The Penalty Box: Colts And Bears Each Headed For Long Winters
January 12, 2022 at 4:01 a.m.
The Penalty Box: Colts And Bears Each Headed For Long Winters
By Roger Grossman-
The Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears are staring in the window of a local store on a cold winter night, wishing like everything that could just go inside and look around the merchandise more closely.
The Bears have no business being allowed inside.
The Colts, on the other hand, were standing outside with their hand on the handle to go in but decided that looking from the outside was good enough.
All the Colts had to do was win a game at home against the Raiders or a road game at two-win Jacksonville to make the playoffs, and they couldn’t make it happen.
Truth is, the Colts chances to get into the playoffs and have a decent seeding have been fading in and out for a while.
They started with three straight losses—the first two at home—to Seattle and the Rams. The 0-3 start spread to 1-4 through five games.
It was a hole they never completely dug themselves out of—emotionally or otherwise.
Indy lost in overtime to Tennessee at home, which, by definition, is game they should have won.
They lost to the Ravens in OT on the road when they had a 16 point lead in the second half.
But Sunday was the worst. The absolute worst.
With everything to play for, the Colts went to Northern Florida with all of the resolve and determination of my brother-in-law’s family on their trip to Disney.
They just looked like they made a choice not to be in the playoffs. This team, with seven Pro Bowlers on it, couldn’t beat a team who posted three total wins (including against the Colts Sunday) and is just glad to end their season.
To not only lose to them, but be dominated by the Jags—someone has to explain that. Someone has to explain how the team leaders in that locker room, of which there are plenty, could not inspire their coworkers to muster up a comeback against a team who, even after winning their last game, still have the number one draft pick in April.
Could it be that heads will roll at Colts Headquarters?
If you saw owner Jim Irsay march into the locker room after the game, it sure seems like it.
Of course, on the lake front in Chicago, the Bears never had a real chance of a winning record, making the playoffs or and sense of positivity this season.
Everyone assumed that Head Coach Matt Nagy was going to be relieved of his duties, but when that didn’t happen as soon as the plane from Minnesota landed back at O’Hare Airport early Sunday evening, devout fans began to get nervous.
Truth is, the real problem goes all the way to the very top.
The McCaskey family owns the team, and has way too much influence on the on-the-field product. The biggest problem in that is they have proven over decades that they don’t know anything about football!
So, the thought of having a new coach and new GM would energize Bears fans, except who is chosen to fill that role/those roles will be chosen by the same person who has been making those same failed and faulty decisions for decades.
There is no reason to think, without a virtually unthinkable cleaning of the front office house at Halas Hall, that the Bears will be any better or any more equipped to get into the playoffs next year or in the near future.
It’s disgusting to think it, but there doesn’t seem to be any other logical outcome.
So what are we to do?
We sit back, we watch, and we wait.
Our arms are folded. The look on our faces is not pleasant.
Our message: “We expect better.”
The Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears are staring in the window of a local store on a cold winter night, wishing like everything that could just go inside and look around the merchandise more closely.
The Bears have no business being allowed inside.
The Colts, on the other hand, were standing outside with their hand on the handle to go in but decided that looking from the outside was good enough.
All the Colts had to do was win a game at home against the Raiders or a road game at two-win Jacksonville to make the playoffs, and they couldn’t make it happen.
Truth is, the Colts chances to get into the playoffs and have a decent seeding have been fading in and out for a while.
They started with three straight losses—the first two at home—to Seattle and the Rams. The 0-3 start spread to 1-4 through five games.
It was a hole they never completely dug themselves out of—emotionally or otherwise.
Indy lost in overtime to Tennessee at home, which, by definition, is game they should have won.
They lost to the Ravens in OT on the road when they had a 16 point lead in the second half.
But Sunday was the worst. The absolute worst.
With everything to play for, the Colts went to Northern Florida with all of the resolve and determination of my brother-in-law’s family on their trip to Disney.
They just looked like they made a choice not to be in the playoffs. This team, with seven Pro Bowlers on it, couldn’t beat a team who posted three total wins (including against the Colts Sunday) and is just glad to end their season.
To not only lose to them, but be dominated by the Jags—someone has to explain that. Someone has to explain how the team leaders in that locker room, of which there are plenty, could not inspire their coworkers to muster up a comeback against a team who, even after winning their last game, still have the number one draft pick in April.
Could it be that heads will roll at Colts Headquarters?
If you saw owner Jim Irsay march into the locker room after the game, it sure seems like it.
Of course, on the lake front in Chicago, the Bears never had a real chance of a winning record, making the playoffs or and sense of positivity this season.
Everyone assumed that Head Coach Matt Nagy was going to be relieved of his duties, but when that didn’t happen as soon as the plane from Minnesota landed back at O’Hare Airport early Sunday evening, devout fans began to get nervous.
Truth is, the real problem goes all the way to the very top.
The McCaskey family owns the team, and has way too much influence on the on-the-field product. The biggest problem in that is they have proven over decades that they don’t know anything about football!
So, the thought of having a new coach and new GM would energize Bears fans, except who is chosen to fill that role/those roles will be chosen by the same person who has been making those same failed and faulty decisions for decades.
There is no reason to think, without a virtually unthinkable cleaning of the front office house at Halas Hall, that the Bears will be any better or any more equipped to get into the playoffs next year or in the near future.
It’s disgusting to think it, but there doesn’t seem to be any other logical outcome.
So what are we to do?
We sit back, we watch, and we wait.
Our arms are folded. The look on our faces is not pleasant.
Our message: “We expect better.”
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