If the Colts had to lose, they chose an excellent…
If the Colts had to lose, they chose an excellent week to do so.
The Colts’ loss in Atlanta was disappointing, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Everything was in front of the Indianapolis Colts. Beat the Falcons on the road to keep control of their postseason destiny. A loss could have disastrous consequences. A crack at the AFC South title might be squandered, the AFC could push them out of the playoff picture, and a season of unexpected optimism could turn sour in an instant. We’ve all seen the disappointing loss. That was the disappointing news. The good news is that if ever there was a week to squander, this was it.
There is nothing wrong with saying, “Well, if they would have won, they could have taken control of the AFC South and created even more distance between themselves and the other teams chasing the playoffs.” To which I respond, “No, duh.” Unfortunately, that did not occur, so instead of focusing on what they did not receive, consider what they did receive.
First and foremost, they were defeated by an NFC opponent. That is enormous. With so many tie-breaking possibilities in the AFC, losing outside of your conference is the best outcome possible. That has kept them in the postseason picture in recent weeks.
Second, and perhaps more crucially, the teams that they needed to lose lost. In contrast to last week, the Colts acquired practically everything they needed this time. With the exception of the Bills’ comeback against the Chargers, this weekend was flawless. The Steelers beat the Bengals to get things started. That was ideal because the Colts had already put some distance between themselves and the Steelers by losing to the Bengals. The Bengals are now in a freefall in the standings, with an away game against the Chiefs next week, while the Steelers go to Seattle.
The Browns then annihilated the Texans. The final score did not reflect the overall thrashing that transpired, with the Browns leading 36-7 at one point. Sure, the Texans didn’t have their starting quarterback in this game, but who does these days? They were unable to produce magic like they did the week before against the Titans.
Even more good news came in the late games, as the Jaguars appeared to be in trouble versus the Buccaneers. The Jaguars were never in the game after falling behind 0-30. Is this the team that will take the AFC South?Trevor Lawrence was injured in this game and his future availability is uncertain. The Patriots took on the Broncos in the Christmas Eve nightcap. Colts fans were ecstatic when the Patriots went up 23-7, only to have the Broncos tie it late in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the Patriots were able to kick the game-winning field goal, dropping the Broncos even lower in the standings.
Yes, the loss against the Falcons was disappointing. The wonderful opportunity was squandered. A chance to take the division lead and gain a stronger footing in the playoffs was squandered. However, the loss occurred, therefore the only thing left to hope for is precisely what transpired. The clubs around them lost, giving them a chance to advance to the playoffs and win the division. However, there is no room for error because the Colts will most likely not be as fortunate if they lose again.
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