The Illusiveness of Lost Momentum

When are coaches and players going to learn that they can't turn momentum on and off like a light switch? Momentum, once lost, is not always retrievable at will. In fact, it is quite illusive. Coach Tony Dungy and his Indianapolis Colts discovered that the hard way last season.

To refresh everyone's memory, the Colts had racked up a 13-0 record last season, with only three games remaining on the schedule. Only three prior teams in NFL history had ever seen 13-0, and only one of those, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, had made it all the way through the season unscathed. The Colts had a chance to make history. However, instead of embracing history, Dungy expressed little enthusiasm for going undefeated. Instead, he was more concerned about making sure his team was healthy going into the playoffs. After all, his team had clinched the home field advantage throughout the playoffs with win number 13 and, as far as he was concerned, his team really had nothing else to play for in the regular season.

Although most of the team's starters played in game 14 at home against San Diego, the Colts didn't seem to put forth much of an effort. This resulted in the Chargers pinning their first loss on them. In game 15 on the road against Seattle, with hopes for an undefeated season already dashed, Dungy rested most of his stars and they were drubbed by the Seahawks. In game 16 at home against Arizona, the key starters were rested once again, but the Colts still managed to squeeze past the hapless Cardinals on a late touchdown. After a first-round bye, the Colts came out flat and were upset at home in the divisional playoffs by the sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, who went on to win Super Bowl XL.

The fact that the Colts stumbled in their first playoff game should not have come as a surprise to anyone. They had snuffed out their own momentum during the last three weeks of the regular season and could not get it back for playoffs. They should have gone for the undefeated season and kept their momentum alive. In my opinion, there is no way Pittsburgh would have beaten them, had they gone into the playoffs 16-0. If they get back to 13-0 this season (which is highly unlikely), it'll be interesting to see if they did actually learn something.