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Yeah, the Colts won all those games though and as your coach is fond of saying "it is what it is".
Plus Manning wasn't exactly healthy until about midway through the season and the Colts were playing a lot of young players, including two rookies on the O line a lot of last season. The Colts won a lot of close games, true, but they are one of the youngest teams in the league. Like I said, they aren't going anywhere. They have owned the Pats of late winning 4 of the last 5 and barely losing the other.
I'm really looking forward to this season. I'm predicting a 13-3 record for the Colts.
I am not saying the Colts didn't win those games, I just say that no team can win like that year after year. If the Colts are in the same exact position this year, they are justs as likely to go 8-8 and 9-7 as to repeat 12-4.
Also, I don't know if being one of the youngest teams in the league neccessarily means that they aren't going anywhere. How many of the Colts' younger players are the key contributors vs. the older players. The Colts' main contributors are still the players either 30 or over or approaching it. Manning is 33, Wayne is 30, Dallas Clark is 30, Gary Brackett is 29, Robert Mathis is 28, Bob Sanders is 28, Freeney is 29, and Jeff Saturday is 34. I didn't include Vinatieri, but he is up there. Not that 28 or 29 is all that old at all (it is the prime in most positions), but the most of the main players are not that young especially on offense. Also, with the top heavy salaries by the Colts, will they be able to retain players as they become free agents? These young players may leave the Colts when they hit their prime years.
And let's not minimize the loss of Dungy. Look how fast the Bucs fell apart after he left. Yes, they won the Super Bowl the year after he left, but they went 7-9 the following year and 5-11 the year after that. I don't think Dungy is Belichick, but he was in the top 3 best coaches in the NFL before he left.
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