Perfect Season

Perfect Season:

16-0 v.s Superbowl Victory

By: Cody McGee

It's week fifteen in the NFL, The Indianapolis Colts led by the man who would eventually become the season MVP, Peyton Manning, were facing off against the New York Jets, holding a perfect record up to this point, the Colts had everything they needed to not only earn the number one seed in the AFC playoffs but they even clinched a first round bye and home field advantage. Seeing this game as nothing more than a game, head coach Jim Caldwell and gm Bill Polian decided to simply not go for the perfect season, and instead the rested the starters of the Indianapolis Colts, including quarterback Peyton Manning, and wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie. In the end the New York Jets, walked away with a victory of the Colts, and blemished the perfect season up to this game. The second the final quarter was over, the fans went nuts, the follow week, the fans were calling for everything from Jim Caldwell's job to some extreme things as even Bil Polian's "head".

What this writer can not even begin to understand is, if the Colts had gone undefeated, and than lost week one of the Playoffs than what would the Colts fans be calling for than, huh?

Ok, I completely understand why "we" as fans would love to see an unblemished season and a perfect run for the Superbowl, but need i remind everyone of the hype that surrounded the Patriots in 2007. They were shrouded in controversy from week one. and in the end they did have a perfect season, and had a great run for the Superbowl, now ask Tom Brady what happened in the Superbowl, huh? Now see a perfect season is great and a sign of great and hard work, but it don't mean a thing without that ring, ok Brady has three but ya know what i bet he understands what Caldwell was trying to do. With a perfect season and no ring, ya than the fans would really be angry. Come on people.

Colts pursue prize, not perfection

By Peter D. Whitmore
12-30-09

Jim Caldwell is not too popular in Indianapolis right now. When the Colts coach pulled his starters halfway through the third quarter on Sunday, rabid fans of the team and football purists were up in arms. Wasn’t that tantamount to forfeiting to the Jets? How could he give up a chance for a perfect season? How could he short-change ticket holders who paid big bucks to see Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark light up the scoreboard?

He did so because he has had only one prize in mind for the last fifteen weeks: to win the Super Bowl. He didn’t begin training camp in late July by shouting “Okay, team! 16-0 or bust!”

No. He and his staff began by methodically explaining to each player how he had to improve by the next practice, what plays and defensive schemes each one had to master by the next game, which tape to study and what nuance to glean from it. He required the discipline and hard work needed to sustain excellence throughout the season. This is what good coaches do. This is what Super Bowl winning coaches must do.

So there his team was, 14-0 on Sunday morning. But Caldwell realized the pure, and I submit diminishing, symbolism of it all. A perfect season seemed impossible for 50 years until the Miami Dolphins broke through in 1972. It was still an excellent feat when the Patriots went 16-0 in 2007 (only to lose the Super Bowl a month later, by the way). For the Colts to go 16-0 at this point would be, well, pretty neat.

Pretty neat? Fans are raging because Caldwell didn’t risk his players or his season in an attempt to be the THIRD team to accomplish something? I say bravo, Coach.

Can you imagine how unpopular Caldwell would be if Reggie Wayne pulled a hamstring late in this meaningless game? What if a Jets lineman poked Manning in the eye in the final few minutes? How many times have you heard an announcer or the guy sitting next to you at a bar say “I don’t know why So and So is even still playing in this game?”

Some critics argue if this is the case, why didn’t he bench his starters for the entire game? Why bother to play them for two and half quarters? He did so for three reasons.

First, to keep his star players tuned up for the postseason. Quality game action begets quality game action and cannot be replicated in practice. Some risk is warranted for the reward of a rust-free team. The alternative of sitting the starters for three total weeks including the first round bye is unthinkable. Expect the same regimen for the Colts players next week versus Buffalo.

Second, Caldwell realized that the fans, at the very least, pay the Colts’ salaries by buying tickets to the games, among other things like concessions and jerseys. At most, the fans are the very reason a team endeavors to win a Super Bowl in the first place. Whatever end of the spectrum he falls on, Caldwell gave these fans two and a half quarters to watch their favorite players. Did Phil Jackson ever sit Michael Jordan when the Bulls were up by 30 in the middle of the third quarter? Certainly. A bummer for the fans when he did, but always an understandable one.

The last reason Caldwell played his starters as much as he did is because he is human. He wanted to “take a stab” at the perfect record, which is all the effort something ‘pretty neat’ should be afforded. Who knew? Maybe Manning could have hit Clark and Wayne for two or three early scores, and maybe the defense and special teams could account for a couple more. Maybe.

Understand and be thankful for this, Colts fans and NFL purists: The Colts will be a rested, talented, and injury-free football team with a first round bye and home field advantage come playoff time. Is this not what you and the Colts dreamt way back in July? Doesn’t every team in every major sport wish for the very position the Colts have now achieved?

Caldwell surely understands that the popular thing is not always right, and the right thing is not always popular. Coach Caldwell…you may not be popular, but you, sir, were right.