More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts quarterback and supposed John Unitas clone Peyton Manning (18) uses the Vulcan head touch to sap the knowledge from Senior Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore's brain. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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(Warning: This Colts v. Ravens preview is sans Mayflower trucks because, quite honestly, we've been there and done that. Most rational, civilized, well-adjusted people are over it already. Those that aren't need a life).

We made a big brew-ha-ha earlier this year about Baltimore native Barry Levinson's well produced but painfully flawed ESPN documentary titled The Band That Wouldn't Let It Go The Band That Wouldn't Die. The doc's story centered on the old Baltimore Colts marching band and their efforts to keep the spirit of football alive in the city of Baltimore after the Colts left town in favor of Indianapolis in March of 1984. ESPN probably should have waited until this week to air the doc, as it would have likely stirred up the fanbases in both Baltimore and Indy just in time for the now-seemingly annual Colts v. Ravens showdown.

Since 2004, the Colts have played the Ravens at least once a year. With this Sunday's game, the Colts will have played in Baltimore four times while the Ravens have traveled to Indy twice. In all the previous contests, the Colts have flat out owned the Ravens. Whether under the night lights of primetime TV, or in the pressure-packed moments of the playoffs, the Colts have consistently put their foot on the throats of the Ravens and strangled the life out of them each and every time.

Yet, despite the seemingly annual match-up, there does not seem to be any sort of animosity or hatred between the two teams. The reason for this: Peyton Manning. Baltimore fans and players seem to respect Peyton Manning more than any other QB in the league. I've heard more than a few fans from the "City of Firsts" say that Peyton Manning is as close to a clone of Johnny Unitas as they've ever seen. He even walks like unitas did, they say. There is also mutual respect from Colts players towards greats like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh (brother of former-Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, a longtime fan favorite).

With this year's match-up, the rivalry now has the added dimension of a potent Ravens offense, led by a very impressive QB named Joe Flacco, and a Colts defense that, right now, is playing better football than the Ravens defense has this season.

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The Colts end their 3 game home stand tonight when they take on the evil Patriots.  Does it feel weird to anyone else that this game should have been last week, seeing as how each of the previous 4 season they've played in Week 9?

Coming into this week, the Colts are ranked 2nd Offensively, 14th Defensively, and 3rd Overall, according to the Winning Stats Power Rankings.  The Patriots are 1st, 10th, and 2nd respectively.  Talk about two nearly identical teams.

On to the stats, and why the Colts will win tonight...

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by Darron Cummings - AP

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I can't believe I'm writing this, but I'm pretty sure Caldwell isn't scouring the internet, looking for a Patriots blogger with the keys to the kingdom.  At any rate, blogs are a chance to turn ourselves into armchair quarterbacks and today, I'm opening up the family safe for all to see.

On last night's Stampede Blue Radio, we talked about 1 surprise player for each team.  My pick was TE Benjamin Watson for the Patriots.  Watson is not racking up insane numbers and, for all intents and purposes, is flying under the radar.  Caldwell probably knows about him, but will Big Ben garner some respect?

Read on...

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The 2nd of 3 straight home games brings in the Houston Texans to face our Colts.  This is arguably the biggest game of the year so far for the Colts, as they could put a huge stranglehold on the division, going up 4 games in the division. 

Both teams have had to wade through season-ending injuries this week.  We all know about the Colts injury problems, but the Matt Schaub has lost his security blanket, Owen Daniels, for the season as well.  The media, of course, thinks then that Andre Johnson will have a huge day without Daniels, and with the Colts starting two rookie corners.  Like the Colts have done several other times this year.  More on this a little later.

Coming into this week, the Colts are ranked 1st Offensively, 12th Defensively, and 3rd Overall, according to the Winning Stats Power Rankings.  The Texans are 14th, 9th, and 12th respectively.  The Texans defense has been playing better than the offense, although the Texans have played the easiest defensive schedule so far this year.  That's changing today.

Stats after the jump...

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More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

19 days ago: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, left, talks with quarterback Peyton Manning during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. Indianapolis won 18-14. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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The 5-3 Houston Texans are off to their best start in franchise history, and while it has been nice to see the team many of us here always thought would eventually get good, I can't say I'm surprised that more than a few Texans fans have reacted to their team's early success by acting like a bunch of drunken frat boys.

