Both teams can already look ahead and visualize what it will take.
Consistent play. Good fortune. Momentum. Confidence. Home-field advantage. All are needed to make it to the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts will be in the playoffs when the regular season ends. Before that, there is Saturday, the best of the NFC versus the best of the AFC. The game has lost some of its appeal because the Colts are no longer undefeated, already have home-field advantage and will be resting some of their starters.
The Seahawks can lock up home-field advantage with a victory or tie or a Bears loss or tie Sunday.
The game also has been overshadowed by the death of Colts coach Tony Dungy’s son James, who committed suicide Thursday. Tony Dungy is not with the team, having gone to Florida to be with his family, and will not be on the sideline at Qwest Field.
When fans take their seats and watch Colts stars Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James for a quarter, perhaps a half, before giving way to the backups, they should take heart. When they don’t see wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who was ruled out with a broken hand, they should not despair. Indy versus Seattle on Christmas Eve could be a prelude to Colts-Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
The parallels and matchups are intriguing when both teams are at full strength and all of the regulars are in action full-time. These are two of the NFL’s most prolific offenses, but the performance of their respective defenses has been the real key to each team’s success.
The Seahawks have gone from 26th in the league in total defense at the end of last season to 16th in 2005. The Colts, led by the play of three Pro Bowlers, defensive end Dwight Freeney, safety Bob Sanders and linebacker Cato June, have improved even more dramatically. They were 29th in total defense in 2004, and are ninth this season.
June didn’t make the trip to Seattle, Sanders is not expected to play and Freeney isn’t likely to start, all because of the risk of further injury. But they’ll be ready if the Colts play in the Super Bowl.
Only it’s hard to look so far ahead, given what happened earlier in the week.
“The great thing about it is that this team is a great reflection of its head coach, they emulate him to a `T’ in certain respects,” Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell, who will take over for Dungy Saturday, told the Associated Press “Especially when there’s some adversity, and this is a very tough time.
“[Dungy] didn’t give me any directions, he just told us to go forward and do the things we normally do–play hard and play well.”
The Colts clearly would like to win Saturday for Dungy. It’s just that they’ll be doing it with heavy hearts and without much contribution from many regulars. The Seahawks can only concentrate on winning the game, knowing this is a team they could see, and hope to see, down the road.
Both teams are aware of each other’s success.
“I think our team realizes what kind of team Seattle is,” Manning said. “Certainly what they are playing for in getting ready for their playoff run. You know what type of effort you are going to get from them.”
Rest assured, both teams will be taking notes and remembering what they see Saturday for possible use in creating a game plan before the Super Bowl, if indeed the Colts and Seahawks get that far.
“It’s like when you play a division opponent,” Holmgren said. “We don’t throw away the game plans. . . . We keep them and see if we can learn something.”
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