Dungy's message: Time to step it up

Colts coach Tony Dungy's reputation as a calm, in-control type of leader has worked well with the Colts. It's part of why the offense is able to stage late drives in a relatively short amount of time. But Dungy's demeanor works in his favor when he comes down on his team, as he did --firmly and pointedly -- after the Jets game. The Colts committed too many penalties and made too many mistakes in Dungy's eyes. So they saw the fire in Dungy that field judge Scott Edwards encountered in the photo on the right.

"I didn't feel good about the way we played," Dungy said. "We've got to sharpen up a little bit. You can't have all those penalties, we couldn't convert some of those third downs and we didn't really tackle very well."

The good news for Colts fans may be that the early struggles in certain areas will guarantee the Colts won't become complacent with winning.

Tennessee could be the tonic needed for the Colts to deliver a complete game. The key will be to watch what happens if the Colts bolt out to a big lead. Indy has a tendency to allow too many cheap yards and touchdowns late in a blowout, as in the Houston game this season. It's good that Dungy is applying a little heat, and that the Colts are professional enough to take his words to heart. I expect they'll be unusually sharp and relatively penalty-free this Sunday.