The Indianapolis Colts finished their dismal 2011 season the same way that they began it, which was by losing to a division rival on the road. Thanks to all that happened in between the opening loss to the Houston Texans and the closing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, the two games had a distinctively different feel. By the time the Colts took the field in Florida on January 1, fans had long since lost all hopes of Peyton Manning’s return this season, another playoff appearance or virtually anything else positive. In fact, for the first time that I can remember, I found myself rooting hard for the Colts to lose a game so that they could hold onto the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft and the chance to groom another franchise quarterback. The Colts and Jags made it interesting but, in the end, Indianapolis was no match for running back Maurice Jones-Drew and granted me my wish, falling by a final score of 19-13.

The story of this game featured many of the same chapters that the Colts wrote throughout the season. In particular, Jones-Drew rode Indianapolis’s weak run defense to a 169-yard performance that gave him the NFL rushing title with 1606 yards. That total also gave him the Jacksonville franchise record, eclipsing the 1572 yards that Fred Taylor racked up in 2003, and it further cemented the Colts defense as a breeding ground for big running days by the opposition. On the other side of the ball, the Colts couldn’t get their own running game moving, crafting just 56 yards on 22 carries. In a bit of symmetry, Jones-Drew broke Taylor’s mark on a 56-yard carry in the third quarter, matching Indy’s ground output for the day on one glorious play.

On the plus side, quarterback Dan Orlovsky threw for 264 yards and a touchdown, though he did throw two interceptions and was sacked three times. Austin Collie grabbed nine balls for 96 yards and also scored a touchdown, while Reggie Wayne picked up 73 yards in what could be his last game as a Colt. Linebacker Pat Angerer finished his breakout year with another strong performance that included 11 tackles, six of which were solo jobs. Antoine Bethea threw in 10 tackles for good measure (eight solo).

All in all, there wasn’t much positive to take from this game or this season, but at least it’s over now. We can turn our attention in earnest to the rebuilding that lies ahead and the fun of speculating about what the Colts will do with the number-one pick. Should be an interesting 2012.

Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Colts fans since the team arrived in Indianapolis on a snowy morning in 1984. The Blue and White eventually replaced the Chicago Bears as his #1 team, and Super Bowl XLI was a dream come true.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Colts defensive end Robert Mathis couldn’t care less about the No. 1 draft pick. All he wants is another win.

Some of Indianapolis’ die-hard fans are urging the team’s brain trust to take a different tack, benching starters and losing Sunday’s season finale at Jacksonville so it can get the top pick.

“It’s better not to respond to that at all,” Mathis said when asked about the fans’ plea. “We play to win.”

The stakes are high.

Since moving to Indianapolis in 1984, only the 1991 Colts (1-15) produced fewer than three wins.

The Colts (2-13) have never finished with a losing record in AFC South play, and the last time anybody beat the Colts twice in the same season was 2007 when San Diego won at home in the regular season and in Indianapolis in the second round of the playoffs.

A victory over the Jags (4-11) would keep all of those streaks intact and allow the Colts to take a three-game winning string into next season, something they haven’t done since the 2006 Super Bowl-winning run.

The message coming from the top is simple: Keep on winning.

“We’re not going after anything but a win in Jacksonville, look at the last half century of SupBowl winners — how many had 1st pick,” Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter late Tuesday night.

Fans have a different view.

A win, coupled with a loss by St. Louis (2-13), would drop the Colts from the No. 1 overall slot down to No. 2, and likely out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Most expect the Stanford quarterback to go in that top slot, whether the Colts or Rams have the pick or trade it.

The possibility of losing the No. 1 pick didn’t even seem plausible three weeks ago when the Colts were still winless. Two wins in five days, over division rivals Tennessee and Houston, and an extended break after last Thursday’s win have suddenly created doubts.

It’s not the first time the Colts have faced such a predicament. After going 0-10 in 1997, Indy won three of its next five, then needed a loss at Minnesota in the season finale to secure the No. 1 pick. It worked out with the selection of Peyton Manning, and the die-hards believe it would all work the same way again this year.

The Jags have a hand to play in this, too.

