Colts can't cruise this year

Football Betting Lines

12/07/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With one quarter of the season to play last year, the Colts were 12-0 and had just clinched a playoff berth with a 35-3 rout of the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans would have none of it this year, rebounding from an early 14-0 deficit to earn a 20-17 victory and deny an Indianapolis clinching party on their home field.

So, the Colts appear to have plenty of work ahead of them. Not only were they unable to put the finishing touches on a fourth straight AFC South crown, but they were also caught by the San Diego Chargers and now share the best record in the AFC at 10-2.

Based on last year's waltz to the division title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, some Colts fans may think things this year appear somewhat bleak, but let's get serious.

"We've had a situation around here for about a year and a half that most people don't have," said Colts head coach Tony Dungy on Monday. "We'd like to keep it going. We'd like to have every game be a 17-point win and win every week, but it doesn't happen in the NFL.

"We had a 4-0 first quarter [of the season] and a 4-0 second quarter and a 2-2 third quarter. If you look at it and say, 'After 24-2, 2-2 is a crisis,' you can [also] say, 'You know what? We had two games on the road where we didn't play as well as we can play, but we're still 10-2 and we're in control of where we want to go.'"

True enough, and the division title is well within their grasp, barring a complete meltdown. But the final four games of the season won't be easy, and that may be a good thing.

Dungy won't have to worry about resting players with nagging injuries to ready the team for a playoff run this year. Not if he wants the Colts to have the coveted home-field advantage throughout the playoffs -- not that it helped them last year, though.

They'll need to play their best down the stretch, and that could make them more than ready for the accelerated pace of the postseason.

KICKED IN THE GUT

It appeared as though the Colts were ready to go to overtime on Sunday, as Tennessee faced 4th-and-11 at the Indianapolis 42 with 12 seconds to play. Would the Titans punt and take it to an extra period, would they try to make the first down to get closer for a field goal, or would they actually try a 60-yard field goal?

After some uncertainty -- both coaches called timeout as Titans kicker Rob Bironas first came on the field, then left for punter Craig Hentrich -- it was Bironas. With a nice tailwind, he kicked the fourth-longest field goal in NFL history and dealt Indy its second loss in three games.

"Losing is no fun," said Colts quarterback Peyton Manning afterward. "It's awful. It's miserable. It rips your guts out."

It also marked the second straight week Bironas beat a team quarterbacked by a Manning, as he knocked a last-minute kick through to upend the Giants and Peyton's brother, Eli, last week.

ROAD WOES

The Colts have now lost their last two games on the road and a lack of focus could be the reason. Turnovers and penalties -- the issues that are normally at the forefront of any setbacks -- were the problems in Dallas and again in Nashville.

Indianapolis had four turnovers and five penalties in the loss against the Cowboys and on Sunday turned it over twice and committed eight penalties.

The killer penalty came in the fourth quarter with the Colts down 17-14. A 60- yard pass to Marvin Harrison set up a first down at the Tennessee 12 and the Colts picked up another first down at the one, but an offensive pass interference call against Ben Utecht negated the TD pass caught by the tight end and Indy had to instead settle for the tying field goal.

Manning's second interception of the game set up Tennessee's first touchdown drive late in the first half, and the Indianapolis defense was abysmal against the run -- allowing a whopping 219 yards on the ground.

"It's just us not being sharp," Dungy said Sunday. "The two games we've lost have been the same M-O. We go on the road. We have penalties. We have turnovers. We give up long drives because we're not playing real crisp on defense. We had plenty of chances."

Two more road games remain, and if the troubles continue, there may be another road trip in the playoffs.

NEWS & NOTES

-The Colts had a streak of 12 straight wins against AFC South opponents stopped. It was their first loss within the division since a 27-24 setback to Jacksonville on October 24, 2004.

-Indianapolis also saw a seven-game winning streak against Tennessee come to an end, losing to the Titans for the first time since December 8, 2002.

-It was the first time the Colts blew a 14-point lead under Dungy.

-Manning threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Harrison in the first quarter. It was the 100th career TD connection for the dynamic duo -- 15 more than the next-best tandem of Steve Young and Jerry Rice.

-Safety Bob Sanders was back in the lineup after missing the past three games and eight of the previous nine with a knee injury. He had six tackles and one forced fumble.

UP NEXT

Gulp! Another road game. If the Colts are going to turn their road problems around, a victory in Jacksonville this week would be the time to do it.

If the Colts can beat the Jaguars this Sunday, they'll clinch the AFC South title. They own a three-game lead over Jacksonville, which stayed alive in the division race last Sunday with a 24-10 win at Miami.

The Jaguars are one of five teams tied for the two AFC wild card spots with records of 7-5. They are 5-1 at home, with victories over playoff contenders Dallas, the New York Jets and New York Giants, and have allowed just 47 points in those six games at Alltel Stadium.

Indianapolis posted a 21-14 victory over Jacksonville in the first meeting of the season back on September 24 at the RCA Dome.

Tied 7-7 at halftime, Manning threw a touchdown pass in the third quarter and ran for a score in the fourth to give the Colts a 14-point lead. The Jags managed only to get one touchdown back and lost their third straight in the series.

These teams met in Game 13 last year at Alltel Stadium, and the Jaguars were 9-3 with designs on trying to end Indy's perfect season and climb back into the division race. The Colts were in control throughout, building a 26-3 lead before the Jaguars rallied with two late scores to make it close. The 26-18 victory gave Indianapolis the division title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

This time, though, the Colts can only clinch the division title. After their recent road troubles, they'll take it.