Armchair Quarterback: Can Indy finish its run at perfection?
Will the Colts be able to run the table and post the first undefeated season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins?
Hey, several have come close in the past. The Chicago Bears were the greatest contenders to the throne, dropping a single game on their way to the championship back in mid-80s. Their only loss was to the Dolphins on Monday Night Football that year.
Really, there’s been lots of teams close enough to sniff it. Over the past few years, most of the championship teams have finished with just one or two blemishes on their records. However, avoiding that single loss seems to be somewhat magical, a brass ring which no one has quite been able to reach.
That is, until now. The Colts are poised to do what has never been done. By going undefeated this year, they would not just tie the record, they would break it since the Dolphins were 17-0. The Colts will need to go 19-0 to be champions this year.
As for speculation Tony Dungy might rest some of the players since they’ve clinched homefield, that’s nonsense. First off, he’d be run out of town even with a ring on his finger if he were to basically thumb his nose at the possibility of an undefeated season in favor of erring on the side of caution. Hey, lots of teams have won the Super Bowl, heck the Pats have won it three times with mediocre squads. However, only one team has ever achieved a perfect season and no one has done it in the day of the extended league and extended schedule.
Frankly, only hard-core football fans can recall all the teams who have won a Super Bowl. However, almost everyone can recall the season of perfection. By going undefeated and winning the Super Bowl, you insure your place in history. To rest players when such a possibility exists would be against the spirit of the game. Plus, I’d say Dungy would have a mutiny on his hands if he tried.
Barring a mass benching of players, the Colts have a reasonable shot of going undefeated. They do host a desperate Charger team this week, but it’s a Charger team which couldn’t even beat the Dolphins this past week. The next week; however, is the big one when the Colts travel to Seattle to take on the red-hot Seahawks in what could be a preview of the Super Bowl.
Will the Seahawks play their players if they have homefield locked up? Will they show the Colts much seeing they could meet again in the Super Bowl? You know they will. Provided the Colts are undefeated going in to Seattle, this will be the game of the year. It’s the Colts biggest hurdle but at the same time it could be the Seahawks’ coming out party. There will be a playoff atmosphere and both teams will be taking it seriously. Anything less would be an insult to NFL fans everywhere.
If the Colts make it past the Seahawks, they are left with the Cardinals, a team I could get up a team from here and beat. Then there’s the playoffs at home. The Colts aren’t going to lose at home, even to the dangerous Bengals or Broncos. And now they’ve even dispelled the Patriot demons.
After the playoffs its on to Detroit for a Super Bowl held in a dome. Game over. Manning in a dome with basically a home crowd cheering him on? It’s perfection. The way I see it, the Colts either lose in Seattle or it’s time for Czonka, Kick and Warfield to make room for company.