Colts Finish 2014 with Third Straight 11-5 Regular Season

For the first fourteen years of the Colts being in Indianapolis (1984-1997), the Colts compiled five seasons with winning records, never reaching double-digit win totals.  In 1987, 1995, and 1996, the Colts made the playoffs - winning nine regular season games in each season.  In 1998 they drafted a promising young quarterback in Peyton Manning, but they still went just 3-13 in that season.  From there, however, everything changed.

In the next sixteen seasons (1999-2014), the Colts put together a winning record in fourteen of them - winning double-digit games in all fourteen seasons and making the playoffs in all fourteen of them.  This afternoon, the Colts wrapped up yet another 11-win season, their third straight year reaching that total with Chuck Pagano and Andrew Luck leading the franchise.  With the 27-10 win over the Titans, Pagano became just the second coach in NFL history to record at least 11 wins in each of his first three seasons as head coach of a team, joining only Jim Harbaugh (49ers).

In other words, consider that in the first fifteen years of the Colts being in Indianapolis, they never once won double-digit games in a season.  In the last sixteen years, the Colts have won double-digit games in fourteen different seasons.  They've done it three straight seasons to begin the new era.  That's an incredible run of success that shouldn't be taken for granted.  A current winning streak of 13 wins in a row against AFC South opponents, consecutive 6-0 seasons against the division, and three straight 11 win seasons for the Colts - that's pretty dang good.

This isn't to say the Colts are without issues - they have a lot of them.  Not many are expecting the Colts to do much in the playoffs, and based on how they've played, that's to be expected.  There are a lot of issues with this Colts' team, and that begins with their management and coaching.  This isn't an article defending Chuck Pagano or anybody, but it's certainly not an article bashing him or anyone else.  There will be time for all of that.  But let's not allow all of that discussion to get in the way of what the Colts have done - which is win eleven games, win the AFC South, and make the playoffs - hosting a playoff game, no less.  As Colts fans, don't take that for granted.  You can want more (Super Bowl) without belittling the accomplishments the team has already achieved.  And you can recognize that, despite the issues and despite playing in a weak division, the Colts have had yet another successful regular season.