Congrats To The Colts and Their Fans

[Yavin4]

You guys made one hell of an effort to be undefeated. Even though I'm not a Colts fan, I would have loved to see you guys make it. I like how your team plays with professionalism and great skill, and I wish your team the best of luck in the playoffs.

[erpowers]

1. Surprised

I am also not a colts fan, but I thought they were going to go undefeated. I was completely shocked when I learned San Diego had beat Them.

[Yavin4]

2. Not That Surprising

Indy has everything wrapped up, and SD needs to win out in order to make the playoffs. In the NFL, if you pull back ever so slightly, you will lose.

[WilliamPitt]

4. This loss actually increases their chances to win it all

Now they can rest their starters for the last two games, avoid any untimely injuries, because all this undefeated stuff has gone by the boards. Edge, Harrison and Manning will be 100% for the playoffs. Everyone better look out.

[WilliamPitt]

3. The last two teams to go 13-0

won the Super Bowl.

[Awsi Dooger]

5. I agree, an incredibly classy team

As a Dolphin fan I'm pleased the unbeaten streak ended but this Colt team is dynamic and formidable and impressive. I'm going to root for them in the playoffs and be very surprised if they don't win it all. The traditional stats that indicate the likely Super Bowl winner favor Indianapolis dramatically. I always thought there was a much greater chance for the Colts to lose late in the season once everything was clinched than in the playoffs.

Coming back from 16-0 today was very gallant and a play or two here or there could have reversed the outcome. I can tell you if Garo Yepremian hadn't made a mid-4th quarter 51 yard FG outside in old Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis then Miami would never have beaten the Vikings in '72. No one is claiming the old Dolphins were birthrighted an unbeaten season any more than it was a cinch Indy would lose this year. The theoretical odds were less than 3/1 against them winning all 6 remaining games going into Sunday.

Let's face it, if the schedule had been different Indy could easily have gone unbeaten. San Diego had the 3rd best points scored/points allowed ratio in the league and Seattle is 2nd in that regard. That is an extremely meaningful reference point. Indy was slated to face both of them once home field was clinched. If they had played that pair of teams a month or two ago and ended with softies then 19-0 was a very real possibility.