Saturday's message to teammates: 'Play better'

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Enough was enough for Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday.

Saturday called the team together Monday, a day after the Colts dropped to 0-9 for the first time since 1997 with a 31-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons - their worst start since going 0-10 in 1997. It's a desperate bunch headed into Sunday's home game against Jacksonville (2-6).

"I felt like it needed to be said and I said it," Saturday said Friday. "We just need to play better as a team, we need to get wins and ultimately that's what it was about."

Saturday wouldn't go into detail about his message to the team, which had been described as a stern talk.

""He did what a veteran should do," receiver Reggie Wayne said. "He steps up and he puts his two cents in and he did a great job of that. I think everybody understood where he was coming from and I think we all took it personally and we should."

Saturday's message comes down to staying focused on playing the game.

"He didn't have to yell, he didn't have to scream or sound like a macho man or Randy Savage," Wayne said. "Play football, nothing else. Love football, nothing else. Be a man, nothing else."

Having these meetings isn't all that new, though. Saturday said the fashion is which he did it on Monday was simply because of the current, dismal circumstances. The Colts have struggled without Peyton Manning as the quarterback recovers from neck surgery.

"We all kind of have an open policy as far as addressing the team," Saturday said. "It's just not something that has to happen very often, but then again, we haven't been in this position very often."

Wayne said he's even stepped up to the plate to talk before.

"Guys talk all the time," Wayne said. "You don't need coaches to always be the ones to say the words. Sometimes you can tell the coach to take a seat. I think everybody will listen better coming from a player than coming from a coach. Sometimes you need that."