May 2008 - Indianapolis Colts Wiretap

Sanders Close To Return, But Won't Play Sunday

May 21, 2014 5:49 PM

Colts' safety Bob Sanders will miss at least one more game but is getting closer to his return from a right knee injury. Coach Tony Dungy said he received "good news" regarding Sanders' knee from team physicians and that Sanders "feels pretty good."

Indianapolis Star

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Has Four-Game Streak Resurrected Peyton's Season?

Aug 7, 2014 6:14 AM

Earlier this season Peyton Manning, who many believe is the greatest quarterback of his generation, was on pace for the worst season of his storied career. After seven games, the Colts were 3-4, and Manning had 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Four weeks later, Indianapolis is 7-4, and Peyton is playing like himself once again. Despite facing the tough defenses of the Patriots and Steelers, Manning has gone 104-for-159 (65.4 completion percentage) with 1,069 yards, 9 touchdowns, and just one interception in his last four contests. Over that time period he has also posted a quarterback rating of 102.5, well above the 87.2 mark he still has for the 2008 season. Thanks to his above-average play in the month of November, Manning's numbers are now on pace to match his career averages. Manning's Key Passing Statistics Stat: 2008, Career Average Completions: 387, 347 Attempts: 617, 541 Completion %: 62.7, 64.1 Yards: 4,106, 4,162 Touchdowns: 28, 31 Interceptions: 15, 15 The struggling running game of the Colts has forced Peyton to throw the ball even more than he had in the past, but he is still posting productive numbers. Even with his superlative four-game run, Manning is on pace to finish the year with his worst touchdown-to-interception ratio since 2002, his lowest completion percentage since 2001 and his lowest quarterback rating since that same year. If he continues to play like he has as of late, he could easily finish with better numbers than projected. However, it's also worth noting that Manning's numbers over his previous five seasons were far-and-away better than those in his first four NFL campaigns, which has affected his career averages. From 2003 to 2007, Manning averaged 4,201 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while completing 66.4% of his passes. It will be extremely difficult for Peyton to approach those numbers this season because of the rough start he had, but his play over the last four weeks has certainly confirmed that he hasn't lost a step.

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Misc Rumor

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Colts' Saturday Out 3-4 Weeks?

May 21, 2014 7:02 PM

Colts' center Jeff Saturday is expected to miss three-to-four weeks of action after suffering a strained calf muscle. Saturday suffered the injury against the Chargers on Sunday night and was unable to finish the game. Rookie Jamey Richard, a seventh-round pick, will fill in for Saturday in the meantime. "Jamey got himself ready to play even though he wasn't planning on playing, and that's what you have to do as a backup player," Coach Tony Dungy said.

Indianapolis Star

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Freeney Out For Revenge

May 21, 2014 6:00 PM

Dwight Freeney will return to the stage that 12 months ago produced what the Indianapolis Colts defensive end calls "a bad moment in my life." "I don't have great memories of that field," Freeney said Thursday. "Not at all. Hopefully, I can go out there and get my revenge on the whole stadium and everybody out there and the whole team." Using one of his familiar spin moves in the fourth quarter of a 23-21 loss at San Diego last year, Freeney suffered an injury to his left foot when his cleats got caught in the sloppy turf.

Indy Star

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers

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New Cowboys' Stadium Gets 2014 Final Four

Sep 10, 2014 9:11 PM

The NCAA says the men's basketball Final Four will be played at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington in 2014. Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, will host the 2016 Final Four. The 2012 Final Four will be played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, with finals also awarded to Atlanta's Georgia Dome in 2013 and the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2015.

FoxSports

Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts

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Sanders Inactive For Colts Against Texans

Sep 30, 2014 1:14 PM

Hard-hitting safety Bob Sanders was not active for the Colts on Sunday against the Texans. Wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez were active, but the absence of Sanders could mean a big day for Houston on the ground.

NFL.com

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Dungy: Colts Won't Bench Harrison

May 21, 2014 5:22 PM

Colts' head coach Tony Dungy claims that Marvin Harrison's starting position isn't in jeopardy and that the wide receiver is completely healthy. "He's 100 percent," Dungy said. "Just one of those stretches we're going through. We have taken those plays for granted ever since I've been here that we're normally going to get two or three deep shots, and when we get them and we get them set up, they're normally touchdowns." Harrison couldn't come up with a few catchable balls that might have ended up as touchdowns in the team's win over the Steelers this past Sunday.

