Colts’ terrible preseason record since 1998 might be good thing
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Ten years.
That’s how long it’s been since the Colts had a winning preseason record.
Since that point, the Colts have been one of the most successful franchises in professional sports. So before anyone gets bent out of shape about the egg the Colts laid in their 44-20 loss to Buffalo on Sunday, here’s some perspective.
The Colts have had three winning preseasons since the start of the 1998 season, when Peyton Manning arrived. Indy performed well in those seasons, going 13-3 in 1998 and 10-6 in 2000 under Jim Mora and 12-4 in 2003 under Tony Dungy.
Things get even better when the Colts are terrible in August.
In the two seasons the Colts went winless in the preseason, 2005 and 2010, Indy went 14-2 and 10-6 respectively and made the playoffs both years. The Colts went to the Super Bowl after the 2006 and 2009 seasons; they went 1-3 in the preseason both years.
Preseason success, in terms of wins and losses, is utterly useless. They won no more than one preseason game each year from 2005-2011.
Dungy turned getting massacred in the preseason into an art form. Under the future Hall-of-Famer’s tutelage, Indy got hammered 31-7 by the Jets in 2004, 38-0 by the Bengals in 2005 and 20-3 by the Bengals in 2006. His preseason record during his tenure was 10-20; his regular-season record during the same stretch was 85-27. He actually lost almost as many preseason games as regular-season games. Even better, he won nearly as many postseason games (7) as preseason games.
Dungy passed the torch to Jim Caldwell and he ran with it like a champ, getting crushed 27-7 by the Bengals in 2008 and 38-7 by the Bengals in 2009. In 2010, Indy got rocked 37-17 by the 49ers and 59-24 by the Packers. In 2011, the Rams smashed the Colts 33-10.
There is a recurring theme here — getting rolled by the Bengals. With all due respect, what does Cincinnati have to show for its preseason dominance?
It’s not that the preseason doesn’t matter, it’s that the sole purpose of the preasason for the Colts — especially for Dungy, Caldwell and now Chuck Pagano — has been implementing their systems so they can win in the regular season and developing players. It’s so they can sort out who the next man up will be. In that regard, the Colts might as well be close to undefeated in August over the past 15 years. Few teams replace injured players better than the Colts because, though they are failing on the scoreboard during the preseason, they are winning in talent evaluation.
The Colts said the right things after the game.
“You saw the score, right?” receiver Reggie Wayne said. “We didn’t play good Colts football today. We have to do better. We had some good plays but we had a ton of bad plays so hopefully we can correct those and get better for next week.”
With all due respect, Reggie, you’ve been saying that for years. You’re supposed to say that. Your role as a leader requires it. I know the deal.
So, as strange as it sounds, the Colts won on Sunday. You just won’t be able to tell for another month or two.
With that in mind, here are a few things of note:
Luck’s control
Sometimes, stats can’t tell you everything. Last year, Luck wasn’t letting things bother him. This season, he is in total control. Though both impressive qualities, they are different things. Luck walked on the field last game and looked like he owned the place. It’s a slightly different vibe than he gave off in 2012.
Luck didn’t run the ball on Sunday, a function of perhaps a greater willingness to use his impressive wheels to pass and the fact that his line was a bit better this time around.
All in all, Luck (4-for-6, 51 yards) was solid during the two series he played. The Colts might have scored on Luck’s second possession if Coby Fleener hadn’t fumbled.
“The positive things, we had some positive things in the first half with our first offense,” Pagano said. “I think (Andrew) Luck was driving the team and then you shoot yourself in the foot. We’re off late on a communication thing with a snap and we have a sack. You get a false start and you’re first-and-15. Get a big play to (Coby) Fleener and give Buffalo credit, they come up and smack him pretty good and he puts the ball on the carpet.”
Fleener wasn’t happy after the game.
“You just have to protect the ball,” he said. “That’s one of the most important things in football. You can’t have turnovers and to lose the ball in that scenario you have to be thankful that it is not the regular season.”
Luck’s show
Looking around the stadium, it appeared someone must have worn No. 18 at some point, but it had to have been years ago, right? You had to search for a while to find a Peyton Manning jersey. Luck has completely taken over and has made getting over Manning much easier than folks expected. There is still a great deal of respect for Manning — fans still speak of him with great reverence. But it’s Luck’s show now.
A lot of folks didn’t fully buy into Luck immediately for many reasons. There have been too many next big things that didn’t pan out. Sportswriters use the word “great” so often that it’s sometimes tough to determine what true greatness is. And, of course, Manning was spectacular, the toughest of acts to follow. But now, after an incredible, emotional 11-5 season, Luck has the city’s undivided attention, and the No. 12 jerseys all over the stadium to prove it.
Hilton shows out
Backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton that Hilton stretched out to grab.
“He’s a phenomenal football player,” Luck said. “He’s going to make plays. That’s why he’s out on the field. I don’t know if I’ve come to, when you expect it, it’s not as special. It’s still special when someone makes a play like that. That’s special. But you do sort of say, ‘Alright T.Y.’ He’s going to do something special when he’s on the field. He has that factor to him.”
