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DUNGY LED COLTS STAND ATOP AFC SOUTH
Stand and take notice -- the camouflage has come off the Colts.
A stylish 3-1 record with a new outlook under new head coach TONY DUNGY has earned Indianapolis a seat among the NFL’s 2002 elite.
"The guys are excited about playing for Coach Dungy," says Colts tight end MARCUS POLLARD. "He’s excited about being here. When you’ve got the head coach and the players both excited, only good things can happen."
Indeed, good things are happening on the west fork of the White River as Indianapolis’ defense ranks second in the AFC and fourth in the league in passing yards per game (179.8) while the "Pony Express" offense resides among the top six in four AFC team categories.
The Colts are off to the 16th 3-1 start in club history, and have advanced to the playoffs in 11 of those 15 seasons. When coaching Tampa Bay, Dungy’s Buccaneers twice began a season 3-1 and qualified for the postseason both times. Indianapolis leads the AFC South with a head-to-head advantage against the 3-1 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Colts players attribute much of their success to the new head coach’s methods and attitude.
"Coach Dungy has brought in a plan that promotes a positive attitude in the locker room," says Indianapolis tackle TARIK GLENN. "He has a strategic way he wants to do things and he places the team into that equation.
"He brings a positive attitude because you can really see his vision. Just the way he is, and the way he coaches, is positive reinforcement. He brings a good attitude of the coach believing in you and encouraging you when things aren’t going well."
Indianapolis’ offensive troika of wide receiver MARVIN HARRISON, running back EDGERRIN JAMES and quarterback PEYTON MANNING is galloping in stride. Harrison leads the AFC in receiving yards per game (108.2), James stands sixth among NFL scrimmage yards per game leaders (129.3), and Manning is eighth in the league in passing yards per game (241.8) despite ranking only 13th in attempts per game (34.5).
Colts fans’ expectations for an improved defense are being met. Dungy took a long-suffering defense in Tampa Bay and transformed it into a unit that was ranked among the NFL’s top 11 in total defense throughout his six seasons there.
Last season after four games, the Colts were ranked 22nd in total defense. Today they are the NFL’s 12th-best.
"He’s changed the whole philosophy of our defense here, the whole outlook of what we’ve done in the past," says Colts defensive end-tackle BRAD SCIOLI, who has 11 tackles and 2.0 sacks this season. "He’s a guy who gets involved and tells you what’s going to happen and what to expect. He’s been a huge part of our defensive turnaround. There’s a lot more confidence, overall and defensively.
"We still know we need to improve and we’re not where we need to be, but we know that if we go out and play hard we’ll be a solid team."
A Colts defensive comparison after four games -- 2001 vs. 2002:
|
DEFENSIVE CATEGORY |
2001 NFL RANKING |
2002 NFL RANKING |
|
Passing Yards Allowed/Game |
13th (199.0) |
4th (179.8) |
|
Denying Third-Down Conversions |
22nd |
9th |
|
First Downs Allowed/Game |
22nd (18.8) |
11th (17.2) |
|
Total Defense |
22nd (339.3) |
12th (324.8) |
|
Takeaways |
Tied 29th (4) |
Tied 12th (9) |
NFL 2002 Season