The schedule for the 2006 season for the Indianapolis Colts is out. The Indianapolis Colts' schedule is as follows, with prime time games highlighted:
9/10: Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants, Sunday Night Football (NBC)
9/17: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
9/24: Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
10/1: Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets
10/8: Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
10/15: Bye week
10/22: Washington Redskins at Indianapolis Colts
10/29: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos
11/5: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots, Sunday Night Football (NBC)
11/12: Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts
11/19: Indianapolis Colts at Dallas Cowboys
11/26: Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts
12/3: Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
12/10: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
12/17: Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts, Monday Night Football (ESPN)
12/24: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
12/31: Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl 41 is scheduled for February 4, 2007 at Dolphins Stadium (Miami Fl).
Because of flexible scheduling for the NBC games, the Colts might play in more prime time games. At a quick glance, the schedule is tough but not too grueling. The bye week is in week 6, which is good. We play two division home games before the bye. The three games after the bye look the toughest: Washington at home, then at Denver and at New England.
December, as always, is the critical month. The Colts play three division games that month. Plus, the high-flying Bengals come to town on the 17th. The positive of this is the Colts won't have to worry about "resting" that month, as they did last December. With three division games that month, there's ZERO resting regardless of their record. The AFC South is better now, and will get even better when Reggie Bush gets drafted by the Texans.
The Colts have their work cut out for them. Any talk of repeating the 13-0 run and threatening the 1972 Dolphins is just silly talk. Can the Colts win every game? Yes. They are better, right now, than any team they face on that schedule.
However, the Colts were supposedly better than the Steelers last January. That's why they play the games, and what looks favorable now looks daunting in December and January. I look forward to cross-blogging in with Tommasse and InBradyWeTrust at PatsPulpit when Indy plays the hated Patriots on November 5th, and with Grizz and his Cowboy minions over at BloggingTheBoys November 19th. I also hope Kirkendall at CincyJungle and I can blog it up when the two best offenses in football shoot it out in the Dome December 17th.
Go Colts!