As objectively as possible, where should the 2021 Colts rank here

[DalTXColtsFan]

 

 

Saw this on YouTube.  It's a few years old obviously.  Where would the 2021 Colts collapse rank on this list?

 

10.  2008 Cowboys - this one is a joke, their last 4 losses were all to good teams and they were never really dominating frontrunners

9. 2000 Jets - 9-4 after beating us, a win in any of their last 3 games (2 good teams 1 average team) and they're in the playoffs, they lose their last 3

8. 2008 Jets - from 8-3 to 9-7 - 3 of their last 4 losses to average to poor teams

7. 1986 Raiders - from 8-4 to 8-8, 2 bad teams among those 4 losses including the 2-13 Colts in the meaningless season finale

6. 1978 Redskins - 8-3 to 8-8, average to good teams

5. 1987 Chargers - 8-1 to 8-7, several bad losses

4. 2003 Vikings - 6-0 to 9-7 with a stacked, talented team

3. 2009 Broncos - the Josh McDaniels 6-0 to 8-8 year

2. 1994 Eagles - 7-2 to 7-9

1. 1993 Dolphins - 9-2 to 9-7

 

My takes:

#10 and #7 shouldn't even be on this list.  Losing to good teams late in the year when you were never really frontrunners is hardly a collapse.

#1 is totally unfair IMHO - they were playing with a backup QB and a coach who was already mentally retired!

#5 was a strike year, who even cares

#9 I remember vividly because the Colts NEEDED the Jets to lose out that year, and I remember thinking only a loss to the Lions would truly be an upset.  Not a horrible collapse.

#6 - Theismann was in his first year as a starter and several of those losses were to good teams.  Forgiveable.

 

#8 was pretty bad, I kind of remember that year, Favre was lighting it up and they just choked

That leaves 4, 3, and 2 as the only seasons I would even argue were truly epic collapses.

 

If I'm being as objective as possible, I think I rank the top 5 worst collapses like this:

 

1. 2003 Vikings (that team was sooooooooo stacked - how do they not even make the playoffs?!?!?!)

2. 2009 Broncos (way too much talent on that team to play that badly)

3. 1994 Eagles (just guessing, don't really remember that year)

4. 2021 Colts (yes, their "collapse" was only a 2-game losing streak, but to be in a position where all you have to do is beat a 2-14 team that just had a fiftyburger dropped on them to get into the playoffs and you not only lose but get thoroughly dominated in all 3 phases for basically the entire 60 minutes???)

5. 2008 Jets

 

Anyone remember any other late-season collapses that NFL Network or I didn't think of?

[DougDew]

It doesn't rank that high.  They were never as good as the middle of the season said they were.  They stayed in games and won some games with great coaching but their personnel issues caused them to just run out of steam in most important games.  Except a lucky big play against NE saved that game from Mac Jones probably winning it.

 

The beginning of the season and end of the season were the real Colts team.  The middle was a fluke when JT got hot, until defenses started to figure it out.  Once they did, the Colts were revealed to be who they were.   A team that relied on big plays from the running game while playing in a passing league.

[Coltsfan98]

Kind of hard to call a 9-6 to 9-8 finish an epic collapse. It's not like they got off to a great start like the rest of the teams in this list, they were 1-4 which is awful. They just simply weren't that great of a team. 

[Smonroe]

12 minutes ago, Coltsfan98 said:

Kind of hard to call a 9-6 to 9-8 finish an epic collapse. It's not like they got off to a great start like the rest of the teams in this list, they were 1-4 which is awful. They just simply weren't that great of a team. 

 

Respectfully disagree.  The team was rolling with a win at home against a good team or a win on the road against the worst team in the league meaning playoffs.  "The team no one wants to face in the playoff" - Christmas night quote.

 

When you lose on the road to that team (and you're a double digit favorite) in a game that means everything, while making their QB look like he's the second coming, then it's an epic collapse.  

[joecolts]

As horrible as it was, our season collapse doesn't make the top 10 listed.  It was bad for us as Colts fans but, in the grand scheme and bigger picture, it wasn't even close to those listed.

[Goatface Killah]

4 hours ago, Smonroe said:

 

Respectfully disagree.  The team was rolling with a win at home against a good team or a win on the road against the worst team in the league meaning playoffs.  "The team no one wants to face in the playoff" - Christmas night quote.

 

When you lose on the road to that team (and you're a double digit favorite) in a game that means everything, while making their QB look like he's the second coming, then it's an epic collapse.  

Ok but that kind of stuff happens every year, its hardly epic. Every single year there are teams that need to win a game on the last day of the season and dont get it done.

 

To me, a collapse is a team like the 2005 Colts. 

 

They started the season 13-0, and I believe became the first team to do that and not win the SB. They lost their 1st playoff game and lost 3 out of their last 4 games. 

 

To me the 2 situations arent even comparable. 2005 was way worse.

 

Nobody outside of Indy views last hear as an all time epic collapse. 

[Smonroe]

2 minutes ago, GoatBeard said:

Ok but that kind of stuff happens every year, its hardly epic. Every single year there are teams that need to win a game on the last day of the season and dont get it done.

