Even if they lose, too early to dismiss Colts

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky The better a team's been in the past, the longer it takes most of us to think they're going to have a down year. They've earned it.
I know it's unsatisfying for some to read that analysts consider the Colts a favorite or expect them to rebound "because they are the Colts." But while track records may not count for an upstart team like Buffalo or Carolina, they carry significant weight for an Indianapolis or a New England, because those teams have figured out how to win and how to sustain it.
The Colts are expected to win Sunday in Houston, and it's easy to figure that Peyton Manning will shred a banged up Houston secondary that wasn't playing particularly well when healthy.
But Indy could lose and sit in last place in the division and still be a factor in the AFC moving forward from 1-3. (Yes, even with that imposing schedule.)
The Colts know their situation, and won't hide from it. My guess is they will respond to it, even if teams run on them. They've dealt with the issue before. They can again.
"I think 'playing with a sense of urgency' is probably a safe phrase," Manning said this week. "That's something we always try to do. Coach Dungy is always pointing out what's going on in the rest of the division, and we know how the other teams in our division our playing and know that these division games count double. The game against Jacksonville was extremely important and we came up short, so this is as important this week against Houston. We're coming off our bye with a long stretch from here on out. We'd like to finish off this first quarter of the season, which we break the season down into, with a win. It's an important game and one that we'd like to play well in and try to get a win on the road."


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