They tossed perfection away like a Christmas leftover. They treated it with a casual shrug of the shoulders, disdain even, as if they were beyond such a trivial pursuit. Standing on the precipice of NFL history, the Indianapolis Colts' brain trust arrogantly, foolishly, treated Sunday's second half like a preseason game.
What happens now? Does this guarantee the Colts will reach the Super Bowl? Is that how it works?
At least the 2007 Patriots and 2009 Saints tried to do something special and noble, tried to do something that had been done just once in NFL history. At least they tried to put a scare into the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who should be sending a case of champagne to Colts President Bill Polian and coach Jim Caldwell first thing this morning.
The Colts couldn't have been bothered. They treated the second half like it was gum on the bottom of a shoe. They sent in backup quarterback Curtis Painter to hold on to a 15-10 lead, and it was like having Mel's Detailing put the finishing touches on the Sistine Chapel.
It felt wrong. It was wrong. Cheap, really.
In the end, this doesn't make the Colts any more or less well-equipped to handle the coming postseason. This wasn't about that, and really, nothing changes in terms of the team's Super Bowl aspirations.
What mattered -- or at least mattered to some of us, including the players -- was the chance to become one of football's forever teams. The Colts casually gave away this thing, spitting on football history along the way.
-- Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star
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