teams were basically playing bend-but-don't-break defense. There were two offensive touchdowns -- both by the Colts -- and that was the difference.

In addition to Rice, the big offensive star for the Ravens was the venerable Derrick Mason, who hauled in nine passes for 142 yards. On defense, Reed had a huge interception early, and played a part in the hit on Santi's fumble. Unfortunately, his attempted lateral ultimately finished his team.

Also of note is that Billy Cundiff, whom was brought in to replace Steven Hauschka as the Ravens' kicker, made five field goals but missed a 39-yarder that could have made the difference.

For the Colts, Pierre Garcon had six catches for 108 yards. Dallas Clark had a sparkling one-handed touchdown catch early in the game and Joseph Addai shook Ray Lewis for a second-quarter touchdown. Addai ended with 74 yards on 19 carries.

The Colts will look to continue their unbeaten streak -- and possibly clinch the AFC South -- next week in Houston.

Baltimore faces another tough test against the Steelers at home in Week 12.

Colts Survive Ravens With Defense originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bozo the Coach, Andy Reid and the Belichick Precedent

Dave Goldberg — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Chargers, Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, Patriots, AFC East, AFC South, NFC East, NFC North, NFL Coaching, NFL Analysis

What Bill Belichick did Sunday night has happened before. It justifiably earned Barry Switzer the nickname "Bozo The Coach'' for failing TWICE on fourth down in the late stages of a tie game. And the Eagles' Andy Reid did the opposite of the New England coach on Sunday, eschewing fourth-and-short twice to kick field goals in what turned out to be an eight-point loss.

Switzer's mistake didn't prevent Dallas from winning its third Super Bowl in four seasons in the early '90s, but it left Switzer at the top of the oft-debated list of worst coaches to win a title.

On Nov. 15, 1995, the Cowboys were playing in Philadelphia and faced a fourth down and 1 on their own 29 with the game tied 17-17 and just over two minutes left. Switzer decided to go for it and sent Emmitt Smith left over the massive Nate Newton.

Jay Mariotti: Spygate to Stupidgate: Belichick Blunders

He was stopped but it didn't count. The officials blew the whistle for the two-minute warning. No problem. The Cowboys tried again. Same play. Stuffed again. Three plays later, Gary Anderson kicked a 42-yard field goal that gave the Eagles a 20-17 win.

Headline in the New York Post the next day: "Bozo The Coach.''

The result brought the Eagles to within a game of the Cowboys in the NFC East with two games to play. But Dallas won its next two games, won the division, won both its playoff games and beat Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl -- the one in which Larry Brown ended up as the MVP on a team that featured Smith, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders.

But it was the end of an era. The Cowboys beat the Vikings in a wild-card game the next season, then lost next week to second-year expansion team Carolina. That win over Minnesota was the last postseason victory they've had.

Reid?

In Sunday's 31-23 loss in San Diego, the Philadelphia coach decided to kick a field goal trailing 14-0 in the second quarter with the ball perhaps six inches away from the Chargers' goal. In the third quarter, trailing 21-6, he had fourth and one at the San Diego 7 and had David Akers kick again. The Eagles lost, 31-23.

"There was too much time," Reid said of his decision on the first, the most obvious. "I thought it was important to come out of there with points."

That was four points. The second fourth-and-one kick was four points.

The Eagles lost by eight.

Bozo the Coach, Andy Reid and the Belichick Precedent originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jets Continue Downward Spiral at Home

Matt Snyder — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Jaguars, Jets, AFC East, AFC South

After starting the season 3-0, including impressive victories at Houston and against New England, the Jets have fallen flat on their collective faces. With a home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday -- a team that was previously 1-3 on the road -- the Jets have now lost four of their last five games. They've also lost their last three games at home, against the Bills, Dolphins and Jags.

Sunday, the Jets' problems emanated from losing the turnover battle (3-to-1), and their inability to stop Maurice Jones-Drew. MJD gained 123 yards on 24 carries and also threw in 22 receiving yards for good measure.

More: Check Box Score | Polamalu Hurt Again | Saints Survive

The Jets were able to move the ball at times, amassing 322 yards on 60 plays (compared to 347 on 60 plays for the Jags). They were also pretty comparable in terms of time of possession -- Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene combined for a solid New York rushing attack. When the two teams play that evenly from scrimmage, the game is usually decided on turnovers. And it was.

Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez set the tone, throwing an interception on the first play of the game. The Jaguars needed just four offensive plays before having a 7-0 lead. Then in the third quarter, the Jets sandwiched two turnovers -- a Braylon Edwards fumble and another Sanchez pick -- around a takeaway of their own. In a game where every inch counts and was decided on a last-second field goal, you can't turn the ball over like that.

Despite that, the Jets still had a chance to win. They held a one-point lead after a solid drive concluded with a Thomas Jones touchdown. The Jaguars proceeded to run the final five minutes off the clock in a 12-play, 80-yard drive which culminated with Josh Scobee's 21-yard field goal as time expired.

The Jets don't have much time to grieve after this loss, however, because they head to New England for a rematch with the hated Patriots next Sunday. You can expect the Pats to be out for a little revenge, too, so the Jets have their work cut out for them.

Jacksonville, meanwhile, has now thrust itself into the playoff picture with a 5-4 record. The Jags will look to win their third consecutive game next week when they face the Bills at home.

Jets Continue Downward Spiral at Home originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Johnson, Titans Throttle Bills

Matt Snyder — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:35:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Titans, AFC East, AFC South

The Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans entered the fourth quarter Sunday knotted at 17-all. Considering what happened in the last 15 minutes of the game, Bills head coach Dick Jauron and his team might have been better served to leave early.

When the dust settled, the Bills headed home with a 41-17 loss. They were also likely saddled with nightmares involving Tennessee running back Chris Johnson and the rejuvenated Titans defense.

More: Check Box Score | Jags Dump Jets | Panthers Clip Falcons

The Bills entered the game sporting the worst run defense in the NFL. Considering what kind of stretch Johnson is having, it wasn't difficult to foresee him exploding.

He didn't disappoint. Johnson took the rock 26 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. But that wasn't all. He also caught nine passes for 100 yards. All told, Johnson accounted for 232 of his team's 378 yards and two of its three offensive touchdowns. You simply can't say enough about how good Johnson is.

He entered the season talking about gaining 2,000 yards on the ground this year -- he's now on pace for 1,940 and has a very realistic shot at the 2K barrier, considering the Titans' have a pretty soft run-defense schedule the rest of the way, and how heavily Tennessee seems content to lean on him. He's presently playing like the best player in football, not just the best running back.

Obviously, there is no shame in not being able to stop Johnson, but the Bills gave away any chance at a comeback with two late turnovers. Trailing by 10 points with just under three minutes left, the Bills still had a glimmer of hope. Instead, Trent Edwards threw an interception to Vincent Fuller -- who proceeded to take the ball 26 yards to the house. A few plays later, with the game already decided, Ryan Fitzpatrick -- as if he didn't want Edwards to feel bad about himself -- decided to throw a pick-six of his own, this one a 31-yarder to Roderick Hood.

Aside from Johnson, the big story emerging from this game was the fact that Vince Young has given the Titans a spark. They were 0-6 with Kerry Collins heading into their bye week. They've come out of the bye a totally different team, and Young is now 3-0 as a starter in 2009 (and 21-11 in his career). His pocket awareness and ability to check down are better than they have ever been, and he's picking his spots to run quite well (he carried the ball five times for 29 yards).

The Titans will look to continue their winning ways next week when they head to Houston. There might also be a bit of a revenge factor as well, as the Titans lost a 34-31 thriller to the Texans in Week 2. An FYI -- Chris Johnson had 197 rushing yards on just 16 carries in that game. Think he'll play a big role next week?

As for the Bills, they played relatively well for three quarters, but that's not good enough. Edwards found Lee Evans and Terrell Owens vertically a few times, but they need to run the football with more frequency (Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch combined for 85 yards on 17 carries), especially when someone like Johnson is doing a number on their defense. They will look to rebound in Jacksonville next week against another stud running back, Maurice Jones-Drew.

