KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (3-0) vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (2-2)
DATE: Sunday, October 10, 2010
SITE: Lucas Oil Stadium
KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. (EDT)/12:00 p.m. (CDT)
CAPACITY: 63,000
SURFACE: FieldTurf
Hosting the first of two AFC West teams this season and meeting a second foe from that division, the Indianapolis Colts, 2-2, entertain the Kansas City Chiefs, 3-0, on Sunday, October 10 in Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff for the contest, telecast by CBS Sports, is 1:00 p.m. (EDT)/12:00 p.m. (CDT).
The Colts and Chiefs will be meeting for the 17th time in league play, with Indianapolis owning a 9-7 series edge. Indianapolis will be trying to extend its unbeaten record against the AFC West. The Colts took a 27-13 victory at Denver on September 26. The Colts will host San Diego on November 28, then travel to Oakland for a December 26 clash with the Raiders. Kansas City sports an unbeaten record in meeting the Colts. The Chiefs sandwiched home wins over San Diego and San Francisco around a victory at Cleveland, then observed an open week last Sunday. The Colts reach this week's game after a 31-28 loss last Sunday at Jacksonville. In addition to the league series, Indianapolis owns three post-season decisions between the clubs. Kansas City's last appearance in Indianapolis was a 13-10 loss to the Colts on November 18, 2007.
The Colts are owners of the NFL's best regular-season record (130-50) since the start of the 1999 season, while being the only team to earn 10 playoff appearances in the last eleven seasons, including a league-best eight consecutive post-season berths. Indianapolis has won 75 of its last 93 regular-season games. The Colts own a 100-31 record (counting the playoffs) since the start of the 2003 season and are 86-26 since 2004. From November, 2003 to December, 2009, the Colts produced a regular-season record of 81-19, tying New England (2003-09) for the NFL's best 100-game regular-season mark. Indianapolis' winning ways include a 38-12 record in AFC South play, while the club has owned or shared the lead in 113 of 140 weeks of the division's existence. The Colts won five AFC South championships from 2003-07, the best divisional-title streak in club history. The Colts were wire-to-wire divisional leaders during the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 seasons. The club's nine playoff berths in the 2000-09 decade tied the NFL record set by Dallas (9) in the 1970s. Indianapolis is the only team since 2002 Realignment to earn annual double-digit victory totals and playoff berths. From 2008-09, the Colts set an NFL record with 23 consecutive regular-season victories (21, New England, 2006-08). The streak was the sixth 10 -game regular-season winning streak in franchise history (23, 2008-09; 13, 2005; 11, 1964; 11, 1975-76; 11, 1999; 10, 2005-06), the fourth since 1999. Indianapolis extended its NFL record as the only franchise to win seven or more consecutive regular-season games in six consecutive seasons (8, 2004; 13, 2005; 9, 2006; 7 and 6, 2007; 9, 2008; 14, 2009). Additionally, the Colts posted their eighth consecutive 10 -victory season, setting the 2nd-longest such streak in NFL history (16, San Francisco, 1983-98). Indianapolis earned its seventh consecutive season with 11 victories, surpassing the NFL record it had shared with Dallas (6, 1976-81). The Colts extended their league mark to seven consecutive seasons (2003-09) with 12 victories. The Colts produced 115 victories for the 2000-09 decade, surpassing the league record of 113 by San Francisco from 1990-99.
PERSONNEL REPORT: WR-Pierre Garcon (hamstring), WR-Anthony Gonzalez (ankle), DB-Bob Sanders (biceps), RB-Donald Brown (hamstring), LB-Kavell Conner (foot) were out; RB-Joseph Addai (knee), WR-Austin Collie (heel), OT-Charlie Johnson (foot), DB-Brandon King (hamstring), OG-Jamey Richard (shoulder), LB-Clint Session (hamstring) were questionable; LB-Gary Brackett (back), DB-Jerraud Powers (foot), C-Jeff Saturday (knee) were probable for the last game. Deactivated players for the last game were Brown, Conner, Garcon, King, Richard, DT-Ricardo Mathews, Gonzalez and Sanders.
TELEVISION/RADIO: CBS Sports telecasts with Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf. 1070-The Fan/HANK-FM, 97.1 broadcasts with Bob Lamey, Will Wolford and Kevin Lee (field reporter).
NEXT WEEK: Indianapolis visits Washington on Sunday, October 17 at 8:20 p.m. (EDT).
