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Pastimes : The new NFL -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sandintoes who wrote (14023)	10/26/2006 10:02:05 PM
From: sandintoes	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89032

Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton's "First and 10" column takes you around the league, with a look at the best game of the week, followed by primers for 10 other games. Here's his look at Week 8 of the 2006 season. First … Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos After 2003 and 2004, Mike Shanahan thought outside the box when making plans. While most coaches rebuild their teams to win the division, Shanahan went beyond the AFC West. He worried about the Indianapolis Colts, and he did it with good reason. In the 2003 season, the Broncos went 10-6 but lost to the Colts in the playoffs 41-10. So, trying to keep up with the Colts, Shanahan started to work on his defense. Byron Hetzler/US Presswire Champ Bailey and the Broncos defense has allowed just two TDs in 65 possessions.He picked up Champ Bailey, the game's best cornerback. The Broncos went 10-6 in '04 but lost to the Colts 49-24. For 2005, the Broncos grabbed every Cleveland Browns defensive lineman they could and the strategy worked well enough for the Broncos to advance to the AFC title game. What also helped was not playing the Colts. Sunday's home game against the Colts is the ultimate test for Shanahan's defense, which has given up only two touchdown drives in 65 possessions. The success can be attributed more to the talent than the scheme. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer abandoned a lot of the successful blitzes of last season and concentrated on winning with talent. In many ways, Sunday's game is a playoff preview for the Broncos, and it's an important one. But there isn't as much pressure as you would think. The Broncos are 5-1 and lead the AFC West by a game. Sure, a win over the undefeated Colts would give them a tiebreaker against the Colts for possible home-field advantage, but the idea is to see how good this defense really is. The Colts enter with the league's third-ranked offense, but it really hasn't kicked into gear yet. The running game is just starting to click as backup Joseph Addai gets more comfortable making the jump from college to the NFL. Third receiver Brandon Stokley has missed most of the season with injuries, so the three-receiver offense hasn't really gotten going. Slow starts have put the team in a position in which Peyton Manning has had to orchestrate second-half comebacks, but a lot of those problems were attributed to the defense's inability to stop the run early. The addition of defensive tackle Anthony McFarland helped solve that problem. The Colts will have an interesting test trying to stop Shanahan's efficient run scheme. This season, it's offense that worries Shanahan. Jake Plummer has generated only seven touchdown drives in 69 possessions. While Plummer has the complete support of Shanahan, fans are calling for a quarterback change. Plummer's problem has been starting slowly. His first-quarter passing statistics have been virtually nonexistent. One of Shanahan's formulas for success is getting a lead and letting the defense pressure opposing quarterbacks. This game is a fascinating matchup, a test of elite AFC teams. Shanahan just wants to see how well he's done in catching up on defense to what the Colts' offense can do. 9. New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings (Mon., 8:30 ET, ESPN) In an easy division, the Patriots don't really get many tests this season. They are winning the AFC East with one hand tied behind their backs -- limited help at wide receiver -- but these next three games will clearly define their season. They visit a solid Vikings team and then have home games against the Colts and Jets. The Vikings looked great last week against the Seahawks. Brad Johnson was sharp, Chester Taylor had a career day at running back and the defense was energized and aggressive. Knowing he's going to have to rely more on the run this season, Patriots coach Bill Belichick will need some good schemes to work against the Vikings' run defense. Teams are averaging only 2.5 yards a rush in the middle of the line going against defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. The Patriots have a great running attack but may be forced to take runs to the outside. The interesting injury to follow this week is Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour. He's the Patriots' best defensive player, but he hurt his elbow last Sunday. The Patriots guard their injuries like government secrets. Seymour did some things in practice to hint the injury isn't bad, but only the Patriots know for sure. The Patriots need Seymour on the field to be a good defense, particularly in a key Monday night road game.