In 1998 Barry Sanders did the unthinkable for a 30 year old Hall of Fame running back: he walked away from the game and never looked back. At the time media speculation rampantly suggested Sanders was simply disgruntled and would return possibly with another team.

In the fifteen years that have passed Sanders has not resurfaced content instead knowing he perhaps made the shiftiest move he could ever make: a clean retirement with his health in tact.

Today's NFL is a starkly different world than the one that put Sanders and others like Eric Dickerson, Lenny Moore, Marshall Faulk or even Edgerrin James on a pedestal. The average length of career for good NFL running backs is less than seven years. The average draft position for running backs is dropping which is bad news because draft position is the only solid predictor of earning potential. In short the league doesn't value running backs in the same way it once did.

Enter Donald Brown, one of the most productive collegiate rushers available in the 2009 NFL Draft and clearly one of the brightest players available at any position. Fans and pundits alike praised the Indianapolis Colts after selecting Brown in the first round. Two short years later those same people had labeled Brown a "bust."

Gambling, a vice as old as humanity itself (or so I’ve been told by people who were there).  What exactly is it about a game of chance that entices us to throw away rational thought and just “let it ride”?  I’m sure there are many complicated answers to that question, none of which I intend to delve into here, but whatever the case it just makes everything better, especially NFL football games.

Now I won’t sit here and claim to be some kind of expert on the subject.  In fact, when it comes to the intricacies of sharps and squares, vigs and money lines, I’m about as green as they come.  What I will say is that picking football games based on point spreads has been an enjoyable, and dare I say, rewarding, experience for me.  One that I wish to share with the masses.  So in this new weekly piece I will be looking at four games that I believe have value against the spread. 

"The most important game in Indianapolis Colts history!" - Kob Bravitz, the man who was wearing the Andrew Luck jersey in November of 2011, previewing Sunday's Colts - Texans match-up. (this didn't really happen, to my knowledge)

With their week 14 win over the Tennessee Titans - coupled with the Texans loss to the Patriots - the Indianapolis Colts not only put themselves on the brink of clinching a playoff berth, they also took control of their fate in the AFC South. A year after stepping down from their throne and handing the crown to the Texans, after turning over 60% of their roster, after firing their GM and head coach, and after cutting their MegaSuperGiganta star quarterback, the Indianapolis Colts have a chance to reclaim their rightful place atop the division. All that stands between them and the greatest worst-to-first turnaround in NFL history is 180 minutes of perfect football.

That 180-minute journey starts Sunday in Houston, Texas, where the Colts will square off with a Texans team looking to not only establish their dominance as the South's top dog, but to remind everyone that they're still a good team. Will the Colts be able to play their first complete game of the season and shock the NFL world? Or will the Texans realize that this is their last chance to party while the parents are out of town, and make the most of their gifted opportunity, securing an early home-exit from the playoffs? After the jump, we'll take a look a the key stats, match-ups, and injuries that will help determine the outcome of Sunday's surprisingly important AFC South divisional match-up!

Yesterday, on 12/12/12, a.k.a. Andrew Luck Day, the Colts returned to practice to prepare for the Houston Texans.  Bruce Arians and the players fielded several questions.  As usual, all quotes come from the Indianapolis Colts Public Relations Department.  And now, for the Notebook.  Enjoy. 

Another Big Road Game

Win and you’re in.  If the Colts can pick up another win this Sunday, they can all but punch their ticket to the playoffs.  It sounds simple enough, but this week’s opponent is a formidable one: The 11-2 Texans, in Houston.  Waiting deep in the heart of Texas (okay, Coastal Texas, anyway) are the league’s 6^th ranked offense and 7^th ranked defense, a rare and effective combination of top 10 units.  Houston is number 4 in the NFL in scoring at 28 points per game, while Indianapolis is tied with San Diego for 17^th at 22.5 per game. 

Join Colts Authority Radio as Scott Kacsmar and Kyle Rodriguez discuss Week 14 in the NFL, playoff scenarios, and more. 

Andrew Luck had a very efficient performance on the road in Tennessee back in Week 8. This time he was…less than efficient, but the result was the same: another comeback, another game-winning drive, and another win.

The Titans also amped up the pressure once again, and to better results, even if some were aided by replay incompetence.

Statistically, this goes down as Luck’s worst game of his career, but while the offense had their struggles, you will see that it took three uncommon plays to craft that ugly stat line.

Fortunately, we go through every play here to better understand this week’s performance, which did result in a rookie record as Luck had his sixth game-winning drive of the season.

He also passed some guy named Peyton Manning for the second most passing yards in NFL history by a rookie (3,792 yards).

Drive No. 1

Drive Stats: 10:10 left (1st quarter), trailing 7-0. 3 plays, 0 yard (three-and-out punt).

Like last week, the Colts started with a three and out. Vick Ballard could not gain a yard on the ground, then Luck had to scramble right and throw one incomplete over the head of a covered Coby Fleener. On 3rd and 10, T.Y. Hilton was wide open – not a common sight this season – down the right sideline, but Luck just missed the throw by inches. Hilton had it on his fingertips and laid out for it, but it was incomplete. A better pass and we are looking at an 80-yard touchdown for sure.

900 feet. Two words which have stuck with me over the past couple of days, in relation to the distance travelled by the vehicle inhabited by Josh Brent and Jerry Brown on the early hours of Saturday morning. I can't begin to appreciate the scale of the carnage both in material terms on the scene and emotional terms to those involved, and all I can do at this time is send my condolences to those affected.

The incident has however re-highlighted the issues faced by professional athletes and specifically NFL players when it comes to drunk driving. Statistical evidence from all quarters points to the fact that young males between the age of 18-35 are by far the most likely to drive over the limit, and those are the age parameters which happen to coincide with the demographics of the league. I fit into that category, as will a lot of people reading this piece.

Week 14 is in the books, which means it's time for unveil the latest Colts Authority Power Rankings! The bottom two teams remain unchanged, but there's a new sheriff in town at the top. After the jump, find out who we think the best team in the NFL is, and share your thoughts in the comments!

The Indianapolis Colts announced today that they've placed RB Donald Brown and FB Robert Hughes on the Injured-Reserved list, ending both of their seasons. To fill their spots - and the gaping hole at running back - the Colts signed two players who were with them earlier this year, RBs Deji Karim and Mewelde Moore.

There's been no update on RB Vick Ballard, who suffered a stinger during Sunday's game, or RB Delone Carter, who suffered an ankle injury, but we assume -barring another injury to Ballard - that Moore and Karim will be little more than insurance for the rest of the season.

As for Brown, we are now left to wonder whether the much-maligned former 1st-round pick has played his last game for the Colts. Underrated and under appreciated, Brown was never able to showcase his speed and quickness behind an offensive line that allowed far too much penetration and provided too few holes for a speedy RB such as Brown to succeed.

We'll update the story as more information becomes available.

The Colts managed another incredible second half comeback this past week, rallying from a 20-7 deficit to start the second half to win 27-23. The win was powered by both offensive and defensive efforts, as many of the last few wins have been.

So which specific players were the drivingforce behind this week's comeback? Find out after the jump!