That is, unless he and the Indianapolis Colts can come to terms on a new deal for Brackett.

Both Brackett and the Colts seem to think that a deal can and will be reached before the free agency period in the NFL official begins tonight at 12:01 a.m.

Colts owner Jim Irsay said, "We are willing to pay Gary a competitive salary with other top-notch guys at his position."

Even if a deal cannot be reached, and there is no reason to think that it can’t, but if a deal cannot be reached between Brackett and the Colts, Indy still has options to be gained from losing Brackett.

For finishing among the final four teams in the NFL (along with the Jets, Vikings, and Saints) the Colts gained the option to sign an unrestricted free agent if they happen to lose one.

So if they were unable to reach a deal with Brackett, the Colts would be free to sign an unrestricted free agent that is on the market.

To me, signing a deal with Brackett was priority No. 1 with the Colts this offseason. He has helped anchor a line backing and defensive core that has been much improved over the last few years, and he has been a main stay in the middle of that core for the last five seasons.

In each of those seasons, Brackett has had at least 100 tackles and has had seven interceptions in that time frame.

With the Colts putting first round tender on safety Antoine Bethea this week, the Colts look to be doing just as their fans would have hoped. That is keeping the core unit of this defense together for the seasons to come.

Along with Bethea and new comers Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers, Brackett has helped improve the Colts defense into one of the better units in the league when it comes to scoring defense.

The Colts last season gave up just 19.2 points per game, which was good enough for eighth overall in the league.

Those numbers are a little high as well, as the Colts made the much talked about option to rest a majority of the key players the last two regular season games in which the Colts lost, giving up a combined 59 points in those two games.

The fact of the matter is Gary Brackett is not only an on-field leader for the Colts; he is also one of the many off field leaders for Indy as well.

He is very well respected in the community of Indianapolis and has the respect of the coaching staff, front office personal, and his team mates.

His work ethic, determination, and on-and-off-the-field contributions for the Colts make him a must sign before the free agency period begins to help hold the Indianapolis defense together.

**Update: Gary Brackett has been signed to a five year deal worth $33 million with a $12 million signing bonus.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

If another team would want to try and sign Bethea away from the Colts, Indy would have seven days to match the offer or accept the team's offer sheet. In turn, the Colts would receive that team's 2011 first round draft pick.

The tender on Bethea, who will be going into his fifth season in the NFL, would be $2.521 million to another team.

Bethea has been a main stay in the Colts secondary ever since Bob Sanders has been out of the lineup (Which seems to be just about every season for the Colts).

He has done an outstanding job filling in, well, really PLAYING as the starting safety for Indy these past few years, and his performance on the field has proven his worth to the Colts.

Though Bethea was selected to the Pro Bowl this season, it does seem unlikely that another NFL team would pony up $2.5 million and their next year's first round draft pick to bring Bethea in.

To me the Colts have shown what their intentions are: to bring Bethea back to their lineup for next season. And why not?

He was third overall on the team in tackles with 95 total (70 solo, 25 assist) and together with players like Gary Brackett and Clint Session really helped the Colts defense be one of the better units in the league when it came to giving up points. Bethea also led the team in interceptions with four on the year.

The three players combined for 297 tackles, seven interceptions and three forced fumbles for Indy.

In another article I wrote, I listed out some of the things the Colts needed to do in the off season to keep that nucleus of their defense together and with this move, it looks as though they are doing that very thing.

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Among these 13 players, five of them are starters and four of them are unrestricted free agents (though only one of the unrestricted players is a starter).

The 13 players are: Keith Gray, Marlin Jackson, Tim Jennings, Antonio Johnson, Daniel Muir, Antoine Bethea, Gary Brackett, Ramon Guzman, Charlie Johnson, Dan Federkeil, Matt Stover, Hank Basket and Michael Toudouze.

There are a few big names that stand out on that list. In my eyes, here are the guys  that the Colts MUST signs before next season:

1.) Gary Brackett
2.) Antoine Bethea
3.) Charlie Johnson
4.) Antonio Johnson
5.) Daniel Muir

Gary Brackett has been the heart and soul of the defense for the last few seasons now. Since the 2005–2006 season, Brackett has recorded at least 100 tackles (minus this year, as they rested him the last two regular season games).

