Upcoming Colts Contest Presents Rationale Behind Chiefs 2010 Draft

For the Colts, it's the Manning factor. Until the day the famous quarterback hangs up the cleats and disappears into the sunset at Canton, the Colts will always have the Manning Factor. A precious few other teams have the same ability to claim some reason why they're never ever fully out of the game until the official clock runs out: pure game-breaking ability. And all of this Colts talk represents perhaps part of the reason Scott Pioli drafted the way that he did in April's draft.

Simply put, there's no good answer for Manning. The same went for Chris Johnson last year, Albert Haynesworth when happy and Randy Moss when first arriving in New England. When a returner like Devin Hester is rested and ready, the same can be said there. There's no accounting for a playmaker like these guys. There's no game plan to draw up. There's no opposing player to put on him. There's no answer. Well, except to just do your best to keep him off of the field (or avoid him as best you can, depending on what position he plays).

Enter KC's draft class. Playmaker after playmaker after playmaker was drafted by Pioli through the first two rounds. Eric Berry entered with high expectations as an electric game-changer in the secondary who could force a turnover with the right read or tackle. Javier Arenas came in as a world-class return man who is a threat to take it to the house with each and every punt. Dexter McCluster... well, plenty has been said by even the national media about the special blend of speed and agility the WR/RB holds.

It's one thing to have a solid team. It's another to have a wild card that could immediately change the face of the game and swing the momentum at a moment's notice. These players maintain hope when the team is down and force the opposition to be nervous for 60 full minutes on game time. When joined with Brandon Flowers, arguably the league's most improved defensive player through the first quarter-season, and Jamaal Charles out of the backfield, the Chiefs have the ability to break things open on either side of the ball (or special teams). The Colts hold an undeniable trump card at the quarterback position, but the Chiefs hold their own cards and you can count on the Colts doing their best to plan around them. It will be interesting to see which cards are played on Sunday.