“Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless; a chasing after the wind.” The Colt’s 2009 season is a powerful illustration of the truth of this observation. Consider the following:
- On Week 16 Colt’s Coach Jim Caldwell and General Manager Bill Polian made the decision to sacrifice the perfect season against the New York Jets after winning the first 14 games of the regular season in order to protect and rest the starting players and test their depth. After the devastating, season-ending injury to receiver Wes Welker of the Patriots, the sacrifice of perfection for protection seemed wise and warranted. The speed and energy, particularly of the Colt’s defense, in the win over Baltimore seemed to remove any lingering resentment over the final 2 regular season losses. But what good is it to sacrifice perfection, a cornerstone of the Colt’s philosophy, for a loss in the game for which perfection was abandoned?
- The Colts had the most come-from-behind wins of any team in the league this season, but what does that statistic mean in the light of their failure to win from behind in the Superbowl? Beating the Dolphins, Miami, Houston, New England, Jacksonville after trailing is great, but what does it matter when you can’t come back in the one game where victory is the only option?
- Payton Manning had the highest passer rating going into the Superbowl of 116.0 during the fourth quarter, prior to the loss to the Saints, having thrown only one interception in the fourth quarter. Ask Brett Farve about throwing the game-winning pass to the opposing team in the final minutes of your team’s season; he has a lot of experience. Both Manning and Farve had great accuracy and success in the final quarter of the game this season, but both of their mistakes in the final minutes of their teams final game lead to Tracy Porter sealing the Saints victory.
- It could be said it is an honor to play in the Superbowl, but answer this question, who lost the Superbowl three years ago? Of course, diehard Colts fans know the answer to the question, but how many others? To the victor goes the spoils, and to the vanquished, oblivion. How long before all the achievements of the 2009 Colts are as memorable as that of the 2007 Bears?
“If only for this life we have hope, we are to pitied more than all others.”
