Average Ranking to date: 2.5375

Fox Sports keeps us in 3rd:  THE BRIGHT SIDE: Both sides of the ball have peaked lately, with Peyton Manning looking unstoppable in throwing for 300+ passing yards in every game and the defense holding four of five opponents to 17 points or less.

Associated Content ranks us 3rd (+2):  I can see why people have the Colts as number one in their NFL power rankings. I just don't see it as much of an insult placing the Colts beneath the Giants and Saints. They have a bye this week so Indy will be ahead one of those teams a week from today.

Pete Prisco at CBS Sports ranks us 2nd (nc):  The scary thing is they really haven't been healthy yet. The bye week will help in that area. Peyton Manning is on his way to another MVP.

Walter Football keeps us in 3rd:  1. Peyton Manning is playing out of his mind right now. I've been covering the NFL for this Web site for 10 years and watched pro football for many seasons before that as well. I've never seen a quarterback perform at Manning's level. When he threw an interception in that Tennessee game, he shook his head, and you just knew that he was going to come back and slaughter the Titans' secondary. Of course, Tennessee's senseless personal fouls didn't help either.  2. Speaking of Manning, Jay Mariotti stated on Around the Horn, "It's time America to notice how great Peyton Manning is."   Sorry Mariotti, we have a tough time noticing Manning because he doesn't have any endorsements. He's rarely on TV! Maybe if more companies chose him as their spokesman, we'd actually start talking about him.   3. Can someone please kidnap Joseph Addai and return him to the Colts in 2010? Donald Brown is the better running back and needs to be on the field more often. And I'm not just saying that because I own Brown in a few fantasy leagues - I swear!    4. How shady was Reggie Wayne's dropped touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter? It looked like Wayne didn't want anything to do with it. A conspiracy theorist would tell you that Wayne dropped it on purpose so the game would go over the total. And because I am a conspiracy theorist, I'd like to agree with that assumption.

Vic Carucci at NFL.com keeps us in 2nd:  Can we just crown the Colts champions of the AFC South now?   And says we have answers: The Indianapolis Colts, because they aren't just a team that piles up yards and points courtesy of Peyton Manning's magical passing arm. They also play pretty good defense, as evidenced by the way they thoroughly shut down the Tennessee Titans.  Keeps our QB at #1: He continues to reside in his own universe, well on the way to yet another MVP award.

Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports is an idiot and ranks us 4th:  Is Austin Collie(notes) already better than Anthony Gonzalez?

WEEI in Boston ranks us 2nd (+1):  The undefeated Colts head into their bye week playing at a high level. They will use the time off to rejuvenate and get some key players in the lineup. The rich get richer when safety Bob Sanders and cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson all return in Week 7.  On a personal note:  The Angels SWEPT the Redsox!!!! 

ESPN keeps us #1:  They're coasting into their bye week making a strong claim to being to being better than everyone in the league. (Kuharsky)

Pro Football Weekly ranks us 3rd (nc):  Defense amazes given litany of injuries.

NFL.com's Brain Trust ranks us 2.625 (Avg)

Sporting News keeps us in 2nd:   A bye in Week 6, followed by the Rams, which is almost like having another bye.

National Football Post keeps us in 3rd:  Another win, and another 300-yard day from Peyton Manning. Too easy.

What If Sports drops us to 3rd (-1):  With a win % of 76.1 (-1.8%).  I don't get this one.  NO didn't even play and stays in the #1 spot.

Peter King @ SI drops us to 4th (-2):  Three road night games in the past 21 days. What team has played three road night games in a four-game span in NFL history? Doubt it's ever happened. I only bring it up because teams that play early road games return home at 8 or 9 p.m. Sunday. The Colts have returned home from their three road games at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday (from the Miami Monday-nighter), about 5 a.m. Monday (from the Arizona Sunday-nighter) ... and I'd guess they got home this morning about 2 a.m. from Nashville. They've got a Week 10 Sunday-nighter at home against the Patriots and a Week 15 Thursday-nighter at Jacksonville, and I expect one of their interesting games in the second half of the season (they host the Broncos and Jets) will be moved to a Sunday night game by NBC.  The Minnesota Favres have moved up to the #1 spot.  Whatever. 

[Updates]

Cold Hard Football Facts (ha!) ranks us 3rd (+2):   Last week: 31-9 win at Tennessee. Reggie Wayne is like Marvin Harrison without the gunplay and sullen silence, yet the guy gets no credit. Over his career, 48 percent of all passes targeted to  Wayne have gone for first downs. Compare that to the 40-42 percent numbers of Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Larry Fitzgerald, Hines Ward and old teammate Harrison (42 percent), and maybe it’s time to start giving this guy some due as the greatest chain mover of his generation. 

USA Today keeps us in 2nd:  The notes aren't even worth copying.

Don Banks @ SI ranks us 3rd (+2):  The Colts are a relentless team that knows how to step on the neck of a struggling team, and snuff out all hope, as they proved against desperate Tennessee last week. Two more weeks and we've arrived at the anniversary of the Colts' most recent regular-season loss: A 31-21 Week 8 defeat at Tennessee last year. Indy is 14-0 since then and needs wins at St. Louis and home against San Francisco to complete its "perfect" season.  Shut up.  Shut up.  Shut up.  The only thing that makes a season perfect is a friggin' SB win.

Covers.com ranks us 2nd (+3):  Another impressive win for the Colts increased their lead in the division to three games. They have a bye this week before three more games that should not pose a challenge. Denver #1?  I don't think so.

GO COLTS!