Average Ranking: 4.02

ESPN ranks us 2nd (+1):  The Colts seem to be in their traditional early season form, which means they are hard to beat.(Kuharsky)  We're behind Baltimore, which I have no problem with...so far.

Fox Sports moves us up to 3rd (+6):  RECORD IS JUST RIGHT: Watch out for Peyton Manning this season. He only needed 15 minutes with the ball to beat the defending AFC East champion Dolphins in Week 2 before carving up the reigning NFC champion Cardinals in Week 3. 

WhatIfSports has us in 3rd (+5): Our win % has increased to 75.7 %  And we're 2nd in "confidence" against Seattle - they predict a 32-18 final score.

Pete Prisco at CBS Sports keeps us in 2nd (nc): They have to be thrilled with their 3-0 start because they haven't been close to being full strength. Watch out when they get their players -- see: Bob Sanders -- healthy.  I think he's a closet Colts fan anyways.  He includes a nice little write-up also.

WEEI ranks us 3rd (+2):  The Colts have proven a lot over the past two weeks. They’ve played in two primetime games on the road and have come out victorious in both. Not to mention they went from Miami to Arizona and prepared on a short week. Peyton Manning and the Colts are a tough team to beat.

Associated Content drops us to 5th (-1):  No comments here, but am I the only one who isn't completely sold on New Orleans?

Walter Football keeps us in 5th (nc):  Donald Brown needs to be in the game more. His ability to break long plays is something the Colts have lacked out of the backfield since Edgerrin James had knee surgery. However, I can see why Brown is getting about 40 percent of the work; a few times during the game, Peyton Manning had to move Brown around and get him in the right place for a play. Once he learns everything, he'll be the starter. 

PFW ranks us 5th (+1): AFC South back to yawner status; Colts two up after three. Well, I'm glad THEY'RE bored - I, on the otherhand, couldn't be more excited.

Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports bumps us up to 6 (+4):  How insane was that one-handed touchdown catch by Reggie Wayne(notes) in Arizona – and is any wideout being asked to do more for his team right now?  That catch was insane!

Vic Carucci at NFL.com moves us back into his top 5 at 3rd:  We know quarterback Peyton Manning is great. But how does this team go from getting pushed around on defense all night in Miami, traveling all the way home, and then traveling all the way to the desert in a short week and shutting down the explosive Cardinals?  Hm...maybe with the help of a guy named Coyer? I'm so glad Meeks is in Carolina!  He also has the intelligence to place Peyton his #1 Offensive Player: The steady and reliable one keeps the Colts' offense humming, even with guys like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie catching passes. AND D-Free is the #4 top Defensive Player:    He was unstoppable vs. Arizona, although he reportedly will miss the next two weeks with a quadriceps injury he suffered in the game.  Its a good thing Caldwell didn't make his Top 5 Coaches, I don't know what I would have done with all that love in one place.

NFL.com's Collective (lack of) Brain Trust moves us up to 4.5 (avg):  Is Theisman really that much of a hater?  He has Philly (sans McNabb, plus an iffy defense) ahead of us.  Can someone get me LT's (Lawrence Taylor) number?  I think I may have a job for him....

Don Banks at SI adds us to his "elite" class:  If there's a preseason prediction I'd like to have back, it's that the Colts would finally slip out of the 12-win neighborhood into the nine-win range and miss the playoffs. Indy just keeps rolling, and I thought their dismantling of the Cardinals on Sunday night was the sure sign of a team that's starting to figure out what it does best and how to attack its opponent. The Colts haven't lost a regular season game since last October (12 in a row), and Peyton Manning continues to be the single biggest difference-maker for his team in the NFL. Bar none.See that, folks?  He's admitting he was wrong.  Enjoy it. Savor it.  Love it.  It will probably be the only "apology" we see.
• Early season playoff potential: With the Titans, Texans and Jaguars inspiring no confidence, who else but the Colts could represent the AFC South? 

Peter King @ SI moves us up to 6th (+3):  Tony Dungy's dissertation on Football Night in America on what Peyton Manning digests at the line of scrimmage, and how he calls up to three plays per snap, and how he decides which play to use, was a great piece of television.  Personally, it was a great piece of television I would have preferred to have lived without.  I don't like what Dungy's been doing.  I could be paranoid, but I think he's giving way too much away lately.  Stop it, Tony.  I love you and all but I will hunt you down.

Sporting News keeps us in 2nd (nc):  Peyton Manning looks capable of dissecting whatever a defense throws at him.

National Football Post ranks us 4th (+1):  Peyton Manning made it look easy against the Cardinals on a short week.

[Update]

Covers.com moves us up to 5th (+8):  Indy had no problem against the Cards after winning its first two games by a combined six points. The Colts amassed 505 offensive yards against 'Zona.  Check out the picture of Matt Fargo in the upper left hand corner - guy looks just a tad too intense...makes me laugh.

Cold Hard Football Fiction ranks us 6th (-1):  Last week: 31-10 win at Arizona. Including last year's postseason, Peyton Manning has produced only one game with a passer rating under 90 over his last 13 starts. Over that span, he's thrown 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Colts through three games average a stunning 9.88 Passing Yards Per Attempt, even using our formula that counts sacks among team attempts. If they can keep up that pace over the course of the season, it would easily smash any modern records for passing production.  Check out the Broncos in 5th.

Don Banks @ SI ranks us 4th (+1):  Yeah, that Colts passing game really misses Marvin Harrison. Or the injured Anthony Gonzalez for that matter. Indy leads the league in passing through three weeks, with 322.7 yards per game. I'm starting to think Peyton Manning could consistently beat you throwing to three guys from the local plumbers and steamfitters union. But knowing Peyton, he'd want to choose the guys himself. 

GO  COLTS!!!