Chris Johnson, Titans Throttle Bills originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texans Should Just Stay Away From Larry Johnson

Dan Graziano — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, AFC South, NFL Analysis

Maybe Texans coach Gary Kubiak was just doing the standard NFL coach non-answer thing. When asked yesterday about his team having interest in just-released Chiefs malcontent RB Larry Johnson, Kubiak hemmed and hawed, called Johnson "a good player" and said, "We'll take a look at him." And this might mean nothing, of course. Might mean Kubiak really can't say whether his team is interested, because maybe he doesn't want him but the owner does or vice-versa or something like that. If they do end up pursuing the guy, it won't help negotiations much if the coach is out front saying, "Yeah, we really want him." So Kubiak said basically what he's supposed to say, and reading too much into it is probably a mistake.

But regardless of what's really going on behind the scenes, and regardless of the muddle they have going on right now with Ryan Moats playing on running downs and Steve Slaton playing on passing downs or whatever they're trying to with their running backs, I think the Texans ought to take a pass on Larry Johnson. I think they have too much good stuff going on there right now to bring in his kinds of issues.

I've seen the Texans in person twice this year, and I've been impressed both times. I was in Cincinnati the day they throttled the Bengals (the only team this year, incidentally, that's beaten the Bengals without the benefit of a last-second, bad-bounce miracle Brandon Stokley touchdown catch). I was in Indianapolis this past Sunday, when they were a controversial goal-line fumble and a last-second missed field goal away from beating the unbeaten Colts for what would have been the biggest win in Texans franchise history. Houston is 5-4 now as it enters its bye week, and while that's not exactly setting the world on fire, there are a lot of reasons to consider them real contenders for a playoff spot in the season's second half. Just the way they are right now.

First, they have superstar-level talent all over the field. Matt Schaub, as fantasy owners the world over will tell you, has blossomed into an elite NFL quarterback -- one that currently leads the league in passing yards and touchdown passes. Andre Johnson is a beast -- a receiver who turns the nearly impossible trick of actually managing to stand out physically and athletically from the rest of the supremely gifted players on an NFL field. Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans are star-level leaders of a defense so good that the Colts changed their whole offensive game plan on Sunday morning in order to combat the Houston pass rush. If the Colts, who haven't lost since last season and are 14-1 all-time against the Texans, have that much respect for the Texans, something positive is definitely happening in Houston.

The Texans are also, as I was informed yesterday by FanHouse's resident Texans expert, Stephanie Stradley, an incredibly young team, without a single starting player over the age of 30. For that reason, it's easy to look at what happened in Indianapolis on Sunday and dismiss the Texans as sloppy. They had the goal-line fumble, of course. (By the running back who got his job because the other guy fumbled too much. Oh, irony...) And they committed 13 penalties in the game for a total of 103 yards. They were whistled five times for being offsides, including once for offensive offsides, which is a penalty I'm not sure I'd ever heard called before.

But the penalties were not the sign of a young, undisciplined team but rather an aberration. In their first eight games of the year, the Texans were called for an average of just 5.4 penalties per game, and were allowing an average of just 47.1 penalty yards per game. Those are figures that ranked them among the league's least penalized teams.

This team didn't sulk its way out of Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. The Texans believed they had played well and had a real chance to beat one of the best teams in the league, and they chose to focus on that aspect of their day.

"When you consider the number of errors and penalties that we had, to be in position to win the game like that, I think that's pretty remarkable," Texans owner Bob McNair said. "I think that speaks to the toughness of this team."

Yeah, they have a good thing going on in Houston right now. Even the running back situation could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. After all, there's no shame these days in using a running back committee. If Ryan Moats is more reliable with the ball in his hands, and Steve Slaton's a better pass catcher and blocker on passing downs, then maybe they've actually improved as a result of this mess. At the very least, they've discovered another useful-to-good offensive weapon in Moats for the rest of the year.

I think the Texans are a legitimate AFC playoff contender right now. I like them better than the Jets and the Chargers, and while I may not like them better than the Ravens, their record is better. They're in the mix, and their own mix looks like a good one. Why add something like Larry Johnson to that? Seems like it'd be asking for trouble.

Texans Should Just Stay Away From Larry Johnson originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colts Turn Up Tempo to Stay Unbeaten

Dan Graziano — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:38:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, Texans, AFC South, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

INDIANAPOLIS -- You expect the Colts to throw, and throw a lot, but even for Peyton Manning and his band of merry, pass-happy men this was a little bit nuts. Indy ran nine plays -- eight of them passes -- in the first two minutes of the game, averaging one every 14 seconds, completely disregarding the play clock and leaving their star offensive players more than a little bit tuckered out.