In those last five seasons, he has amassed a total of 564 tackles, eight interceptions and three and a half sacks. He will be entering his eighth NFL season and he is at the prime of his career. He has to be priority No. 1 for the Colts this offseason.

Another important piece on that Colt’s defense is free safety Antoine Bethea. With the seemingly never ending string of injuries Bob Sanders suffers each season, Bethea has filled in very nicely for the Colts at the position.

In the last two seasons in which he was a starter the entire year, Bethea racked up 196 tackles and six interceptions, with four of those picks coming in 2009-10.

Switching over to the offensive side of the ball, the Colts are faced with left tackle Charlie Johnson becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Johnson won the starting role protecting Manning’s blind side when a busted draft pick (rare) in the Colt’s Tony Ugoh was unable to get the job done on a consistent basis.

Johnson, entering just his fourth season in the NFL, was a part of an offensive line that only allowed Peyton Manning to be sacked 10 times in the entire regular season. He too is a massive piece to the puzzle for the Colts and another must-sign.

Jumping back across to the defensive side of the ball, we are going to look at the two defensive tackles that were a huge part of that much-improved Colt’s run defense: Antonio Johnson and Daniel Muir.

Of the two, only Muir is a restricted free agent. Both players are still young in their NFL careers, with Muir entering his fourth year and Johnson just his third.

Both of these players, after another year in the Colt’s system, improved Indy’s run defense drastically. Even though the stats would not show an upswing, taken on a game-to-game basis, they guys sure did make an impact on the team.

These aforementioned players are all important cogs in the machine that is the Indianapolis Colts. However, the upcoming draft could shed some light on the subject of which of these free agents stays, and which of them will be let go.

In another article I wrote earlier this month, I outline what the Colts could do come April and the NFL draft. That could determine again which of these players will or will not wear the horseshoe next season.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

During the regular season, it was quite obvious that the Colts had improved drastically on defense from a year ago but still showed that they are lacking in depth on the defensive side of the ball, particularly on the line and at safety.

Gone are the days for Colts fans that they can expect Bob Sanders for a full season anymore and the Dwight Freeney injury showed they are very thin at the defensive end position.

I believe the Colts main areas of concern heading toward the NFL combine and the draft will be primarily on the defensive side of the ball.

Having said that, we will look at the players and the positions the Colts may want to take a look at come April and the NFL draft.

First Round [31st pick] – Brian Price DT (UCLA)

The 6-foot-2, 300 pound defensive tackle did not surprise anyone at UCLA when he decided to leave after his junior season to enter the NFL draft after the mammoth season he had for the Bruins. He finished off his year with 48 tackles (41 solo, 7 assists), seven sacks, and 23.5 tackles for loss.

Price rounded out his final year at UCLA by winning the Pac-10 defensive player of the year award.

Brian shows great speed and has a penetrating force that can disrupt opposing offenses in both the passing and running games. He is constantly in the backfield ready to make a big play for a loss.

He has shown great athleticism by playing all over the line in his collegiate career. Price has played nose tackle, under tackle, and his natural defensive end position showing his versatility at more than just one position on the defensive line.

Brian is also more of a gap shooter than a stay at home defensive end, which is something the Colts look for in their defensive line players.

All these characteristics fit the mold of what the Colts look for as they are built for speed and pursuit more than size and sit back type defensive players. Brian Price will fit right in with Coyer’s system in Indianapolis.

Second Round [63rd pick] – Willie Young DE (NC State)

Keeping it on the defensive line in the second round, I believe the Colts will take a good look at the 6-foot-4, 250 pound Willie Young from NC State. Willie had a fabulous senior season for the Wolfpack finishing out with 55 tackles [14 for losses] and eight sacks.

Again the Colts tend to look at maybe “smaller” defensive ends due to the style of defense they play based more on speed and pass rushing ability. Young also fits this mold as Brian Price does.

