Why The 2009 Colts Abandoned The Perfect Season

Co have you been surprised at all by the how upset some of the fans are about what way down on your say or did you have block all that out I I I didn't think it was very smart since uh being 14 and zero I just didn't like it at all I mean we're season ticket holders and they had the game one pulled them out they totally made us lose this game we could have won if they kept painting in so in 2008 the Indianapolis Colts were one of the best teams in the entire NFL with an extremely talented roster led by head coach Tony dunie and Star Quarterback pton Manning they had wide receivers like Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison and a defense anchored by Dwight Frey and Robert matthysse the Colts would end the season on a niname winning streak finishing 12-4 this strong finish secured them with wild card birth in the playoffs Manning's performance earned him his third NFL MVP award as he threw for 4,0 and2 yards with 27 touchdowns yeah I really feel like it's a team award um just what our team um went through this year being three and four and I just can't tell you that um how much I appreciate the opportunity to play with great football players as teammates however the postseason did not go as planned the Colts faced the then San Diego Chargers in the Wild Card round and were defeated 2317 in overtime oh yeah MVP we com here's sprouls sprouls inside the 10 inside the five and the Chargers win the game the loss was a bitter pill to swallow for a team with championship aspirations following that heartbreaking loss Tony duny would go on to announce his retirement from the NFL my wife and I talked and we just felt that this was the right time you don't always get to go out on top it's hard to go out on top because it's so much fun winning when you're winning you don't want to stop dunie who have been with the Colts since 2002 was a respected figure in the league known for his calm demeanor strong principles and effective coaching he reference the desire to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests including his work with various charitable organizations I think I've got a chance to do some other things down the road I think I've got a responsibility to to be home a little bit more his retirement marked the end of a significant chapter in Colts history so with dun's departure the Colts will go on to promote Jim cwell to the head coach position cwell who had been with the team since 2002 as well serving as the quarterback's coach and assistant head coach he was seen as a logical successor ensuing continuity in the team's approach and philosophy we obviously don't want them driving the golf carts okay liability issues and for a rookie head coach cwell inherited a nice starter package with a talented roster and a team culture of Excellence the transition was expected to be smooth given his familiarity with the players in the system however there was a lot of pressure to maintain the high standards set by dunie and to capitalize on the prime years of payt Manning's career now under colwell's leadership the Colts began the 2009 season with a sense of purpose and determination the Colts of season opener saw them narrowly defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 1412 setting a tone for the rest of the season he's got his receiver and it's a touchdown caught by Reggie Wayne they followed up with wins over the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals showcasing their ability to win both high-scoring shootouts and defensive battles as the season progressed the colts' dominance became increasingly apparent they went on to secure impressive victories against really good quality teams including the memoral comeback win against the New England Patriots in week 10 trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter Manning led the Colts to a stunning 3534 Victory cementing their status as one of the League's Elite teams this game known as the fourth and two game was pivotal with the Patriots opting for a controversial fourth down attempt deep in their own territory with nothing else trying to draw Indianapolis offside and they really do go for it and do they make it yes the cash is made and where is the spot going to be here's what happened Kevin F was Bing the ball by midseason the Colts were 8-0 and The Whispers of a potential undefeated season grew louder however this wouldn't be the first time the Colts have heard these Whispers In 2006 they would go 9 and0 before losing to the Dallas Cowboys and the following year they would go 7 and0 before receiving their first loss to the Patriots but this year was different the team's BL the veteran leadership and young energy particularly from players like receiver Pierre garon added to their intimidating presence the culture winning game after game with a combination of offensive Firepower and defensive tenacity Manning now a four time MVP continued to play at an elite level dissecting defenses with his Precision passing and masteral command of the offense 14 and0 you got to give yourself a hand CL with Colt standing at a perfect 14-0 by week 15 having already secured the AFC South division title and HomeField advantage throughout the playoffs those Whispers of resting starters versus pursuing a perfect season became very loud prominent voices the prospect of finishing the regular season undefeated was tempting with only the 2007 New England Patriots having achieved that success in the modern era so in week 16 the Colts faced The Fringe New York Jets team Manning Clark aai Reggie Wayne freeny matys bracket all those guys will not play oh hold up that was my wish list for Santa Claus hold up and with cwell playing his starters it seemed as if they were going for the perfect season that is until the third quarter for the first time all season someone other than Payton Manning will take the snap at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts the Colts is second string players led by backup quarterback Curtis payer struggled to put it lightly and the team ultimately lost 2915 ending their unbeaten season Play Lost the football it's loose inside the 5 yd line the Jets cover for the touchdown Caldwell's decision was met with immediate backlash from fans players and Analysis he's just going to ruin it for the Colts they they do the same thing all the time even when Dungy was here it was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life