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NFL: COLTS: EYE ON THE PRIZE

/noticias.info/ By John Oehser - Colts.com

Colts Extend Lead in AFC South to Four Games
INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts’ first goal each year is to win the AFC South.

The reason, Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy believes, is simple, and it’s a reason that has taken on added importance in the last five seasons.

Winning a division guarantees entry into the playoffs. It also guarantees at least one home playoff game. A wild-card berth is an option, but the way Dungy sees it, leaves much to chance – particularly since the NFL moved to four-division conferences in 2002.

That trimmed the number of wild-card berths from three to two, which Dungy said makes the division critical.

The Colts, despite being the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten team, have clinched nothing this season. Not a wild-card berth, and certainly not a fourth consecutive AFC South title.

But on Sunday, they did move significantly closer to the postseason.

The Colts’ 17-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills at the RCA Dome has received national attention, not only for its difficulty, but because it made the Colts the first team in NFL history to start back-to-back seasons with nine consecutive victories.

But it also – and more importantly to the Colts, increased their lead in the AFC South – to four games over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars lost to the Houston Texans Sunday, 13-10.

The Jaguars’ loss not only gave the Colts the four-game lead, it solidified their tiebreaker advantage over Jacksonville. The Jaguars now have lost three division games – two to Houston and one to Indianapolis – while the Colts are unbeaten in the division.

Because division record is the next tiebreaker after head-to-head in the NFL’s tiebreaking scenario, the Colts’ lead essentially is four and a half games. One more Indianapolis division victory or one more Jacksonville division loss will clinch the division tiebreaker for the Colts.

The earliest the Colts could clinch the division would be November 26 versus Philadelphia. That could happen if the Colts win their next two games – at Dallas Sunday and home against Philadelphia – and if the Jaguars lose to the Giants Sunday and at Buffalo the following week.

A look at the rest of the AFC South and AFC:

AFC SOUTH

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)

Last week: Lost to Houston, 13-10, in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday.

Next week: Home against New York Giants (6-2).

Recent trend: After winning two consecutive games to stay in the middle of the AFC playoff chase, the Jaguars lost for a second time this season to the Houston Texans. Jacksonville, which hadn’t lost in Jacksonville since losing to the Colts last December, is now 4-1 at home this season.

What happened Sunday: The Jaguars fell behind early, then spent the rest of the game trying to rally for a victory that would keep them within three games of first place in the AFC South. Wide receiver Matt Jones dropped three passes, two of which became interceptions, and wide receiver Reggie Williams committed two costly penalties.

Statistically speaking: Quarterback David Garrard, making his third consecutive start, had a difficult game, but it wasn’t all necessarily his fault. He completed 15 of 34 passes for 214 yards and no touchdowns with four interceptions for a passer rating of 25.5. Of his four interceptions, three were tipped. The Texans held the ball 15 minutes longer than the Jaguars and the Texans also rushed for 148 yards.

Coming up: The Jaguars play the final game of a three-game home stand Sunday against the New York Giants (6-2). They will then visit Buffalo (3-6) and Miami (3-6).

Quote to note: “What I told our team is there's still a lot of football to be played. A wild card (playoff berth) is where we have to focus our efforts. The only way you get rid of the sick feeling you get when you lose a game like that is to go back to work.”

--- Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio

Houston Texans (3-6)

Last week: Beat Jacksonville, 13-10, in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday.

Next week: Home against Buffalo (3-6).

Recent trend: The Texans lost their first three games under first-year Head Coach Gary Kubiak, but since then, they have been competitive, winning three of their last six games. The Texans have won 21 regular season games in their five-year franchise history. Six of the victories have come against the Jaguars. The Texans swept Jacksonville in 2004 and they did so again this season.

What happened Sunday: The Texans, clinging to a three-point lead with 1:40 remaining, faced 4th-and-1 at their 42-yard line. Rather than punt, Houston Head Coach Gary Kubiak opted to go for the first down. Texans running back Samkon Gado got the first down on a close play, securing the Texans’ second victory over the Jaguars this season.

Statistically speaking: The victory over the Jaguars snapped a 12-game road losing streak. How did the Texans do it? By playing quality defense and forcing turnovers. The Jaguars managed just 193 yards offense in the first three quarters and Houston forced four Jaguars turnovers.

Coming up: The Texans, after a three-game road swing, will play host to Buffalo (3-6) before visiting the New York Jets (5-4) and Oakland (2-7).

Quote to note: “We deserved to win the game. Our defense played great out there. I had the players behind me saying, ‘Coach, let's go.' We need to be able to feel that way as a football team. That was a football team call.”

--- Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak

Tennessee Titans (2-7)

Last week: Lost to Baltimore, 27-26, in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday.

Next week: At Philadelphia (5-4).

Recent trend: The Titans, after a two-game winning streak, now have lost their last two games. Tennessee is 1-3 at home this season.

What happened Sunday: With former Titans quarterback Steve McNair returning to Nashville Sunday, Tennessee had a chance to upset their former teammate. The Titans took a 26-7 lead early in the second quarter, but the Ravens pulled off the biggest comeback in franchise history, with McNair passing for three touchdowns. The Titans scored 23 consecutive points in the first half, and Ravens lineman Trevor Pryce blocked a 43-yard field goal
attempt by Titans kicker Rob Bironas with 33 seconds remaining to preserve the victory.

