What were the most painful colts losses in your lifetime?

[PrincetonTiger]

The AFC Championship loss to Pittsburgh

[superrep1967]

I'm only 24 but these two stung bad and still do. I was very frustrated after both of these losses.

2005 Steelers playoff game. We were the best team that year and that loss was absolutely a heart breaker because that we lost (and how we lost) I'll never forget how angry I was.

Super Bowl vs Saints. The botched on side kick reception by Hank Baskett was excruciating and I still have nightmares about it. And to top it off we lost on a pick six. I was very frustrated after this loss too.

2006 jaguars game where they ran 375 yards on us and routed us. I was questioning if we even make the playoffs after that game.

Super bowl loss to the Saintis by miles it's not even close

[braveheartcolt]

Surprised only Superman has mentioned it. The day we disgraced ourselves. 2009 v Jets. Week 16. The day we walked away from history, cheated the league, and cheated the fans. The disgraceful follow-up game in Buffalo where we risked injury to get a smattering of individual records was nearly as bad.

Compared to the above, losing any match fair and square is acceptable.

[ColtRider]

January 12th, 1969 The Baltimore Colts v. New York Jets - Super Bowl III

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Woke up and wiped the sleep out of my eyes very quickly. Ran downstairs as swiftly as I could. Got to the front door and slung it open without a care in the world of who or what I awakened. Ran to the driveway via our long concrete

walkway and steps until I arrived at our morning paper. Picked the news up and to my amazed eyes on the front page was titled in three different inks, "Super Bowl III". I scurried back from whence I came. Opened the rubber-banded roll and begin to read with my 11 year old eyes firmly focused on the front page.

I read the entire paged length article from start to finish. "Colts 18 pt. favorite over Jets!" Then proceeded to read the Sports Page articles on the entire matchup. Loved it. Colts are going to win it all, I thought. I was so happy to see that most media agreed with me. I had breakfast with my family. The best one I ever remembered. Not so much what we had, but the general mood of it. I was feeling on top of the world. Withdrew back to my upstairs bedroom with paper in hand. Kept reading it over and over again. I was convinced that the third Super Bowl would belong to the Colts.

An hour before the game started, my brothers and I went outside to engage in our weekly tackle football game in the backyard. I was of course, Johnny Unitas and/or Earl Morrall. I can't remember how many touchdown passes I threw that afternoon, but it was multiple. Now, after getting dirty and grimy I was ready to settle in and watch my Colts destroy the Jets. Went to the kitchen and grabbed everything I knew I would need because I didn't want to miss a single minute of the game. (including commercials)

The game started. I was fixated on it. Nothing, and I mean nothing was going to interrupt me. After the first quarter or so, I began to get an uneasy feeling in my stomach, and it wasn't the food. Sat through the 2nd quarter wondering when my beloved Colts would start to make their move and pour it on the Jets. Didn't happen. Halftime was the most nervous time in my young NFL/Colts Fan life. The second half kickoff was under way. Watched intensely as my Colts could not muster anything against the young-lioned Jets and Broadway Joe in the third quarter. Fourth quarter begins. Surely, this would be the time for the defense to impose their will on Matt Snell and company. This would be where my 18pt. favored Colts would come back and annihilate the Jets. Did not happen.

After the game concluded, I retired back to the safety of my bedroom. I started to cry. I cried "10" hours straight by myself. I could not sleep that night. No one could console me. Not even my mother, whom I was so close to. I awoke the next morning late. My eyes had swollen shut because of excessive tearing and eventually drying up of the ducts themselves. I was devastated. Then, getting ready for school after being excessively late, my mother told me something I'll never forget. She said, son, was it the Colts not winning the game for you or was it the way you carried on after the loss that made you cry for so long?

Thanks Mom. It was that statement that put me on the road to "Good Sportsmanship" for the rest of my life! I love you. I miss you.

[Nobody]

One with less implications- the one Luck's rookie year when Blaine Gabbert beat us with a flukey last second TD to Shorts. Hurt worse since that old superfan was going to his last game and died shortly afterwards..

[Robert Johnson]

"Ghost to the post".....that one sickened me too.

