Why The Colts Should Play to Win

Heading into tonight’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (8:20 pm, NFL Network), the big question is whether or not the Indianapolis Colts will play their starters for the duration of the game. Having already clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs, there are some who think the Colts should “shut it down” for the season to allow all of the bumps and bruises of an NFL season to heal.

I couldn’t disagree more.

Having been an Indianapolis fan for years and years, I can recall the Colts’ playoff results off the top of my head…and most of them aren’t good. The two most excruciating losses I’ve suffered as a Colts fan were the 2005 loss to the Steelers in the playoffs (the game was technically played in 2006, but was part of the 2005 season), and the 2007 loss to the Chargers in the playoffs (same principle; different years). The common denominator between these two? The Colts had gotten out to a big lead in the divisional race and proceeded to take their foot off the pedal in the last few weeks in order to get everyone healthy and rested for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the ’05 Steelers and ’07 Chargers had to scrap and claw their way into better playoff positioning, so they’d been playing all of their starters for the full 17 weeks.

Once those results became a reality (2005 was the worst, by the way; that was probably the best Colts team I’ve ever seen), it was clear that resting our players may not be the best strategy to use going into the playoffs. Especially since we had to keep our foot on the gas in 2006 to make the playoffs…and ended up winning the Super Bowl four weeks later. Coincidence? I don’t think so, but the Indianapolis brass does.

Obviously, Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell are a lot more intelligent than me and know their team much better than I do. However, after seeing high seeds who rest their guys down the stretch lose in the playoffs year after year (’05 Colts, ’07 Colts, ’07 Cowboys, ’08 Titans, etc), and seeing teams that have to play with a sense of urgency all year do well in the playoffs (’05 Steelers, ’06 Colts, ’07 Giants, ’08 Cardinals, etc), there seems to be a trend forming.

This isn’t a plea for them to try and win all 16 games this season; a 16-0 season would be nice, but I’d rather win another Super Bowl than have an undefeated regular season and another disheartening playoff loss. If the undefeated record comes, fine; but if it doesn’t, I don’t really care. I just want another ring.

Another reason for my desire to see the Colts continue to play their starters all year is much more simple: their offense and defense rely on a certain rhythm to make plays, more so than most other teams in the league.

Peyton Manning is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen, but even he is prone to starting slowly when given too much time to rest. Why? The Colts’ offense is one that relies on timing and precision to succeed. Manning must get his reps in order to ensure that the rapport with his backs and receivers, and the offense as a result, is at an optimal level. This is one reason that Manning obsesses over attending every practice, workout, and game, no matter what: he needs reps. All of those 12-yard outs, screen passes, and deep crossing routes are much easier to complete when you know exactly when your receivers are going to break, and the spots to which they’ll break. As 18 goes, so go the Colts; so if he needs the playing time to keep his game sharp, shouldn’t the Colts give it to him?

Defensively, the Colts play with a small, quick lineup that is based on pursuit and gang-tackling. The goal is to have as many blue jerseys in the picture as possible, preventing any significant gains from the opposing offense. The Colts defenders play off one another well, pursuing the ball and knowing where the others will be on any given play. When guys are given large amounts of time off, this chemistry is disrupted, and guys aren’t where they should be as often. Playing time is crucial for defenders to get into a rhythm defensively, learning the tendencies of the offense, and knowing exactly what the coaches expect from them with every play call. Without sufficient playing time, the performances are doomed to suffer, which has a deleterious effect on the unit as a whole.

I’ve been encouraged by the way the Colts have played this year. Save for a few games (St. Louis, Seattle, and Arizona come to mind…why can’t we play the NFC West every year?), there haven’t been a lot of blowouts and easy games. Despite the closer-than-expected results in some games (Miami, San Francisco), the Colts have remained poised and have shown the resilience of a champion. A lot of this comes from the consistent play of both the offense and defense. No matter how bad they may look at times, both units remain steadfast in their execution, confident that things will eventually go their way. And thirteen times this year, they have. That consistency doesn’t come about by happenstance; these guys have worked hard to perfect their craft and find ways to make plays no matter the situation. Keeping guys on the bench for large parts of the rest of the season will disrupt this consistency and could threaten the Colts’ bid for another run at a championship.

Do we want to repeat 2005 and 2007? Or do we want to repeat 2006? I don’t know about you, but I had a great time watching them win the Super Bowl in 2006. Let’s try that again.

~~ Lank