Carroll Angeles

COLTS NOTES
VINATIERI KEEPING PACE
This season, Colts kicker Adam
Vinatieri has converted nine-of-12
field goal attempts while splitting
the uprights on all 12 PATs for a
total of 39 points. Included in his
field goal totals are kicks from 52
and 53 yards. The 53-yard boot is
tied for the fourth-longest of his
career. With 39 points, Vinatieri is
11 points shy of a pace for his
15th campaign with 100-plus
points. The only year where
Vinatieri did not reach the plateau
came in 2009 where he only appeared
in six games due to injury.
Vinatieri’s career-high in points came in 2004 with the New
England Patriots (141).
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
The Indianapolis Colts have a welcomed sight in terms of
the team’s travel this season. With the total air distance that
all teams have to travel during the regular season totaling
506,054 miles, the Colts rank second to last in the most
amount of miles a team in the league has to travel for road
contests (9,554) this season. Only the Tennessee has a
shorter total route with 7,060 miles. Teams in the NFC West
have the highest combined mileage for all divisions
(95,346) as the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks
rank first and second on the list.
STARTING POSITION
Colts punter Pat McAfee has had a
good start to the 2011 campaign as
he has totaled a 48.2 gross punting
average on 38 kicks which ranks
fifth in the AFC and eighth in the
NFL. McAfee has dropped nine
punts inside the 20 yard-line assisting
his net average of 38.5 yards. In
a Week 5 meeting against Kansas
City he registered five punts for a
55.4 average and a net average of
47.6 yards. His long punt of 64 yards in the third quarter is
the second longest kick of his career.
2011 Top AFC Punters in Average
Player Punts Average
Shane Lechler, Oak 34 52.2
Brian Moorman, Buf 28 50.3
Britton Colquitt, Den 32 50.0
Brandon Fields, Mia 30 49.2
Pat McAfee, Ind 38 48.2
THE POINT OF NO RETURN
IT’S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE
The AFC and AFC South Division always present challenging
match-ups for not only the Colts, but all teams across
the league. This season is no different as the Colts hold the
third hardest schedule. Last season, Indy’s opponents compiled
a 133-123 record for a .520 winning percentage. They
play against nine teams who were .500 or better last year
and six teams that reached the 2010 playoffs. Below is a
look at the top teams in terms of strength of schedule.
Opp. 2010 Games vs. teams Games vs.
Team Pct. & Record .500 or better Playoff teams
Carolina .555, 142-114-0 10 7
Buffalo .535, 137-119-0 9 6
Colts .520, 133-123-0 9 6
Denver .520, 133-123-0 10 6
Detroit .520, 133-123-0 10 7
J-Ville .520, 133-123-0 9 7
K.C. .520, 133-123-0 10 6
N.Y. Jets .520, 133-123-0 9 5
S.D. .520, 133-123-0 10 7
The 2011 campaign marks the first season the NFL moved
kickoffs from the 30 to the 35-yard line. Through seven
weeks this season, all 32 teams have combined for 511
touchbacks, which has already topped last year’s total of
416. Punter Pat McAfee, who also handles kickoff duty,
ranks tied for ninth in the league with 19 touchbacks.
McAfee’s season-high of five touchbacks have come on
two occasions (vs. Kansas City and Pittsburgh).