Willie is a bigger defensive end (in college) and may not be the quickest defensive end at the combine but his footwork and pass rushing technique along with his pure strength off the line enable him to blow offensive line guys off the ball and make his way into the backfield.

At times his lack of quickness is not a liability as he uses his football IQ to make sure he is always in position to make the best play on the ball.

Having played all four years at NC State, his age and experience will allow him to step right into the Colts system without much of a learning or transitional period.

Third Round [95th pick] – Larry Asante SS (Nebraska)

With the never ending injuries and setbacks that Bob Sanders puts the Colts through, I believe they will be looking at taking a strong safety with one of their top three picks. That time to me would be in the third round, and I would have them look at the 6-foot-1, 215 pound Larry Asante from Nebraska.

Asante ended the 2009 season with 79 tackles, seven passes defended, and two picks to round out an impressive career at Nebraska after transferring from a JUCCO school earlier in his career.

His all-around ability to be a difference maker in both the passing game and as a run stopper make him a dangerous defensive weapon on the field much as Bob Sanders does when he is healthy.

A bigger safety at 215 pounds, he likes to sit back while he is in coverage and let the action unfold in front of him before he makes a play.

He may have a bit of a struggle at times when he is forced to cover man-on-man and teams go vertical on him, but with the play of the young corners the Colts have, this will not be an issue to them.

Asante’s play at Nebraska has earned him honorable-mention for the All-Big 12 honors each of his past two seasons with the Cornhuskers.

Another Possible Option

One other player the Colts may have their eyes on is defensive tackle Tyson Alualu from the University of California.

Alualu may not be the highest ranking defensive tackle on the draft board come this April, but like the other players we have discussed, he fits into the Colt’s system like a glove.

They favour the undersized athletic linemen that can get into the backfield and pressure the quarterback as well as contribute to stopping the run when need be. Alualu had an impressive week at the Senior Bowl and his draft stock is certainly on the rise.

The Indianapolis Colts main concerns as we have laid out here will once again be focused on the defensive side of the ball. The aforementioned players are some of the talent I believe the Colts are currently looking at heavily and could step right into their current defensive scheme.

During the Super Bowl and even earlier in the year, the Colts were exposed to being too thin at times on defense especially on the defensive line. So their main concern with their top picks in the draft will be on establishing some depth at the defensive end and tackle positions.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Even on the defensive side of the ball where the Colts in recent years have struggled, it is not so tough to get lost in the crowd. Playing with and behind perennial all pro Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, and often injured but highly touted Bob Sanders, one can even get lost on this side of the ball as well.

Maybe it’s a good thing for certain Colts' players and maybe not. But the fact of the matter is the Colts' linebacking corp was one of the hidden gems this season for Indy and one of the many reasons they finished the regular season 14-2 with a first round bye and home field advantage heading into the postseason.

With new defensive coordinator Larry Coyer at the helm, the Colts blitzed and utilized their linebackers more often than they have in recent years. Among the players to benefit from this was third-year man Clint Session.

Session, a fourth-round draft pick by the Colts out of Pitt in 2007, is a guy who, like most draft picks of the Colts, was not the conventional choice for linebacker, but fit their system to a "T".

So far on the year Session leads the team in tackles with 103 (84 solo, 19 assists), albeit while being held out of the final two games against the Jets and Bills—another subject for another day.

Session, in his first year at the weakside position, is ahead of linebacking mate and defensive captain Gary Brackett in tackles, as Brackett currently has 99 tackles (80 solo, 19 assists) on the season.

Both players have thrived this year under the new leadership and system of Coyer, and that has not gone unnoticed by their teammates and others around the league.

"I watched him [Session] in Miami as a high school player," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. "Very intense, fast and extremely explosive. He is a perfect fit for Indy's run and hit defense."

Both Brackett and Session are not the tallest trees in the forest either, mind you, but that stature often plays to their advantage. You can barely see them at times on the field, as they are both built similarly—short, compact and very explosive to the ball.

