The Pick
Who has Tennessee defeated in this five-game streak, really? Jacksonville and San Francisco. Ho-hum. The careening Texans. The Bills at their darkest hour. And the Cards without Warner. Barely. Color me not impressed.
Whether it translates to his players, I can’t tell, but I love Caldwell’s attitude about being 11-0. “We’re not pulling in the reins by any stretch of the imagination,” he said this week. “We aren’t comfortable.” The way I see it, he and Manning will keep the troops in fifth gear until they can absolutely afford to let up, and that time hasn’t come yet. (A true test of how serious the Colts are about not letting up may come in whether defensive end Dwight Freeney plays through an abdomen injury. He practiced on Thursday, but still could sit out Sunday.)
Manning will attack the Titans’ secondary early and Caldwell will load the box against Johnson, leaving Young to do it himself. By the time Indy’s up 14-0, Johnson could be an afterthought, and I don’t think Vince is to the point where he can keep up with Manning, even with man coverage. Colts 30, Titans 17.
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