It’s not been a very enjoyable NFL season in Indianapolis and it wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Colts opened Lucas Oil Field, an extraordinary new stadium in August.
The new stadium honors General Manager Bill Polian, head coach Tony Dungy and quarterback Peyton Manning. It’s a tribute to the the franchise since Dungy’s arrival in 2002. The Colts have been known for their consistency and last year they became the first team in NFL history to win 12 or more games in a season five years in a row.
This season things are different, the Colts have been wracked with injuries. Manning missed all of pre-season. The offensive line has suffered numerous injuries. Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday is playing hurt. Former AFC defensive MVP Bob Sanders has been hurt at safety. The list goes on and on.
On Monday night, things didn’t get any better, Indy lost to undefeated Tennessee in Nashville. As a result the team has staggered to an uncharacteristic 3-4 start. Now the Colts are four games out of first place heading into the second half of the season and the playoffs are in jeopardy. The schedule doesn’t get any easier—New England comes to town for a Sunday night game.
There’s an old saying in football that says “you are never as good as you think you are when you win…and you are never as bad as you think you are when you lose.” That may be the case in Indy where the national media is starting to assume that the Colts are getting old.
It might be that the Indianapolis Colts are, right now a victim of their own success. This may be a down season, but the vision for this franchise will not change. They’ve won with success. They’ve won consistently and they’ve won with good character. None of that has changed. The Colts may be struggling now, but they’ll win again.
Today talk with the veteran center of the Indianapolis Colts, Jeff Saturday and rookie tight end, Jacob Tamme.
Jeff missed some of the early part of the season due to injuries. He’s back and playing now, but not at 100 per cent. He shares his thoughts on why he’s playing even though injured and how tough it was not to play early in the season.
Jacob Tamme talks about making the adjustment from college football to the NFL and both players talk about what it’s like to play for Tony Dungy. Both have seen Tony in good and bad times and they share how his faith impacts the team.
Frank Giardina
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