Trotter speaks truth

Tip to Matt, Jim Trotter says somethings that make sense.

Truth is, Caldwell is handling the situation the right way. The goal is to win a championship, not chase the 1972 Dolphins at all costs. That Miami squad remains the only team in league history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, and even though some Indianapolis players have stated their desire to be the second, Caldwell is not going to proceed blindly against the Jets (at home) and Bills (in Buffalo).

Second-guessers have pointed to history as a reason to go all out. In 2005 and 2007, the Colts rested their regulars after securing a first or second seed, then failed to win a playoff game in each instance. But those defeats were not about being rusty or inactive. The losses were about being outschemed and outexecuted. To wit:

• 2005: The Colts started 13-0, played their regulars the next week in a loss to San Diego, then basically shut it down from there and limited their key guys to two or three series — maximum — because they had the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a 14-2 record. The next time they played a game that mattered, they lost their playoff opener to the Steelers at home. How?

In a loss to Indy two months earlier, Pittsburgh leaned heavily on its running game. But in the rematch the Steelers threw the ball on 12 of their first 17 plays, two which resulted in touchdown passes for a 14-0 lead. The Colts eventually adjusted and were in position to force overtime, but Mike Vanderjagt was wide right on a 46-yard field-goal attempt with 17 seconds to play.

• 2007: Indy clinched the No. 2 seed with a week to go in the regular season and held out or limited its regulars in the finale. Two weeks later, the Colts lost their playoff opener to San Diego, 28-24. Rust had nothing to do with it. In fact, the Colts could not have been sharper to start. They drove 76 yards in nine plays for a 7-0 on their opening possession and were marching for another score on their next offensive series when wide receiver Marvin Harrison fumbled away the ball at the San Diego 17.

Instead of being up 14-0 at home, it was 7-7 after Philip Rivers answered with a touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson. That’s not rust; that’s turnovers and an inability to make stops.