Indianapolis Star

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Misc Rumor

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Giants Knock Off Eagles

Aug 6, 2014 4:27 PM

Chances are you saw a majority of the twelve games played on Sunday in the NFL?s Week Ten, but there is no need to worry if you weren?t watching all the action. RealGM is here to help summarize all that went down as NFL teams took the field in the second weekend of November. We will also calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. Denver 34, Cleveland 30 Team Trench Counter: Broncos +7.2, Browns -7.2 The Denver Broncos (5-4) spoiled the debut of Brady Quinn as the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns (3-6) on Thursday night thanks to a strong performance from Jay Cutler. Cutler went 24-for-42 with 447 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Rookie Ryan Torain rushed twelve times for 68 yards and a score before suffering a season-ending injury to his ACL. Fellow rookie Eddie Royal caught six passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, while Brandon Marshall grabbed six passes for 89 yards and a score in the win. Quinn played well in his first NFL start, going 23-for-35 with 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kellen Winslow, maligned for a majority of the season in Cleveland, had ten catches for 111 yards and both of Quinn?s scoring strikes. Jamal Lewis rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown before laying into his teammates the following morning. The Browns protected Quinn well, keeping the Broncos from sacking him in Ohio. Baltimore 41, Houston 13 Team Trench Counter: Ravens +14.3, Texans -14.3 The Baltimore Ravens (6-3) trounced the Houston Texans (3-6) at Reliant Stadium on Sunday thanks to strong performances from Joe Flacco, Willis McGahee and their defense. Flacco went 15-for-23 with 185 yards and two touchdowns, McGahee rushed twenty-five times for 112 yards and a pair of scores and Baltimore?s defense intercepted Sage Rosenfels four times. Troy Smith came on late in the fourth quarter and threw one pass, a 14-yard touchdown strike to tight end Todd Heap, who caught five passes for 58 yards and two scores. Rosenfels struggled mightily in relief of Matt Schaub, who was out with a knee injury. He went 23-for-38 with 294 yards, a touchdown and the aforementioned four picks. Ryan Moats and Ahman Green combined to rush for 53 yards on eleven carries, while Kevin Walter caught four passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens never trailed and pulled away with 22 points in the fourth quarter. N.Y. Jets 47, St. Louis 3 Team Trench Counter: Jets +28.3, Rams -28.3 Thomas Jones had a career day as the New York Jets (6-3) soundly defeated the St. Louis Rams (2-7). Jones rushed twenty-six times for 149 yards and three touchdowns and the Jets? defense recorded two sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. Brett Favre went 14-for-19 with 167 yards and a touchdown as New York dominated on the ground. Rookie tight end Dustin Keller starred as well, catching six passes for 107 yards and a win in the victory. Marc Bulger and Trent Green combined to go 11-for-23 with 135 yards and two interceptions for St. Louis. Kenneth Darby and Antonio Pittman rushed seventeen times for 60 yards in the loss. The Rams recorded just 200 total yards, with the Jets racked up 373 and took advantage of great field positions on a number of their drives. New England 20, Buffalo 10 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +14, Bills -14 Matt Cassel led the New England Patriots (6-3) to a big win over the Buffalo Bills (5-4) on Sunday. Cassel went 23-for-34 with 234 yards and a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that gave New England a lead they never relinquished. BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed 26 times for 105 yards and a touchdown, while Wes Welker had 10 receptions for 107 yards in the win. The Patriots had just two sacks, but kept pressure on Trent Edwards all afternoon long. Edwards went 13-for-23 with 120 yards, one touchdown and two turnovers. Marshawn Lynch struggled as well, rushing fourteen times for 46 yards in the loss. Rookie receiver James Hardy was the only member of the Bills to reach the end zone, catching a 14-yard pass from Edwards late in the fourth to pull Buffalo to within 10 points. Minnesota 28, Green Bay 27 Team Trench Counter: Vikings +2.2, Packers -2.2 The Minnesota Vikings (5-4) held off the Green Bay Packers (4-5) in a key divisional battle at the Metrodome on Sunday. Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 192 yards and a touchdown, scored on a 29-yard yard with a little more than two minutes left to give the Vikings a lead. