DATE: Thursday, August 20, 2009
SITE: Lucas Oil Stadium
KICKOFF: 8:00 p.m. (EDT)
CAPACITY: 63,000
SURFACE: FieldTurf
The Indianapolis Colts, 0-1, close the home portion of the 2009 preseason schedule on Thursday, August 20 by hosting the Philadelphia Eagles, 0-1. Kickoff in Lucas Oil Stadium for the contest telecast nationally by FOX Sports is 8:00 p.m. (EDT).
The Colts opened their era under new Head Coach Jim Caldwell last Friday with a 13-3 home loss to Minnesota. The club employed its starting units for one series, while using 61 players. Nine starters sat out of the contest (see Personnel Report). Caldwell was elevated to head coach in January, and this is his eighth season with the franchise. Caldwell began with the club in 2002 as quarterbacks coach, eventually adding the responsibilities of assistant head coach (2005) and associate head coach (2008). Philadelphia opened its preseason action with a 27-25 home loss last Thursday to New England.
Indianapolis reported to training camp on Sunday, August 2 at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. Players who opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list included DB-Bob Sanders (knee), DB-Marlin Jackson (knee), WR-Sam Giguere (leg), K-Adam Vinatieri (hip/knee), OT-Charlie Johnson (pectoral) and DT-Antonio Johnson (knee). Johnson, Johnson and Jackson were cleared from PUP on August 10. The Colts return to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Monday, August 17 for three days of work. The club breaks camp after a morning session on August 19.
Owners of the NFL's best regular-season record (114-46) since the start of the 1999 season, while being the only team to earn nine playoff appearances in the last 10 seasons, Indianapolis has won 59 of its last 73 regular-season games. Indianapolis' winning ways include a 32-10 record in AFC South play, while the club has owned or shared the lead in 95 of 119 weeks of the division's existence. The Colts won five AFC South championships from 2003-07, the best divisional-title streak in club history.
Indianapolis is the only NFL team to have double-digit victory totals and playoff appearances each season since the 2002 NFL Realignment.
PERSONNEL REPORT: DB-Bob Sanders (knee) and K-Adam Vinatieri (hip/knee) are on PUP. Players who missed the Minnesota game last week included WR-Anthony Gonzalez, QB-Jim Sorgi, WR-Sam Giguere, DB-Kelvin Hayden, DB-Marlin Jackson, RB-Mike Hart, DB-Melvin Bullitt, DB-Antoine Bethea, TE-Dallas Clark, OT-Ryan Diem, OT-Charlie Johnson, TE-Jacob Tamme, TE-Tom Santi, DE-Curtis Johnson, DT-Antonio Johnson.
TELEVISION/RADIO: FOX Sports telecasts with Ken Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa and Curt Menefee (field reporters). 1070-The Fan/HANK-FM, 97.1 broadcasts with Bob Lamey, Will Wolford and Kevin Lee (field reporter).
NEXT WEEK: Indianapolis visits Detroit on Saturday, August 29 at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
**WWW.COLTS.COM**: Please check the official website of the Indianapolis Colts for the latest in team information and merchandise.
HEAD COACHES
JIM CALDWELL was named head coach of the Colts on January 13, 2009, and this marks his eighth season with Indianapolis. Caldwell joined the club in 2002 as quarterbacks coach before adding the title of assistant head coach prior to the 2005 season. Caldwell was promoted to associate head coach with the club prior to the 2008 season. The club's offense has produced levels prolific enough during Caldwell's tenure to allow the club to earn an NFL-best seven consecutive playoff appearances. The club has earned 10 victories in seven consecutive seasons, tying the second-longest NFL streak, and the club's six consecutive 12 -victory seasons set the NFL's all-time standard. From 2004-08, Indianapolis became the only NFL team to earn winning streaks of at least seven games in five consecutive seasons. Caldwell joined the Colts after serving as quarterbacks coach with Tampa Bay in 2001. Caldwell has more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience. He spent 1993-2000 as head coach at Wake Forest. He served as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois (1978-80), Northwestern (1981), Colorado (1982-84), Louisville (1985) and Penn State (1986-92). Caldwell has coached in six bowl games and won a national championship with Penn State in 1986. In addition to serving on Joe Paterno's title staff, Caldwell tutored under three other coaches who won collegiate crowns (Rey Dempsey, Southern Illinois; Bill McCartney, Colorado; Howard Schnellenberger, Louisville). Caldwell was a four-year starter at defensive back at Iowa and worked as a graduate assistant for Iowa in 1977. He hold a bachelor's degree from Iowa. Caldwell was born on January 16, 1955 in Beloit, Wis.