With Maurice Jones-Drew a near lock to win the league’s rushing title and an interim coach running the team, a Jags loss would not just help their draft position but could also prevent the Colts from taking another franchise quarterback they’d have to face twice a year for more than a decade.

“That’s not a part of my thinking at all,” Jaguars interim coach Mel Tucker said.

Indy’s players and coaches are saying the same thing.

Still, Colts fans point to 2009 when the team benched most of its key players early in the second half of Game 15, throwing away a chance at a perfect season. In the regular-season finale, most of the starters were yanked early at Buffalo. Back then, Bill Polian, now the team’s vice chairman, said the perfect season was not a goal but winning the Super Bowl was.

The Colts also lost to New Orleans in the title game.

Now, with seemingly nothing to gain and everything to lose, those who covet the No. 1 pick argue Indy should do the same thing.

Don’t count on it.

“In this locker room, everyone wants to be in there,” said Curtis Painter, who replaced Manning against the Jets in 2009. “Back then, I think the guys wanted to play then, too. Every guy wants to play and there’s certainly no difference this year.”

Notes: The Colts practiced Wednesday without starting quarterback Dan Orlovsky after his wife delivered triplets. That temporarily put Curtis Painter back in the charge of the starting offense, a tradeoff some Colts fans are willing to make given the circumstances. To their dismay, coach Jim Caldwell said Orlovsky, who has won two straight, should return to practice Thursday and should play Sunday.

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The Indianapolis Colts are actually moving up some of the weekly power rankings. Not only did they upset the division rival Tennessee Titans a couple week ago, they went ahead and beat the division winners, the Houston Texans on Saturday. On top of all of that, they looked good doing it. This is all nothing more than proof that the NFL does not and has never made any bit of sense whatsoever. It’s odd to see a 13-loss team suddenly winning games, but at the very least, they’re now moving up the rankings.

ESPN, for instance, bumps the Colts up one spot:

31. A painful/annoying week ahead for players and coaches dealing with the world asking them if they really want to win. (Kuharsky)

It’s also entertaining to see Kuharsky so obviously silenced by this, that nothing about the Colts themselves is actually written in the spot to give reasoning as to why the Colts are ranked there. Either way, that’s where they fall, ahead of just the lowly St. Louis Rams.

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INDIANAPOLIS —
Are the Indianapolis Colts treating Sunday’s game at Jacksonville as the final game of the season or just the next game on the schedule? 

Despite a 2-13 record, the Colts have plenty on the line – particularly when it comes to draft positioning as well as the future of several key players on the Indianapolis roster. And then there are the questions about what’s going to happen to coach Jim Caldwell and his coaching staff, if anything, once the season is over.

“It is the last game of the year, but also can be used as stepping stones to launch you into the offseason and those kinds of things,” Caldwell explained Monday.

“There are a lot of different things you can sort of talk about in terms of this ball game, but for us it is the next one. What we are trying to do, and [what] we have been trying to do, is get incrementally better, just a little bit better each and every week. I think our guys have been doing that, and this one will also be a challenge to get just a little bit better this week. I think that is indeed the key. And we are going to face an opponent that is doing the exact same thing.”

As for the questions about possible draft positioning, with Minnesota scoring an upset over Washington last Saturday, the Vikings have played themselves out of contention for the No. 1 pick in April’s National Football League draft.

It’s now down to the Colts and St. Louis Rams, who are also 2-13 this season. Due to the league’s tie-breaking procedure, which is strength of schedule, Indianapolis is still the leading contender for the top pick. NFL officials said over the weekend, though, that a Colts win and a St. Louis loss would give the selection to the Rams.

But, again, that could change depending on how teams on both Indianapolis and the Rams’ schedules fare in their games Sunday. According to team vice-chairman Bill Polian, who broached the topic during his weekly Monday night radio show, a final determination won’t be known until after this weekend’s games have been completed.

Caldwell said that the Colts aren’t concerning themselves right now about what might happen in the draft. Their immediate goal is the Jaguars.

Indianapolis has never been swept by an AFC South team since the division was created in 2002 and it doesn’t want to start any precedent now. The Colts are even in the season series with Tennessee and Houston after winning their last two games.

