Some people call them trap games, these apparently one-sided NFL matchups that can reach up and bite the favored team.
The Indianapolis Colts consider them another day at the office.
Over the last seven years, the Colts have been heavily favored in a good chunk of regular-season home games. Very rarely do they fail to deliver.
“We do have a mentally tough team and we don't really get distracted very easily,” quarterback Peyton Manning said. “We're prepared for those storms you might have and handle those and overcome those and put those series behind us.”
The Colts (3-0) play the Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. It'll be a homecoming for former Colts running back Edgerrin James, now with the Seahawks. But James is a backup these days, as valued for his locker room wisdom as he is for his carries. If he has a major impact in the game, it'll be a surprise. A nice surprise, for those who know and like the personable player, but a surprise nonetheless.
That bit of old-home touch aside, the Colts should soundly beat the Seahawks.
You really have to dig to find an example where the Colts lost a regular-season home game against a heavy underdog. Some could point to the 29-13 opening-day loss to the Chicago Bears last season, but anyone thinking clearly can't include that game because Manning missed the preseason and was not in full-game shape.
The last time a definitively favored Colts team lost at home is open to some subjectivity. The Colts were 13-0 when they fell to San Diego in 2005, but that San Diego team was much better than this year's Seahawks.
It's arguable that you'd have to go back to 2003 and a loss at home to the Carolina Panthers. (Keep in mind I'm not talking about playoff games or games where Tony Dungy rested most starters. There's no need to unnecessarily force Colts fans to relive suppressed memories.)
But that loss to Carolina came after the Colts' incredible Monday night comeback against Tampa Bay, without an injured James, and ended in overtime when the Panthers won the coin flip and worked methodically for a field goal. And the Panthers were unbeaten at the time and ended up in the playoffs.
Bottom line: The Colts usually deliver the goods at home when they're big favorites.
“You've got to be careful saying ‘We're playing at home, it's a 1 o'clock game,' ” Manning said. “It doesn't matter where you're playing, you have to go out and play well. We have to execute on offense and protect the ball. The defense did a good job of executing at Arizona, and we hope they do that again.”
Seattle will no doubt try to attack the Colts the same way most teams do, by running the ball extensively and trying to control the clock. Julius Jones is off to a good start, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
The Colts will be a little short on usual defensive starters, with defensive end Dwight Freeney joining safety Bob Sanders on the injured list. Also questionable are linebacker Gary Brackett and cornerback Kelvin Hayden.
But the Colts are coming off a strong defensive performance at Arizona – 24 rushing yards allowed – and bringing confidence.
“Next guy up, that's our big motto,” said safety Melvin Bullitt, who fills Sanders' role. “You see a lot of names on defense. Whoever goes down, the next guy makes plays in the game. That's why the defense is doing well. It's not about who's not playing, it's about who is playing.”
Defensive end Raheem Brock will likely get a heavy dose of time in Freeney's absence. Brock is a veteran who is more than capable of bringing pressure on Seattle's quarterback, whether it's Matt Hasselbeck, who has been injured, or Seneca Wallace.
Brock said the Colts' success in close games over the years comes down to their resilience and never-say-die attitude.
“We just know how to play for 60 minutes,” Brock said. “Our first couple of years we learned that, and guys who come on year after year learn that. We've had situations, like being down to Houston by a couple points (17, actually) and coming back to win the game. The game's not over until it's over. We play 60 minutes, and we'll beat you in the head and show you by example.”
The Colts' offense, meanwhile, could have a field day facing a Seattle defense that hasn't had a chance to play against Manning on a regular basis.
Manning's play the last two weeks has been undeniably sharp. He is spreading the ball around to receivers Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, not to mention running backs Joseph Addai and Donald Brown. Manning threw for 681 yards and six touchdowns in stadiums where the home crowd turned up the noise and forced the Colts to use a silent snap count.
Colts fans will quietly let Manning and the offense operate.
“To be honest with you, I was out there ready to work on silent count (in practice),” guard Ryan Lilja said. “Two of the three weeks I've been back, we've been doing silent counts. Once we started doing cadences, it was a little weird. But it'll be great to be back in the stadium and not have to deal with all the hoopla that goes into a prime-time game.”
There's no hoopla for Seattle, just an expected win for the Colts. History says it's as close to sure thing as there is in the NFL.
