1 Indianapolis Colts

The Axiom that you get to the Super Bowl with defense took a hit two years ago when the Rams won it all with a better than average D and an attack that dazzled the world. But then the offense-challenged Ravens restored order last season. So where are we now?

"We're in the free-agency era," Colts president Bill Polian says. "Nowadays it's almost impossible to be great on both sides of the ball. Is anybody complete? Name me a complete team."

Well, it's not Indianapolis, not yet anyway, but the Colts are working on it. The offense? It's a thing of beauty, which was what Polian set out to create when he took over three years ago. His first draft choice was quarterback Peyton Manning, who has been to two Pro Bowls. His next first-rounder, running back Edgerrin James, is another Pro Bowler who has led the league in rushing in each of his two seasons. Already in place were gifted wide-out Marvin Harrison and tight end Ken Dilger. The Colts have kept their fine line intact, and they recently locked up their talented motion tight end, Marcus Pollard, to a long-term deal.

Oh, this is a Pro Bowl-caliber attack, just as it was last year and the year before. So how come Indy never gets anywhere in the playoffs?

?Jan. 16, 2000: In a divisional playoff game the Titans come from behind on a 68-yard touchdown run by Eddie George and win 19-16. A tiring defense allows 197 yards on the ground.

?Dec. 30, 2000: The Dolphins' Lamar Smith runs for 209 yards as Miami piles up 258 yards on the ground en route to a 23-17 overtime victory in the wild-card round. During their game-winning 61-yard drive, the Dolphins had 35 yards on the ground, the last 17 coming on Smith's touchdown dash.

Also, at home during the regular season last year Indianapolis blew a 17-point halftime lead to the Raiders, who scored 31 unanswered points, and the Colts couldn't hold a late lead against Miami, which was going with reserves at quarterback and running back.

"If we could only have finished those games...," Polian says wistfully.

The solution, of course, was to draft big guys, run-stoppers, in April, but eight defensive linemen had fallen before Indy's turn came up at No. 22, so rather than "picking a slug," as Polian says, the Colts traded down to the 30th selection and grabbed wideout Reggie Wayne, a 6-foot, 197-pound burner out of Miami who, if nothing else, is drawing raves from the franchise quarterback. "Only four years of major-college football, and he knows exactly what you're talking about," Manning says. "I'll tell him, 'Fade route but be alive for the underneath,' and I don't have to explain anything else."

O.K., Indianapolis will score a lot of points, but, again, how will it stop opponents? "Youth, enthusiasm, new faces, athleticism," says Chad Bratzke, the right end and the Colts' sack leader last season, with 7�. "We've got some guys who were in the learning phase last season. O.K., it's a year later. It's time to produce.