From the man who thinks reports on coffee in airports is entertainment:
The Colts have a bit of an inferiority complex. For years Indy's been the king of the hill in the conference, along with New England. Now the Patriots, Steelers and Chargers are all seen as their superiors, and the Titans their equals. It's one of those things the players are hit with every day. They feel the outside world thinks time is passing them by, and they've all filed it away as motivation.
I don't know how the Colts would have this kind of complex seeing as they defeated all four of those teams last year, including the Chargers in San Diego and the Steelers in Pittsburgh. And the Colts team this year is vastly superior (talent-wise) to the injury-riddled mess that won 12 games last season.
Also, the Titans lost their best player to free agency (Albert Haynesworth). So, if anyone in the media is claiming they are "equal" with the Colts, that person is, quite simply, a moron. The Titans aren't going to suck or anything in 2009, but they are not a 13 win team anymore. You don't just lose Albert Haynesworth and go "Do-di-do. We'll be OK. Jovan Haye is just as good. La-de-da-de-da." And, let's just be honest, the only reason they won the AFC South last year is because Peyton Manning played the first half of the season on one leg.
And if people think the Patriots are the "superiors" of the Colts, maybe we should point them to Indy's 4-1 record against New England the last five years, including last year's win in at The Luke. Yes, I know Tom Brady did not play, but I'm not one to buy into the hype that Brady is vital for New England to win. The Patriots won 11 games last year with a QB who hadn't started a game since high school, and they should have made the playoffs had their defense not sucked. Look no further than the Miami Dolphins "Wildcat" game and the New York Jets game in November where Brett Favre threw all over the Patriots' putrid secondary.
Again, this is why people like Peter King should focus less on analyzing football and more on reporting facts. It is just too easy these days to flush Peter's analysis down the toilet.