Don’t Look Now …

By Sic Willie

As the only fan at Bank of America stadium last week wearing a #18 Indianapolis Colts’ jersey, I got plenty of the obligatory “Manning sucks” and “Peyton sucks” catcalls.

I’m used to those by now, and I gotta admit it’s a lot better than hearing somebody say “nice bandwagon jersey,” which I heard a lot when the Colts won the Super Bowl two years ago.

The truly painful comments, though, are actually the genuinely curious ones … like when people see the jersey and say “hey man, what’s up with those guys this year?”

Or “are they even going to make the playoffs this season?”

Well, before last night’s last-second win over the hated San Diego Chargers, I would have said “probably not.”

And even though Indy managed to pull out its fourth straight win, John Madden astutely observed that this Colts team didn’t seem likely to “do a whole heckuva lot” in the playoffs.

At least not at this point, anyway.

At 7-4, though, the Colts do have a pretty easy ride through the rest of 2008 … in fact, their remaining schedule (in what is likely to be head coach Tony Dungy’s final season) is by far the easiest in the NFL, with games against Cleveland (4-7), Cincinnati (1-9-1), Detroit (0-11) and Jacksonville (4-7).

Only a rematch with division rival Tennessee (10-1) in Week 17 looms as a game in which the Colts will likely be underdogs.

Also, the Horsies are hoping to get everybody healthy by the time the playoffs roll around, including star defensive back Bob Sanders.

Are they as good as they’ve been in years past though?

Absolutely not. Tennessee and the two New York teams are the cream of the NFL this year, in my opinion, and it’s a safe bet at this point to assume that at least one of those three teams will be playing in Super Bowl XLIII (or whatever combination of roman numerals we’re up to now).

In all honesty, if Indy can’t make it I’m rooting for a Giants-Jets Super Bowl, not only because it would be neat watching two teams from the same city square off, but because an Eli Manning-Brett Favre quarterback matchup sounds like a lot of fun.

I have no doubt the NFL’s marketing folks are crossing their fingers for that to happen as well, instead of getting, say, Tampa Bay versus Baltimore, or Pittsburgh versus Arizona – or Carolina versus Indianapolis, for that matter.

Small markets don’t pay the bills, people … just ask my advertising department.

So what odds are the remaining eligible NFL teams being given of reaching the Super Bowl? Well, according to the latest Vegas breakdown, the smart money is on Tennessee and the Giants.

Here’s a recap …

Arizona Cardinals 16/1
Atlanta Falcons 40/1
Baltimore Ravens 24/1
Buffalo Bills 100/1
Carolina Panthers 8/1
Chicago Bears 35/1
Cincinnati Bengals (Eliminated)
Cleveland Browns 100/1
Dallas Cowboys 12/1
Denver Broncos 30/1
Detroit Lions (Eliminated)
Green Bay Packers 22/1
Houston Texans 1000/1
Indianapolis Colts 14/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 250/1
Kansas City Chiefs (Eliminated)
Miami Dolphins 30/1
Minnesota Vikings 30/1
New England Patriots 25/1
New Orleans Saints 60/1
New York Giants 3/1
New York Jets 15/1
Oakland Raiders 5000/1
Philadelphia Eagles 40/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 12/1
San Diego Chargers 35/1
San Francisco 49ers 750/1
Seattle Seahawks 1000/1
St.Louis Rams 5000/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20/1
Tennessee Titans 5/1
Washington Redskins 30/1

So tell me … what action are y’all taking?

I’d put one each on the Raiders, Seahawks, Rams and 49ers, five each on the Chargers, Packers, Broncos, Skins and Patriots, ten each on the Steelers, Jets and Colts.

Then I’d drop a Jackson apiece on the Giants and Titans.

UPDATE – Obviously, all those figures are in “kabillions.”

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