Calm Down Colts Fans

First appeared on August 23rd, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

At this time it might be a good idea for Colts Fans to take a deep breath, put down their glass of Kool aid and pause to reflect. Sure you dismantled the Rams 38-3 in the first Pre Season game of the year. Sure Andrew Luck threw a touchdown on his first unofficial NFL pass and sure he looked steady in his first unofficial outing as a Colt; but one must remember it was the Rams and it was the Preseason.

Sure your Colts hung tough with perennial AFC power Pittsburgh Sunday night as Andrew Luck’s solid decision making helped move the ball while the defense showed signs of being an animal unlike the one we’ve grown accustomed to watching lo these many years. But it was the preseason.

There are two reasons those outside the part-time pretend sports journalism world should not yet predict a Super Bowl season for Indianapolis. These are of course that their big win came courtesy of the Rams and it still is the Preseason. Another clear indicator nobody should attempt to hang a solid win prediction on this team is the fact the Colts saw almost every rostered player anyone outside Indianapolis could name leave town during the off season. This in itself should, not unlike the face of Joan Rivers, scream rebuilding.

St. Louis won just 2 games last year and is itself in the midst of a head coaching change. This means they’re probably not the measuring stick you want for your team; that is unless you’re aspiring to win 3 games or have set the goal of becoming the greatest Preseason football team in NFL history.

One probably shouldn’t read too much into the Pittsburgh outing either. There was an imbalance in urgency considering the Steelers are an established team while the Colts are largely a collection of unknowns beating each other’s brains out for 53 spots. However Indy’s play to this point has gone a long way to lifting the ominous cloud of doubt Peyton’s departure left hovering over Lucas Oil Stadium. But it shouldn’t dissipate it completely. We are talking about the Preseason after all. And there are no words in the English language strong enough to fully illustrate the level of insignificance NFL Preseason Football has achieved.

The Preseason is like blocking off four hours and finding the one babysitter able to pass most of your wife’s background checks before going out to watch that Academy Award winning film everyone has told you so much about only to sit through 4 straight weeks of previews for movies you’ll never see like “Weekend at Bernies 3” or “Weekend at Bernies 3 in 3D”.

And just when you thought there was no way they could make Preseason football more laughable; they have. The only reason more people aren’t up in arms about replacement officials right now is because nobody is watching right now. When the big lights come on, those of the regular season and Vegas, hard working fans will clamor for something other than licensed high school officials on the field.

So keep your perspective Colts Fans. You have a rookie quarterback and new head coach. You have a new offensive scheme and are completely overhauling your defense. These have never been (and aren’t likely to become) hallmarks of a Super Bowl Champion. And while it always feels good to win, it’s a fair bet Jim Irsay gutted his team to do more than just tweet “The Preseason rocks harder than Mick Jones on London Calling!”

© 2012 Eric Walker Williams