More than a week removed from the Indianapolis Colts’ season-ending 17-16 loss to the New York Jets in a wild-card playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium, much has been made about why the team did not advance further into the postseason and about what it should do this offseason.
A good portion of those discussions has involved Colts coach Jim Caldwell and his questionable timeout with 29 seconds remaining in the game. The Jets were aiming to get in field-goal range, and Caldwell’s timeout was followed byย New York quarterback Mark Sanchez’sย 18-yard pass down the sideline to receiver Braylon Edwards that set upย kicker Nick Folk’sย game-winning 32-yard field goal. Folk had been shaky at best from long range all season.
The timeout drew the ire ofย Colts fans, many of whomย began calling forย Caldwell to be fired immediately after the loss.
Let’s beย frank. That’sย not going to happen this offseason.
By Drew Allen
We’ve seen howย suchย a move has worked out numerous times in the last decade. The San Diego Chargers fired Martyย Schottenheimerย after the 2006 season, a year in whichย the coachย led the team to a 14-2 record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs only to suffer a home loss to the New England Patriots in the divisional round.ย Schottenheimer’s replacement, Norv Turner, saw the Chargers miss the playoffs in 2010ย despite a career year byย quarterback Philip Rivers and havingย league-leading offensive and defensive units. The Oakland Raiders and theย Washington Redskinsย change coaches seemingly every two seasons, and we all know where such a practice gets those two franchises.
Indianapolis will not consider such a rapid coaching change. The franchise’s rare continuity has led to nine straight playoff appearances, eight seasons with 12 or more wins, seven AFC South titles, two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title since 2002.ย An organization doesn’t achieve those things by making knee-jerk reactions.
Caldwell is 24-8 in his first two seasons as Colts coach (twoย losses came in meaningless games in which the team rested starters) and isย 2-2 in the playoffs with an appearance in Super Bowl XLIV. He has made severalย head-scratching callsย in addition to his timeout against theย Jets (heย made an eerily similar callย in Indy’s fourth game of the season at Jacksonville),ย but the results are much the same as those of former coach Tony Dungy as of now.
And while we’re on the topic of suspect game management, was New England’sย fake punt on fourth down late in the first half Sunday against theย Jets not a blunder byย Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who many considerย one of the greatest (if not the greatest) to ever coachย in the NFL? Shouldย Belichick not come under similar fireย for his team’sย earlyย playoff exit at home, the second in as many years?ย ย
Colts owner Jim Irsay has addressed the issue publicly, saying Caldwell is his coach. Apologies to all Colts fans who are disappointed, butย there’s no reason Irsay shouldย consider anyone else. Not right now.
