They can't say that, but I can.

The Colts (7-4) have to look at the Browns, Bengals, Lions and Jaguars and talk about any given Sunday, the slim difference between pro teams, parity, blah, blah, blah.

The truth is these upcoming opponents are dogs, and the Colts must make them continue to roll over and play dead.

Do that, and Indy will be sitting with an 11-4 record heading into a season-finale against the Titans. At that point, who's dictating the AFC South's postseason fortunes, the now-vulnerable Titans or the dangerous, veteran Colts?

"One of the things I try not to do is read too much into teams that you're playing and what their records are or what the perception of them is," Colts coach Tony Dungy said.

Lucky for Dungy, they pay me to read into records and publish perceptions.

Here's my quick overview of the Browns, Bengals, Lions and Jaguars, otherwise known as the Canine Quartet:

--Browns (4-7). They have some good qualities and solid players, but Brady Quinn's baptism has been fired by injury, Derek Anderson is healthy but mediocre, and everyone else is working on postseason vacation plans. As for the Browns' secondary, Houston's Sage Rosenfels threw for 275 yards. Rosenfels is not, nor has he ever been, a member of the Manning family.

--Bengals (1-9-1). They're capable of causing trouble, but they aren't going to win games except when teams implode (Jaguars). They can tie games, but only if the opposing team forgets how many overtimes there are in the NFL. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis will feast on the Bengals' line and make Carson Palmer relieved to be out with an injury.

--Lions (0-11). I saw a great T-shirt on the Internet the other day. The Lions' logo was surrounded by the words "Yes We Can" and "0-16." It's assumed no team can go a year without a win. Detroit will need more than Bob Sanders to be out with injury to get their sole victory in Indy.

--Jaguars (4-7). I picked this team to win the AFC South before the season. I blame them, not me. Who knew they'd forget how to tackle overnight? They're a dysfunctional mess.

Of the four upcoming games, Cleveland could be the toughest. The Colts will be on the road. They'll be playing in potentially a bitter-cold environment. They're coming off an emotional win over the Chargers.

Teams often have letdowns in these types of situations.

"Cleveland is the only team that beat the Giants all year," Dungy said. "They've played well in some Monday night games. They've been up and down a little bit, but if we think they're not going to play well, we're going to be surprised."

I'll give Dungy the benefit of the doubt. Cleveland might play well, by Cleveland standards. But the biggest thing the Colts have going for them is their franchise foundation. During the Dungy era, they've regularly beaten the teams they should beat and a good share of the teams they're not supposed to beat.

This season, they've had two bad losses: vs. the Bears when Peyton Manning was still muttering "bursa sac infection" and at Green Bay in one of the few uninspired performances under Dungy's watch. Otherwise, their loss to Jacksonville came on a questionable late officiating call, and they were simply beaten by a strong performance at Tennessee.

In consecutive wins over the Patriots, Steelers, Texans and Chargers, the Colts have shown renewed vigor on offense (even with center Jeff Saturday out most of the San Diego game) and occasionally shaky, occasionally spectacular defense. Special teams have improved. And, if they'd known Marvin Harrison would respond to criticism with such vengeance, the Colts would have suggested the media declare him washed up months ago. Dungy suggested that the Titans' three-game lead in the AFC South might not be comfortable.

"I've always said after we left there (Oct. 27), that we couldn't win the division, and we probably still won't," Dungy said. "But what we have to do is make them continue to play. We have to keep winning so that they have to keep winning, and we'll see what happens."

The Colts should be able to keep winning, at least for the next four weeks.

They won't say it, but their immediate schedule offers all bark and no bite.

This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. E-mail Reggie Hayes at rhayes@news-sentinel.com

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