Wild Card Weekend kicked off in the NFL. As always, there was plenty of drama and intrigue. From the storylines, to the Bears’ dramatic come from behind win, to all of the road teams that found success, the first weekend of the playoffs didn’t disappoint. It was a stress free weekend for someone with a team on the outside looking in though. Outside of rooting against a particular team, there was nothing to cheer for or worry about with the Indianapolis Colts failing to make the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
It didn’t have to be that way. It certainly didn’t look or feel it would be that way through the first ten games of the season. Yes, there was some uneasiness because of who the Colts played over their first ten, but they were blowing teams out and had built a bit of a cushion. After the bye week, things weren’t the same as the Colts never won again. It was quite the fall from grace.
Many fans dreamed about the playoffs and even a division title. Dare I say, more than a few whispered the “S.B.” word when they traded for Sauce Gardner. It was premature, but why not dream? A team that was supposed to be terrible was actually crushing their schedule. Optimism has been so fleeting with this organization the last decade, fans would cling to any bright spot no matter how flawed. It simply wasn’t in the cards this year as things dissolved in an epic way, leaving Colts fans drama free, watching the opening weekend of football with their team firmly eliminated.
Yes, the Colts could have easily hosted a home playoff game at the very least. Going from king of the AFC to being eliminated from contention was a tough way to go out. Teams like the Texans who were in the rear view mirror get a chance to advance tonight while others have punched their ticket to the divisional round. Watching the Colts fall off a cliff was tough, but at least the hard part is over. We can leave the crushing disappointment of a NFL season to those left in the playoffs because only one team can win. The Colts had their chance this year and lost it. Maybe next year will be different.
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