Only four teams can claim a number one seed each year and rarely do we ever see all of them make it to the Final Four. There are plenty of options for true contenders smattered throughout the rest of the two, three, four, and even five seeds. For the Indianapolis Colts, these contenders are moves that might not seem as obvious as the one seeds but still carry a ton of weight regarding their impact on the franchise. Which moves shaped the franchise in major ways that might seem like a dark horse from the outside looking in?
A Healthy Bob Sanders
One of the greatest “what ifs” for Colts fans is the health of Sanders. He struggled to stay on the field, but when present, the man nicknamed “The Eraser” was a human hit-stick. Fans witnessed his impact on a championship run when he seemed to solely transform one of the worst run defenses in the history of the league into an impregnable wall. The 2-time All-Pro selection and 2007 Defensive Player of the Year was a force to be reckoned with. When he was clicking, the Colts defense elevated in a major way.
Adam Vinatieri Switching Sides
The greatest kicker of all time and the man who scored the most points in NFL history didn’t always play for the Colts. Some of us are old enough to be annoyed with his late game, Super Bowl winning heroics for the Patriots, so when he joined the Colts in free agency, it was a big deal. Fourteen seasons, most field goals made (44 in a row at one point), 1,674 points scored, and most consecutive extra points at 209, set Vinatieri on a plane of his own. Almost taken for granted, his greatness is unmatched and might be one of the main reasons the Colts won it all. Without his five field goal “money” game against Baltimore, the greatest moment in franchise history might not exist.
The Tandem of Freeney and Mathis
Seeing how difficult it is to find one pass rusher makes this duo stand out even more. During their time with the Colts, they amassed 130.5 sacks and 95 fumbles. How many games were ended by a strip sack by one of these two men? Freeney was a 3X First-Team All-Pro, part of the 2000s All-Decade Team, and is in the Hall of Fame. Mathis holds the record for most forced fumbles in the NFL and had a 19.5-sack season which earned him a First-Team All-Pro selection. The bookends of the defense for a decade wreaked havoc on the league and were truly part of the golden age of Colts football.
Pat McAfee’s Cultural Impact
No one ever looks forward to punting, but McAfee sure made it a lot more fun. From a coffin corner kick followed by a golf swing, recovering his own onside kick, or trucking someone on a return, McAfee was always the showman. This one goes beyond the field, however, as he has developed into quite the media personality. He is everywhere these days but keeps the Colts and all Indiana sports front and center. While it’s not a stretch to label him a homer, McAfee continues to be an ambassador for the Colts and is ever present and involved with the franchise as almost any other past player.
Are these the ultimate reasons for the Colts’ success? Maybe? Without them, what is the legacy of this franchise? The greatness this team experienced from an overall and individual moment perspective wouldn’t be the same without them. They are the dark horses; the less obvious but still impactful ones that shaped the Indianapolis Colts.
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