INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-2) at WASHINGTON REDSKINS (3-2)
DATE: Sunday, October 17, 2010
SITE: FedExField
KICKOFF: 8:20 p.m. (EDT)
CAPACITY: 91,704
SURFACE: Grass
Making a second-ever appearance at FedExField, the Indianapolis Colts, 3-2, meet the Washington Redskins, 3-2, on Sunday, October 17. Kickoff for the contest, telecast nationally by NBC Sports, is 8:20 p.m. (EDT). Westwood One provides national radio coverage.
The Colts and Redskins will be meeting for the 29th time, with Indianapolis' only appearance in this venue coming in October of the 2002 season. The Colts lead the series, 18-10, but dropped a 26-21 outcome in their only FedExField outing. Indianapolis reaches Sunday's fray after a 19-9 home victory last Sunday over Kansas City. Washington earned a 16-13 overtime win at home over Green Bay. This is the second of three scheduled Sunday Night games for Indianapolis in 2010. The Colts topped the New York Giants at home, 38-14, on September 19, and will host San Diego on November 28.
The Colts are owners of the NFL's best regular-season record (131-50) 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 76 of its last 94 regular-season games. The Colts own a 101-31 record (counting the playoffs) since the start of the 2003 season and are 87-26 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 114 of 141 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-Anthony Gonzalez (ankle), DB-Bob Sanders (biceps), LB-Kavell Conner (foot) were out; RB-Joseph Addai (knee), DB-Antoine Bethea (hamstring), RB-Donald Brown (hamstring), WR-Austin Collie (foot), WR-Pierre Garcon (hamstring), RB-Mike Hart (knee), OT-Charlie Johnson (foot), DB-Brandon King (hamstring), DB-Jacob Lacey (foot), OG-Jamey Richard (shoulder) were questionable; LB-Gary Brackett (back), DB-Jerraud Powers (foot), LB-Clint Session (hamstring), WR-Reggie Wayne (knee) were probable for the last game. Deactivated players for the last game were Lacey, Brown, OG-Jacques McClendon, OG-Jaimie Thomas, DE-Jerry Hughes, Conner, Gonzalez and Sanders.
TELEVISION/RADIO: NBC Sports telecasts with Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Andrea Kremer (field reporter). 1070-The Fan/HANK-FM, 97.1 broadcasts with Bob Lamey, Will Wolford and Kevin Lee (field reporter). Westwood One broadcasts nationally with Dave Sims, James Lofton and Sean Landeta (field reporter).
NEXT WEEK: Indianapolis observes its open week before hosting Houston on Monday, November 1 at 8:30 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.
MIKE SHANAHAN became the 28th coach in Washington history on January 6, 2010. Shanahan joined Washington after serving 1995-2008 as head coach with Denver. Shanahan led Denver to Super Bowl championships in 1997 and 1998, becoming then only the fifth head coach to win consecutive Super Bowls. He directed Denver to seven playoff wins those years, the highest two-season playoff total in history. He originally coached with Denver 1984-87. After serving 1988 as head coach with the Raiders, he returned to the Broncos from 1989-92. He was with San Francisco 1992-94. Shanahan's collegiate stops came at Oklahoma, Northern Arizona, Eastern Illinois, Minnesota and Florida. Shanahan was a QB at Eastern Illinois and is a native of Oak Park, Ill.
COLTS/REDSKINS SERIES NOTES
The Colts and Redskins will be meeting for the 29th time in a series that dates back to 1953. The Colts own an 18-10 series edge. The series has been contested only eight times since 1984, when the Colts moved to Indianapolis. The teams last met on October 22, 2006 in the RCA Dome. Using a 20-point third-quarter surge, the Colts topped Washington, 36-22. QB-Peyton Manning (25-35-342, 4 TDs) directed an attack that included scoring strikes to WRs-Reggie Wayne (7-122, 1 TD; 51t) and Marvin Harrison (7-73, 2 TDs; 4t; 1t) and TE-Dallas Clark (2-41, 1 TD; 1t). K-Adam Vinatieri booted field goals of 30, 19 and 47 yards. Indianapolis responded from a 14-13 halftime deficit. The Colts' only prior appearance in FedExField came on October 27, 2002, when the Redskins took a 26-21 win. Indianapolis rallied from a 20-0 first-half deficit to a 23-21 fourth-quarter margin before falling. QB-Shane Matthews (17-35-210, 2 TDs) and RB-Stephen Davis (16-80 rushing) propelled the Redskins to an early advantage. Matthews hit scoring tosses of nine and 33 yards before the Colts moved the ball. Manning (21-32-214, 2 TDs/ints., 1-1, 1 TD rushing) scored on a 1t rush as the Colts trailed at the half, 23-7. RB-Edgerrin James caught a 2t pass from Manning and converted a two-point rush to move the Colts within 23-15 early in the final quarter. RB-Ricky Williams snared a 20t pass from Manning, but a second two-point play failed with 6:46 to go. Washington responded with a 22-yard K-James Tuthill field goal with :18 left for the final points. The teams met on December 19, 1999, when the Colts won the AFC Eastern Division title with a 24-21 decision in the RCA Dome. Manning was 23-37-298, 2 TDs/1 int., while James was 22-89, 1 TD rushing/4-59, 1 TD receiving. James had a 37t reception from Manning to open the scoring. Manning's 1t pass to TE-Ken Dilger was the first of two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Colts, while James' 2t rush provided the eventual winning points. The series was contested annually from 1953-67, then in 1969, 1973, 1977, 1978 and 1981 while the Colts were in Baltimore.
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 131-50 record during that span.
