Editor's note: ESPN senior NFL writer John Clayton's weekly "First and 10" column takes you around the league. Here's his look at the final game of Week 12 of the 2005 season.
First
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts (ABC, Monday, 9 p.m. ET) | Scouting report
| Take 2: Edge to Colts
In the first half of the season, Edgerrin James was arguably the NFL's Most Valuable Player. As the Colts head toward a potential undefeated season, Peyton Manning seems to be taking the award away from him.
Manning is the Answer Man. Eight years in the Colts' offensive system, Manning has answers for just about anything a defense can throw at him. In some ways, the years of frustration over losing to Bill Belichick and the Patriots are now paying off. Manning has thought through all the things a defense can do, and he has the answers.
Monday night's game against the Steelers is another challenge. The Steelers have one of the toughest 3-4 defenses in football. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has some of the best Fire-zone blitz schemes in football. Like Jim Johnson in Philadelphia, LeBeau blitzes a lot, but it's impossible to guess which player or players are coming.
The problem for LeBeau will be deciding whether to blitz. Manning is the best quarterback against the blitz in the NFL. The Bengals tried to blitz Manning on Sunday. They called more man-to-man defenses and tried to be aggressive. Manning burned them for five touchdown drives in five possessions in the first half, and the Colts won 45-37.
He's the least blitzed quarterback in football, and there's a reason why. Against the blitz this season, Manning has completed 60 of 86 passes for 795 yards and nine touchdowns. His quarterback rating against blitzes is 133. Four of his six sacks have come against blitzes, but usually he releases the ball before the defender arrives.
In the past five games, the Colts are averaging 39.8 points. They have scored 25 touchdowns on their past 50 possessions. Their offensive efficiency is at an unparalleled level. They've basically become so good, they are turning in 10-possession games.
The normal NFL game has about 12 possessions per team. In the first 10 games, the Colts have had 98 possessions, with 36 touchdown drives and 11 field goals. Translated, that means they score on just about every other possession they have the ball.
The Colts are averaging close to 30 yards per possession. They lead the league with 25 10-play drives. They have the fewest three-and-outs this season -- 15. They've only punted 28 times.
This MNF game could be a playoff preview, and the Steelers have to figure out ways to slow Indy down. After going 2-2 this season without Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers have to keep him healthy because they don't have much room for error in the AFC North. They are tied for the division lead with the Bengals, but a loss this week could put them a game behind Cincinnati heading into next week's showdown versus the Bengals (in Pittsburgh).
Roethlisberger will start, but coach Bill Cowher has to decide which direction he wants to take the running offense. He's relied mostly on Willie Parker, a quick, small back. The team has had its best success with big backs -- Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley -- and the Colts have a smaller defense that could have problems with big backs who pound the ball.
The key for the Steelers is keeping the Colts' offense off the field. The Bengals came out in a no-huddle offense against Indianapolis on Sunday and scored. But the problem with the no-huddle is that it gives the Colts more possessions. The Bengals scored 37, while the Colts scored 45. It's been the Colts' year. Will it continue to be Monday night?
John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.