Oh Fer Seven And Counting...

You might wonder what would have happened to Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Ponies had they not run into the buzzsaw of Bill Belichick's defence or the intensity of the New England Patriots in general. Or you might have wondered what would have happened had the weather in New England been mysteriously balmy, sundried and clear.

Would Peyton Manning still be 0-7 in New England? Would Tom Brady still be 7-0 in his postseason career?

Of course this is idle speculation. Manning DID lose his seventh straight in New England and Brady, Bellichick and the Patriot supporting cast DID win again.

And of course, they not only beat the Colts, they made them look absolutely inept in doing it, so much so, you had to wonder how the Colts ever got that far to begin with.

The MVP should be taken away from Manning, or he should give it back. There was nothing valuable about a guy spending a football game looking alternately puzzled, frustrated, fearful and defeated. There is nothing valuable about losing not just predictably, but utterly. There is nothing valuable about a hundred meaningless touchdown passes and nary a deep pass when the game finally counted.

Are the Colts, as advertised, merely an indoor team?

Or are the Colts and Manning the victims of being at the wrong place at the wrong time?

It seems they have found an able nemesis in Bellichick and the Patriots, as have most of the rest of the league.

The injustice and sense of fraud was not that the Colts and Manning didn't get it done yet again, that Foxboro has become their Waterloo, but that they were beat so convincingly and gave up so easily it seemed, without a whimper, without a fight.

The only glimmer of hope the Colts can rely upon is that next season will be another shot and Bellichick will be without his offensive and defensive coordinators, perhaps slightly weakened, though doubtful.

Just don't expect anyone to fall for that "this is the Colts time" next time around. At least not until Bellichick has retired and Manning's biggest foe disappears from the NFL.