Before America crowns the Indianapolis Colts as the best team in the NFL, it is crucial to clarify one thing. The Colts did not beat the New England Patriots on Sunday night; the New England Patriots beat themselves.
The mere fact that Tom Brady had a chance to tie the game at the end of the fourth quarter all but proves that that the Colts have no business being the only undefeated team in the league. With the help of five New England turnovers and some dubious officiating, Peyton Manning should have been able to lead his team to a definitive victory in Gillette Stadium. Instead, he led his team to a nail-biting win that clearly would not have been enough in Belichick's favorite month-January.
The Patriots are the better team and their statistics from Sunday night's primetime showdown give all the necessary evidence. Sure, their five turnovers and eight penalties for eighty-one yards were ugly, but when put in perspective it is obvious that this game was nothing more than an enormous brain fart from the entire organization. When one considers that prior to this meltdown the Patriots averaged a measly 1.14 turnovers and five penalties per game, it is clear that the performance was an anomaly.
This is not to say that the Colts are not a great team. By starting off the season 8-0 they became the first team since the 1929 Packers to open consecutive campaigns with eight straight victories. After their back-to-back road wins in very tough venues (Denver and New England), they have a legitimate shot at accomplishing the impossible dream-a perfect season-though it will ultimately mean nothing in the postseason.
There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this New England team and one controversial loss will not be enough to detract from that. The Pats still own a commanding lead in the AFC East, and with at least five more victories on the schedule, the playoffs are all but guaranteed. This means that, knock on wood; the Patriots should have one more chance to prove that they are the team to beat come playoff time, especially against Peyton Manning and his ten ringless fingers.