 

To me, a collapse is a team like the 2005 Colts. 

 

They started the season 13-0, and I believe became the first team to do that and not win the SB. They lost their 1st playoff game and lost 3 out of their last 4 games. 

 

To me the 2 situations arent even comparable. 2005 was way worse.

 

Nobody outside of Indy views last hear as an all time epic collapse. 

You must not watch the national media sports shows.  Everyone considered that game to be an all time collapse.  It’s one of the worst ever.  GMFB, Eisen, ESPN, even Pat all used that term.

 

Just one example: https://www.si.com/nfl/colts/news/colts-collapse-jaguars-requires-soul-searching

 

I’ll agree 2005 was also a painful loss, but there were extenuating circumstances, with Dungys son.  I think that took a toll on the coaches and the team.  They didn’t wake up until the end of the game, and then the missed FG…ughh.  Maybe the best team in the Manning era.  True moot argument. 
 

But ranking all time epic losses (SB 3) isn’t exactly fun.  I’m more interested in who are QB of the year will be, and if Ballard will make a splash in Free Agency.  

[Goatface Killah]

2 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

You must not watch the national media sports shows.  Everyone considered that game to be an all time collapse.  It’s one of the worst ever.  GMFB, Eisen, ESPN, even Pat all used that term.

 

Just one example: https://www.si.com/nfl/colts/news/colts-collapse-jaguars-requires-soul-searching

 

I’ll agree 2005 was also a painful loss, but there were extenuating circumstances, with Dungys son.  I think that took a toll on the coaches and the team.  They didn’t wake up until the end of the game, and then the missed FG…ughh.  Maybe the best team in the Manning era.  True moot argument. 
 

But ranking all time epic losses (SB 3) isn’t exactly fun.  I’m more interested in who are QB of the year will be, and if Ballard will make a splash in Free Agency.  

Youre right, I dont watch them, ever. They have to be overly dramatic to foster discussion and thats not really my thing. Its not honest analysis if its designed to get people talking. And I dont think in 5 years they will even remember that Colts team or the journey thru that season. 

 

My point is, I will always remember the dissapointment of 05. Ill be 80 years old and still remember that. I was at that playoff game and still remember that long walk back to my car afterwards. I was sure that was the best Colts team I ever saw. In fact, I still think it was. I was so stunned by the end of the season I wanted them to trade Peyton Manning and just start all over. I felt like we would never win it. I was sure he was just a choke artist. And a lot of other people felt that way at the time. Now that is an epic collapse.

 

Then 06 happened, and I realized why I love watching football in the first place. Almost nothing else can give you that emotional roller coaster ride. Thru good and bad, if you can keep the proper perspective on it, you can truly have the time of your life. And 06 was the time of my life. I watched that game surrounded by good friends and we made it a great night.

 

The highs and lows go hand in hand and even feed of one another. And you never know what the next year will bring. The Colts could draft Desmond Ridder and he turns out to be the next great one and every team in the league is kicking themselves because they passed on him, except us. Nobody knows until they know. 

 

About last year......

 

Honestly, I wasnt that shocked by the outcome. I felt like they shouldve made the playoffs, but in reality they cost themselves that chance earlier in the year, not really in Jacksonville. You cant dig yourself a hole and make every game down the stretch life or death and not get bit in the * eventually. 

 

Before the season, most people were predicting 10-11 wins and a borderline playoff team. They landed on 9-8 and a borderline playoff team. Thats not really a surprise to me. They teased us pretty good, but its not that shocking really when you think about it.

 

 

 

 

 

[jimmy g]

3 hours ago, GoatBeard said:

Before the season, most people were predicting 10-11 wins and a borderline playoff team. They landed on 9-8 and a borderline playoff team. Thats not really a surprise to me. They teased us pretty good, but its not that shocking really when you think about it.

Before the season, I wondered if we’d win 5-6 games with that schedule. I was pleasantly surprised until that last game.  I thought, and still think- our Defense was and is awful.  Wentz was far from good- but I would have kept him and traded about 9 Defenders if it was up to me. A one game collapse is not earth shattering. Especially when every team in the league knows the TE across the middle is open every time.

[DalTXColtsFan]

It is true that pretty much everybody - Colts fan, Steelers fan or otherwise - remembers that playoff game, and how Bettis's career ALMOST ended on an epic fumble.  And I agree, 3 or 4 years from now it's very likely that nobody outside of Indianapolis remembers or cares that the 2021 Colts got humiliated by the worst team in the league when a win would have gotten them into the playoffs.

 

The funny thing is, of the 10 collapses in the NFL list, the Broncos collapse was the only one I truly remembered.  I only remembered the 2000 Jets because Colts fans were hoping like heck that they'd choke their last 3 games because we NEEDED them to.  When they mentioned the 2008 Jets there was an "oh, yeah" moment but not much.

 

The last thing I'll say about the 2005 collapse is it looked a lot worse than it actually was.  The Colts lost by 3 points to an eventual SuperBowl champion that won its other 3 postseason games by a total of what, 36 points?  Did anyone, Colts fan, Steelers fan or otherwise, believe that the 2005 Colts would have lost to any other playoff team that year, AFC or NFC?