ANDY REID became the 20th Eagles head coach on January 11, 1999. Reid joined Philadelphia after serving seven seasons with Green Bay in three different capacities (QB Coach, TE Coach, Asst. OL Coach). He is the winningest head coach in team history (107 victories; .607 percentage; 10 playoff wins). Reid led the Eagles to NFC Championship game appearances from 2001-04, reaching Super Bowl XXXIX. His Philadelphia units have totaled five division titles and five conference championship game appearances, and since his hiring, no team has earned more divisional playoff round appearances (seven). Reid helped Green Bay reach the playoffs six times, including the Super Bowl XXXI title season. Reid started coaching at San Francisco State in 1983, moving to Northern Arizona, Texas-El Paso and Missouri. He was a graduate assistant at Brigham Young in 1982, starting an association with Mike Holmgren. Reid played OT/G with the Cougars. He is a native of Los Angeles, Calif.
COLTS/EAGLES SERIES NOTES
The Colts-Eagles preseason series is squared, 9-9, and dates back to 1953. The clubs last met in preseason on August 23, 1991, with Philadelphia earning a 23-21 win. The Eagles' only preseason visit to Indianapolis was on August 27, 1990, as Philadelphia earned a 17-16 victory. The teams met annually in preseason from 1953-60, 62-66. The teams met twice in preseason in 1956 and 1979. Though the Colts-Eagles league series dates back to 1953, the series has been renewed but 16 times during regular-season play. The Colts lead the league series, 10-6, on the strength of four straight wins. The clubs last met on November 26, 2006. Scoring the game's first 21 points, the Colts rolled to a 45-21 win over Philadelphia. RB-Joseph Addai (24-171, 4 TDs rushing) became the 8th NFL rookie with four rushing TDs, setting the club single-game rookie mark for rushing and overall touchdowns and tying the franchise single-game rushing TD record of RB-Eric Dickerson. Addai had first-half scoring bursts of 15, 10 and 15 yards. QB-Peyton Manning was 14-20-183, 1 TD/int., hitting WR-Reggie Wayne (4-77, 1 TD) on an 11t tally. The Indianapolis defense produced two sacks and two takeaways, the first one being a 26t fumble return by DB-Kelvin Hayden. On November 10, 2002, the Colts posted a 35-13 win at Philadelphia. Manning (18-23-319, 3 TDs) teamed with WRs-Marvin Harrison (6-137, 2 TDs, 57t and 43t) and Wayne (6-121, 1 TD, 27t), while rookie RB-James Mungro was 28-114, 2 TDs rushing (6t, 10t) as the Colts bolted to a 14-6 halftime lead that eventually swelled to 35-6. The Indianapolis defense harried the Eagles all day, producing two sacks and forcing three fumbles while holding Philadelphia in check. Harrison tied WR-Raymond Berry's club record with 68 career touchdown receptions. The clubs met four times during the 1990s, the last one coming on November 21, 1999, a 44-17 Colts road victory. In that contest, Indianapolis produced its sixth straight win in building a 30-3 halftime advantage. Manning (16-26-235, 3 TDs), RB-Edgerrin James (22-152, 2 TDs rushing/5-47, 1 TD receiving), Harrison (5-60, 1 TD) and WR-Terrence Wilkins (4-111, 1 TD) led the way. Manning hit 5t, 80t and 17t passes to Harrison, Wilkins and James, while James had 1t and 62t scoring runs. The Colts defense produced five takeaways as the club led through three periods, 44-3. Manning gave way to QB-Steve Walsh for the final period, snapping a string of 1,590 consecutive snaps to start a career, the NFL record for quarterbacks. QB-Donovan McNabb was 19-36-165, 1 TD/2 ints., while RB-Duce Staley was 16-78. Prior to 1999, the Colts last appearance in Philadelphia was September 30, 1990. On that day at Veterans Stadium, QB-Jack Trudeau guided the Colts the length of the field in the final two minutes, hitting WR-Bill Brooks on a 5t pass at the gun to knot the game, 23-23. K-Dean Biasucci's PAT gave the Colts a dramatic victory. In the 1990s other meetings, Philadelphia topped Indianapolis in 1993 (20-10, on 12/19) at the RCA Dome. Indianapolis took a 37-10 verdict at home over the Eagles on December 5, 1996.
COLTS ARE NFL'S WINNINGEST TEAM FROM 1999-2008: The Colts stand as the NFL's winningest team since the start of the 1999 season. The Colts own a 114-46 record during that span.