"I wouldn't call it fun," said tight end Dallas Clark, who caught 11 passes in the first half and 14 -- for 119 yards -- in the game. "When you run 60 plays in the first half, you're going to feel that on Wednesday and Thursday. But the win makes it feel a lot better."

More: Check Box Score | Young, Titans Win Again | Seattle Rallies

The win, a hold-your-breath 20-17 squeaker that wasn't assured until Houston's last-second field goal hooked wide left, improved the Colts to 8-0 and kept alive their hopes to repeat the Patriots' 16-0 regular season of two years ago. The Patriots are the next obstacle in Indy's path, heading here to Lucas Oil Stadium next Sunday night for a showdown of AFC powers. But for the Colts this day was all about holding off the very game division-rival Texans, and the insane early pace was a key aspect of that plan.

"That was by design, and it was almost like our two-minute operation in terms of the tempo of the game," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "Sometimes, if you go fast enough, quickly enough, you can slow down some pass rushers. And they've got some pretty good ones."

The Colts were very concerned about the Houston defense. Manning pointed out after the game that Houston came in leading the league in "three-and-outs" -- series in which the offense fails to get a first down and has to punt the ball after only three plays. To combat this, the Colts made the decision Sunday morning to come out in a souped-up, no-huddle from the opening kick.

"We knew they were going to go no-huddle, but man, they were high-intensity," Texans safety Bernard Pollard said. "And I'm not going to lie -- they caught us off-guard."

Houston countered with a nickel defense, which makes sense in the abstract if you're convinced the other team is going to throw on every play. Problem was, with the nickel back covering slot receiver Austin Collie and the safeties staying back to defend against the deep ball, Dallas Clark spent the whole game matched up against a linebacker. And that's a mismatch.

"When we get an opportunity to get him on a linebacker, most of the time Dallas is going to fare pretty well," Caldwell said.

And they milked it. Manning targeted Clark eight times in the first quarter, and Clark caught all eight. He targeted him five more times in the second quarter, and Clark caught three of those. At halftime, Clark had 11 catches, putting him more than halfway toward Terrell Owens' NFL record of 20 catches in a single game.

But the funny thing was, in spite of possessing the ball for 16:52 of the first half, and in spite of moving the ball down the field with relative ease until they got near the goal line, the Colts' halftime lead was a mere 13-3. And after the Texans dominated the time of possession in the third quarter, they were able to open the fourth with a Steve Slaton touchdown run that put Houston on top 17-13.

"We didn't finish drives like we're capable of doing," Caldwell said. "That's a concern."

Oh they came back, of course, as Manning always seems to. He marched them right back down the field, mixing in a couple of run plays this time and scoring on a Joseph Addai touchdown run with 7:16 left in the game. The frenetic pace of a first half that saw Manning throw the ball 40 times was gone, replaced by a more humble and plodding game plan. And the win wasn't sealed until the injury-riddled defense managed to hold on at the end and Kris Brown's 42-yard field goal attempt as time expired missed to the left. But they did win, and they're still undefeated. And while they'll admit they have plenty to work on, the Colts would tell you they won at least in part because of how much they respect the Texans.

"We were just able to hang on and find enough gas in the tank to finish it," Clark said. "A couple of plays here or there, and they're the ones celebrating in the locker room."

So now it's on to next week, when Tom Brady and the Patriots will try to take advantage of the injury-depleted Indianapolis secondary in ways in which Matt Schaub and the Texans could not. What Caldwell and Manning come up with for the Patriots remain to be seen. Do they dare ramp up the tempo the way they did this week, enticing Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker into a potentially classic (and potentially dangerous) shootout? Or do they dial it back a little bit in an effort to keep the Patriot offense off the field?

These are questions for later in the week. As they dressed and headed out after their hard-fought win against the Texans on Sunday, the Colts were a happy but very tired bunch, and they weren't thinking about next Sunday night yet.

"Coach told us we get about 12 hours to enjoy this one," Colts receiver Reggie Wayne said. "And I'm going to take my full 12."

Colts Turn Up Tempo to Stay Unbeaten originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

More: Check Box Score | Eagles Smoke Giants, Take First Place

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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