“I do not [worry about the draft]. My job is to win ball games, plain and simple,” the Indianapolis coach said. “[Being swept by a division opponent] hasn’t happened around here in a long time, and I think it is something that they’ve been really focused on and working hard to make certain that it doesn’t happen. That is the real challenge.”

•  Injury list — No decision has been made as to whether tight end Dallas Clark (neck burner), weakside linebacker Philip Wheeler (foot), offensive guard Joe Reitz (ankle) or linebacker A.J. Edds (ankle) will be available to play against the Jaguars Sunday.

“I do know [Clark and Wheeler] are making good progress, but I’m not certain of their status at this point. If [Clark] is not healthy and ready to go, then we won’t (play him),” Caldwell said.

While there is a possibility that Clark could be placed on the team’s injured reserve list if he is unable to play at Jacksonville, no decision has been made.

“We have to do what we think is best for us to win this game, so we’ll look at all phases in that regard,” the Colts coach voiced.

The team is treating the season finale at Jacksonville like any other game in terms of injured players being available.

“There are certain individuals that may have borderline issues,” he said. “But the doctors typically, if [they are] borderline, they are going to rule against [them playing].”

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Even though they won two games in a row, the Indianapolis Colts can still secure the first overall pick in the NFL Draft if they lose their final game. They defeated the Houston Texans 19-16 on Thursday, December 22. However, the team is still on track to earn that first pick. Many expect that pick to be Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck. Over the years, the Colts franchise has had a checkered relationship with the number one pick. Here is a look at the top overall picks in Colts history.

George Shaw

Shaw was drafted first overall in 1955. He spent four seasons with the Colts and another four with various teams. He made 17 starts in his first two seasons with the Colts at quarterback. He only made 12 starts in the rest of his career after that.

Bubba Smith

Smith was chosen first overall in 1967. He was not a Hall of Fame player but he did have a nice career in the NFL. He spent five years with the Colts and reached the Pro Bowl two times. He was also part of a Super Bowl winning team. Smith is remembered as one of the more popular defensive linemen in the NFL.

John Elway

Elway had a Hall of Fame career and is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history. Unfortunately, he never played a down for the Colts. Elway refused to play for the team out of college and was traded to the Denver Broncos.

Jeff George

George came out of college with a lot of hype. When the Colts selected him first overall, the hope was the he would be a franchise quarterback. But in his four seasons with the team, George never quite lived up to the billing. He did have a long NFL career as a journeyman but never really did enough to make his pick warranted.

Steve Emtman

Emtman was a much hyped defensive lineman when the Colts took him first overall. He was chosen after a strong college career in Washington. After three disastrous years with the Colts, his time was done there. He spent three more years in the league. Emtman had just five sacks in his three seasons with the Colts.

Peyton Manning

There is no question that Manning has been a huge hit as the top overall pick. The Colts chose him in 1998 over Ryan Leaf and they have never looked back. He is on track to break passing record and also brought the team a Super Bowl title. Manning will go down as one of the greatest ever.

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The Indianapolis Colts have struggled in 2011. The opened the season 0-13 and looked as if they had a possibility of going winless on the season. Then the team dug in and won two games in a row to move to 2-13 on the season. Through the ups and downs, Reggie Wayne has always been there and has had a very good season.

Indianapolis’ statistics are down across the board on offense from what fans are used to seeing. Peyton Manning has not played this season and the quarterback play has been just awful. Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter were downright awful for the first 11 games of the season. Dan Orlovsky has been a big improvement and has the team playing better football lately.

Even with the poor quarterback play, Reggie Wayne has hung in there and is quietly having a very good season at 33 years old. A lot of talk has been made recently about Wayne’s upcoming free agency and that the December 22 matchup against the Houston Texans could have been his last game at Lucas Oil Stadium. If it was, Wayne didn’t disappoint. He didn’t disappoint this entire season when you factor in what he’s had to play through.

With one game left to play, Wayne has 67 receptions for 887 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Wayne has an average of 13.2 yards per catch which is higher than his averages of the last two seasons. You can’t fault Wayne for the fact that his quarterbacks have been awful and have not been able to get him the ball.