and I think the Colts fans and season ticket holders ought have something to say about it critics argued that the Colts had squandered a chance to make history by completing a perfect season supporters of the decision including Coldwell himself defended it by emphasizing the importance of player health and long-term success in the playoffs over a regular season Milestone we're all disappointed I mean I see I understand the fans and how they feel um every player on our Squad is also you know disappointed anytime we lose we're all disappointed so it's not something we accustomed to and uh so Lea was share near disappointment but was it actually Caldwell a rookie head coach's decision to make such a drastic call like that we'll get into that later in the final game of the season the Colts face the Buffalo Bills and having already given up the hopes of a perfect season they would once again rest many of their key players the Colts will go on to lose 30-7 finishing the regular season with a 14-2 record despite their overall success the decision to rest starters left a sour taste for a lot of people overshadowing an otherwise amazing season also not exactly the momentum or lack thereof you want heading into the postseason just saying entering the playoffs the Colts were determined to prove that resting their starters have been the right call they began their postseason run with a commanding performance against the Baltimore Ravens and the divisional round winning 20 to3 and he throws touchdown Reggie Wayne the defense stifled Baltimore's offense and Manning efficiently managed the game next up were those New York Jets in the AFC Championship Game the same old jets that had ended their perfect season so you can only imagine the added motivation for this game I like it I like it that's good that's good however the Colts did fall behind early but eventually managed to come back to win 30 to 17 surveys to Solve the Riddle he's going to down to the end zone he that Dallas CLK wide open for a touchdown Manning threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns leading the Colts to their second Super Bowl appearance in four years Super Bowl 44 saw the Colts face the New Orleans Saints the game held in Miami was highly anticipated featuring two high-powered offenses and two respected quarterbacks in Payton Manning and Drew Brees the Colt started strong taking an early lead however the Saints led by head coach Shan Payton made several bold decisions that turned the tie one of the game's most pivotal moments was that onside kick to start the second half onside kick to start the second half and the ball bounces off the hands of a cult and it looks like the Saints had it for a second and it's Saints football they recover the onside kick what a Fearless start to the second half this unexpected move shifted momentum in new orleans's favor despite a valiant effort though the Colts were never really able to regain control after that Manning will go on to throw a costly interception that was returned for a touchdown by Saints cornerback Tracy Porter sealing a 3117 victory for New Orleans picked off look out it's pass Manning and it's Tracy Porter taking it all the way touchdown New Orleans the Clos of season ended in disappointment falling just short of their ultimate goal the 20 9 Colt season remains a topic of intense debate the decision to Ben starters in the final two games is still scrutinized with opinions divided on whether it was the right call on one hand the Colts preserved the health of their key players which may have contributed to their deep playoff run on the other hand the missed opportunity for an undefeated season is seen as a significant what if in NFL history Manning despite the controversy solidified his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time his leadership in onfield performers were instrumental in the Coast's success coach cwell while criticized for his decision well it so happened that his decision to rest players was not colwell's decision at all in fact that honor goes to General Manager Bill Poon in an interview a decade later poon would reveal that the decision was a front office decision and they decided to all but wave the white flag on a perfect season hm who would go on to say that being 16 and0 didn't feel like a historic achievement since it had been done before it wasn't as historic a milestone which in my humblest of opinions is by far the most idiotic revisionist thing I've ever heard of course you can say that now knowing you lost the Super Bowl but at the time that wasn't the case I get sitting players to avoid injury for a deep playoff run trust me I do but when you have a chance that no other team has done in the modern era you take it ironically enough in the final minutes of the AFC Championship game with the game pretty much over with a score of 30- 17 Dwight Frey still in the game suffered a bad lower leg injury leading to him being less effective in the first half of the Super Bowl and pretty much a non-factor in the second half which played a part in costing them the championship white Frey uses an inside move it works well but I think you can tell right away that ankle definitely is a problem so if you're willing to throw throw away a perfect season to keep players healthy then why is your star defensive player still in the game with under 2 minutes left with the game sealed just some food for thought ultimately the 2009 cods exemplify the fine line between short-term glory and long-term success their season serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports where strategic decisions can have far-reaching consequences the debate over resting starters versus pursuing Perfection will likely continue and be a point of contention among football players and fans alike [Music]

Channel: Another Sports Channel

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Keywords: anothersportschannel, sports, nfl, national football league, another sports channel, american football, football, professional football, nfl noobs, 2009 Colts, colts, indianapolis colts, peyton manning, SuperBowl XLIV, NFL Controversies, Colts 2009 Season, Jim Caldwell, mvp, marvin harrison, reggie wayne, dwight freeney, robert mathis, tony dungy, 2009 nfl season, colts 14-0, 2007 patriots, undefeated teams, undefeated teams nfl

Id: _Q4PD6LsecI

Length: 12min 36sec (756 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 21 2024