 

For me it's that drunken   Namath.

That super bowl loss to the jets was crushing,never should have happened,i always hated Namath after that one

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

2003 AFCCG. I was younger in watching football and it was my first loss so it was hard to take. Not that the next heartbreak wasn't as bad. They're all bad. Just like the 09 SB. But in the end I still bleed blue and love my colts no matter the era.

[dw49]

Ghost to the post. Casper caught the game winning td in overtime after that play sent the game to overtime.

 

 

I had around $6,000 on the Colts plus 4.5.  The next day was a wonderful Xmas. That's like around 25K in todays money. I was a crazy gambler back then.

[akcolt]

Hank Bassett not handling an onside kick and Manning finishing us with a pick 6 losing the Super Bowl to the Saints,

A QB from Purdue and a CB from IU playing big roles

[Hammer]

Super Bowl III, "Ghost to the Post", and every Steeler loss.

[Architects08]

2005 was horrible, (mainly because I loathe the Steelers) but it should have never came to that Mike Vandershank FG. The Tory Polamalu INT that was reversed in our favor was a terrible call.

1995, 2004, and the SB were the worst to me.

[Chucklez]

Super Bowl vs Saints. 

That was the worst in my eyes... You can mention any other playoff loss, you can mention any other absolute stamping we received before and after, but this one was for the title.... and we lost. No other loss has meant more.

[amfootball]

The Superbowl loss to the Saints ranks up there big time, especially that gutsy onside kick. Here's a great video on what went into that onside kick. Even worse is the kicker was extremely nervous and inexperienced, yet made the clutch onside kick, with the help of our incompetent onside defense.

 

 

Wow, if they did a documentary/behind the scenes on the Saints onside kick, can you imagine the one they will do on the Seattle/Green Bay game this year?

[amfootball]

I didn't see it mentioned, but the 2005 loss to the Chargers hurt. Went from chasing an undefeated season to kind of an anti-climatic finish. And James Dungy... not that it was necessarily related, but the last five weeks of that season were pretty sad.

 

Of course, as far as undefeated seasons go, it's very possible Polian and Dungy would have ditched the pursuit anyways. Which brings me to another regular season disappointment -- Week 16 of 2009. Can't believe the way we bailed on the Jets game.

2009 has always bothered me as a football fan. I wanted to see the Colts go for it and get to 16-0 with the chance at the perfect season. I also obviously hated the fact that it was vs the Jets that the FO decided to pull the plug after being up at halftime which ultimately allowed the Jets into the post-season as the Bengals laid down the following week because they had nothing to play for which gave the Jets the sixth seed.

[amfootball]

Forgot about that pile of poop

They still hang on to him in New York. He is basically the Jets unofficial spokesman on every move they made given he is their last and only SB champion. And just for good measure, here is this, my all time favorite Namath moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc65NC44dSk

[BrentMc11]

I didn't see it mentioned, but the 2005 loss to the Chargers hurt. Went from chasing an undefeated season to kind of an anti-climatic finish. And James Dungy... not that it was necessarily related, but the last five weeks of that season were pretty sad.

 

Of course, as far as undefeated seasons go, it's very possible Polian and Dungy would have ditched the pursuit anyways. Which brings me to another regular season disappointment -- Week 16 of 2009. Can't believe the way we bailed on the Jets game.

I was traveling to Fontana, CA and had a layover in Vegas.  The entire airport was yelling and screaming for the Chargers.....that game hurt for sure.  I believe we were consistently pinned deep by Mike Scifres.

[iraleec]

2005 playoffs to Steelers

Not so much the Super Bowl vs the Saints...because of the Freeney going out and half of the secondary with him

The Steelers loss was just a choke job in all phases

that was a heart breaker

[The Old Crow]

Super Bowl 3

Ghost to the Post

[ProblChld32]

Any Loss to the Patriots. I just dislike that organization that much it hurts to watch us get beat up on by them. 

[iuswingman]

The '95 and '05 games verses the Steelers.

 

I think '95 wins out for me with the dropped hail mary pass as the most painful.

