Doesn’t it feel like 2002? The season in which the Colts were alternately flashy, awful on defense, and actually easy to stop because Edgerrin James was hurt.
Now, however, it’s the same story. No Sanders, Reagor, and Thornton. No Dallas Clark. No offensive continuity. And the Colts are going to qualify for the playoffs, but they’re a disaster waiting to happen. They looked awful against a physical, determined team today (NY Giants, circa 2002), and maybe they won’t run into a buzzsaw like they did in 2002/3 – NY Jets, 41-0 — but the inability to stop the run and the propensity for three-and-outs sure suggests it.
Regardless, they’re not that far away from the AFC’s elite, when healthy, and two of their last three losses – against Dallas, against Tennessee (seriously, if Dungy goes for it at the Tennessee 1 last week in the fourth quarter, I’m not ready to slit my wrists today) were extremely winnable games.
It’s more adversity than we’ve been used to, over the last few years. But, perhaps the best thing for the Colts was an ass-kicking. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And we’ll just see where exactly we fit in.
