NFL notes: Ravens’ Jim Caldwell focused on beating Colts
Jim Caldwell spent 10 years doing his best to help Indianapolis win.
Now Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, he’s focused beating the Colts.
Caldwell and the Ravens host Indianapolis on Sunday in a first-round playoff game. In a strange twist of fate, Caldwell is going up against his former team. Even quirkier: Caldwell’s successor in Indianapolis, Chuck Pagano, was Baltimore’s defensive coordinator last year.
“It’s ironic to get an opportunity to play against them, but it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Caldwell said Thursday. “Chuck probably feels the same way on the other side over there.”
Hired by the Colts in 2002 to be their quarterbacks coach, Caldwell was ultimately promoted to head coach in 2009. He was dismissed last year after a dismal 2-14 season and signed by the Ravens in February to coach the quarterbacks. On Dec. 10, he replaced fired Cam Cameron as offensive coordinator and has since been calling the shots for Baltimore’s offense.
Caldwell, 57, likes his current role, but still longs to be an NFL head coach.
“Anybody in this business would certainly like to get to the point where they reach the top of their profession,” he said. “They’d love to have an opportunity to be a head coach, and I’m no different.”
But the task at hand is to help Baltimore beat the Colts.
“Tomorrow is not even promised to me,” Caldwell said. “I really don’t think that far ahead. I’m not looking off, gazing into the sunrise or something of that nature. I’m trying to make certain that I’m doing my job and getting our guys ready to go out and play. We’ve got a real chore ahead of us.”
Manning tabbed
Peyton Manning tied yet another NFL record Thursday, this one held by Tom Brady, when he won his sixth career Offensive Player of the Month award. Manning joined Kurt Warner (2001) as the only players with 10 TDs, 1,300 yards, a 70 percent completion percentage and five wins in December as the Broncos (13-3) captured the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
Quick kicks
The Green Bay Packers should have their top four WRs in action for the first time in almost three months as Randall Cobb (ankle) and Jordy Nelson are set to join James Jones and Greg Jennings … The Arizona Cardinals have received permission to interview Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley for their head coaching job. … The Indianapolis Colts granted offensive coordinator Bruce Arians permission to speak with the Chicago Bears about their head coaching vacancy. … The Philadelphia Eagles will interview Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy for the team’s open head coaching position Sunday in Denver. … Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz and his assistants will direct the South squad in the Jan. 26 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen and his staff will run the North team. … Vikings CB Antoine Winfield did not practice and plans to wear a bigger cast on his broken right hand in the playoff game against Green Bay on Saturday.