Indianapolis has two wins on the season and both wins were clinched with touchdown catches by Reggie Wayne. This is no coincidence.

Reggie needs 113 yards in the finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 1 to finish off his eighth straight season with over 1,000 yards receiving. This would be an amazing feat when fans look back on this seasons Indianapolis Colt team.

Wide receiver Pierre Garcon currently has one more catch and 37 more yards on the season than Wayne. Garcon has been the beneficiary of several deep balls early in the season and yardage that has been added on late in blowout losses. Wayne has consistently made the big plays and catches in key situations. Anyone who argues that Garcon has become the better player is simply not watching the games.

It’s impossible to say what would have been in Indianapolis if Peyton Manning had not missed the season. What I do know is that Reggie Wayne has not lost a step and deserves to be re-signed in Indianapolis to complete his career there. If anything, he needs to be rewarded for the work he has put in over the last 11 seasons. Fans have to appreciate the work Reggie Wayne has put in all season in 2011.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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The Houston Texans can’t beat the Indianapolis Colts on the road. Even with the Colt sitting at 1-13 and the Texans already secured a playoff spot, Houston managed to lose. The loss dropped Houston’s record in Indianapolis to 0-10. They now have the second worst active road record against one opponent without a win. Houston’s missed opportunity keeps on this dubious list a little longer. Here are the worst active road losing streaks for one team against one opponent without a win in the regular season.

San Diego Chargers – 14 losses versus Pittsburgh Steelers

This is an interesting streak. While the Chargers are 0-14 against Pittsburgh in the regular season on the road, they have actually won twice there in the playoffs. Still, this list is about the regular season and the Chargers just don’t win in Pittsburgh. The streak began back in 1971. The Chargers have been close a few times but they have also been blown out a few times. The worst loss was a 52-24 pounding in 1984.

Houston Texans – 10 losses versus Indianapolis Colts

Houston is just 3-17 overall against the Colts. All three wins came at home. They have missed some opportunities to end their skid in Indianapolis. They led into the final minute of the 2011 game before losing. They also lost one score games in 2008 and 2009.

Minnesota Vikings – Nine losses versus Indianapolis Colts

The Vikings have never won a road game against the Colts. That counts nine regular season games and one playoff game. Most of those losses occurred when the Colts played in Baltimore. Only two of the losses have come since the team moved to Indianapolis. The Vikings lost by a field goal there in 2004 and were crushed in 2000. The last time they faced the Colts on the road before that was 1968. Minnesota went 5-0 against the Colts at home between those years.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Seven losses versus Tennessee Titans

The Buccaneers have not fared well on the road against the Titans since joining the league in 1976. They have all seven of those games. The first four came when the Titans were the Houston Oilers. The last three came when the franchise moved. Tampa Bay lost in Tennessee 23-17 in 2011 for the seventh straight loss on the road against the team.ousHH

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That’s all for today.

In week 14, I posted a 3-1 mark with my picks for the AFC South Division. I correctly predicted that both the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans would lose their games while the Houston Texans would beat the Cincinnati Bengals. It would have been a perfect week if not for the Jaguars pummeling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-14. However three out of four is still respectable and I’m hoping to duplicate my success with the games for week 15.

Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers:

Last week, the Texans clinched their first playoff berth in team history with a 20-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite the rash of injuries during the season, the Texans have continued to roll. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates played well last week, throwing for 300 yards along with two touchdowns. While Arian Foster (15 carries, 41 yards) and Ben Tate (8 carries, 67 yards) did not have great games last week, they did just enough to complement the passing game.

The Texans have also been playing pretty good defense this season and I think they will do a good job of containing both Cam Newton and Steve Smith. With that being said, I am picking the Texans to notch their 11th victory of the season.

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts:

Both teams are coming off losses in week 14. The Titans played the New Orleans Saints close before falling 22-17 while the Colts extended their losing streak to 13 games with a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts’ 0-13 record is the primary reason why I’m picking the Titans this week. The second reason is because of the play of quarterback Jake Locker. He picked up the offensive slack last week throwing for 282 yards and a touchdown, while Chris Johnson rushed for only 23 yards on 11 carries.

