Now that New England Week has passed and the Indianapolis Colts remain one of the NFL's two undefeated teams, it's time to move on and concentrate on Sunday's road game with the Baltimore Ravens.
Indianapolis takes a 9-0 record into this week's meeting with the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Colts coach Jim Caldwell doesn't think he'll have a problem getting his team, especially the younger players, focused directly on facing a pretty good Baltimore squad.
Never mind that Indianapolis is coming off a big home win over the Patriots. And never mind the fact the Colts boast an unbeaten record.
"You hit it right on the head when you said younger guys, because (for) the older guys, (it's) maybe the third time they've been 9-0. It's not anything really new to them. We'll have to do a job to get that message across to the younger ones, but our young guys are catching on pretty quickly," Caldwell said.
"At some point in time I'm going to stop referring to them as young guys because a lot of them have gotten pretty seasoned here, particularly with some of the games that we've had that have been so close. I think they've learned their lesson, and certainly understand what's required of them to be successful in this league. I think those things are taking care of themselves as the season goes along."
One of those older players, quarterback Peyton Manning, doesn't think that it will be a problem getting everybody attention directly squarely on the Ravens.
"We have enough veterans around here that can show the way. I think it helps that you're playing the Baltimore Ravens, a team that we are very familiar with and very familiar with how good of a team they are. (I) don't look at their record every time we play them. It's just a dogfight," Manning said.
"Their defense is what we (the Colts' offense) focus on. They have a lot of the same guys, a tremendous scheme. From that standpoint, it's really not hard (focusing on Indianapolis' next opponent) because you better have a good week of practice and a great week of preparation, mentally and physically. Going to Baltimore is one of the toughest places to play."
That's putting it mildly. Given the history of the two franchises, and especially the Colts' tradition among Baltimore sports fans, Indianapolis' players can expect a lot of noise to be directed their way.
"It's a great football town, and they've always had great teams to pull for, so it's loud. It's one of the louder places to play. Once you get into the stadium, it's trying to figure out how to block No. 52 (middle linebacker Ray Lewis) and you always figure out where No. 20 (free safety Ed Reed) is. That's what you get into. I can't speak for them. I know it's a tough place to play," Manning said.
SERIES HISTORY: 9th regular-season meeting. Colts lead series 6-2. After losing two of the first three regular-season games with Baltimore, the Colts have won five straight in the series. Indianapolis has averaged 28 points per game on offense over the first eight regular-season meetings. The Colts are 2-2 in Baltimore, winning the last two regular-season matchups 24-7 and 44-20. Last year Indianapolis beat Baltimore 31-3 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts also posted a 15-6 win in an AFC divisional playoff game on January 13, 2007. Adam Vinatieri's five field goals were the difference in the game as Indianapolis advanced to host the AFC title game.
.gif){kind=spacer}
- Draft Scout Premium Members Feature - 
COLTS INSIDE SLANT