Like millions of people worldwide, I am a Tiger Woods’ fan. I must admit, however, that I did not jump on the bandwagon right away.

It was only after watching Woods in countless tournaments that he won me over. It wasn’t due to his mammoth drives, his great approach shots or his clutch putts that I became a convert. It was due to his ability to “grind”.

There are many great athletes or performers who fold on days that they don’t have their best stuff. Woods is not one of those. When things are not going right for Tiger, he will focus harder, concentrate on his fundamentals and try to do the little things to get through the day. On days when he is at his worst, he refuses to concede and makes the best of bad situations.

On days that he should shoot 80, Woods manages a 74. On days where he might post a 75, he’ll come through with a 70.

Tiger Woods knows that those 5 or 6 shots can make the difference over the next round or two. He knows that by not giving up, he can keep himself in the hunt to win.

To me, Woods’ ability to grind is what separates him from the rest. He is the greatest because on the days that he isn’t great, he refuses to be average.

Woods has that ability because he is mentally tough.

As I watched the Indianapolis Colts beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, I thought of Tiger Woods.

Peyton Manning wasn’t his sharpest. The Colts’ offense wasn’t clicking on all cylinders. Indianapolis racked up 106 yards worth of penalties, a lot of them early. They jumped to a 10-0 lead, only to see the Steelers take momentum and rally for a chance to tie.

But…

The Indy defense kept Pittsburgh out of the end zone and Jeff Reed missed what would have been a tying field goal. The Colts’ offense was patient and just kept plugging for points. Indianapolis’s mistakes lessened as the game moved along and Pittsburgh got locked into the type of slugfest that the Steelers normally love.

This time, however, Pittsburgh had no answer. The Steelers were not knocked out in the 26-7 loss, but they clearly lost on all three judges’ scorecards. They were dominated.

Last Monday, the Colts showed the whole country their ability to grind. It wasn’t Indianapolis’s best performance of the season, but it might have been the most impressive.

Considering the opponent.

Considering the stage.

Considering the pressure of being unbeaten.

The Colts proved to anyone who didn’t believe that they are tough. To me, it’s the biggest reason that they are 11-0.

Sure, they are talented. Manning has rallied from a slow start and is having another MVP-type of year. Edgerrin James is second in the NFL in rushing. Reggie Wayne is quickly joining Marvin Harrison as one of the league’s best, if most under-publicized, wide receivers. The offensive line is very good.

On defense, the Colts have mastered Tony Dungy’s “Tampa Two” defense. They refuse to allow opponents to be patient, as their incredible speed forces bad plays that take away any sort of rhythm. They have 35 quarterback sacks and 21 takeaways. Most impressively, they take care of a defense’s primary duty: they keep the opponents from scoring.

Indianapolis is talented, has big play capability on both sides of the football and makes very few mistakes.

And in 2005, they have proven to be as tough as any team on the block. Ask New England. Ask Pittsburgh.

Every team has talent. Some teams have more talent than others. But if you look at the great champions in the NFL, their key is toughness.

Indianapolis is showing that needed mettle.

For the Titans to have a chance to pull the upset on Sunday, they will have to execute like they did in the second half against San Francisco. They will have to make big plays when opportunities arise. They will have to show poise and resolve when things don’t go their way.

We’ve talked about all of those elements throughout the season. We’ve seen some improvement in each area separately, especially in the past few weeks. On Sunday, they will need to pull them all together.

The Titans have the advantage of having seen the Colts nine weeks ago. As a division opponent, Tennessee understands the Colts’ schemes and their personnel. They understand the speed at which they play. They understand what it is like to face the Colts.

This week, because they know the Colts so well, the young Titans haven’t had to “learn” the opponent. Instead, they have been able to work on what they can do in the face of the Colts’ offense, defense and special teams. They have been able to work on refining their own game plan.

The Colts' main secret is that they never beat themselves. To beat Indy, a team is actually going to have to beat them. It is the reason that they can go undefeated.

Nine weeks ago, Indianapolis won in Nashville, 31-10. The Colts are playing better than they were in early October. That’s not news to the Titans. Talk to anyone in the Tennessee camp and they have great respect for the Colts.

But Jeff Fisher teams have never been afraid of a fight and they won’t be this Sunday. The Titans head to Indy with the goal of gaining the Colts’ respect.

If they do, it probably means that we will have seen a good football game when the final horn sounds.