INDIANAPOLIS – Some say they don't know the exact standings of the AFC South.
But their sheepish grins when asked whether they know how things stack up in the division give off a different impression.
The Colts know.
If they didn't, Chuck Pagano's message to his team in returning from its mini-bye week let them know.
"I told them, there is no margin for error," Pagano said on Monday, with the Colts about to play five closing games that will dictate how early the off-season vacation will start for his team.
Going into the month of December, the AFC South has rarely seen such a crowd at the top of the division.
-Houston (6-5)
-Tennessee (6-6)
-Indianapolis (5-6)
Dwayne Allen is one of the few who admits he does know what those standings look like.
"I do (realize how close things are in the division). I do. That's what makes football so exciting this time of the year. December football. The league has been very, very competitive this year. We just have to focus on the five games left.
"It's our job to run the table. Point. Blank. Period."
While a 5-0 finish for the Colts to end the regular season would all but assure them of a playoff spot, a 4-1 record (with beating Houston being one of those wins) should clinch a postseason berth, too.
Anything less than that, and the Colts will need some serious help from the Texans and Titans.
Debating and projecting how the AFC South will shake out over the next month can make one go a little crazy.
The Colts aren't saying what they completely know, and do not know.
But they are definitely embracing a chance to make up for the near misses from earlier this season.
"In order to have a realistic shot at making the playoffs, we have to run the table," Allen repeats.
"You can either be intimidated by that or be excited because that means the coaching staff, the players, are going to give it everything they absolutely have to win a football game. And that's exciting football."