While the Colts have been competitive in a few of their games this year, their overall play on defense has been pretty bad. Based on that premise, the Titans’ quarterbacks should have a good game regardless of who plays and Johnson should bounce back this week as well.

Please note – this article was written following the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons, which is why this game was not included.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been an NFL fan for over 20 years. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and NJFFL Dynasty. For interesting discussions about the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

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Dec 15, 2011 – One of the reasons that the Indianapolis Colts have been so successful over the past decade is their amazing consistency. The franchise rarely makes rash decisions, but this season has been an aberration with Peyton manning out for the year. Indianapolis sits at 0-13, and naturally, coach Jim Caldwell’s job is in jeopardy. Reports are circulating that Caldwell will be fired this season, but strangely only if the Colts go 0-16:

According to Jason La Confora of NFL.com, should the Colts go 0-16 in 2011, head coach Jim Caldwell will be fired. La Confora reported this last night, and he cites ‘sources close to the situation.’ It’s also worth noting that La Confora just recently finished an exclusive one-on-one interview with Colts owner Jim Irsay, which aired last night on NFL Total Access.

At this point a win looks highly unlikely for Indianapolis. This weekend they host a Tennessee team trying to reach the playoffs, and next week Houston enters with one of the best records in the AFC. Indianapolis closes the year at Jacksonville, and the Jaguars already won with ease in Indianapolis.

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CHARLOTTE – 

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Oct 29, 2011 – The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a loss that can be best described as … pathetic. Without being offensive at all to the Colts, it can also be described as “hilarious,” and even most Colts fans would agree – just read their gamethread. Either way, they’re sitting winless and their problems are evident on offense, defense and even special teams. About the only thing going right for Indy is their punting game. Ouch.

On Sunday, they’ll hit the road to take on the Tennessee Titans, looking to … well, looking to get something better than a 62-7 loss. It’s not exactly “too late” for the Colts to make some kind of comeback and salvage the season, and it’s true that starting it off with a win over their AFC South rivals would be appropriate, but … you know. Either way, the Titans are 3-3 (second in the AFC South) and coming off two-straight losses, themselves.

Tennessee lost a beatdown to the Houston Texans their last time out, and that could mean one of two things: the Colts can take advantage of a struggling Titans unit, or they’ll be out for blood looking to get back in the win column. Where do the Colts start in regards to stopping the Titans?

It will have to be the run game. Their run defense has been poor this season, and they’re going up against one of the league’s best backs in Chris Johnson. He hasn’t had the best of seasons yet, but if there’s an opportunity for him to really torch someone, the Colts are it. Indianapolis has allowed rushers of 116, 94, 127, 119 and 91 yards this season. They’ve been lacking speed and decent angles all season and the gameplan for Tennessee is certainly to put the ball in Johnson’s hands. 

The Colts may be overlooked though. If the Titans are coming into this one overconfident, don’t sleep on Indianapolis to pick up their first win of the season. The game is set for 1:00 p.m. eastern on Sunday.

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The Indianapolis Colts could be without their top running back when they look for their first victory of the 2011-12 NFL season in a game against the Tennessee Titans on October 30, 2011.

Joseph Addai(notes) was held out of practice on October 26 because of a nagging hamstring injury that has flared up on him. Addai had missed the Colts’ Week 6 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. He re-injured his hamstring after he returned during the Colts’ 62-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 7. The Colts may want to proceed cautiously because it seems like Jim Caldwell is rushing him back.

This injury shouldn’t mean much for the Colts. Addai hasn’t rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season since 2007-08. 2009-10 was the only season where he had more than 750 all-purpose yards since that time period (rushing and receiving). He also missed half of the 2010-11 season because of injuries. Addai has basically regressed into a decoy running back who has had difficulty with remaining healthy.

Delone Carter(notes) and Donald Brown(notes) combined to have 136 rushing yards on 19 carries against the Saints. At the least, I feel like both running backs have performed on the same level as Addai has for the past few seasons. Both are eager to prove themselves so that they may get more playing time even when Addai returns.