This explosiveness and new system instilled by Coyer have really played to both Session and Brackett’s advantage, as well as the Colts', particularly their run D (spotty in past years), which has benefited from them both.

This linebacking tandem has really solidified the defense for the Colts this season, along with the play (before his injury) of Tyjuan Hagler and Phillip Wheeler; the Colts have a strong youthful future with their linebackers to build on.

All that remains to be seen is if that both Brackett and Session can remain with the Colts when the new free agency rules take effect in the NFL (Brackett is a free agent after this season). And it seems that in the past with the Colts, they have not been kind (financially) to linebackers. They have tendencies to let them walk for whatever reason.

One thing is for sure though. If they can retain both of these players after this season to long term deals, the Colt roster of stars will need to make room for two more players.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “It is something we'll look at. We heard the fans loud and clear. It's something our competition committee has looked at in the past, but we're going to ask our competition committee to look at it again in the future. We want every game to be competitive.”

During a recent interview with CBS, Goodell stated that possible and varying incentives would be presented to teams to discourage or prevent them from benching their starters in late-season games.

How can the league actually do that? Is that not showing favoritism to certain teams? How can they legally, above all else, offer 'said incentives' to certain teams but not to others?

And what right does the NFL have at that point to determine what the owners of a team does or does not do with the organization that ownership posses?

Can the league really tell an owner what to do with something they do not own in any way form or fashion?

I say no.

I mean they are virtually saying that they are going to punish a team for playing good all year and having a good record to show for it.

It is that team’s luxury and right to sit whomever they want whenever they want during the course of a season. They sign the player’s checks, not the NFL.

Goodell went on to say "We are considering a lot of different things. I don’t think you can punish them for not playing. The other thing that has to happen is you have to make it clear to the public that you are not going to be playing someone, like we do with our injury reports."

Really Mr. Commissioner, really? You most certainly cannot punish a team for achieving a good record. Any rational person could tell you that.

I do, however, somewhat agree with what he and the league are saying about perhaps publicizing who they are going to play or not play, but that too posses its own issues.

Take the Colts' situation as an example. They actually did play their starters for the entire first half of the game against the New York Jets. It was not until after the first series of the second half they pulled their starters for backup players.

How are the organizations to inform fans of this in advance of a season or game?

Colts to fans: "Well we may pull the starters around the second half but we aren’t really sure just yet. Sorry, but please come out on to the game anyway to support your team."

Yeah, that will go over like a ton of bricks.

The media and fans alike made the argument that when they [the Colts] pulled their starters, it gave the Jets an almost unfair advantage to win the game and ultimately make the postseason with a win the next week against the Bengals. Which was not guaranteed either.

When in essence, the league should have NOT moved the Bengals versus the Jets game to the Sunday night game to show the Bengals exactly what they would be playing for (if anything) after already becoming aware of the outcome of the Patriots/Texans game which was played earlier that day.

To me, the bottom line on this issue is that the league cannot punish or give incentives to any teams for either playing their starters in late season games or sitting them. It would be showing favoritism in my eyes and I bet to a lot of other people’s eyes as well.

If you do not want your team to be knocked out of the playoffs because another team is resting their starters late in the season, my advice to your team is simple: win more games. This way, you're taking your own "destiny" out of someone else’s hands.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Stay classy, Indianapolis, stay classy.

Are you kidding me? You are actually booing a team that is 14-1. A team that once again proved its dominance in the AFC South by winning it for the sixth time in the past eight seasons.

You wrapped up home field advantage throughout the playoffs including the number one overall seed in the post season. Yes, that is truly something to boo your team over.

And before I get responses on "well it would have been great to go 16-0 to one up the Patriots" etc. In the grand scheme of the NFL, 16-0 hardly means anything.

I would bet almost any amount of money that any Patriots player from their 2007 18-1 team would gladly trade that perfect regular season for their fourth Super Bowl ring.

Yes, they hung a banner in Gillette stadium to commemorate their perfect regular season. But there is one banner missing from that season—A Super Bowl banner.

