DATE: Sunday, October 4, 2009
SITE: Lucas Oil Stadium
KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. (EDT)/10:00 a.m. (PDT)
CAPACITY: 63,000
SURFACE: FieldTurf
Returning for the lone home date in October, the Indianapolis Colts, 3-0, host the Seattle Seahawks, 1-2, on Sunday, October 4 in Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff for the contest is 1:00 p.m. (EDT)/10:00 a.m. (PDT).
The Colts are coming off a two-game road night swing in hosting the Seahawks. Indianapolis produced a 27-23 victory at Miami on September 21 (MNF), then earned a 31-10 road victory last Sunday Night at Arizona. The Colts have road dates at Tennessee (October 11) and at St. Louis (October 25) sandwiched around a bye week, then have three home dates in November. The Colts enter Sunday's battle with a 12-game regular-season game winning streak. The victory at Arizona extended the sixth 10 -game regular-season winning streak in franchise history (13, 2005; 12, 2008-09; 11, 1964; 11, 1975-76; 11, 1999; 10, 2005-06), the fourth since 1999. This is the second of four NFC West opponents for Indianapolis in 2009. In addition to visiting St. Louis, Indianapolis hosts San Francisco on November 1. Seattle reaches this week's game after a 25-19 home loss last Sunday to Chicago. Sunday's clash will be the 10th between the clubs, the first one waged in Indianapolis since 1997. The Colts own a 5-4 series edge.
The Colts are owners of the NFL's best regular-season record (117-46) since the start of the 1999 season, while being the only team to earn nine playoff appearances in the last 10 seasons, including a league-best seven consecutive post-season berths. Indianapolis has won 62 of its last 76 regular-season games. Indianapolis' winning ways include a 33-10 record in AFC South play, while the club has owned or shared the lead in 98 of 122 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. In 2008, Indianapolis produced its seventh consecutive 10 -victory season, tying the second-longest streak in NFL history (16, San Francisco, 1983-98; 7, Dallas, 1975-81). Indianapolis extended it NFL record with a sixth consecutive season with 12 -victory season and became the only franchise to win seven or more consecutive regular-season games in five consecutive seasons (8, 2004; 13, 2005; 9, 2006; 7 and 6, 2007; 9, 2008).
PERSONNEL REPORT: DB-Kelvin Hayden (hamstring), WR-Anthony Gonzalez (knee), LB-Gary Brackett (knee), DB-Bob Sanders (knee) were out; DE-Dwight Freeney (back), LB-Clint Session (ankle) were questionable for the last game. Last game's inactive players were: Gonzalez, Sanders, Hayden, Brackett, OG-Jamey Richard, OT-Dan Federkeil, DT-Fili Moala and QB-Curtis Painter.
TELEVISION/RADIO: FOX Sports telecasts with Dick Stockton, Charles Davis and Chris Myers (field reporter). 1070-The Fan/HANK-FM, 97.1 broadcasts with Bob Lamey, Will Wolford and Kevin Lee (field reporter). Westwood One provides national radio coverage with Mark Champion and Dan Reeves.
NEXT WEEK: Indianapolis visits Tennessee on Sunday, October 11 at 8:20 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 holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa. Caldwell was born on January 16, 1955 in Beloit, Wis.
JIM MORA was named the seventh Seahawks head coach on February 6, 2008, to take over for Mike Holmgren after the 2008 season. Mora held the title of Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs since 2007. Mora joined Seattle after serving 2004-06 as Executive Vice President/Head Coach with Atlanta. He forged a 26-22 regular-season record with the Falcons. Mora was the eighth rookie head coach to win eleven games, as the club took the NFC South and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. He served 1997-2003 with San Francisco, including the final five seasons as defensive coordinator. He worked 1985-91 with San Diego and 1992-96 with New Orleans. Mora played LB with the University of Washington and coached there in 1984. Mora is a native of Los Angeles, Calif. His father, Jim, was the field general with New Orleans 1986-96 and Indianapolis 1998-2001.
COLTS/SEAHAWKS SERIES NOTES
The league series between the Colts and Seahawks stands 5-4 in Indianapolis' favor. The teams last met on December 24, 2005 in Seattle. In a contest featuring teams with then the highest combined regular-season victory total (25; Colts, 13, Seattle, 12) in NFL history, the Seahawks posted a 28-13 victory over the Colts. Seattle scored a touchdown in every period behind a rushing attack that sported RB-Shaun Alexander (21-139, 2 TDs). Indianapolis gained a 3-0 foothold on its first possession, but Seattle countered quickly, and the Colts did not lead again. QB-Peyton Manning was 9-12-116 before giving way to QB-Jim Sorgi (22-31-237, 1 TD). The club sat multiple starters, while Seattle played for homefield playoff advantage. Alexander and QB-Matt Hasselbeck (17-21-168, 2 TDs) paced Seattle. Jim Caldwell served as the field general for the Colts in the absence of Head Coach Tony Dungy. The Colts took a 37-24 win in Husky Stadium on October 15, 2000 for their last series win. In that contest, the Colts notched the first 10 points of the game as RB-Edgerrin James (38-219, 3 TDs rushing) starred. Manning was 20-30-281, 1 TD. The Seahawks took a 27-23 win over the Colts on December 20, 1998 in the Kingdome. The last time Indianapolis hosted a series contest was on September 14, 1997, when the Seahawks prevailed, 31-3. Seattle is making its first appearance in Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts helped christen Qwest Field on August 10, 2002, earning a 28-10 victory on stadium-opening night.
BEST NFL RECORDS DURING 1999-2009 REGULAR SEASONS
COLTS ARE NFL'S WINNINGEST TEAM FROM 1999-2009: The Colts stand as the NFL's winningest team since the start of the 1999 season. The Colts own a 117-46 record during that span.