It was quite a ride, but the car slowed to a halt and the door popped open on the 2012 Indianapolis Colts.

Their roller coaster ended with a letdown as the Baltimore Ravens whipped them up and down the field 24-9 in the playoffs.

What went wrong for the Colts and was there anything they could have done to keep the thrills alive for another week?

A second look at the game tells the story.

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It won't win any beauty contests, but the Houston Texans victory over the Cincinnati Bengals was pretty enough to send them on to the next round of the playoffs.

Was the game really as sloppy and poorly coached as it felt on the first pass?

A second look at the tape reveals all.

The Real Story

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Bill Polian always used to say that the past is prelude.

Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star agrees with him and says the end is the beginning for the Colts.

Chuck Pagano talked in his postgame presser about how the Colts had laid a foundation for future success, and that's undeniable.

Though obviously there are things the team has to do to improve, the Colts have the pieces in place for a dynamic offense for years to come.

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The dream season is over in Indianapolis, but that doesn't mean the Colts have reason to hang their heads.

They accomplished far more than anyone thought possible and produced one of the most memorable campaigns in franchise history.

While there has been much talk about whether Indianapolis was really as good as their record, there's every reason to believe that even if they weren't, they soon will be.

Ardent Colts fans took exception to the discussion about many of the leading statistical indicators illustrating that the Colts weren't actually a quality football team. They claimed that 11 wins should speak for themselves, despite the fact that they came against the easiest schedule in football.

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Joe Flacco only completed 12 passes against the Indianapolis secondary.

They went for 282 yards.

The Baltimore Ravens preyed on a suspect Indianapolis Colts defense to ring up three touchdowns en route to a 24-9 victory.

The home Ravens dominated the Colts physically on both sides of the ball, exposing the league's most overachieving team on several fronts. Baltimore found holes in the Indy offensive line and secondary to secure the win.

Flacco found Anquan Boldin five times for 145 yards, abusing Cassius Vaughn and Darius Butler in the process. Indianapolis has had one of the worst defenses in football, and Flacco put their weaknesses on full display.

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The Houston Texans rode Arian Foster and an outstanding pass rush into the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

While the narrow 19-13 victory won't convince the Texans' legion of doubters, it did represent Matt Schaub's first career playoff victory.

Houston dominated play most of the day, but typically conservative coaching by Gary Kubiak nearly doomed the home team. The Texans settled for four field goals and gave the Bengals a chance to steal the game in the fourth quarter.

The first half featured three long Houston drives that ended in three points each. Nine points were barely enough to outpace an anemic Cincinnati offense that rarely strung together consecutive first downs.

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The Indianapolis Colts are too young to be in the playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts have no business being in the playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts have every intention of winning in the playoffs.

Whereas everyone predicted the Baltimore Ravens would be hosting a postseason game, no one saw the Colts coming. Certainly no one thought Indianapolis would wind up with a better record than Baltimore.

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The Houston Texans weren't expecting to play this weekend.

The Cincinnati Bengals are just happy not to be headed to Foxboro, Mass.

The two franchises will square off in the playoffs this weekend for the second time in two years.

Will the Texans take the rematch, or will the Bengals get their revenge for an early exit in 2011?

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