Let's say the Colts did go for 16-0 and achieved a perfect regular season. Then, in the first round of the playoffs they lost to [insert team here]. Great year right? Because every NFL team's main goal for the year is to lose in the first round of playoffs right?

Yes, of course a perfect season is something that does not come along too often, but then again, neither is a Super Bowl.

The Colt's in their minds and game plan did the correct thing in pulling the starters for reserve players. They get paid to make the decisions that are best for the team not what the fans want them to do.

Team president Bill Polian had this to say on his weekly show:

"First of all, I think we made it pretty clear that our first priority was to make sure that we got enough work to stay sharp. I'll repeat myself. I think we made it pretty clear that our first priority was to make sure that we got enough work to stay sharp."

Enough said. When the president and the head coaching staff makes a decision the players will do what they are told and come out of the game.

All the fans can boo and be displeased with the decision because for some reason they think going perfect in the regular season assures them of going to Miami when it doesn't.

The Colts have one thing and one thing only on their minds, and that is to get back to Miami for another shot a world championship. Colts fans should know this by now.

A lot of people draw comparisons with the Atlanta Braves and the Colts in that they have won so many division titles, yet only one championship. A fair comparison really when you think about it.

No other team in NFL history has won more regular season games in the past 10 years with the Colts, 115, but all those wins almost mean nothing to their lone Super Bowl win in 2006.

What means more to you as fans or to the players? A perfect regular season and losing in the playoffs or pulling your starters in the last few meaningless games of the regular season and another Super Bowl win?

I believe the answer is pretty clear there don’t you?

Yes, the regular season wins are impressive. Yes, it takes regular season wins to make the post season, but it does not , I repeat does not take a perfect season to guarantee you a Super Bowl appearance or win.

And it still amazes me that I see Colts fans upset with their team for pulling the starters, yet they are 14-1, and pretty much have it setup the way they planned it from training camp.

Learn from other teams that have made it and learn from your past mistakes and take note. The bigger picture in Indy is the Super Bowl, nothing more.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Stay classy, Indianapolis, stay classy.

Are you kidding me? You are actually booing a team that is 14-1. A team that once again proved its dominance in the AFC South by winning it for the sixth time in the past eight seasons.

You wrapped up home field advantage throughout the playoffs including the number one overall seed in the post season. Yes, that is truly something to boo your team over.

And before I get responses on "well it would have been great to go 16-0 to one up the Patriots" etc. In the grand scheme of the NFL, 16-0 hardly means anything.

I would bet almost any amount of money that any Patriots player from their 2007 18-1 team would gladly trade that perfect regular season for their fourth Super Bowl ring.

Yes, they hung a banner in Gillette stadium to commemorate their perfect regular season. But there is one banner missing from that season—A Super Bowl banner.

Let's say the Colts did go for 16-0 and achieved a perfect regular season. Then, in the first round of the playoffs they lost to [insert team here]. Great year right? Because every NFL team's main goal for the year is to lose in the first round of playoffs right?

Yes, of course a perfect season is something that does not come along too often, but then again, neither is a Super Bowl.

The Colt's in their minds and game plan did the correct thing in pulling the starters for reserve players. They get paid to make the decisions that are best for the team not what the fans want them to do.

Team president Bill Polian had this to say on his weekly show:

"First of all, I think we made it pretty clear that our first priority was to make sure that we got enough work to stay sharp. I'll repeat myself. I think we made it pretty clear that our first priority was to make sure that we got enough work to stay sharp."

Enough said. When the president and the head coaching staff makes a decision the players will do what they are told and come out of the game.

All the fans can boo and be displeased with the decision because for some reason they think going perfect in the regular season assures them of going to Miami when it doesn't.

The Colts have one thing and one thing only on their minds, and that is to get back to Miami for another shot a world championship. Colts fans should know this by now.

A lot of people draw comparisons with the Atlanta Braves and the Colts in that they have won so many division titles, yet only one championship. A fair comparison really when you think about it.

No other team in NFL history has won more regular season games in the past 10 years with the Colts, 115, but all those wins almost mean nothing to their lone Super Bowl win in 2006.

