There’s been one team that played in the Wild Card round that’s appeared in seven of of the last eight Super Bowls. The Colts’ 28-point, second-biggest postseason comeback was enough to convince quite a few folks – including yours truly – that Indianapolis is bound to be that team this year. Of course, I know nothing and while it might seem like such a dramatic victory is enough to propel the Colts into a great playoff run, it’s just as likely that the Wild Card win over the Chiefs will be revealed as a bunch of lucky breaks when the Pats win because six of their players didn’t go down.
Between Gronk and Vince Wilfork, the Patriots have had their share of costly injuries during the season. That’s been enough for those already quick to praise Bill Belichick to pronounce this as the finest coaching job of his career, which seems like something they would quickly take back if his team has a swift exit from the playoffs. Which is just another reason why everyone should want the Pats to go down in flames this evening.
Since this is the only game of the weekend that isn’t a rematch of a 2013 regular season game, we must delve deep into the distant past of ONE WHOLE YEAR AGO to compare recent history that has negligible bearing on today’s game. Andrew Luck’s first meeting with the Patriots didn’t go so well, as New England trounced the Colts 59-24 in November 2012. Indy actually jumped to a 14-7 lead through one quarter in that quarter. A Julian Edelman punt return touchdown and an Andrew Luck TD conceded the lead in the second quarter. The Colts trailed by seven at half, but the game got away from them in the second half.
Deion Branch is inactive for the Colts. Surely everyone expected him to have a huge impact against his former team after not playing at all during the regular season.
It’s kind of a shame that Chargers-Broncos is the closer of the weekend, as the winner of this contest creates narrativekkake against Peyton Manning regardless. Actually harder to tell which would be worse. Better to know early in the weekend whether Pey-Pey advanced so we can watch tonight without having to be haunted by the belabored storylines to come.
Moreover, after Trent Richardson had one carry and a fumble last week, it will be amusing and not at all surprising if he even gets that many opportunities to invite worst trade ever comments as the playoffs move on.