Colts fans used to know. Now, they'll always have to wonder if their 2009 team could have run the table.
Many have criticized Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell for pulling his starters in the third quarter of Sunday's 29-15 loss to the Jets, the Colts' first loss of the season. But the coach doesn't regret his decision, even if all the sports talk radio pundits in the world disagree.
According to ESPN.com, Caldwell would rather have a blemish on his record than an injured starter for the playoffs.
"It's probably my greatest strength and my greatest weakness: I can focus in. I can narrow my scope," Caldwell told the Indianapolis Star."Once you make a decision, you have to live with it. You certainly weigh all the options before. You take a look at all the things that could occur. But once that decision is done, you keep moving."
When Caldwell benched quarterback Peyton Manning and his other starters in the third quarter, the Colts held a 15-10 advantage with 5:36 to play. The Jets rallied for the victory to stay in the playoff chase, and while Manning's body language during the waning moments of the game tells a different story, his words appear to support his coach.
"Until any player in here is the head coach, you follow orders and you follow them with all of your heart," Manning said. "That's what we've done as players. We follow orders. Our orders were not to give up a turnover, not to give up a kick return for a touchdown. There's not many games, under any circumstances, that you win when you have turnovers and give up a kick return for a touchdown."
