We should’ve known that this was going to happen.
Let me rephrase that: I should’ve known this was going to happen.
Immediately after San Diego clinched the AFC West with their win over Denver, I began prepping for their matchup against the Colts. That night, I began looking at the cumulative stats for the Colts this season. Even though there were a ton of red flags - no run game, worst offense since pre-2003, bad special teams - I talked myself out of it:
31st in rush offense (79.6 ypg) - Yeesh. That’s ugly. That’s like Maggie Gyllenhaal ugly. But, these guys still have Peyton and he’s going to find a way (done in my best fake Southern Indiana accent).
24th in rush defense (122.9 ypg) - Hey, remember 2006? The team was a lot worse than this against the run and that season worked out pretty well!
28th in kick return average (20.8 ypa)/32nd in punt return average (6.0 ypa) - So what? The Colts haven’t had a legit kick returner since Clarence Verdin 15 years ago. Even without the “Verdance” this team has rattled off 12+ wins for six straight years.
13th in total offense (23.6 ppg) – You know who was first in total offense? New Orleans. How did that work out for them?
The reality is that the statistics (which I chose to ignore) told the story: this team was never a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Now, that doesn’t change the fact that Saturday night’s loss in San Diego wasn’t a disappointing end to the 2008 season, but it also wasn’t even close to 2005 or 2007 like some fans are making it out to be. In 2005, the Colts had a 13-0 start and a franchise-best 14-2 regular season record. They were playing Pittsburgh who came in needing a four-game win streak just to clinch the sixth seed. That Colts' team was clearly the best in the NFL that year.
In 2007, the Colts were 13-3 and a ten-point favorite at home against San Diego only to watch backup quarterback Billy Volek march his team (sans LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, and Phillip Rivers) down the field for the winning touchdown. Those were choke jobs. Saturday night’s game was a pick ‘em on the road. It ended as a loss in overtime.
Disappointing? Yes. Surprising? No.
Sure, the season-ending nine game winning streak may have fooled us. But outside of the win in Pittsburgh, who did the Colts beat that they weren’t supposed to? That streak included wins over the pathetic Lions (0-16), Bengals (4-11-1), Browns (4-12), and Jaguars (5-11), not to mention the Titans’ scout team in Week 17, and a Texans team that they have owned since they came into existence in 2002 (13-1 all-time). In hindsight, I almost wish that they never won in Pittsburgh. At 11-5 and without a real quality win in the 2nd half of the season, maybe we all wouldn't have bought so much into the hype.
24th in rush defense (122.9 ypg) - Hey, remember 2006? The team was a lot worse than this against the run and that season worked out pretty well!28th in kick return average (20.8 ypa)/32nd in punt return average (6.0 ypa) - So what? The Colts haven’t had a legit kick returner since Clarence Verdin 15 years ago. Even without the “Verdance” this team has rattled off 12+ wins for six straight years.
13th in total offense (23.6 ppg) – You know who was first in total offense? New Orleans. How did that work out for them?
The reality is that the statistics (which I chose to ignore) told the story: this team was never a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Now, that doesn’t change the fact that Saturday night’s loss in San Diego wasn’t a disappointing end to the 2008 season, but it also wasn’t even close to 2005 or 2007 like some fans are making it out to be. In 2005, the Colts had a 13-0 start and a franchise-best 14-2 regular season record. They were playing Pittsburgh who came in needing a four-game win streak just to clinch the sixth seed. That Colts' team was clearly the best in the NFL that year.
In 2007, the Colts were 13-3 and a ten-point favorite at home against San Diego only to watch backup quarterback Billy Volek march his team (sans LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, and Phillip Rivers) down the field for the winning touchdown. Those were choke jobs. Saturday night’s game was a pick ‘em on the road. It ended as a loss in overtime.
Disappointing? Yes. Surprising? No.
Sure, the season-ending nine game winning streak may have fooled us. But outside of the win in Pittsburgh, who did the Colts beat that they weren’t supposed to? That streak included wins over the pathetic Lions (0-16), Bengals (4-11-1), Browns (4-12), and Jaguars (5-11), not to mention the Titans’ scout team in Week 17, and a Texans team that they have owned since they came into existence in 2002 (13-1 all-time). In hindsight, I almost wish that they never won in Pittsburgh. At 11-5 and without a real quality win in the 2nd half of the season, maybe we all wouldn't have bought so much into the hype.
What happens if Eric Foster never makes this tackle?
This was an above-average team which was carried to a 12-win season because of an extraordinary regular season performance by MVP Peyton Manning.
I should've seen it coming.
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