What means more to you as fans or to the players? A perfect regular season and losing in the playoffs or pulling your starters in the last few meaningless games of the regular season and another Super Bowl win?

I believe the answer is pretty clear there don’t you?

Yes, the regular season wins are impressive. Yes, it takes regular season wins to make the post season, but it does not , I repeat does not take a perfect season to guarantee you a Super Bowl appearance or win.

And it still amazes me that I see Colts fans upset with their team for pulling the starters, yet they are 14-1, and pretty much have it setup the way they planned it from training camp.

Learn from other teams that have made it and learn from your past mistakes and take note. The bigger picture in Indy is the Super Bowl, nothing more.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

A question or situation I am sure 90 percent of the teams in the NFL would love to have to grind over. They are almost always assured of making the postseason and more often than not have sealed up home-field advantage.

The following are the records for the Colts the past five years:

14-2 (2005)
12-4 (2006)
13-3 (2007)
12-4 (2008)
13-0 (2009)*

*through week 13

As you can see, each year they have had at least 12 wins and are almost always faced with this type of late-season decision, which has, at times, haunted them.

2005

After wrapping up another AFC South division title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in Week 14, the Colts starters shut it down for the remaining two weeks of the season against Seattle and Arizona.

The result was a first round loss in the divisional round to the Pittsburgh Steelers and then-rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger 21-18.

Colts' fans will most remember two plays from this game: the Roethlisberger tackle after Bettis fumbled at the goal line and Mike "our idiot kicker" Vanderjagt's wide right field goal that is still curling towards someplace other than between the goal posts.

Result: First round loss.

2006

Starting in Week 13 and losing back-to-back games to divisional rivals Tennessee and Jacksonville, the Colts were forced to play the starters throughout the regular season.

They ran off three straight wins against Cincinnati, Houston, and Miami to go into the playoffs with momentum.

From there they went on to play Kansas City in the wild-card round and busted up KC 23-8.

With that victory, they moved on to play the Ravens in Baltimore and came away from there with a very hard fought 15-6 victory to setup the showdown with New England in the AFC Championship game in Indy.

After trailing by 18 points at the half, Peyton Manning and the Colts made one of the biggest rallies in playoff history to beat the Patriots 38-34 and move on to Miami.

They eventually beat the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl to give Manning his first Lombardi trophy.

2007

This was the season many (including this writer) thought the Colts had a real shot at repeating as Super Bowl champs. They were basically bringing their entire team back from the year before and were now used to having some success in the postseason.

With their 13-2 record, the Colts again found themselves in a situation to rest players coming down the stretch.

So what do they do?

After beating the Texans on Dec. 23 they rested their starters the next week against the Titans and did not play another game until Jan. 13 against the San Diego Chargers.

The Colts' starters had not played since Dec. 23, a 21-day lay-off for a team that is all about timing.

Result: The Chargers' backup quarterback Billy Volek scored the game-winning touchdown on a one-yard sneak to once again knock the Colts out of the playoffs in the first round.

2008

The 2008 season once again saw a great season from the Indianapolis Colts. However, it saw a better one from their AFC South division rivals, the Titans, who won the division with a 13-3 mark.

The Colts, unable to win the division with a 12-4 record, were forced to travel to San Diego to meet the 8-8 Chargers—the winners of the AFC West.

Again, in Week 17, the Colts elected to rest their starters for the playoffs. The result, a 23-17 overtime loss in San Diego in which the Colts never got possession of the ball after Darren Sproles broke of a 22-yard touchdown run to seal the victory and send the Colts home early.

2009

Which now brings us to Week 14 of this NFL season. The Colts are once again in prime position heading to the playoffs with an unbeaten record of 13-0, AFC South winners, and have already clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

An all too familiar place for the Colts to be in, but this year is different. There is another team with the same mark—the New Orleans Saints.

New head coach Jim Caldwell is a lot like his predecessor, Tony Dungy, but a little less hesitant to make different calls in similar situations.

Caldwell has said, "Healthy players will play." Does this mean we will see the starters in the games the rest of the years? Does this mean he is going for the unbeaten regular season?

