Super Bowls - The "What If" Game!

by MarkColtsFanatic on Feb 1, 2011 12:39 PM EST

What if you change one play from each season? How many Super Bowls could the Colts have won since 2003?

I know this is painful for us Colts fans, but we have been so close so many times, I almost think it is unfair to blame anyone in the Colts organization. Below are some key plays that could have changed our season and resulted in a Super Bowl year. You will see how close we were so many times.

2003 season - Pats at Colts - regular season week 13. We lost 38-34. We started off very slow and another Peyton comeback fell short when Edgerrin James was stopped short on 4 and goal. The famous Willie McGinest fake injury slowed our momentum inside the 5. What if we score a TD then we have home field in the playoffs against the Pats.

2004 season - Colts at Pats - regular season week 1. We lost 27-24. We run for 202 yds and dominate most of the game, but Edgerrin fumbles twice inside the 10 and Vanderjagt misses a 48 yd field goal made longer by a sack on the previous play. What if we score a TD instead of one of the fumbles or what if the FG is made and we win in OT. Again we have home field in the playoffs.

2005 season - Steelers at Colts - playoffs divisional round. We lost 21-18. We win our first 13 games and wrapped up the number 1 seed by week 13 and rested until the playoffs a month later. After week 14 Tony Dungy's son commits suicide further messing with our team chemistry. We start out slow and we're down 14-0 and 21-3 before another comeback. It's 21-18 and you know, Nick'ed up Harper recovers a fumble around the Colts 5 yd line and only has to beat a turned around Ben R for a 95 yd TD. Nick cuts toward Ben instead of running down the right sideline. If he scores a TD we win. He's tackled and Vanderjagt shanks the 46 yd FG. What if we score on either of these plays. Worst case we go OT, then maybe with momentum we win.

2007 season - Pats at Colts - regular season week 9. We lost 24-20. We led 20-10 in the 4th qtr only to see the Pats score 14 points to beat us when the Pats went 16-0 in the regular season. Anthony Gonzales hurts his hand early and then drops a TD pass. We settle for a FG. Reggie Wayne drops a pass later in the game where he had the defender beat and likely scores a TD. What if we score a TD on either of these plays? Maybe OT or outright win. We only lost 2 other games, the next one at San Diego and the last game we rested. We beat the Pats and win the TN game we rested we have home field. I know the result is likely not a SB, because of the Freeney injury, but it shows we could have beaten the Pats in the year they go 16-0. So what if Freeney doesn't get hurt against SD, maybe we beat the Pats in the playoffs on the road. Rememer Bob Sanders DPOY in 2007 with a healthy Freeney, play the what if game. Our defense was very good that year.

2008 season - Colts at 8-8 San Diego - divisional playoffs. We lost in OT 23-17. We were on a roll winning 9 straight after a slow start because of the Peyton knee surgeries in preseason. What if we make the 3rd late in the game. We win the game. This was also the game where the SD punter Scifres had an incredible game resulting in very poor field position most of the game. We win we go to Pittsburgh where we beat them earlier in the year also at Pittsburgh.

2009 season - Colts against Saints in SB. We lost 31-17. Pick your play between the early Garcon drop with us up 10-0, the failure to make 1st down late in 1st half that led to Saints FG, the on-side kick, the FG miss giving the Saints good field position, and the pick 6 INT. If one of these plays turns out different who knows maybe we win.

6 seasons and maybe one play is different we stay alive and maybe we win the SB and 7 seasons in a row so close.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.

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Do you bring these up to torture us?

by Ty46 on Feb 1, 2011 1:06 PM EST reply actions

This year

what if “The timeout” doesn´t happen, Folk misses the FG and we beat the Jets.

we still would have been a longshot to win the SB, but I think its certainly possible that we could be playing this coming Sunday

by Jamison1 on Feb 1, 2011 2:10 PM EST reply actions

I don't like the timeout as much as anybody,

but the FG was not a for sure miss from there, and there were other plays in that game that I would much rather change than a TO that may or may not have changed the outcome.