WWW.COLTS.COM: Please check the official website of the Indianapolis Colts for the latest in team information and merchandise.
HEAD COACHES
JIM CALDWELL was named head coach of the Colts on January 13, 2009, and this marks his ninth season with Indianapolis. Caldwell joined the club in 2002 as quarterbacks coach before adding the title of assistant head coach prior to the 2005 season. Caldwell was promoted to associate head coach with the club prior to the 2008 season. From 2002-09, Caldwell has been a part of Colts teams that produced 10-6, 12-4, 12-4, 14-2, 12-4, 13-3, 12-4 and 14-2 records. Indianapolis is the only team to earn 12 victories in seven consecutive seasons, setting the NFL's all-time standard. Indianapolis has had eight consecutive 10 -victory seasons, setting the second-longest streak in NFL history (16, San Francisco, 1983-98; 7, Dallas, 1975-81), and the Colts have surpassed Dallas (1976-81) as the only franchise to earn at least eleven victories in seven consecutive seasons. The Colts also have earned an NFL-best eight consecutive playoff appearances, and Indianapolis is the only team to post double-digit victory seasons and playoff berths each season since the 2002 realignment. From 2008-09, Indianapolis set the NFL record with 23 consecutive regular-season victories (21 New England, 2006-08). Indianapolis also won 115 regular-season games from 2000-09, the most by a team in a decade in NFL history. From 2004-09, Indianapolis became the only NFL team to win at least seven consecutive games in six consecutive seasons (8, 2004; 13, 2005; 9, 2006; 7 and 6, 2007; 9, 2008; 14, 2009). In 2009, Caldwell became the 5th NFL rookie head coach to reach the Super Bowl. Caldwell joined Chuck Knox (L.A. Rams, 1973), Red Miller (Denver, 1977), Mike Martz (St. Louis, 2000) and Josh McDaniels (Denver, 2009) as the only rookie head coaches in the Super Bowl era to start 6-0. He became the fourth coach ever to start 6-0 when succeeding a head coach who won 100 games (Blanton Collier, Cleveland, 1963, succeeded Paul Brown, 111 wins; Jack Pardee, Washington, 1978, succeeded George Allen, 116 wins; Josh McDaniels, Denver, 2009, succeeded Mike Shanahan, 146 wins; Caldwell, Colts, 2009, succeeded Tony Dungy, 139 wins). Caldwell joined the Colts after serving as quarterbacks coach with Tampa Bay in 2001. Caldwell has more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience. He spent 1993-2000 as head coach at Wake Forest. He served as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois (1978-80), Northwestern (1981), Colorado (1982-84), Louisville (1985) and Penn State (1986-92). Caldwell has coached in six bowl games and won a national championship with Penn State in 1986. In addition to serving on Joe Paterno's title staff, Caldwell tutored under three other coaches who won collegiate crowns (Rey Dempsey, Southern Illinois; Bill McCartney, Colorado; Howard Schnellenberger, Louisville). Caldwell was a four-year starter at defensive back at Iowa and worked as a graduate assistant for Iowa in 1977. He holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa. Caldwell was born on January 16, 1955 in Beloit, Wis.
TODD HALEY was named head coach of Kansas City on February 6, 2009. Haley directed the Chiefs to a 4-12 record while showing improvements in all phases. Haley joined the Chiefs from Arizona, where he was Offensive Coordinator 2007-08. Prior to Arizona, Haley was Passing Game Coordinator/WR Coach with Dallas 2004-06. He was WR Coach with Chicago 2001-03, and he also served 1997-2000 with the New York Jets. Haley started his NFL career in scouting with the Jets in 1995. Haley is a graduate of North Florida. He is a native of Atlanta, Ga.
