Indianapolis Colts: Why a Playoff Appearance Is Possible Next Season

Let's go back to 2008. The Miami Dolphins were coming off a 1-15 season. Since the retirement of Dan Marino, the franchise had struggled. Yet despite a horrible 2007 campaign, the Dolphins had an amazing turnaround and made the playoffs in 2008 with an 11-5 record.

The Indianapolis Colts finished 2011 with a 2-14 record, but had dominated the league since the early 2000s. They made nine straight playoff appearances, had seven straight seasons of 12+ wins and appeared in two Super Bowls in those 10 years.

So how did a powerful team like the Colts finish dead last in the NFL in 2011, with just two wins last year? How were the 1-15 Dolphins able to win the AFC East one season later? There is no magic, or, poison, if you're Indianapolis.

Winning games on Sunday is a pure reflection of what a team does Monday through Saturday and the Colts became too complacent to succeed in 2011.

How does a team with players like Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney finish a season with two wins? How does a team two seasons removed from a Super Bowl appearance end up with the No. 1 overall pick in April?

There is no real answer to any of these questions. The fall of the Indianapolis Colts without Peyton Manning has shocked every fan of the NFL. While there is little sense in explaining why the Colts failed, it does make sense to talk about their future.

All the Colts knew for nine years was winning. The players had tasted extreme success for nine years and the stench of 2011 has every Colt wanting success in the 2012-2013 season. Ask David Tyree: nothing can interfere with the will to win. The Colts have capable players on their roster.

Assuming that they re-sign their quality free agents that made the Colts a dynasty, Indianapolis would still look good on paper. As we all know, (especially the Philadelphia Eagles), paper does not win football games. A new coaching staff has taken over in Indianapolis and chances are that the Colts will respond to the new leadership. After all, things can't get much worse than their 2011 season.

The Colts have the tools to succeed in the near future. The AFC South is competitive, but Indianapolis had owned it for years. The Colts have a good team—what happened last year was a fluke, and the NFL will see that next season. Having the No. 1 pick will only add talent to Indianapolis. They can be an appealing destination to free agents who want to be part of a re-building team. Assuming that they bring back their star free agents, the Colts can succeed in 2011.

Pretend Peyton Manning is out in 2012: it's either going to be Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin taking the reins. With Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, how can their passing game be weak next year?

With Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney pressuring the quarterback, how can their defensive line be a weak spot? Pat Angerer proved that he is capable of controlling the middle of the field on defense. All the Colts are really lacking is help in the secondary.

With Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell's personnel ideas removed this January, new philosophies will be introduced. The Colts figure to be big, strong and mean next season. New coach Chuck Pagano will probably want to resemble the big and physical defense that he had in Baltimore.

The new Colts should look nothing like the small yet technical Colts that Dungy and Caldwell relied on for years.

The Colts have all of the players to win—they have more talent than the 2008 Miami Dolphins did. If the Dolphins took a mediocre roster, revived it, and beat out the New England Patriots and New York Jets for a division title, there is no reason why Indianapolis cannot do the same thing next season.

Peyton Manning or not, the Colts can still win games. Luck and Griffin are good football players and the offense can't get any worse than 2011. If the defense can get bigger and stronger and improve against the pass, the Colts have a realistic chance of succeeding in the 2012 season, and a playoff appearance won't be unrealistic.