Week 8 NFL Preview: Indianapolis Colts versus San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium

Indianapolis Colts WR Austin Collie
Wade Payne/AP Photo

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser breaks down the Week 8 NFL matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers, which will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis Sunday at 1 p.m. . . .

THE VIBE . . .

There's plenty of irony in this week's vibe. Everyone around the Colts is talking about streaks and records when few on the Colts' roster or coaching staff focus on such things at all. The Colts, a team of streaks over the past several seasons, have a chance to extend one of their most impressive streaks of the decade. They have won their last 15 games, a franchise record. And with one more victory they will move into a tie with four other teams -- the 1941-42 Chicago Bears, the 1971-73 Miami Dolphins, the 1983-1984 Miami Dolphins and the 2004-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers -- for the fourth-longest regular-season winning streak in NFL history. The 2006-2008 New England Patriots hold the record with 21 consecutive regular-season victories. The Colts through the last five seasons have had a winning streak of at least seven games each season. That's also an NFL record, and they have attained those streaks by playing consistently and focusing not on streaks, but on the game at hand. That sounds like a tired cliche, and it is, but in this case, it's what they did under former Head Coach Tony Dungy and it's a philosophy and approach first-year Head Coach Jim Caldwell has comfortably embraced. "The thing that we try and do and have always done is that old cliché, ‘You really don’t get out ahead of yourself in terms of your focus and in terms of your preparation,’'' Caldwell said this week. "You are just looking at one game. That’s it. We would like to just add them up at the end. I do believe you don’t want to get to the point of looking out on the horizon and not focusing on what’s right there in front of you. For us, it’s the 49ers walking into our stadium on Sunday. We’d better be prepared to play.”

THE BIG CONCERN . . .

For the Colts, the concern is the 49ers are a team that not only has been close at times this season to being very, very good, there is an unknown element that could make them better. That element is QB Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft. He began the season as a backup after coming off surgery, but with the team looking to the future, it was time to move Smith back into the lineup, which they did last week. He now has skill players such as TE Vernon Davis, rookie WR Michael Crabtree and RB Frank Gore. If Smith can live up to his potential, this is a dangerous offense.

THIS WEEK'S LIST . . .

The Colts' top rookies . . .

5) CB Jacob Lacey. Each year, it seems the Colts find a free-agent rookie capable of contributing. Lacey is this year's model and through six games, he has the look of a long-term contributor. He impressed throughout preseason and he has played consistently enough he has gone from a "free-agent rookie" to a guy who likely will be a key part of a deep secondary for several seasons.

4) P Pat McAfee. Colts President Bill Polian said shortly before the season he expected the the team's punting to be more consistent than years past, and thus far he has been right. McAfee hasn't hit every punt perfectly, but he has been consistent overall. He also has been a big-time addition as a kickoff specialist and his role there has helped the kickoff coverage -- an area of weakness in recent seasons -- become far more consistent and effective.

3) CB Jerraud Powers. The Colts were already good at corner entering the season. They had CB Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson, as well as Tim Jennings, who started 12 games last season for a team that allowed just six touchdown passes. Adding Lacey and Powers gives them rare depth at the position, and Powers appears to be a guy who could develop into a core player.

2) RB Donald Brown. The Colts are doing the right thing in leaving Joseph Addai as the starting running back. Brown is a perfect change of pace to Addai, and he gives them a big-play element at the position. Brown may be the Colts' starter at some point in the future, but for now, they have a solid combination at running back, which is just what they hoped when they selected Brown in the first round last April. He isn't expected to play this week because of a shoulder injury.

1) WR Austin Collie. He led the NCAA in receiving yardage last season, which made him a vintage selection for Polian, who loves productive collegiate players. He is more mature than most rookies, and in a system in which rookie receivers sometimes struggle, he has been far more productive than it would have been right to expect. Has four touchdowns in his last three games.

A FEW THOUGHTS . . .

. . . on the above list.

1) Is it the best draft class Polian has had in 12 seasons with the Colts? Time will tell, but it has a chance.

2) It is telling that the Colts typically don't draft based on need, yet this season they managed to fill needs nicely at punter, second running back and third wide receiver.

3) I'm not sure that I remember a rookie class make as important a contribution so quickly. Yes, QB Peyton Manning and DE Dwight Freeney -- among others -- are major reasons the Colts are 6-0, but would the Colts look so dominant without the rookie class?

WHY THE COLTS CAN WIN . . .

Because they are at home and because they play teams from the NFC very, very well. NFC and AFC teams meet every four seasons and for teams that don't play the Colts often, it's hard to adapt to the speed and precision with which they play offensively. It takes an unusual situation for an NFC team to beat the Colts -- i.e., a very, very good NFC team or a key injury or two to the Colts -- and with WR Reggie Wayne expected to play despite a groin injury, neither seems to be enough of the case this week for a 49ers upset.