Peyton Manning= Better.

by JesusNinja13 on Feb 1, 2011 3:06 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not saying it was a sure miss

but we are playing the “What if” game, right?

by Jamison1 on Feb 1, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

That's what Caldwell did.

He played the what if Sanchez fumbles, throws an int, gets sacked out of range game. It was a “play to win” decision. I’m glad he had the huevos to do it and hope all this second guessing doesn’t scare him away from being aggressive in the future.

The TO is way over blown. So many more plays in the preceding minutes we’re far more critical than that TO.

So on the 18th day God created the Quarter Back, and his name is Peyton Manning.

"Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime." - Potter Stewart

Again, just my opinion. - The Oracle at Delphi.

by NoCuddleOffense on Feb 1, 2011 11:22 PM EST up reply actions

i agree many other plays were more critical

the time out didn’t cost us the game in my mind, it was just really stupid. EVERYBODY knew they were just running the clock down to line up for a FG. yes its true that Tomlinson or Green could have fumbled, but the odds of them fumbling are MUCH lower than the odds of Nick Folk (a decent but not that great of a kicker) missing a 40 plus yard FG. (considered he missed a 32 yarder or something like that the next week vs. NE)

Like I said, I don’t think it necessairly cost us the game, but it was not agressive. it was stupid.

by Jamison1 on Feb 2, 2011 8:45 AM EST up reply actions

I actually agree with you... (kind of)

But let’s not get into this again. It’s been talked to death.

Peyton Manning= Better.

by JesusNinja13 on Feb 2, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions

agreed - its been talked to death

How bout them Pacers?

by Jamison1 on Feb 2, 2011 1:34 PM EST up reply actions

Unconventional does not mean stupid.

It was a calculated risk. He took a chance, it didn’t work .

So lazy minded media stars on espn and elsewhere said it was stupid. If it had worked they be saying “what a gutsy call, that’s football folks, you play the game and you play the game to win.”

Again, just my opinion. - The Oracle at Delphi.

by NoCuddleOffense on Feb 2, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

2005

What if Nick harpers wife/gf didn’t stab him in the knee the night before the game

by MakinitWayne on Feb 1, 2011 2:49 PM EST via mobile reply actions

That said, winning off Bettis' fumble in what would have been his last carry would have been a sour way to win

The Steelers outplayed us in that game by a lot. Other than the Saints Super Bowl, that was the only post-Pats playoff loss that I felt we were just outplayed.

EVH+DLR=BFFs........ God I Hope So!!

by dmstorm22 on Feb 1, 2011 5:05 PM EST up reply actions

I still would have taken it though.

;-)

Peyton Manning= Better.

by JesusNinja13 on Feb 1, 2011 6:04 PM EST up reply actions

I would have too, but in retrospect, I'm fine we didn't win because we didn't deserve to win.

I probably wouldn’t have had this line of thinking if the Colts did win, though.

EVH+DLR=BFFs........ God I Hope So!!

by dmstorm22 on Feb 1, 2011 6:17 PM EST up reply actions

yah

if we would have won, everybody would have just complained about that interception that Polomolu had that they called incomplete right at the end. THey would have said oh the refs just want the colts to win! what cheaters!!

That being said, I would have taken it too.

by Jamison1 on Feb 2, 2011 8:47 AM EST up reply actions

Wow, this hurts...

…then again. That’s what makes sports so special. Those crucial plays, those coincidences or freak plays. That’s why we watch the game. Obviously, I would love to have many more rings, but losing is part of the game. I am happy we have one ring and I think we should have two since we should have beaten the Saints but there’s always gonna be those games that should have, might have, could have been. I’m positive we will win two more Super Bowls, and we will see Peyton retire with a three rings, just like Brady. Just to make sure that the debate is not completely settled ;-)

by Azrael1987 on Feb 1, 2011 4:52 PM EST reply actions