All those Indianapolis Colts’ fans who have been complaining that the national media is ignoring what Shane Steichen and crew are doing this year … well, I’ve got some good news for you. Unless you’re the type who likes to complain about being taken for granted. Because after this past Tuesday, you just can’t say the Colts are not getting respect.
It came loud and clear from Indy legend Jeff Saturday.
On ESPN’s First Take, Saturday listed his top five teams in the NFL after the Week 6 contests. He had the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in spots five-through-two. In the first place, the man who snapped the ball to Peyton Manning during the franchise’s glory years had his own beloved Indianapolis Colts.
And maybe the most remarkable thing about the entire segment was that none of his fellow pro football experts scoffed at the notion. There may have been a few friendly hints of bias and favoritism in Saturday’s choice, but no one said the ranking was outlandish.
It took six weeks, but the national media is now giving the Indianapolis Colts the respect they deserve
Saturday’s praise came as part of one of First Take’s most lively segments – “Stephen’s A-List.” First Take ringleader Stephen A. Smith puts out his own “top five” list on a particular topic, and then his cohorts take shots at it. In addition to Jeff Saturday, those cohorts included former players Drew Brees and Chris Canty.
Lest you think that Saturday was way out of line with his praise, be advised that Smith, Brees, and Canty all had Steichen’s men ranked number two. They just preferred Tampa Bay to Indianapolis at this point. They all agreed there could be no real dispute that those are the two top teams in the NFL, regardless of which goes in at number one.
Think about how you might have felt as a Colts fan if someone told you just seven weeks ago that Indy would be a consensus top-two team in the league after a third of the season.
Smith went as far as to name Daniel Jones as an MVP candidate, and then repeated himself because even he was having a hard time believing those words were coming out of his mouth. He also praised Jonathan Taylor and the receivers, as well as the coaching. Apart from the opinion on Taylor, how many national experts would have said the same before the season?
When he made his pitch, Saturday pointed out that the Colts are currently in the top-five in both rushing and passing offense, while also boasting a top-three scoring defense. That’s a pretty strong case for being the best team in the league.
Everyone, even Saturday, added a note of caution, saying that Steichen and his troops would need to keep up their stellar play to continue proving this has not been a fluke. As Canty mentioned, this week's game on the road against the Chargers will be another very good test. But after watching what they have done so far, do you have any reason to doubt them?
Jeff Saturday certainly doesn’t seem to.