The Titans mustn’t overlook any opponents now that they’re 3-3 after getting outscored 79-24 by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans in their past two games. The Titans’ run defense has been gashed during that time period. Jonathan Dwyer(notes) and Isaac Redman(notes) combined to have 156 rushing yards on 26 carries in the Steelers’ Week 5 victory. Arian Foster(notes) and Ben Tate(notes) both had over 100 yards rushing for the Texans in their Week 7 victory.

Run offense and run defense should play a critical factor for the Colts and Titans in their Week 8 meeting. The Colts have also surrendered over 150 rushing yards per game. The St. Louis Rams are the only team who has allowed more (183.8). However, Chris Johnson hasn’t been able to rediscover his groove since he sat out of training camp. The Titans are averaging fewer than 65 rushing yards per game. That’s 15 fewer yards than the Seattle Seahawks and at least 25 fewer yards than anyone else.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network

Fan’s NFL Prediction Against the Spread: Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (Week 8, 2011-12)

Tennessee Titans’ Mike Munchak Doesn’t Think Personnel Changes Are Needed: Local Fan’s Take

Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson Won’t Accept Blame for NFL’s Worst-ranked Run Offense: Local Fan’s Take

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In week 6, I ran the table with a perfect 3-0 mark with my picks for the AFC South division and I was in position to accomplish the feat again in week 7. As predicted, the New Orleans Saints beat up on the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans. With the Jacksonville Jaguars playing against the Baltimore Ravens, I figured another perfect week was in the bag. However, the Jaguars played very well defensively and beat the Ravens 12-7. Despite being in a state of disbelief, I have to put it behind me and look ahead to week 8, where all four teams in the division will face each other.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans:

Both teams are coming off disappointing losses from last week. With first place on the line in the division, the Titans were defeated at home by the Texans 41-7 while the Colts were completely dominated by the Saints, to the tune of 62-7. Everyone figured the Colts would be a different team without Peyton Manning(notes) under center, but to lose a game by 55 points is just unacceptable.

The Colts have yet to win a game this season and they will face a Titans’ team that will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss at home. Simply put, the Titans should win big in this one and maybe Chris Johnson will finally have that big game that everyone has been waiting for. Maybe.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans:

The Jaguars made me look bad last week to say the least. I gave them absolutely no shot against the Ravens but they proved me wrong. I guess anything is possible when you hold a team to -1 passing yards in the first half. Despite a decent showing against Baltimore, I think the Texans are more than capable of moving the ball efficiently against a Jaguars’ defense that has been average at best this year.

Arian Foster(notes) caught and ran for over 100 yards against the Titans last week and I think it’s safe to say, he will have another good game against Jacksonville. Look for the Texans to win their second straight game against a divisional opponent.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been watching NFL games for over 20 seasons. For interesting discussions about the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow on him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

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Nate Washington(notes) is ready to have a great week in fantasy football during Week 8. His Tennessee Titans are taking on the Indianapolis Colts, and that could lead to some big numbers from the wide receiver.

By now, everyone knows about the horrible Week 7 game that Washington had against the Houston Texans. He had just one catch for 10 yards and never put the ball in the end zone. It was one of those games that just get thrown out of the equation when trying to figure out if he is good enough to start again. With quarterback Matt Hasselbeck(notes) set to have a huge week, it will translate to success for Washington.

Washington has 399 yards on 29 catches this season to go along with one receiving touchdown. His best game of the season came against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 when he had eight catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. In Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens he had seven catches for 99 yards, showing that he can do well against great defenses. It’s time to pretend that his game against Houston never took place, and that he is worth picking up off the waiver wire should he be available in any fantasy football leagues.

Many owners might be worried about starting Washington this week after he posted just one point in the last two weeks, but he is definitely one of the top 20 receivers to play this week. It is possible that he could end up with 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts, but with how badly the Colts defense looked last week , pushing that to 130 yards is not a far-fetched projection. Nobody is going to claim that Washington is as good as the elite receivers in the game now, but he needs to play on a team in every league out there.

If you are an owner that has to deal with one of the six teams that are having a bye this week ( Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) then go look for both Washington and Hasselbeck on the waiver wire. If someone was smart enough to just bury Washington on the bench for a while, now is the week to get him back in the starting rotation.

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