Odds Motivate The Colts
The last thing the Indianapolis Colts saw as they left their training complex for Pittsburgh Friday afternoon were the odds on the AFC Championship game that have so infuriated them all week.
Posted on a large yard sign at the edge of the driveway as a final reminder of what the football world thinks of them was a professionally lettered metal sign that read: “LATEST ODDS: Pittsburgh - minus 11. Let ‘er rip.”
Ted Marchibroda, who coaches the Colts, doesn’t quite understand how his team got in this position. That feeling is shared by much of football-watching America but the difference is that they’re surprised to see the Colts still playing, although even Marchibroda concedes, “We wanted the playoffs, but I don’t think we could envision this. Once we got in, we felt it was wide open. And I think that has been proven.”
There is no other explanation for how the Colts, who squeaked into the playoffs at 9-7, find themselves one game from the Super Bowl. But as incomprehensible as that may be to some, there is something more puzzling to Marchibroda - the odds against them upsetting the Steelers.
“We went into the Kansas City game a nine-point underdog, and we beat the best team in the NFL and now we’re an 11-point underdog going into our next ballgame,” Marchibroda said. “I think it’s an indication the respect for us isn’t there, but that’s fine, that’s all right. We don’t dwell on it that much.”
Oh, no. Only about three times a day.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher unwittingly added fuel to this motivation early in the week when he was asked about the Colts and said, “I couldn’t even give you their starting lineup. I know Jim Harbaugh is the starting quarterback and Ashley Ambrose is a pretty good cornerback.”
Other than that, Cowher drew a blank, which is something the Colts insist they will not be firing this afternoon.
“We’ll have a full load on,” said nose tackle Tony Siragusa. “Maybe more than a full load. It’s hard for people to respect us. After we got in, people told us it was going to get crazy with all the media. We were waiting but they didn’t come. Then we beat San Diego in the wild-card game and we were waiting but they didn’t come. Then we beat the Chiefs and we were waiting but they didn’t come. We know if we win this game they’ll come but that’s because those guys won’t have any place else to go.”
Perhaps no team since the 1985 Patriots has been a less likely Super Bowl contender than the Colts.
“We’re 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl,” said Harbaugh, who was just as unlikely a choice for the Pro Bowl when the season began. “We’re the underdog.”