1) The Jacksonville game really stands out as an all-out effort in a meaningless game, and it stands out that way to Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell, too. I asked Caldwell about that game the following day, and he said it showed him a lot about the pride and focus of the team. He said while there may have been some laxness early because the Colts had clinched homefield the previous week, he said whatever element of that was there went away quickly and he liked the effort and energy in a game where those elements could have been lacking.
2) This list obviously doesn’t mean the Colts will win Sunday, but it should erase any notion that they automatically will lose — even if they happen to rest players. The Colts are 4-4 in games in which they have playoff seeding clinched, and only twice has the game not been close in the fourth quarter. In each of those cases, the opponent was a team headed for the playoffs — Denver in 2004 and Seattle the following season. The Colts may not win Sunday, but there’s little reason to think this won’t be competitive.
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