In one of the biggest rollercoaster rides of my many years of following football, the Colts dropped out of the playoffs with a resounding 21-18 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, one could make many excuses for the game, like the fact that the Colts were rusty after having not played a meaningful game for what seems like an eternity, but that fact this loss was a combination of the Steelers outplaying the Colts on both sides of the ball, and the Colts just beating themselves.

The big fallout of this postseason, and in fact throughout the season, has been the progressive decline of the New England Patriots. As a Colts fan, I can’t say that I was upset about the Patriots’ loss yesterday, but in a really weird sort of way, I am. Afterall, who wouldn’t look forward to an AFC Championship Game match-up pitting the Colts vs. the Pats, this time in the Dome? Regardless, yesterday, every one of the Patsies’ weapons let them down. Bruschi (probably the most over-hyped player this year) and company didn’t make a play. Even the normally dependable Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal. Tom Brady had far from his usual calm, cool, collected and commanding demeanor, appearing frustrated and forcing throws he wouldn’t ordinarily attempt.