Personally, I'm glad I give some Texans fans someone to hate, make fun of, toss verbal insults to, whatever. And I admit, I enjoy the attention. I really do. But, I learned long ago that when a band of mindless "fans" get an idea into their head that their team is magnificent and your team sucks, you aren't going to be able to change their minds with reason. You can't make logical arguments to sharks when someone throws chum in the water. You can't reason with zombies when someone throws a screaming cheerleader into a stadium full of them. And, you can't convince a group of silly Texans fans that this Sunday's game is not a good match-up for their team when they have finally been given a taste of "the nuts of competitiveness."

Texans fans don't care that I've always praised their teams, talked well about them to other bloggers, and taken untold buckets of crap from those same bloggers when (at the end of the year) the Texans are usually the worst team in the AFC South. None of these olive branches matter to them. With me, Texans fans see a Hoosier born Colts fan who has spent a lot of time in New York, and whose mentality is very much "Yeah, we own you. Do somethin' about it! Oh what's  that? You can't? Then shuddap already!"

Now that the Texans fans have tasted "the nuts," their arrogant posturing before games has gotten more nauseating. It's like what we saw from the Titans last year, and what we saw for years from Jaguars fans. Not so strangely, both those fanbases are pretty silent this season. I guess Texans fans are trying to pick up the slack for the other AFC South teams.

Texans fans' posturing is why, after the Colts kick the utter crap out of the Texans again this Sunday, I'll sit back and laugh at these silly little Houston fans who think they can "trash talk" a fanbase whose team has a 13-1 record against them.

Yeah, I thought you'd be disappointed by enjoy that opening to our weekly preview. After the jump, we get to the really good stuff.

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Week 8 brings the San Francisco 49ers to Lucas Oil Stadium, and it creates an interesting matchup for the Colts.  As has been talked about all week, Alex Smith will be starting for the 49ers, making his first start since Week 9 of 2007.  Smith also made his first career start the last time these two teams played, back in 2005, which was a 28-3 easy win for the Colts, on their way to starting 13-0.

Coming into this week, the Colts are ranked 1st Offensively, 16th Defensively, and 4th Overall, according to the Winning Stats Power Rankings.  The 49ers are 25th, 9th, and 22nd respectively.  Pretty good defense for the 49ers, but a really bad offense.  Remember, though, that the offense now has a new QB, and a shiny new receiver to throw to.

More specifics, and the table, after the jump.

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More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

23 days ago: FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2009 photo, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne celebrates after catching a 6-yard pass for a touchdown during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams in St. Louis. On Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, against San Francisco, the Colts can become the eighth team in NFL history to extend a winning streak to 16, but players and coaches take no satisfaction in those who might suggest it's the equivalent of a "perfect season." (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

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The 49ers and their fans are a chippy bunch. Their mentality going in is to suggest that the Colts "have not beaten anyone," and that the 49ers are just the kind of "tough" team that will tame the paper tiger Colts. The problem with this thought process is the Colts have indeed beaten quality teams, one of which is the 49ers division rivals: The Arizona Cardinals. The Colts walked into University of Phoenix Stadium on a short week not long ago and beat the snot out of Kurt Warner and his Red Bird teammates.

So, unless the 49ers feel their division is lunch meat, it's pretty safe to say that the "they haven't beaten anyone" phrase is a load of moose crap. For more info debunking this, check out this article at 18to88.

Also, with the 49ers defense allowing players like Matt Schaub to throw 4 TDs in one game and letting Matt Ryan drop 329 yards and 2 TDs on them at home, then talking tough while you are traveling to face Peyton Manning and the Colts offense is probably not the best strategy.

And while it might be fun for fans to say "the Colts haven't played anyone," the silliness of that statement is further dismissed because players like Peyton, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Bob Sanders, Kelvin Hayden, Matt Stover, and Gary Brackett have all been there, done that. They most certainly have "played someone" in their careers, and all have big, shiny rings to prove it.

When you look at these teams, the Colts are NOT a good match-up for the 49ers, and if the 49ers think that by changing certain aspects of their defense this will give them an edge, they've got another thing coming.

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The Colts, coming off of a bye week, set their sights on staying undefeated today when they travel to St. Louis to take on the Rams.  Dome road games are always great, because it's like another home game, just with some additional noise.  Although today, from the sounds of it, many Hoosiers are making the 4 hour trek across I-70 to the game.

SPOILER: Southern Illinois is very boring to drive through.  Not quite like Kansas, but very boring.

Coming into this week, the Colts are ranked 2nd Offensively, 19th Defensively, and 6th Overall, according to the Winning Stats Power Rankings (full rankings below).  The Rams are 27th, 31st, and 31st respectively.  #2 Offense vs. #31 defense.  Yikes.

More specifics, and the table, after the jump.

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