Anyone can debate whether now is a good time to rest players, and ignore a historic plateau.
And somewhere today, the arrogance of the ’72 Miami Dolphins has awakened.
By the time the Thursday night game finished, the Indianapolis Colts arrived inches closer of shattering a seemingly unbreakable record.
What seems untouchable is capable of being broken, but should be the least priority for the Colts. It’s obvious they’re focused on perfection, not arriving at Mercury Morris’ block for the Super Bowl.
For all it symbolizes, the Colts are jeopardizing health, putting the franchise at risk.
At 14-0, why is a franchise in pursuit of the improbable, unthinkable finish of the ages, prompting an arrogant Morris to scream and utter sarcastic remarks?
Why is a franchise trying desperately to reach a pinnacle, with historic deeds of all-time in sports history?
The least of their worries is a glorious achievement—particularly if dancing in Miami and winning a Super Bowl title is imperative for illustrating a memorable season.
Being on the brink of self-destruction when it matters the most could deprive an arrival onto the national stage, which distinguishes a heartbreaking moment. And when there’s a rookie coach in the picture having an impressive season, losing late can hurt Tony Dungy’s successor Jim Caldwell.
Good teams are bound to falter, but realistically, it seems the Colts won’t lose this season. They are unbeaten and armed with tremendous weapons to rise to a climax.
Meanwhile, greediness of attaining glory can doom a promising season. Pursuing the unprecedented plateau of all-time isn’t everything.
When a dream suddenly looms and you’ve already clinched home-field advantage, and earned a top-seeded playoff berth, the ultimate trip to Miami is a priority.
It would be nice surpassing an incredible mark in all of sports, but it’s unpleasant if key players suffer vital injuries and are unable to contribute.
But it’s good to know, the Colts are on the verge of winning their second Super Bowl title, knowing its reputation for moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis overnight without informing the fans. Besides, owner Jim Irsay has developed a contiguous bond in Indianapolis as fans appreciate the much-respected franchise.
This is a team with guts. This is a team with enough heart to seek history. But what matters the most is, using Herm Edwards' words, is playing to win the game, not to prosper historically.
As it stands, the Colts are the hottest team in the league, improving its record to a perfect 14-0 with two games remaining.
Allowing Indianapolis to attempt NFL’s unthinkable, can provoke a freak accident in the upcoming weeks as an essential star is vulnerable of a devastating blow.
In a contest that wrote a highly intense and dramatic finish lasting until the final minutes of Thursday night, the Colts held collective breaths, nervous of a near-loss hurting the journey to perfection.
They almost lost their first game of the season, stumbling in a back-and-forth, turn of events fray that had nine lead changes.
What was Caldwell thinking to use the starters, not only in the first-half, but the second-half, too?
The least he could have done was allowed the monstrous defensive ends, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, to play until halftime, and remove them in the second-half.
It is time to rest each superstar, ensuring all the primary weapons on the roster are robust and energized when the playoffs arrive.
From the look of their body languages, the Colts defensively are fatigued and need rest to fully recharge for a successive journey. Judging by the motions, you could say the calendar reads February, not mid-December—a month when the Dallas Cowboys are doomed, you sing Christmas carols, deck the halls with decorations and drink egg nog.
But most gamblers predicted the Colts were favorites to pummel the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It wasn’t a pushover victory, nor were the Jaguars intimidated of the Colts’ solidity to dominate and own spotlight for a 23-game win streak—one of the longest streaks in major sporting history.
Let’s come to an understanding, Peyton Manning has 14 wins, has yet to lose and is favorite to win his fourth MVP award.
You’re accustomed to seeing a vintage Manning shatter some of the greatest records of all-time, solidifying a spot within the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. But surely the least worry is individual marks, when the Super Bowl remains his next desire.
Even though Manning had a flawless outing and threw four touchdowns for 308 yards, he should have sat the second-half to prevent the possibilty of a severe injury. By resting in the late quarters, it could have harmed an impeccable journey of managing to hold on to an undefeated season.
As a result, the Colts would not have salvaged a high-scoring 35-31 win on a tense and threatening night in Jacksonville.
I don’t believe a breathtaking finish was possible, if Manning sat on the bench staring at the second unit.
He connected with top receiver and primary target, Reggie Wayne for a 65-yard touchdown. That pretty much clinched the win, extending the Colts’ stupendous win streak to 23 consecutive regular-season wins, a large achievement, becoming the third-longest streak in American sports.
My favorites to win the Super Bowl are the Colts. There’s a fearful notion someone is vulnerable of getting banged up, but Caldwell is encouraging his players to venture, not even thinking of the negatives.
What about the fans?
Well, I’d speculate it’s normal to have the jitters each week, worried of the welfare of a player’s health. There are only two games left, and now is good timing to sit it out. The more rest, the more a promising goal is probable. And to master a Super Bowl, all eleven strong must have healthy limbs, bones and painless muscles to contend.
Later in the postseason, the Colts may actually need the heroics of tight end, Dallas Clark, who scored twice.
On the bench, they were anything but unflappable. Manning nervously watched, with a towel in his month to calm nerves. Same went for Clark, who stared tensed as an incredible milestone nearly impaired.
Jacob Lacey, the Colts cornerback, happened to be in the right place at the right time taking away the ball from Jacksonville.
Otherwise, the Jaguars shattering the hearts of the Colts was the story of the year, particularly when David Garrard was on target much of the night in the passing category, and Maurice Jones-Drew caused damage on the ground and rushed for an amazing 110 yards.
Thus far, the Colts met their biggest challenge, but somehow had enough adrenaline to pull it off as the ideal pursuit remains intact.
Maybe playing in the first-half is logical to avoid rust, but returning to the field in the second-half brings on troubling aspects. But health is critical for the playoffs, rather than an extraordinary milestone that’s meaningless if the Colts collapse, attempting to win on the biggest stage.
I’m sure the Colts prefer to dance on Mercury’s block, rather than surpassing the ’72Dolphins.
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