Colts 2011 Schedule

Until the hooker from St. Louis first destroyed them, then moved them to her hometown, I was a Rams fan, along with a passing fancy for Bob Griese, erm, the Dolphins. Since then, I've been a free agent fan and since Peyton Manning ended up there, I've been an Indianapolis Colts fan. Last season was unreal, the injuries being both plentiful and damaging to key players, but the Ponies still made the playoffs.

The NFL released the 2011* schedules this week and it's an interesting slate.

• September 11 @ Houston Texans
• September 18 Cleveland Browns
• September 25 Pittsburgh Steelers
• October 3 @ Tampa Buccaneers (Monday)
• October 9 Kansas City Chiefs
• October 16 @ Cincinnati Bengals
• October 23 @ New Orleans Saints
• October 30 @ Tennessee Titans
• November 6 Atlanta Falcons
• November 13 Jacksonville Jaguars
• November 20 Bye
• November 27 Carolina Panthers
• December 4 @ New England Patriots
• December 11 @ Baltimore Ravens
• December 18 Tennessee Titans
• December 22 Houston Texans (Thursday)
• January 1 @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The NFL schedule makers must have cum in their pants when they figured out that the opening Sunday of the season coincided with the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The NFL *loves* to wrap themselves in the flag and flaunt fighter planes as much as they can, so it's perfect.

Another opener in Houston, that didn't work out so well last year. Luckily, the Steelers game is at home, while it's too bad the Patriots game is in Foxboro in early December. Getting the Saints and Falcons in two out of three weeks is tough, but hey, they play the Browns and Bengals so it evens out.

My prediction: 11-5, bye in the playoffs.

* Contingent on the season starting on time, obviously