Last week, he scored the first touchdown of his life. So I asked him, point-blank, which is better, a sack or a touchdown?

"Sacks," he said. "Always sacks."

Even better than that game-winning touchdown against the Browns last week, the one that replayed every hour on the hour for three days of ESPN rehash? The one that earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors?

"I'd trade it for a sack," he said.

I think he's serious, although there's a twinkle in Mathis' eye that leads me to believe sometimes he's just playing around. Then again, when I asked him to elaborate on why sacks rank ahead of touchdowns he was nearly Manningesque in the expansiveness of his answer. That alone says he means business.

"Sacks are drive killers," Mathis said. "They're real big, especially at crunch time. You get the sack, it helps the defense and the team out greatly. Everybody's excited and everybody's motors are going. So it's a good thing."

Mathis should generate more good things this week. The Colts (8-4) play the Bengals (1-10-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Bengals are coming off a lifeless 34-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts are riding a five-game winning streak.

More to the point of opportunity for Mathis and his defensive end cohort Dwight Freeney, the Bengals' pass protection is apparently available only through pay-per-view. I've certainly never seen it on any of the basic-programming channel, such as ESPN, NBC, CBS or NFL Network.

Cincinnati has allowed 43 sacks, an average of 3.5 per game.

If Ryan Fitzpatrick, still filling in for the injured Carson Palmer, doesn't see a defender in his face when he drops back, he correctly assumes a timeout has been called.

All of which should be sweet music to Mathis (nine sacks this season) and Freeney (eight).

Don't assume anything, however, Mathis cautions.

"You can't sleep on anybody in the NFL," he said, "or they'll make you look bad."

There's little chance Mathis will overlook anyone. He knows the drive of the overlooked because he once was one of them.

He remains one of those finds that Colts president Bill Polian has a knack for locating. A fifth-round draft pick out of Alabama A&M, he was considered undersized (6-foot-2, 245 pounds) for an NFL defensive end. But the Colts don't worry as much about size as they do about speed, quickness, toughness and desire. Mathis has all four of those attributes in excess.

"He's one of those relentless guys who gets everything out of his ability, who knows what's going on and plays just the way you coach him," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "Every job that we've ever given him, whether it's special teams, whether it's playing against 280-pound tight ends, whatever you give him, he's going to get it done and against a lot of odds."

It's commonly believed that Mathis benefits from playing opposite Freeney. Opponents tend to identify Freeney as the Colts' biggest pass-rush threat, and rightly so. Freeney was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.

Teams double-team Freeney and that leaves Mathis with more one-on-one opportunities where he uses his quickness and deceptive strength to get around right tackles.

But Freeney also benefits from not being the only skilled pass rusher in town.

"Robert spins off the bus just like me and makes a play however he can make it," Freeney said. "He'll do a back-flip if he has to and he'll get there. He has a motor, man, and he'll keep going."

Mathis and Freeney both perfectly set up the Browns' tackles last Sunday. Almost all of the game, they used their variety of spin moves and cuts to get around Browns left tackle Joe Thomas and right tackle Kevin Shaffer. Then, at crunch time, both Mathis and Freeney powered through the tackles, who were anticipating dealing with an elusive move.

Freeney's sack resulted in Mathis picking up Derek Anderson's fumble and returning it for a 37-yard score. Mathis' sack on the next series all but ended and Browns' hopes. The Colts won 10-6, the first time they've finished without an offensive touchdown since a 15-6 win over the Ravens in the 2006 playoffs.

It was fitting that Freeney and Mathis were in on the game-winning play.

"You have to account for both of us," Freeney said. "If you decide to double me, Robert's going to kill you. If you decide to double Robert, I'm going to get you. If you decide to double both of us, then you only have two receivers going out. It means sacks good things."

Mathis and Freeney both used a similar phrase: "good things." That's synonymous with sacks, as well as the Colts' defensive bookends.

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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