Statistically speaking: The Ravens entered the game as the NFL’s top-ranked rushing defense, but with Baltimore middle linebacker Ray Lewis out with an injury, the Titans took advantage. Tennessee rushed for 162 yards, with veteran Travis Henry rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

Coming up: The Titans visit Philadelphia (5-4) Sunday before playing host to the New York Giants (6-2) and Indianapolis (9-0).

Quote to note: “When you have a chance to win the game, you have to take advantage of it, and we didn't.”

--- Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher

AFC East

New England (6-3): This is an unusual time for the Patriots. Two weeks ago, they were one of the hottest teams in the NFL, having won in impressive fashion over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Now, they have lost two consecutive games, with each loss coming at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. They lost to the Colts, 27-20, last week, then on Sunday, they lost to the New York Jets, 17-14. The Patriots had gone 57 consecutive games without back-to-back losses, a streak that dated to December 2002.

New York Jets (5-4): They entered Sunday’s game needing a victory to remain among the leaders for an AFC wild-card berth. They not only got the victory, they moved to within a game of first place in the AFC East with a 17-14 victory at Gillette Stadium. The victory was huge for Jets Head Coach Eric Mangini, who took the job after six seasons as an assistant with New England. The Jets had lost their last seven games against New England.

Buffalo (3-6): The Bills have played competitively in most games this season, which is why Sunday’s result surprised few around the Colts. Buffalo was tied with the three-time AFC South defending champion Colts, 10-10, at halftime, and after falling behind, 17-10, the Bills rallied to within one, 17-16. Kicker Rian Lindell missed a 41-yard field goal with just over six minutes remaining that would have given Buffalo the lead.

Miami (3-6): If the Dolphins were one of the NFL’s biggest surprises early for reasons they didn’t want, they have reversed that in the last two weeks. Miami, which started the season 1-6, upset the Chicago Bears last week in Chicago, then on Sunday, they upset the playoff-contending Kansas City Chiefs, 13-10. Kansas City entered the game averaging 32 points a game the last three games, but managed just 14 first downs against Miami.

AFC North

Baltimore (7-2): With each week, the Ravens have more of a look of a Super Bowl contender. A week ago, they entered the weekend with a one-game lead on the Cincinnati Bengals. They beat the Bengals and with Cincinnati losing to San Diego on Sunday, the Ravens had a chance to take a three-game lead with a victory over Tennessee. The Ravens got it, rallying from a 26-7 first half deficit for the victory.

Cincinnati (4-5): After winning the AFC North title last season, the Bengals were widely considered a favorite to contend for a playoff spot, and perhaps make a run for the Super Bowl. Instead, after winning their first three games, the Bengals have lost five of six and Sunday’s may have been the most difficult. Playing at home, Cincinnati took a 28-7 lead at halftime against San Diego, but the Chargers outscored the Bengals 42-13 in the second half en route to the victory.

Pittsburgh (3-6): Does anyone think the Steelers won’t be tough down the stretch? The New Orleans Saints certainly don’t. The defending Super Bowl champions, the Steelers allowed 517 yards, but had 467 yards total offense in a 38-31 victory over the Saints at Heinz Field. There are nine teams ahead of the Steelers in the AFC, but they are only two games out of the final wild-card spot. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, oft-criticized this season, completed 17 of 28 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a passer rating of 127.7.

Cleveland (3-6): The Browns have been close to a big victory often this season. On Sunday, they got one. Cleveland took a 14-0 lead in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, with quarterback Charlie Frye completing 16 of 22 passes for 175 yards. He did not throw an interception for the first time this season, but the story was the Browns defense. They forced Falcons quarterback Michael Vick into three turnovers for the Browns’ second victory in three games. Cleveland is 10-2 against the Falcons all-time.

AFC West

Denver (7-2): The AFC West continues to shape up as potentially the toughest division race in the NFL this season. On Sunday, both leaders won, with the Broncos traveling to Oakland, where they won, 14-13. The Broncos still have two games remaining against San Diego, the division co-leader, and they will play host to the Chargers Sunday. On Sunday, the Broncos – after scoring 31 points in back-to-back weeks – struggled at times offensively, with quarterback Jake Plummer throwing three interceptions. The Broncos swept Oakland for the eighth time in the past 12 seasons.

San Diego (7-2): As the season moves into the second half, San Diego looks like one of the NFL’s most balanced teams. Certainly, they are one of the NFL’s best offenses. On Sunday, they trailed 28-7 at halftime before scoring 42 second-half points. The 49 points were the most for the Chargers in 20 years. The only other time the Chargers have overcome a 21-point deficit was October 9, 1983, when they trailed Seattle, 21-0, before winning 28-21.

Kansas City (5-4): The Chiefs are a long way from out of the playoffs, but Sunday certainly didn’t help. Against the Miami Dolphins, a team that entered the game with two victories, the Chiefs didn’t manage a first down until less than four minutes remained before halftime. They went three-and-out on their first five possessions and now trail in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL by two games.

Oakland (2-7): Earlier this month, the Raiders surprised many around the NFL when they won back-to-back games against first the Arizona Cardinals and then the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Raiders, who lost their first five games, now have lost two more in succession. They also have lost 11 consecutive AFC West games. notas_de_prensa_archivo