Even in the year of their championship defense, the Colts are silencing critics.
That said, if there is such a thing as a preseason monkey, it was effectively removed last week for those that care about meaningless statistics.
A team not recently noted for preseason prowess, the Colts were dominant in their final preseason home game, a 37-10 rout of the Detroit Lions. More importantly, their second preseason win in the past 12 games served indication the first team is showing little signs of slowing down despite injury and offseason losses.
āIt definitely feels good not to have to talk about how we havenāt won a preseason game, so I thanked the team for winning so we wouldnāt have to answer those questions,ā joked head coach Tony Dungy.
With less than a week before their NFL Kickoff against the New Orleans Saints, there is no doubt the Colts are ready to defend their title.
If anything was reaffirmed with last weekās victory, it was that the Coltsā offense is still one of the leagueās most feared. Peyton Manning and company are quickly rounding into regular season form, despite the adjustment to changes in the offensive line. With the starters expected to see limited or no time in their preseason finale Aug. 31 in Cincinnati, Manning said the teamās focus remains on fine-tuning.
āWeāve got another week left of preseason and then a short week to get ready, so I think you need to use the whole time, every practice, every film session counts,ā he said. āBut itās certainly getting closer and weāre getting excited about it.ā
Defensively, the Colts received a boost with the return of safety Bob Sanders to active duty, just in time for the start of the regular season. Though he was not as sharp and Dungy would have liked, he continues to provide a spark that contributes to the teamās overall aggressive play. Taking no chances, Sanders is also expected to see limited time this week in Cincinnati. Additionally, franchise defensive end Dwight Freeney has been scratched as a precaution to nurse a bruised right thigh.
With nothing more to prove, the contest with the Bengals will in fact be more of a final audition for players teetering on the roster cut line. The Colts must trim their roster to 53 players by Saturday, making the Bengalās contest meaningless by most accounts, but the most important for several players.