WHY THE 49ers CAN WIN . . .

Because although they're 3-3, there's a sense out of San Francisco that the franchise might be close to breaking through and being very good. Head Coach Mike Singletary has brought a toughess to the defense -- and the offense, too, for that matter. The 49ers have enough talent and enough of a focus that you get the idea they're a team with potential that's close to being very, very good. if they have their breakthrough game Sunday, it's not inconceivable they could upset the Colts.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH . . .

1) Colts DE Dwight Freeney versus 49ers LT Joe Staley. Staley is a third-year veteran and former first-round selection who has started every game this season, but no matter the opponent, Freeney typically is a key matchup these days. He's playing at the highest level of his NFL career and has sack in seven consecutive games. If the Colts get a lead, Freeney and DE Robert Mathis have a knack for turnining slim margins into big leads with game-turning plays.

2) Colts RB Joseph Addai versus 49ers MLB Patrick Willis. The 49ers linebacker is one of the top young defensive players in the NFL, and the two-time Pro Bowl selection is a big reason the 49ers rank sixth in the NFL in rushing defense. The Colts, who ranked No. 31 in rushing offense a season ago, have shown improvement in that area, but with Brown out, the Colts don't have the big-play element that has gotten them a lot of yards early. Addai has been more effective this season than last, with health a big reason and it will interesting Sunday to see if Indianapolis can run enough to allow the passing offense to be effective.

3) Colts CBs Kelvin Hayden and Jerraud Powers versus 49ers WR Michael Crabtree. The Colts' secondary has played at a high level the last season and a half, allowing eight touchdowns in the last 22 games, but Crabtree -- after a lengthy holdout -- was productive in his first game last week. The 2009 first-round selection caught five passes for 58 yards and has big-play, game-changing ability. The Colts' secondary has emerged as one of the most-talented, and one of the deepest, in the NFL, and aside from Crabtree, there's not a huge game-changing receiver on the 49ers.

QUOTABLE . . .

It does feel good to come back and play at home, just because playing four out of the first six on the road (is difficult). It’s certainly easier travel schedule wise. It doesn’t guarantee you anything. Playing home or away, it’s whoever goes out and makes the plays on Sunday. I know our players always like playing in front of our fans. I know the place will be loud on Sunday, and hopefully we can execute well.

--- Colts QB Peyton Manning

THE LAST WORD . . .

It's hard to imagine the Colts losing this game, and not just because of Manning. The Colts typically play well at home and they're historically very, very good against teams from the NFC. Indianapolis typically doesn't have letdown and it doesn't often lost to inferior teams. The 49ers are improving and capable, but they don't seem to be in that higher gear that enables them to go on the road and beat a team that has things going in the right direction.

**** BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT THE COLTS. SUBSCRIBE TO IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S EXAMINER ARTICLES BY CLICKING "SUBSCRIBE" ABOVE

*** IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER ON COLTS DE DWIGHT FREENEY: HERE

*** A REVIEW OF COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW: TE DALLAS CLARK SHOULD GO TO THE PRO BOWL HERE. AND AN UPDATE ON WR REGGIE WAYNE. HERE.

*** COFFEE WITH THE COLTS. A NEXT-DAY REVIEW OF RAMS-COLTS. HERE.

*** COLTS 42, RAMS 6. INDY FOOTBALL REPORT EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S GAME STORY. HERE

*** THE TOP FIVE SEASONS OF COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING. HERE

*** COLTS S BOB SANDERS:  "I LEFT PLAYS OUT THERE." HERE

MAGNIFICENT SEVENS: WEEKLY COLTS THOUGHTS . . .

Magnificent Seven I: Seven training camp thoughts and observations

Magnificent Seven II: On the Colts' defensive tackle position and WR Reggie Wayne

Magnificent Seven III: On the Colts' running backs and offensive line

Magnificent Seven IV: On the Colts' offense, OG Ryan Lilja and WR Anthony Gonzalez

Magnificent Seven V: On S Melvin Bullitt and QB Peyton Manning

Magnificent Seven VI: On RB Donald Brown and the start of the season . . . at last

Magnificent Seven VII: On WR Reggie Wayne, the OL and blitzing

Magnificent Seven VIII: On WR Reggie Wayne, QB Peyton Manning and DE Dwight Freeney 

Magnificent Seven IX: On DE Robert Mathis, S Bob Sanders and DE Dwight Freeney

Magnificent Seven X: On QB Peyton Manning's start and life without DT Ed Johnson

Magnificent Seven XI: On RB rotation, DE Dwight Freeney and S Bob Sanders