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Jets-Colts Preview

Dec 24, 2009 - 3:00 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Although the Indianapolis Colts haven't divulged exactly what they'll do while chasing an unbeaten season with nothing left to gain, it doesn't appear there will be any let-up - no matter what New York Jets coach Rex Ryan prefers.

Peyton Manning and the Colts will look for their 24th straight regular-season victory Sunday when they host Ryan's Jets, who must end Indianapolis' bid for perfection to realistically boost their playoff hopes.

Manning has guided the NFL's top-rated passing attack to leave Indianapolis (14-0) as the league's lone unbeaten team after New Orleans fell to Dallas last Saturday. The quarterback is poised to make his 206th straight start for the Colts, who have already clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

"Every week we try and approach it the same way, and this one is no different," coach Jim Caldwell said. "In everything we do, winning is extremely important. This is a competitive game with competitive people. You don't take the field with anything other than that in mind."

That could be bad news for fellow rookie coach Ryan. The colorful coach opened his Wednesday news conference speculating about who the Colts should rest Sunday.

"We're going to start with the injury report, obviously," Ryan said. "Manning, (Dallas) Clark, (Joseph) Addai, Reggie Wayne, (Dwight) Freeney, (Robert) Mathis, (Gary) Brackett - all those guys will not play."

In reality, Freeney (abdomen) and Mathis (quad) were among six injured starters who missed practice Wednesday. Caldwell has not spelled out how he will use his injured players.

"The thing about this next game is how we're going to play depends on the health of our team and what it looks like," Caldwell said. "Now, the health of our team also could include getting them rested and ready as well. That's part of that, but it also may mean some injuries here or there. That may dictate some changes in the lineup."

Manning isn't concerned with the debate between resting players or trying for a 16-0 season. The Colts close the regular season at Buffalo next Sunday.

"We've followed his orders all year, and I think that's a good plan," said Manning about Caldwell. "So we'll continue to do that. Those are decisions I don't have to make. Whatever he says, I think will be the right one."

It's likely Manning will play long enough to become the fourth member of the NFL's 50,000-yard club. He needs 159 yards passing to accomplish the feat and has an NFL-leading 4,213 on the season as he bids for his fourth league MVP award.

The other quarterbacks to throw for 50,000 yards are Brett Favre, Dan Marino and John Elway. Manning also needs one more 300-yard game to tie the single season record (10), set by Rich Gannon in 2002 and matched last year by Drew Brees.

"He's still the same guy that destroys everybody. He's phenomenal," Ryan said. "I don't like playing him when we play him, but I respect him more than any player in the NFL. He's the best, he may go down as the best quarterback of all-time. ... Shoot, if they want to get rid of him, we'll go ahead and take him."

Manning won't be the only Colt chasing a milestone. Three-time Pro Bowler Wayne needs eight receptions for his second 100-catch season. Clark needs three yards for his first 1,000-yard season, and 11 catches to reach 100. Pierre Garcon is three catches shy of becoming the fifth Colts receiver with 50 catches this season, which would be a first for the franchise.

Manning will face a New York team that boasts the top-ranked pass defense in the league as it faces a critical game. The Jets (7-7) had their three-game win streak snapped as they botched three field-goal attempts in a 10-7 loss to Atlanta last Sunday to fall one game behind wild-card leaders Denver and Baltimore.

A frustrated Ryan declared that the Jets were "obviously out of the playoffs" after that loss, but he had a change of heart the next day when he realized that New York still has an outside chance to make it.

While Ryan's defense has been a major reason the Jets have limited opponents to a total of 32 points over the last four games, rookie Mark Sanchez has been the culprit on offense. Sanchez returned last week after missing a game with a sprained right knee and threw three interceptions to bring his total to 20 - tied with Detroit rookie Matthew Stafford for the second-most in the league.

"It's just a matter of getting through this growing phase," said Sanchez, the fifth overall pick out of Southern California in April's draft. "There are no excuses for making these decisions because I've shown that I can play smarter than this earlier in my career at SC and high school."

The Jets also have the league's top-rated rushing offense, which should give them an advantage against a Colts rush defense ranked 16th.

The former AFC East rivals have met just twice since the Colts joined the South in 2002. Indianapolis has won both of those meetings, taking a 31-28 victory in the last one in 2006.

Manning is 7-4 with 13 TDs and 13 INTs in 11 career games against the Jets, including one playoff game.

"They're a great team," Jets receiver Braylon Edwards said. "They are the best team in football. It's going to be a tough matchup any way you look at it."