INDIANAPOLIS -- We present this week's Magnificent Seven looking at Colts-Cincinnati Bengals -- acknowledging that it's a day late, and likely more than a few dollars short. Busy week, juggling . . .
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7)A bit amusing. Liked Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney's response this week to Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek's notion that Freeney quit at the end of the Eagles' victory over the Colts Sunday. Freeney expressed amusement, then basically dismissed the words as coming from a tight end who spent the day chipping and helping on Freeney. One thing you don't often here is offensive tackles who have to block Freeney again any time soon speaking of Freeney quitting. You didn't hear Jonathan Ogden or Brad Hopkins say it a whole lot, either. As noted earlier this week, victories give players an ability to say what they want and a certain part of the fandom/blogosphere may take notice, but Freeney's body of work over the course of a career indicates that his effort and desire ranks pretty high among NFL defensive ends.
6)Iron Man. The more Colts players miss games because of injuries, the more you have to appreciate safety Antoine Bethea. He not only has been one of the Colts' best players in recent seasons, he has been one of their most durable players, too. He also has been remarkably consistent. He's not perfect, and he may not have the knack for the highlight-film play the way Bob Sanders does when healthy, but while much of the rest of the roster is on and off the injury report, Bethea has missed just three games in five NFL seasons and has played in 40 consecutive regular-season games – by far the longest streak in the Colts' secondary. He also has made two Pro Bowls and gradually has become one of the critical players on the unit. “(Bethea) represents all that is the good and right about playing professional football,” Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said. “I mean he plays the game the way it should be played. He’s not a real vocal guy, but what he does is do a tremendous job of leading by example. That more than anything else, I think speaks volumes. He’s a playmaker, he’s a steady force back there, and he’s dependable.”
5)Welcome back, Pat. It's impossible to follow the Colts and be on Twitter without having an awareness of Colts punter Pat McAfee's presence on the social media tool. It's also impossible to follow McAfee on Twitter and not get a sense that he's a good, genuine guy. It make take McAfee a long time to live down his one-game suspension two games ago and the high-profile mistake that led to it, but it's good to see McAfee rounding back into his old, fan-friendly self on Twitter – perhaps a sign that he's moving forward from the incident, relaxing and enjoying life again. As we wrote on IFR when the incident happened, McAfee from all indications is a class act who appreciates being in the NFL and is willing to give time back to the fans who have allowed him to make a darned good living. Make fun of his incident if you must, but don't lose sight of the fact that he's a pretty good guy who did nothing that didn't deserve a second chance.
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