Colts Need A Holiday For Chiefs

The Colts’ charter plane was over the Kansas City area when the clock struck midnight, signaling the arrival of the new year. The Indianapolis players and coaches raised a toast in celebration of their good fortune.

The Colts had plenty to celebrate. Already without their starting fullback, Roosevelt Potts, they lost their top runner, tailback Marshall Faulk, to a knee injury in the first quarter Sunday, yet blew away San Diego, the defending AFC champion.

With Sunday’s 35-20 victory at San Diego, Indianapolis advanced to the AFC divisonal round at Kansas City this Sunday - and is quickly looking for another holiday.

“In looking over the season, we beat Miami on Thanksgiving weekend, we beat the Patriots on Christmas Eve and we beat San Diego on New Year’s Eve,” coach Ted Marchibroda said. “We have to think about creating a new holiday for the Chiefs.”

When the Colts arrived in Indianapolis at 12:45 a.m. Monday, the 2,500 fans who greeted them were all wondering the same thing: Who is Zack Crockett and where has he been all year?

Basically, in reserve.

Potts went down with a season-ending knee injury in the game against San Diego two weeks ago. Faulk bruised his left knee against the Patriots in the regular season finale and re-aggravated the injury on the first play on Sunday.

A magnetic resonance imaging scan Monday showed Faulk has a cartilage injury. His availablity for the rest of the playoffs is uncertain.

So both Crockett, who has replaced Potts, and Lamont Warren, who came in for Faulk, will probably see considerable time on Sunday.

Crockett, a Florida State product, who had one carry for no gain during the regular season, exploded at Jack Murphy Stadium, rushing for a Colts postseason-record of 147 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. His touchdown runs of 33 and 66 yards were spectacular.

Belser returns home

Colts cornerback Jayson Belser will be looking forward to the trip to Kansas City. He grew up 2 miles from Arrowhead Stadium and his father, Caesar Belser, was a defensive back with the Chiefs from 1968-71 and a member of the Kansas City team that won Super Bowl IV in 1970. That was the last time the Chiefs were in a Super Bowl.

Eagles fly south

The Philadelphia Eagles, whose cramped practice bubble adjacent to Veterans Stadium was ice-laden early last week, headed for warmer weather at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., Monday.

They’ll practice there all week and head for Dallas on Saturday for Sunday’s NFC divisional game at Texas Stadium.

Just like last weekend against Detroit, the Eagles are underdogs.

“People still look at us like we’re a joke,” said coach Ray Rhodes. “The respect factor is something that’s out there and looms over our heads.”

Rhodes, an assistant coach on five Super Bowl championship teams with the San Francisco 49ers, is a master motivator. He has the Eagles believing they’re capable of beating any team. After their 58-37 victory over Detroit, it’s hard to argue with them.

“The rest of the world doesn’t control what we do,” said guard Guy McIntyre, who played at San Francisco when Rhodes was there. “The rest of the world has nothing to do with the fight and the desire that we have. They look at the individual talent on this team and say we don’t have the talent to match up. One of the things about athletics is that sometimes heart can overcome talent.”

A friendly reminder

Dallas coach Barry Switzer will spend the week being reminded of his much-maligned decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at his 29 with 2 minutes remaining earlier against the Eagles. The Cowboys were stuffed and the Eagles kicked a field goal to win the game, 20-17.

It temporarily knocked Dallas off track for playoff home-field advantage, which it regained with two straight victories to end the season and a loss by the 49ers.

Switzer has a quick reply for everyone who wants to talk about it:

“It’s a different game. A different day. A different situation.”

End of discussion.

Cap runneth over

Twenty-six of the National Football League’s 30 teams spent more than the $37.1 million salary cap in 1995, according to NFL Players Association figures reported Monday by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The teams evaded the cap by paying large bonuses, but prorating them over the length of the player’s contract, the newspaper said.

Dallas spent the most money, more than $62.2 million, or 67 percent above the cap.

According to the union’s figures, Jerry Jones paid almost $40.5 million in signing bonuses, including $13 million to Deion Sanders.

The second highest amount of signing bonus money, more than $23 million, was spent by Cleveland, which had a 5-11 record.

The Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers were near the bottom of the pay scale. They paid out $38.2 million. Only six teams in the league spent less.

Only three of the 12 teams that paid the most in salaries qualified for the playoffs. Seven of the 12 that paid the least also qualified.