COLTS/CHIEFS SERIES NOTES
The Colts and Chiefs have met 16 times in the regular season and three times in the playoffs. The Colts lead the league series, 9-7. The teams last met on November 18, 2007, with the Colts taking a 13-10 victory in the RCA Dome. K-Adam Vinatieri booted a 24-yard field goal with :03 remaining to give the Colts the win over Kansas City. The kick ended a 61-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion late in the contest by Indianapolis. QB-Peyton Manning (16-32-163, 1 int.) became
the 11th QB to surpass 40,000 career passing yards and the 10th QB to post 100 career starting victories. RB-Joseph Addai (21-72, 1 TD rushing) spearheaded the ground attack, while WR-Reggie Wayne was 4-75. Indianapolis tallied 216 net yards to Kansas City's 234 in a defensive struggle. Vinatieri and Chiefs K-Dave Rayner each missed two field goals. Indianapolis owned a five-game regular-season series winning streak before the Chiefs took a 45-35 win in Arrowhead Stadium on October 31, 2004. Scoring on five consecutive first-half possessions, Kansas City earned a 31-14 halftime lead that helped result in the win. The Chiefs amassed 590 yards behind QB-Trent Green (27-34-389, 3 TDs) and RB-Priest Holmes (32-143, 3 TDs), while the Colts totaled 505 net yards behind Manning (25-44-472, 5 TDs/1 int.). Leading only 7-0, the Colts cut the deficit to 31-28 and 38-35, but could never catch the Chiefs. Wayne (6-119, 2 TDs; 41t, 6t) and WR-Marvin Harrison (5-119, 2 TDs; 52t, 22t) had big days, as did Chiefs TE-Tony Gonzalez (8-125, 2 TDs). The game marked the first in club history with the teams combining 1,000 yards of net offense (1,095).
The teams played in 1999, 2000 and 2001. On October 25, 2001, the Indianapolis defense produced three sacks, three interceptions and held the Chiefs to 101 rushing yards as the club bolted from a 7-3 halftime lead to win, 35-28. Manning was 19-30-201, 2 TDs, while James was 27-102 and Harrison was 8-98, 1 TD (47t). The Colts kept ahead of the Chiefs with the play of RB-Dominic Rhodes, who tallied an 88t KOR and 77t rush, becoming the only player in club history with 70 and 80 TD plays in the same game. Rhodes was thrust into action as James suffered a season-ending knee injury. On September 3, 2000, the Colts produced their first opening-day road win since 1983 in topping the Chiefs, 27-14. James (28-124, 1 TD rushing/6-40, 1 TD receiving) and Manning (22-32-273, 1 TD/int.) paced the way. The teams met on November 7, 1999, as Indianapolis took a 25-17 win in the RCA Dome. The Colts appeared in Kansas City on December 15, 1996, and came away with a 24-19 victory. Harrison was 6-103, 3 TDs to set the club rookie record for scoring receptions in a game. The Colts also won the playoff meetings between the clubs. The first playoff match between the clubs was the Divisional Playoffs on January 7, 1996. The 10-7 Colts faced the 13-3 Chiefs in arctic conditions (11 degrees, -9 degrees with wind chill) and took a 10-7 victory to advance to the AFC Championship Game. In the 2004 playoff meeting, scoring on six of eight possessions and leading throughout the contest, the Colts posted a 38-31 win at Kansas City. Indianapolis scored on its first possession and opened 14-3 first-quarter and 21-10 halftime leads in posting the win. Manning (22-30-304, 3 TDs, 138.8 rating) teamed with Harrison (6-98), Wayne (6-83, 1 TD; 19t) and WR-Brandon Stokley (4-57, 1 TD; 29t) to guide the passing game. RB-Edgerrin James was 26-125, 2 TDs (11t, 1t) to pace the rushing attack. Indianapolis totaled 434 net yards. Holmes was 24-176, 2 TDs rushing, while Green was 18-30-212, 1 TD for Kansas City. Indianapolis failed to score on half-ending and game-ending drives, but scored on all six other possessions. The club did not punt for the second consecutive playoff game, and the game stood as the only one in NFL history where both teams failed to punt. In the third playoff contest, Indianapolis scored the first 16 points and held Kansas City without a first down for the first 42 minutes of the game in posting the win. K-Adam Vinatieri booted field goals of 48, 19 and 50 yards in the first half, then RB-Joseph Addai (25-122, 1 TD) tallied on a 6t burst midway through the third quarter to give Indianapolis its cushion. After the Chiefs cut the score to 16-8, QB-Peyton Manning (30-38-268, 1 TD/3 ints.) directed a march that ended with his 5t strike to WR-Reggie Wayne early in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis produced four sacks and three takeaways, while holding the Chiefs to 44 yards on 17 rushes. Manning hit eight different receivers, with Addai (7-26), Wayne (5-36, 1 TD) and TE-Dallas Clark (9-103) leading the way. Indianapolis out-gained Kansas City, 435-126, including 188-44 on the ground. Indianapolis controlled the ball for 39:23 of the contest.
COLTS ARE NFL'S WINNINGEST TEAM FROM 1999-2010: The Colts stand as the NFL's winningest team since the start of the 1999 season. The Colts own a 130-50 record during that span.
