I N D I A N A P O L I S   C O L T S
Go-To Guy | Weakest Link | Burning Question | Offseason Movement

Glance Head coach: Tony Dungy 2001: Results 2002: Draft picks Training camp: July 28 at Rose-Hulman Institute in Terre Haute, Ind.  2002 Schedule Date  Vs.  Time  Sept. 8  at Jac.  1 p.m.  Sept. 15  MIA.  1 p.m.  Sept. 22  at Hou.  1 p.m.  Sept. 29  Open     Oct. 6  CIN.  1 p.m.  Oct. 13  BAL.  1 p.m.  Oct. 21  at Pit.  9 p.m.  Oct. 27  at Was.  8:30 p.m.  Nov. 3  TEN.  1 p.m.  Nov. 10  at Phi.  1 p.m.  Nov. 17  DAL.  1 p.m.  Nov. 24  at Den.  8:30 p.m.  Dec. 1  HOU.  4:05 p.m.  Dec. 8  at Ten.  1 p.m.  Dec. 15  at Cle.  1 p.m.  Dec. 22  NYG  1 p.m.  Dec. 29  JAC.  4:05 p.m.

By B. Duane Cross, CNNSI.com

For Tony Dungy, moving to Indianapolis from Tampa Bay should be a dream come true. After all, he won't have to worry about scoring points. He can concentrate on his specialty: keeping points off the board.

The Colts are high on young defenders like linebacker Mike Peterson and end Chukie Nwokorie, as well as veteran cornerback Walt Harris. And through minicamps, Dungy liked what he saw. "We have the pieces," he said. "I think some of the new defensive linemen we've got are going to help us.

"We're learning what we're doing at all positions. It's going to be a matter of coming together and playing as a unit. How long that takes us, that will determine how good we are going to be."

One of the players who will be counted on early is Dwight Freeney, Indy's surprise choice with the No.11 pick in April's draft. Not concerned with Freeney's perceived size disadvantage (6 feet, 268 pounds), the Colts will use him as a pass rusher as an end, not a linebacker. And, Indianapolis plays under a roof on artificial turf -- just like Syracuse's Carrier Dome; that further enhances Freeney's speed.

Under Dungy, the Buccaneers were perennially among the league leaders in defense. It was the Bucs' offensive ineptness that led to his departure after six seasons. He won't have to worry about that now. If anything, the Colts have upgraded their offense, adding receiver Qadry Ismail, tight end Jermaine Wiggins, backup quarterback Brock Huard and, on a lesser level, running back Ben Gay.

"Offense should be our strong suit, because we've got veteran players and great people there," Dungy said. "But to win, you've got to have team chemistry, and everybody's got to do his job.

"Offensively, we expect to be better this year, more explosive. But to just say, 'Well, offense is going to carry us' is not really fair. You can't win in the NFL with a one-dimensional team."

And he should know.

Fact Peyton Manning has passed for more than 4,000 yards in each of the last three seasons. He set the franchise mark with 4,413 yards in 2000.

Peyton Manning, QB -- When Edgerrin James was felled by a knee injury last season, Dominic Rhodes stepped in an the difference was negligent. However, should Manning be sidelined for an extended period of time, the Colts' chances will be benched along side him.

"You feel like you've got an awful lot of really good football players right there," Manning said. "And now for the first time we have the possibility of putting two quality running backs on the field just to see what the defense might do."

The same cannot be said for backup QB Huard, who fully understands his role. "Peyton, obviously, is as tough a guy as there is in the league and he's going to do whatever it takes to play," Huard said.

Since being selected first overall by the Colts in the 1998 draft, Manning is in the midst of a 64 consecutive regular-season starts streak, second to Green Bay's Brett Favre, who has started 157 consecutive games, a league record for QBs.

Manning admits 2001 was his toughest in professional football, but insists it was another learning experience. "I've never been through anything like this before," he said. "My rookie year in '98 (3-13), I give that an asterisk. We were bad. I was a rookie. We were bad going in, and we played bad.

"This year we thought we'd have a good football team. We had some injuries, and things didn't go our way. It was adversity -- in a football sense. After Sept. 11 adversity takes on a whole new meaning. But in the football world it was a tough time. I think it will make us stronger."

Fact Chad Bratzke is a student of martial arts and owns Doberman Pinscher show dogs, Zeus and Cale, who have competed in dogs shows throughout the country.

Defense -- Yes, there is hope, but this unit must improve. On the bright side, it can't get much worse; the Colts were 29th last season -- ahead of only Atlanta and Carolina.

Defensive coordinator Ron Meeks is charged with putting the pieces together. Indy's pass-rushing right ends -- holdover Chad Bratzke and Freeney -- will be the first line of defense. The Colts will use eight or nine linemen, and likely mix and match to find the right combination.

"We're trying to find eight or nine guys and find out what they do best and who works best with each other," Dungy said. That might include using Bratzke and Freeney at the same time.

In an effort to pressure opposing quarterbacks, Meeks says no stone will be left unturned. "In any type of football you play, the quarterback is the key,'' he said. "The more times you can put pressure on him and create situations where he's indecisive or antsy with the ball ... the better your defense will be."

Bratzke contends he has no preference, as long as the end result is a better defense. "Left, right, both . . . it doesn't really matter to me,'' said Bratzke, who was sometimes used at left end during his five years with the New York Giants. "Whatever puts us in the best situation to be successful on defense, that's all that's important.

"I'll do either one and be happy about it."

Can Edgerrin James return to his pre-injury form?

Fact During his two full seasons, Edgerrin James was remarkably consistent, averaging 4.2 and 4.4 yards per carry, scoring 13 rushing TDs in both seasons and catching 62 and 63 passes with four and five TDs, respectively.

While Rhodes filled in admirably for James last season, getting "Edge" back on the field is paramount for the Colts' postseason hopes.

Well, maybe we should say back on an NFL field.

James suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Oct. 25 at Kansas City. He underwent reconstructive surgery Nov. 24 and promises to be ready for training camp. But if anything can be taken from his flag-football escapades, he'll be fine.

James participated in a flag-football tournament in Naples, Fla., in May, much to the dismay of the Colts. However, all seems to be forgiven. "Edgerrin said he didn't think it would cause a stir," Colts owner Jim Irsay said. "We told him it was unacceptable, and he stopped. Everything has been resolved.

"We expect him to be ready to go for training camp," Irsay said. "That's the good news."

James' flag-football foray came after he skipped the Colts' mandatory minicamp in late April. "I'm just out here getting right," James told the Fort Myers News-Press after his team beat A-1 Security. "I'm getting this Chevy ready.

"[The knee] looked good, didn't it?"

For his sake -- and the Colts' -- he'd better hope so.