Perhaps it was Y2K after all.
And perhaps the Indianapolis Colts should be very careful as they find themselves, with the kickoff of the 2010 season, in the middle of two distinct trends.
First, they have won at least 12 games in seven consecutive seasons, at least 10 games in eight consecutive seasons. Nobody else in the league can say that.
But the Colts also lost the Super Bowl this past February, and that puts them in another numerical pile that is not so favorable. Since the start of the 2000 season, just two of the last nine Super Bowl losers have even made the playoffs the following year, and none of the nine made it back to the Big Game.
One of those Super Bowl losers, New England to end the 2007 season, did follow up with an 11-5 finish in 2008, but Baltimore edged the Patriots out for the last playoff spot with one more AFC win than New England had.
So that’s just one more thing for Colts uberquarterback Peyton Manning to worry about as he pulls the franchise along.
Must-see game of the week
Colts at Texans
11 a.m.
The skinny: The Colts still have Manning, and that will always give them a chance as long as he is healthy enough to see it, throw it and complete it. But Indianapolis enters the season with a bevy of questions in the offensive line, or the same unit general manager Bill Polian essentially blamed for the Super Bowl loss to the Saints. The Colts waived tackle Tony Ugoh, a second-round pick, Wednesday and were still trying to piece together a lineup for the opener as they closed the practice week out.
The difference will be: How Manning adjusts to so much uncertainty in front of him. Left tackle Charlie Johnson, who would have Texans defensive end Mario Williams in front of him, just returned to practice on a limited basis. If Johnson doesn’t play, the Colts are looking at starting an undrafted rookie — Jeff Linkenbach — to match up with Williams. The Texans have beaten the Colts only once in their existence. This is their best chance if a set of cornerbacks with 13 career starts is up to the challenge.
The call: Colts 28-24
Catch them if you can
Bengals at Patriots
11 a.m.
Whether it be Tom Brady’s contract negotiations, Randy Moss’ unhappiness or Brady’s Thursday morning car accident, coach Bill Belichick’s no-distractions policy has taken a pounding over the past week or so. The Bengals figure to attack the Patriots’ suspect secondary, but they are also 9-0 when RB Cedric Benson has a 100-yard game.
The call: Bengals 27-23
Falcons at Steelers
11 a.m.
Falcons coach Mike Smith has achieved a significant professional milestone in that he is the first coach to lead the Falcons to back-to-back winning seasons in the franchise’s history. The Steelers, without QB Ben Roethlisberger, have showed their intentions to return to a more run-based offense with their starting QB on suspension.
The call: Steelers 13-10
Packers at Eagles
2:15 p.m., KDVR-31
Aaron Rodgers, above, is the first QB in NFL history to have had 4,000-yard passing seasons in each of his first two years as a starter, but the Packers hope they have assembled the kind of team around him so he can now earn his first playoff win. There’s plenty of speed and playmakers in both of these offenses, so the points should follow.
The call: Packers 31-30
Cowboys at Redskins
6:20 p.m., KUSA-9
Somebody at the NFL’s Park Avenue offices must not like Mike Shanahan. Shanahan took over a 4-12 team in Washington that had far more needs than he could fill in one offseason. Now, he gets a Super Bowl hopeful for the opener. Shanahan was 10-4 in his season openers with the Broncos.
The call: Cowboys 27-13
Quick hitters
Dolphins at Bills
11 a.m.
Former Broncos and current Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall caught just eight passes in the preseason and had plenty of drops. They’ll need far more from him to make the Miami offense go.
The call: Dolphins 17-10
Lions at Bears
11 a.m.
The Lions are better and their defense, with an aggressive front, will make somebody pay this season. Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has a history of putting up big numbers but also with serving up his quarterbacks to some punishment.
The call: Lions 27-20
Panthers at Giants
11 a.m., KDVR-31
Few teams rushed the passer like the Panthers did in the preseason — 18 sacks in their first three preseason games — and that unheralded group could be the key to whether John Fox gets this team back to the playoffs.
The call: Giants 24-21
Browns at Bucs
11 a.m.
The Buccaneers faithful are unconvinced there will be a turnaround. The team will have its opener blacked out on local television in the Tampa region — the first time a regular-season game has been blacked out there since 1997.
The call: Browns 9-7
Raiders at Titans
11 a.m.
Raiders coach Tom Cable has touted his team as being tougher and smarter than it has been in recent years. That’s fine, but the Raiders better be fast as well because Titans RB Chris Johnson will have the ball plenty.
The call: Titans 24-16
49ers at Seahawks
2:15 p.m.
Matt Hasselbeck has thrown four interceptions in two of his last three regular-season starts — against Tampa Bay and Green Bay. With Seattle’s questions up front, the 49ers figure to come after him as well.
The call: 49ers 20-10
Cardinals at Rams
2:15 p.m.
The Cardinals made one of the most startling cuts in the preseason, sending Matt Leinart on his way. So begins the Derek Anderson era — he’s 16-19 as a starter, a total that includes an 0-5 mark against the Steelers.
The call: Cardinals 30-9
