Colts Consider Historic Chase

When the Indianapolis Colts face San Diego on Sunday, the regulars who made them the fourth 13-0 team in NFL history most likely will play.

After that, things could change.

One day after the Colts clinched their third straight AFC South title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, Coach Tony Dungy again had to contend with the NFL’s hot topic: Will the unbeaten Colts continue playing their starters to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the league’s only perfect teams?

“We’ll probably play this game like a normal game,” Dungy said Monday in Indianapolis. “Once we get to the NFC games, we’ll see. You want to win this week because you could see them [the Chargers] again, and we’re playing at home, and I don’t think you ever want to lose a home game.”

Dungy has indicated he believes perfection should take a back seat to winning the Super Bowl.

Most Colts acknowledge they want to continue playing, including running back Edgerrin James.

“Rest? I’ll rest when I’m through playing football,” James said. “Right now, it’s just a groove that we’re in, and we just want to keep going.”

Dungy did acknowledge Monday that injured players, such as starting linebacker Cato June (sports hernia, knee and ankle) and starting defensive tackle Corey Simon (sprained foot), might not play again until they are 100%.

The other part of Dungy’s equation is using healthy starters sparingly.

Dungy’s biggest concern, aside from a major injury, is that giving his starters too much rest before the bye week could halt the Colts’ continuity.

“We don’t want to lose,” defensive tackle Montae Reagor said. “We want to keep our rhythm, keep our chemistry. We want to keep on playing until coach says no.”

When will that be?

“They all want to play,” Dungy said. “I told them that they would play this week and that I’d be honest with them, but I’m not thinking too far ahead. We’ll have to see.”

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Grasping for answers in their 1-12 season, the Houston Texans hired Dan Reeves as a special consultant to owner Bob McNair.

McNair made it clear that Reeves, an NFL head coach for 23 seasons, was not brought in to critique Coach Dom Capers or General Manager Charley Casserly. Both he and Reeves said he was not a coaching candidate for the Texans.

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Running back Brian Westbrook is finished for the season after the Philadelphia Eagles placed him on injured reserve.

Westbrook, however, doesn’t need surgery for his foot injury, called a Lis Franc sprain, the team said. Westbrook was hurt in a Dec. 5 loss to Seattle.

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The cost of the football stadium the New York Giants and New York Jets will jointly build in the Meadowlands likely will top $1 billion.

Owners of both teams filed preliminary site plans for the 81,000-seat stadium, to be built between the existing Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, N.J. It is due to open for the 2010 season.