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October 7, 2009

Colts remembering Titans’ past

Indy not letting current record deceive

By Tom James

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts know the Tennessee Titans all too well.

So it’s not surprising that the 4-0 Colts aren’t even looking at the fact that Tennessee has started the current season with an 0-4 record. In fact, when Indianapolis coaches and players look at video of the Titans games this year, they still see the team that won the 2008 AFC South championship with a 13-3 record.

“A very, very tough team. Year-in and year-out, we’ve had nothing but hard-nosed battles with them. There is no reason for us to expect anything different. When you look at the situation in this league, it’s a very, very thin line between 2-2 and 4-0 and 0-4. Just a bounce of a ball in some cases. If you look at us, you very easily could see that if things didn’t go quite the way they did, the first ball game could have easily been a loss for us. As well as the game in Miami very easily could have been a loss for us,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell earlier this week.

“You’re looking at a couple of different scenarios that go just a little awry, and it certainly has an effect on you. So, I think Tennessee is a team that you better not look at that record and think that you’re getting a team hasn’t a won game and doesn’t know how to win, because they do. They have veterans. They’re tough. They’re hard-nosed. And they have a great coaching staff and a great head coach. It’s going to be a difficult task for us. It’s always been tough for us going down there and playing in their stadium, and even here at home, as well.”

Caldwell knows that the Titans desperately want to knock off Indianapolis. The two franchises have a fierce rivalry that began with the creation of the AFC South seven years ago. Since the division was started in 2002, only two teams have emerged as champions — the Colts and Tennessee.

Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning knows exactly what to expect Sunday night at LP Field.

“I feel like with them being in the division and so much importance of the game for both teams, that’s really what I concentrate on. It’s a tough place to play. There are a lot of Titans fans in that stadium, and they make it tough on us to play there. That’s really what it comes down to,” Manning said Wednesday.

“It’s a big game, because of who we’re playing and where we’re playing, down there. But also because it is a division game. We’ve always understood the significance of division games. It’s certainly games that you want to win. I’m not saying that you don’t want to win the other ones as much, but there is special emphasis on these division games because of what they’ll mean down the stretch.”

There isn’t much of a chance that the Colts will find themselves overlooking Tennessee in the nationally televised game.

“It’s not something that is very much of a concern, because we know how good of a team that they are. When you watch the films of the games, you certainly don’t think about their record,” the Colts quarterback said.

“You see a couple of balls that are tipped and are going the other team’s way. That may be the result of the ball game. They are an excellent football team, still, and it will be a challenge for us on Sunday.”

How much of a challenge?

“I can’t remember what any of our records have been when playing the Titans or what their records have been through the years. It’s a healthy rivalry. It’s always been a close game for the most part. [We] have a lot of familiarity between the players. They have most of the same players back. It’s no different this year,” Manning said.

“It’s two good teams, two good AFC South teams, playing against each other. What our record is and what their record is, is really irrelevant, because we know it’s going to be a close game and a tough game, especially playing down there.”

• Caldwell, Kerry Collins and Manning — There is a tie that binds the first-year Colts head coach, Tennessee’s starting quarterback and the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player.

Both Collins and Manning have been coached by Caldwell, the former as a collegiate assistant at Penn State and the latter as the quarterbacks coach at Indianapolis.

“Kerry is what you see today. A hardworking, conscientious guy. He was a star player coming out of Reading, Pennsylvania. He threw the ball extremely well. He had a big, strong arm, and he could move around. He had good mobility,” Caldwell recalls.

“I worked with him for an extended period of time there. You could see exactly where he is today and why because he was a pretty settled guy and a little bit older for his age, and certainly capable physically. We’ve seen him a few different places, and certainly seen him the last few years down in Tennessee. I think it will be a good matchup, two fine quarterbacks.”

• Roster moves — The Colts have waived outside linebacker Jordan Senn and have re-signed running back Chad Simpson to the active roster.

Senn had gotten a lot of playing time, both on special teams and on defense, since he was brought back by Indianapolis two weeks ago. After playing for Indianapolis as an undrafted rookie last year, he was released at the end of training camp in September. He recorded seven total tackles and one special teams tackle this season.

Simpson had been waived prior to last Sunday’s game with Seattle. An undrafted rookie last year, he spent part of the 2008 season on the practice squad. Simpson had been the Colts’ primary kickoff returner before suffering an abdominal injury against Arizona two weeks ago.

• Injury report — Middle linebacker Gary Brackett (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday and could be in the starting lineup Sunday night at Tennessee. Brackett sprained his left knee in the final minutes of the Colts’ win at Miami three weeks ago. He did not play against Arizona or Seattle.

“Barring any setbacks, [Brackett] should be ready to go [against the Titans],” Caldwell said Wednesday.

Safety Bob Sanders (knee), meanwhile, saw limited work in practice Wednesday. The Colts coach said that Sanders, who has been sidelined since the start of training camp, has begun “ramping up” his rehab work in the past few days.

Offensive tackle Charlie Johnson (knee) underwent an MRI on Monday. It proved to be negative. His availability for the Tennessee game, though, won’t be decided until the end of the week. He did not practice Wednesday. Johnson’s status is listed as “day-to-day.”

Defensive end Dwight Freeney (quadriceps) is expected to play against the Titans on Sunday night. How much playing time he sees has yet to be determined.

Freeney suffered a strained right quadriceps at Arizona two weeks ago and was limited to pass rushing duties against the Seahawks last week. He did not practice on Wednesday.

“We’re going to be careful with him,” the Colts coach said. “We’re not going to stress him.”

In addition to Johnson and Freeney, cornerback Kelvin Hayden (hamstring), cornerback Marlin Jackson (knee) and wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (knee) also sat out Wednesday’s workout.

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