[dw49]

They still hang on to him in New York. He is basically the Jets unofficial spokesman on every move they made given he is their last and only SB champion. And just for good measure, here is this, my all time favorite Namath moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc65NC44dSk

 

 

priceless

[jskinnz]

The one loss that stuck with me the longest was the AFCCG defeat to the Pats after the 2003 season.  Laid awake at night for a week thinking about it.  I think somewhere after that AFCCG loss I had the realization that it was only a game and ultimately not important in the scheme of things so the 2005 loss to the Steelers or the Saints Super Bowl loss were much easier to get over.

[shakedownstreet]

The one loss that stuck with me the longest was the AFCCG defeat to the Pats after the 2003 season.  Laid awake at night for a week thinking about it.  I think somewhere after that AFCCG loss I had the realization that it was only a game and ultimately not important in the scheme of things so the 2005 loss to the Steelers or the Saints Super Bowl loss were much easier to get over.

 

that sums up exactly what i was thinking when i first clicked on the thread

[GwinnettColt]

It's a tie between the AFC 2003 and the Saints SB win.  For the former, I thought it was our year that time.  Things seemed to be lining up for it.  For the latter, the first half was great.  The second was a complete embarrassment.  

[krunk]

I'd have to say that 1st round loss to Pittsburgh where Peyton was sacked countless numbers of times.

It hurt even worse because we still almost won the game.

[GoPats]

The one loss that stuck with me the longest was the AFCCG defeat to the Pats after the 2003 season.  Laid awake at night for a week thinking about it.  I think somewhere after that AFCCG loss I had the realization that it was only a game and ultimately not important in the scheme of things so the 2005 loss to the Steelers or the Saints Super Bowl loss were much easier to get over.

 

I've had that moment too... when you realize that tying your own frame of mind to something that's 100% beyond your control is a sure-fire way to make yourself unhappy, lol...

 

Good perspective. End of the day, it's just a game. 

[Colts420]

i believe its the 1995 playoff loss to the steelers and the 2005 lost to the steelers. 

[Jim H.]

No doubt.  Super Bowl III.

[Jim H.]

...closely followed by the Saints loss,

[Jim H.]

Both were inexcusable.  I think gambling was involved in each.  :^)

[The Old Crow]

No doubt. Super Bowl III.

This franchise has one of the greatest wins of all time, the 1958 Championship game, and the worst loss of all time in Super Bowl 3, to a mediocre Jets team. Shula and Morrall were dreadful as coach and QB in that game. That loss is Super Bowl 3 was 10,000 times worse than watching Duke win their fifth National Championship, and that's saying something.

[dw49]

This franchise has one of the greatest wins of all time, the 1958 Championship game, and the worst loss of all time in Super Bowl 3, to a mediocre Jets team. Shula and Morrall were dreadful as coach and QB in that game. That loss is Super Bowl 3 was 10,000 times worse than watching Duke win their fifth National Championship, and that's saying something.

 

 

Colts were pretty unlucky in that game also. Could have easily been ahead by 10-14 points at half time. 

[Gavin]

AFC Championship loss in Pitt.....Which I commonly refer to as The Drop, My earliest memory that comes to mind watching a Colts football game

[aaron11]

1995 afc champ game. i still think about that one

[bavanlan]

14-0.

At least we tried in the others.

[ColtRider]

I had around $6,000 on the Colts plus 4.5. The next day was a wonderful Xmas. That's like around 25K in todays money. I was a crazy gambler back then.

Y I K E S ! ... dw49! . Lotta dough, man, lotta dough.

ONE

[ColtRider]

1995 afc champ game. i still think about that one

Yeah, if Quinten Coryatt intercepts that pass from O'Donnell ... Game over!

ONE

[RockThatBlue]

14-0.

At least we tried in the others.

Yes that game was tough to swallow. I was so disgusted when we pulled the starters that I immediately shut the game off because I knew we just blew perfection.

[21isSuperman]

I'm surprised the Chargers playoff games aren't being noted that much.  Those games were hard to watch. To this day, the 2007 playoff game against the Chargers was the single best punting display I've ever seen

[shakedownstreet]

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