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers charged downfield, but Mason Crosby missed a 52-yard field goal as time expired that would have won it for Green Bay. Gus Frerotte went 15-for-28 with 151 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Chester Taylor, who rushed for 29 yards, tallied 84 yards and a score on four catches. Rodgers went 15-for-26 with 142 yards, while Ryan Grant continued to break out of his early-season slump with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Packers scored two touchdowns on defense ? a 59-yard interception return by Nick Collins and a 65-yard punt return by Will Blackmon. Miami 21, Seattle 19 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins -0.6, Seahawks +0.6 The Miami Dolphins (5-4) got a key stop on a two-point conversion attempt by the Seattle Seahawks (2-7) on Sunday afternoon to preserve a victory. Chad Pennington went 22-for-36 with 209 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Ted Ginn Jr. appears to be building great chemistry with Pennington, catching four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, enjoying a few plays from the Wildcat formation, combined for 144 yards and a pair of scores. Seneca Wallace was decent, going 21-for-38 with 185 yards and a touchdown, a 3-yard strike to Koren Robinson late in the fourth quarter. Julius Jones rushed sixteen times for 88 yards, but failed to reach the end zone. Jordan Babineaux scored the first points of the game for the Seahawks, returning an interception 35 yards in the second quarter for a score. Miami's win allowed each of the four AFC East teams to finish the afternoon with winning records. Jacksonville 38, Detroit 14 Team Trench Counter: Jaguars +11.1, Lions -11.1 The Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) ruined Daunte Culpepper?s debut with the Detroit Lions (0-9) as they kept his new team winless in a blowout victory. David Garrard went 18-for-25 with 238 yards and two touchdowns, while Cleo Lemon was 0-for-2 in relief late in the game. Fred Taylor had 80 rushing yards, while Maurice Jones-Drew tallied 70 yards and three touchdowns in the win. All of Jones-Drew?s scores came in the second quarter as Jacksonville pulled away. Culpepper went 5-for-10 with 104 yards and an interception, and Drew Stanton went 6-for-8 with 94 yards and a touchdown in relief of the struggling quarterback. Rookie rusher Kevin Smith had 96 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Calvin Johnson, who appears to gel with whatever quarterback he plays with in Detroit, caught two passes for 92 yards. Only the Rams have allowed more points than the Lions this season. Tennessee 21, Chicago 14 Team Trench Counter: Titans -1.9, Bears +1.9 The Tennessee Titans (9-0) remained undefeated on Sunday after withstanding a tough challenge from the Chicago Bears (5-4). Kerry Collins silenced his critics, going 30-for-41 with 289 yards and two touchdowns for his best aerial performance of the season. LenDale White rushed ten times for 14 yards and a touchdown, while Chris Johnson had just 8 yards on fourteen attempts. The Titans scored 21 straight points to take 21-7 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Rex Grossman played well for Chicago, going 20-for-37 with 173 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Grossman also accounted for the team?s only other touchdown, rushing 1-yard for a score in the fourth. Rookie running back Matt Forte had 72 yards on twenty carries, and caught seven passes for 54 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Atlanta 34, New Orleans 20 Team Trench Counter: Falcons +7, Saints -7 Rookie Matt Ryan remained hot as the Atlanta Falcons (6-3) handed the New Orleans Saints (4-5) a crushing loss on Sunday. Ryan went 16-for-23 with 248 yards and two touchdowns, and Michael Turner added 96 yards and a score on twenty-seven carries. Roddy White, Ryan?s favorite target, caught five passes for 68 yards and a touchdown in the victory. However, it was Atlanta?s defense that led them over New Orleans at the Georgia Dome. Drew Brees went 31-for-58 with 422 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Falcons took a 17-6 lead into halftime, forcing Brees to throw the ball for a majority of the second half. Devery Henderson, Pierre Thomas, Deuce McAllister and Aaron Stecker combined to rush for 95 rushing yards on fifteen carries, but the turnovers of Brees cost the Saints. Marques Colston had 140 yards on seven receptions, and Lance Moore caught six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Carolina 17, Oakland 6 Team Trench Counter: Panthers +0.7, Raiders -0.7 The Carolina Panthers (7-2) handed the Oakland Raiders (2-7) yet another defeat thanks to strong performance from DeAngelo Williams. Jake Delhomme went 7-for-27 with 72 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, but Williams paced the Panthers with 140 yards and a score. The teams combined to punt twenty times at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. Muhsin Muhammad, who caught 3 passes for 38 yards, was the recipient of Delhomme?s lone touchdown. Andrew Walter, starting for the injured JaMarcus Russell, went 14-for-32 with 143 yards and a pair of interceptions. Justin Fargas, without rookie Darren McFadden in the lineup, rushed twenty-two times for 89 yards. Carolina recorded five sacks, two picks and two forced fumbles. San Diego 20, Kansas City 19 Team Trench Counter: Chargers -2.1, Chiefs +2.1 They didn?t necessarily look good doing it, but the San Diego Chargers (4-5) stopped the Kansas City Chiefs (1-8) on a two-point conversion with less than a minute remaining to escape with a much-needed victory. Philip Rivers went 