Colts links: Worst-case scenario, great Colts season openers

Fresh Indianapolis Colts links, including a worst-case scenario in what many consider a Super Bowl-or-bust season, as well as a look back at some great season-opening games of the past:

• Chris Chase of USA TODAY Sports provides best- and worst-case scenarios for each AFC team. Here are both for Indianapolis:

Best-case scenario (14-2): Entering the season as AFC favorites proves to be no problem for Andrew Luck who, along with the ageless Frank Gore, puts up the best numbers of his career en route to becoming the most successful neck-bearder since Abraham Lincoln.

Worst-case scenario (8-8): Andrew Luck follows the path of Peyton Manning, who had a mediocre fourth season and was left out of the playoffs — one of only two times that happened since his rookie season.

• Don Banks of SI.com takes a look at some of the greatest NFL season-opening games since 2002. He mentions two involving the Colts:

2. 2004: New England 27, Indianapolis 24

The first time the NFL gave the defending Super Bowl champion the honor of hosting the Kickoff game, it was a rematch of the 2003 AFC Championship game that had been played in the snow flurries in Foxboro the January before. Alas, it was the same result for Peyton Manning and the losing Colts, albeit by a closer score than the 24–14 Patriots win in the playoffs. Tom Brady threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns as New England won its 16th straight game including the postseason, two short of the league record the Patriots would go on to break in October.

13. 2007: Indianapolis 41, New Orleans 10 

The defending Super Bowl champion Colts threw themselves a heck of a second-half party, outscoring the Saints 31–0 to break a 10–10 halftime time at the RCA Dome. It was a bit bittersweet for Indy quarterback Peyton Manning, who threw for 288 yards and three touchdown passes to rout the Saints team his dad, Archie Manning, starred for, and his own hometown team. After an offseason dominated by player discipline issues involving Michael Vick and Adam “Pacman” Jones, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the game: “I think we’re ready now to get the focus back on football.” Where’s that Goodell when you need him today?

• Speaking of Peyton Manning, the former Colts quarterback enjoyed some time with his 4-year-old son before Denver's final preseason game Thursday: