Saving the best for last

Peyton Manning says in a perfect scenario, the Colts would jump out to a big lead early and dispense with the fourth-quarter suspense. As long as the Colts' defense can't stop the run, that seems unlikely. But, it should be great for the fans Sunday night in Foxboro, Mass., when the Colts' clutch fourth-quarter offense meets the Patriots' stubborn fourth-quarter defense in their AFC showdown, which is the subject of my column today.

The fourth quarter could be big on big, strength on strength, and a battle of wills between two of the more cerebral teams in the NFL. Manning and the Colts (7-0) live for the fourth quarter. Three of their seven wins have come on last-minute drives. They’ve put 71 points on the board in the fourth quarter.
The Patriots (6-1) plant “Closed” signs at the line of scrimmage in the fourth. They have allowed only 13 fourth-quarter points, holding four of seven opponents scoreless in the final stanza.

Of course, the Colts' defense may find itself fending off a Tom Brady-led drive late in the game. Unfortunately, it looks like Indy will have to do so without safety Bob Sanders again. While he's listed as questionable on the injury report, I talked with cornerback Jason David on Wednesday and he said Marlin Jackson will play safety again this week, an indication that Sanders is unlikely to return.