Or, does this simply mean he wants the offense, which is largely based on the timing of the receivers with Peyton Manning, to be ready and sharp heading into the playoffs?

There are more rookies and players without playoff experience, so maybe Caldwell wants them ready to play as if it were just another week of the season.

One thing is certain, the Colts are once again poised to make the playoffs in a similar fashion as they have the past five seasons.

The question is, has history taught them anything or do they continue their struggles in January?

I say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it—play 'em.

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And you are saying I am going to be without five of my defensive starters from a year ago?

No Bob Sanders.

No Marvin Harrison.

No Anthony Gonzalez.

And to top it all off, let’s throw two rookie wide receivers and cornerbacks in there as well, how's that?

Sure Mr. Irsay and Mr. Polian, I can do that for you, no problem.

This is what Jim Caldwell has faced so far this season with the Colts.

There is to be a bit of a drop off expected when you replace your head coach in the NFL. You can even argue the fact that if you don't make the playoffs or come out of training come a little sluggish the fans will understand.

New system, new coach, new almost everything as far as coaching is concerned.

But first year head coach Jim Caldwell has come out of the gates with his Colts so far through week 11, still without a mark in the loss column. Undefeated and already clinched the AFC South title for 2009.

Not bad for a first year coach, wouldn't you say?

And yes, you can argue he has Peyton Manning as his quarterback and one of the best wide outs in the game in Reggie Wayne, along with one of the best tight ends with Dallas Clark.

The facts still remain that its Jim Caldwell that has this team believing, even before they step foot on the field, they are not going to lose.

It’s not just No. 18 that gets this team going from week to week. It’s the preparation, the practice, and the belief instilled by Jim Caldwell that has the Colts to 11-0 this season.

The Colts this past Sunday polished off yet another divisional opponent after being down 17-7 heading into halftime. But still, the Colts and their fans somehow knew their team would be the one walking off of the field with a victory.

It’s become common place for the Colts to be down late in games and somehow come back to win. Five times in a row as a matter of fact, actually setting a new NFL record for comeback wins in a season.

But can it last?

Will it last?

How has it lasted?

Those answers come from the top and none more than straight from the head coach himself.

As I stated earlier, he has his team believing they will not lose before they step onto the field.

In meetings and practices through the week, Caldwell gets his unbeaten Colts prepared to do battle with the target on their back. Yet they contest, THEY are the hunters not the hunted.

It's tough to argue with a team that has yet to see their first loss of the year. The team that has already clinched their division crown in week 11 of the season. The team that battled back, for five straight games, after halftime to finish off their opponents.

Many teams have been up on the horseshoes but none to date have been able to close them out.

And it all starts with the head man Jim Caldwell.

Much like his predecessor in Tony Dungy, Caldwell is not much of a vocal coach. Although when he needs to, he will raise his voice in practice to instill what he wants that particular player to do or not do.

But it’s his even keel on the sidelines and, as some players have said, during halftime when he tells them there is still a half of “Colts” football to be played and there are NOT out of it.

They seem to draw from him and continue to grind it out all the way until the last play of the game if need be, to get the victory. And so far this season, it has worked.

With a make shift secondary, starting two rookie corner backs that have faced the likes of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Andre Johnson, and Larry Fitzgerald, the Colts have ground out nothing but 11 wins in a row and 20 straight regular season games to begin the season.

Without the future hall of famer Marvin Harrison for Manning to throw to, the offense has found ways to move the ball with two first-year starters at wide receiver.

Losing their first round draft pick from two years ago in Anthony Gonzalez, to what looks to be for the season.

Down 17, no problem. Down 20, big deal. On the ropes on the road, no issue there.

The Colts keep finding ways to win behind the calm, even-keeled coach that I believe has earned the just due coming to him.

You may argue he has an on-field coach in Peyton Manning but the fact remains this is now Jim Caldwell's team and not the Tony Dungy team he has just taken over.

He has them believing they WILL win no matter what and who is to argue with a mark of 11-0, unbeaten, and the division champs right now?

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