27-for-36 with 316 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. LaDainian Tomlinson, who still doesn?t look like himself on the field, rushed twenty-two times for 78 yards in the win. The Chargers rallied from a 13-7 halftime deficit, taking a 20-13 lead at the 6:55 mark of fourth period on a connection between Rivers and Antonio Gates. Tyler Thigpen looked terrific, going 27-for-41 with 266 yards and three touchdowns, but had his two-point conversion attempt intercepted on Kansas City?s final drive to hand San Diego the win. Tony Gonzalez caught ten passes for 113 yards and a pair of scores, while Mark Bradley grabbed nine balls for 81 yards and a touchdown. Indianapolis 24, Pittsburgh 20 Team Trench Counter: Colts +5.3, Steelers -5.3 The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) got their second-straight win over an AFC rival on Sunday when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) at Heinz Field. Peyton Manning went 21-for-40 with 240 yards and three touchdowns, while Joseph Addai tallied 34 yards on twelve carries against the tough Pittsburgh defense. Reggie Wayne had six receptions for 114 yards and a score and Dominic Rhodes caught a 17-yard pass from Manning with 3:04 left in the game to put the Colts ahead for good. Ben Roethlisberger went 30-for-42 with 284 yards and three interceptions. Mewelde Moore, who has filled in for Willie Parker (knee injury) when needed, tallied 57 yards and two touchdowns on twenty-four carries. Hines Ward caught nine passes for 116 yards in the loss, but the Indianapolis defense held the Steelers in check after the second quarter, limiting them to just a field goal in the second half. N.Y. Giants 36, Philadelphia 31 Team Trench Counter: Giants +6.8, Eagles -6.8 The New York Giants (8-1) improved their chances of coming out on top in the NFC East on Sunday night with a big victory over the Philadelphia Eagles (5-4). Eli Manning threw an early interception that led to a quick 7-0 lead for the Eagles, but the Giants rallied and won thanks to some questionable calls by Andy Reid. Manning finished 17-for-31 with 191 yards, two touchdowns and the aforementioned interception. Brandon Jacobs dominated on the ground, tallying 126 yards and two scores. Donovan McNabb went 17-for-36 with 194 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Brian Westbrook struggled on the ground, rushing for 26 yards on thirteen carries, including back-to-back attempts on the team's final drive that failed to get the two yards needed for a first down. The Giants now have a two-game lead over the Redskins for the lead in the division, while the Eagles are tied with the Cowboys for last place. Arizona 29, San Francisco 24 Team Trench Counter: Cardinals +11.7, 49ers -11.7 The Arizona Cardinals (6-3) needed a terrific goal-line stand, but they knocked off the San Francisco 49ers (2-7) on Monday Night Football. Kurt Warner went 32-for-42 with 328 yards and three touchdowns, as the team struggled to get things going on the ground. Steve Breaston caught seven passes for 121 yards, while Anquan Boldin grabbed seven balls for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Shaun Hill was decent as the 49ers' quarterback, going 19-for-40 with 217 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Frank Gore had success on the ground, rushing twenty-three times for 99 yards. However, he failed to get into the end zone on the second-to-last play of the game, when a touchdown would have won it for San Francisco. Jason Hill (seven catches for 84 yards) and Josh Morgan (four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown) were Hill's main targets. *Explaining The Trench Counter

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Game Recap, Personal Award, Team Achievement

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Randy Moss Fined $20K For Criticizing Officials

Nov 3, 2014 1:24 PM

Patriots' receiver Randy Moss has been fined $20,000 for comments made regarding officiating after the team's loss to the Colts in Week Nine. "A lot of guys are really down because we let a game like this slip," Moss said. "But when things happen, you have to watch what you say. Guys don't want to get fined. But there was some real iffy calls out there." The league has been cracking down on public criticism of officials this season.

ESPN

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Misc Rumor

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Colts Get Even Thinner In Secondary

May 18, 2014 6:51 AM

The Colts' injury-depleted secondary won't get any help on Sunday against the Steelers. Cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who has missed five-straight games, has been ruled out for Week 10. He has suffered from both knee and hamstring issues this season.

ESPN

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Randy Moss Upset With Officials
Patriots' wide receiver Randy Moss was not happy with the officiating in the team's loss to the Colts on Sunday night.

Boston Herald

Steelers Beat Redskins On MNF
The Steelers were led by Byron Leftwich, who took the field after an apparent shoulder injury to Ben Roethlisberger, in their 23-6 win over the Redskins on Monday night.

Andrew Perna/RealGM