So let me get this straight.
Jim Caldwell leads the Indianapolis Colts to a 14-0 record, a rarity for any NFL head coach, let alone a rookie head coach, and he remained anonymous. Caldwell could have walked into the White House wearing a Colts hat and a sandwich board that read “HI, I’M JIM CALDWELL,” and even President Obama would have asked, “Who?”
Then, once the Colts had clinched home field advantage in the AFC playoffs, Caldwell decides to bench his starters midway through the 15th game, and the Colts lose.
And now everyone knows who he is? And they’re all blasting him for not chasing history?
Sure, there’s a part of me that hates his decision, too, since it made the Pittsburgh Steelers’ improbable shot at the playoffs that much more improbable. (Then again, does a team that lost to Cleveland, Oakland and Kansas City, three teams that are a combined 12-33, really deserve a playoff berth?) Houston Texans fans are pissed, too, as are all those football fans who would love to see Mercury Morris shut his mouth for once. Plus, at least one crazy Jets fan is probably wishing he had kept his mouth shut…
But let’s at least be honest about a few things here. For starters, Mercury Morris won’t stop yapping until he’s dead. Plus, how much did going 16-0 help the Patriots two years ago? Did they walk away with the Lombardi Trophy? In the end, what matters more — winning every single game in a season, or winning that one big game at the end of the season?
We know where Michael Irvin stands on this, but I suspect he’s in the minority. In the end, history will remember those 2007-08 Patriots as losers when it mattered most. Show me a Pats fan who wouldn’t trade that 16-0 regular season for a Super Bowl ring, and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t understand the NFL. Without looking it up, can you say how many teams had better records than the Steelers the season they won Super Bowl XL? I can’t, because it doesn’t matter. In the NFL, the destination matters far more than the journey.
If Caldwell’s Colts had won every regular season game and lost in the playoffs, we’d all say, “Same old Colts, always winning the regular season and nothing else.” By ending it now, Caldwell can refocus the Colts on the real goal, which is winning the Super Bowl. If he accomplishes that, all this 19-0 nonsense will be forgotten. There’s a big difference between perfection and greatness. If you can’t see which one is more important in this league, then I can’t help you, man.
