Release: Colts vs. Eagles

INDIANAPOLISCOLTS (5-2) at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4-3)

DATE: Sunday, November 7, 2010

SITE: Lincoln Financial Field

KICKOFF: 4:15 p.m. (EST)

CAPACITY: 69,144

SURFACE:Grass

                Returning to an opposing city for the first time since 2002, while making an initial appearance in a rival venue, the Indianapolis Colts, 5-2, visit Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, November 7 to face the Philadelphia Eagles, 4-3. Kickoff for the contest, telecast by CBS Sports and broadcast nationally by Westwood One, is 4:15 p.m. (EST).

                The Colts have not played in Philadelphia since earning a 35-13 victory over the Eagles on November 19, 2002. Indianapolis will be making a 10th-ever appearance in Philadelphia. The club has earned a 5-4 record in three previous venues (Connie Mack Stadium, Franklin Field, Veterans Stadium) and holds a 10-6 series edge. The clubs have not met since a 45-21 Colts home win on November 26, 2006. Indianapolis reaches Sunday's game after a 30-17 win last Monday at home against Houston. Philadelphia had a bye week following its 37-19 loss on October 24 at Tennessee. Indianapolis is 2-0 against the NFC East with victories over the New York Giants (38-14) and at Washington (27-24). The Eagles earned a 28-3 win at Jacksonville on September 26 in their other AFC South battle this season.

The Colts are owners of the NFL's best regular-season record (133-50) 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 78 of its last 96 regular-season games. The Colts own a 103-31 record (counting the playoffs) since the start of the 2003 season and are 89-26 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 39-12 record in AFC South play, while the club has owned or shared the lead in 116 of 144 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-Austin Collie (hand), LB-Kavell Conner (foot), DT-Antonio Johnson (knee) and DB-Bob Sanders (biceps) were out; RB-Joseph Addai (neck) was doubtful; RB-Donald Brown (hamstring), WRs-Pierre Garcon (hamstring), Anthony Gonzalez (ankle) and Reggie Wayne (hamstring) and DBs-Jacob Lacey (foot) and Jerraud Powers (foot) were questionable; LB-Gary Brackett (groin) was probable for the last game vs. Houston. 

Deactivated players for the last game were Collie, Sanders, Powers, Lacey, Addai, Conner, G-Jacques McClendon and Johnson.

TELEVISION/RADIO:  CBS Sports telecasts with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. 1070-The Fan/HANK-FM, 97.1 broadcasts with Bob Lamey, Will Wolford and Kevin Lee (field reporter). Westwood One broadcasts nationally with Howard David and Tony Boselli. 

NEXT WEEK: Indianapolis hosts Cincinnati on Sunday, November 14 at 1:00 p.m. (EST).

WWW.COLTS.COM: Please check the official website of the Indianapolis Colts for the latest in team information and merchandise.

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HEAD COACHES

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*               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.

                ANDY REID became the 20th Eagles head coach on January 11, 1999. Reid joined Philadelphia after serving seven seasons with Green Bay in three different capacities (QB Coach, TE Coach, Asst. OL Coach). Reid has directed the Eagles to a mark of 122-78-1, along with five NFC Championship game appearances and one Super Bowl berth. Reid helped Green Bay reach the playoffs six times, including the Super Bowl XXXI title season. Reid started coaching at San Francisco State in 1983, moving to Northern Arizona, Texas-El Paso and Missouri. He was a graduate assistant at Brigham Young in 1982, starting an association with Mike Holmgren. Reid played OT/G with the Cougars. He is a native of Los Angeles, Calif.

COLTS/EAGLES SERIES NOTES

Though the Colts-Eagles series dates back to 1953, the series has been renewed but 16 times during regular-season play. The Colts lead the league series, 10-6, on the strength of four straight wins. The series was last renewed on November 26, 2006, when the Colts scored the game's first 21 points to earn a 45-21 victory in the RCA Dome. RB-Joseph Addai (24-171, 4 TDs rushing) became the 8th NFL rookie with four rushing TDs, setting the club single-game rookie mark for rushing and overall touchdowns and tying the franchise overall rushing TD record of RB-Eric Dickerson. Addai had first-half scoring bursts of 15, 10 and 15 yards to become the 2nd player in NFL history with three 10 -yard first-half rushing touchdowns (Dickerson, Colts vs. Denver 10/31/88). Addai's yardage marked the 4th-highest club rookie rushing total. QB-Peyton Manning was 14-20-183, 1 TD/int., hitting WR-Reggie Wayne (4-77, 1 TD) on an 11t tally. The Indianapolis defense produced two sacks and two takeaways, the first one being a 26t fumble return by DB-Kelvin Hayden. The teams met on November 10, 2002, when the Colts posted a 35-13 win at Philadelphia. Manning (18-23-319, 3 TDs) teamed with WRs-Marvin Harrison (6-137, 2 TDs, 57t and 43t) and Wayne (6-121, 1 TD, 27t), while rookie RB-James Mungro was 28-114, 2 TDs rushing (6t, 10t) as the Colts bolted to a 14-6 halftime lead that eventually swelled to 35-6. The Indianapolis defense harried the Eagles all day, producing two sacks and forcing three fumbles. Mungro became the sixth Colt rookie rusher with a 100 game in a first career start. Harrison tied WR-Raymond Berry's club record with 68 career touchdown receptions. Manning's performance gained him then the second perfect rating (158.3) of his career (now has three). The clubs met four times during the 1990s, the last one coming on November 21, 1999, a 44-17 Colts road victory. In that contest, Indianapolis produced its sixth straight win in building a 30-3 halftime advantage. Manning (16-26-235, 3 TDs), RB-Edgerrin James (22-152, 2 TDs rushing/5-47, 1 TD receiving), Harrison (5-60, 1 TD) and WR-Terrence Wilkins (4-111, 1 TD) led the way. Manning hit 5t, 80t and 17t passes to Harrison, Wilkins and James, while James had 1t and 62t scoring runs. The Colts defense produced five takeaways as the club led through three periods, 44-3. Manning gave way to QB-Steve Walsh for the final period, snapping a string of 1,590 consecutive snaps to start a career, the NFL record for quarterbacks. QB-Donovan McNabb was 19-36-165, 1 TD/2 ints., while RB-Duce Staley was 16-78. The Colts appeared in Philadelphia on September 30, 1990. On that day at Veterans Stadium, QB-Jack Trudeau guided the Colts the length of the field in the final two minutes, hitting WR-Bill Brooks on a 5t pass at the gun to knot the game, 23-23. K-Dean Biasucci's PAT gave the Colts a dramatic victory. In the 1990's other meetings, Philadelphia topped Indianapolis in 1993 (20-10, on 12/19) at the RCA Dome. Indianapolis took a 37-10 verdict at home over the Eagles on December 5, 1996. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2010 RANKINGS (denotes ranking is tied)

RANKINGS            OFFENSE                     RANKING                         DEFENSE                   RANKING

                         Total    Rush      Pass         CONF.       NFL              Total     Rush   Pass         CONF.         NFL

Colts                 402.9     96.6     306.3       2-15- 2     2-23- 2           336.4   133.1   203.3       8-14- 4     17-28- 7                         

Eagles               372.6   129.3     243.3       3- 4- 4     5- 9- 8           316.0   109.9   206.1       6- 9- 5     12-18-11                         

BEST NFL RECORDS DURING 1999-2010 REGULAR SEASONS

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 133-50 record during that span.