Colts Power Rankings – Week 9

Each week, we’ll be scouring the net for team rankings, from football experts, covering the previous week, and discussing them here. Let’s see what they have to say this week.

Average Ranking: 8.31 (previously 3.85) – That’s a big drop for a very injured team that lost a close game to the very capable Eagles.

CBS Sports – Pete Prisco – 8th (-6): They’ve had a ton of injuries and now they’re in a battle in the division with three other teams. How many more guys can they lose and still compete?
(We were asking that last week, Pete, when you had them ranked second. Are you aware several players should be back soon?)

Cold Hard Football Facts – 5th (-3): Peyton Manning is on pace to throw an NFL record 702 passes… and just eight interceptions.
(As impressive as that is, I’d rather hear that their running backs were on pace for 1200 yards. We need Joe and Mike back.)

ESPN – Kuharsky – 10th (-5): The limited Bengals are just the right sort of team to pop up on the Colts’ schedule now.
(Oh no you don’t. I’m not falling for that trap. However it shakes out, Powers vs. T.O. should be fun to watch this week.)

Fox Sports – 7th (-4): The injuries from both sides of the ball are starting to catch up with this team. The Colts, however, are still clearly one of the AFC’s best teams. As long as Peyton Manning is in the lineup, they’re capable of beating anyone no matter who the veteran signal caller has to work with.
(I am so tired of hearing about injuries! Could we please have one game where we return more players to teh roster than we lose? This could be the week.)

National Football Post – 10th (-5): We can’t count out the Colts with Manning under center, but the injuries are starting to catch up with Indy.
(ARrrrrrrrrrrgggggg)

NFL.com’s Collective Brain Trust – 10th (-6):
(First double-digit rank this year? Don’t wanna spoil it for you, but there are more.)

Michael Silver – 11th (-6): Is Javarris James now providing the Colts with the coolest same-team cousin sequel since Juan Uribe?
(Time will tell.)

Sporting News – 6th (-2): Strength up the middle is critical, and it has been a snap to have Jeff Saturday, 35, and Peyton Manning, 34, together for so long.
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Sports Illustrated – Don Banks – 7th (-3): It’s not what they’re used to at this time of year, but the key for the Colts right now is to try and tread water until they get healthier for the December sprint to the finish. The Colts face home games against Cincinnati, San Diego and Dallas over the next four weeks, and of course their anticipated trip to New England in Week 11. If Indy can get out of that stretch at 8-4, and get both Joseph Addai and Austin Collie back into the lineup at some point, they’ve got a good chance to make a ninth consecutive playoff trip.
(That’s the plan, Don.)

Sports Illustrated – Peter King – 11th (-6): I think the Colts are better than this, obviously. But maybe just not this version of the Colts, with another key player dropping Sunday at Philly. Austin Collie (concussion) is the latest man to go down.
(A reliable slot receiver is key for this offense, and we’ve lost three of them. Is Tamme a true replacement for Clark, Magic Eight Ball? “Signs point to Yes”.)

USA Today – 8th (-3): They need a healthy Joseph Addai back to balance offense.
(True about Joe… and Austin… and Clint.)

Walter Football – 5th (-2): Excuse time! I’d like to blame global warming because it clearly played a factor in the game. If it were colder, QB Dog Killer wouldn’t have been as focused. He would have been thinking about all the ways to kill dogs in the snow. So there. The Colts didn’t win because of global warming. I remain awesome.
(The Colts don’t give excuses or explanations. Considering the ridiculous number of injuries, the fact that Indy was in a position to win the game is reason enough to consider them awesome.)

WEEI in Boston – 10th (-6): Injuries finally caught up to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Peyton Manning desperately could use a more productive run game. As beat up as they are, the Colts remained tied for first place in the AFC South.
(Funny how some things never change.)