* The Colts sometimes being willing to pursue individual milestones, but not pursuing a team milestone of 16-0 on Sunday: "It depends on what you call a team milestone, to begin with. We are not reticent about allowing players to achieve career milestones, because that puts you in the history books. . . We've never been reticent about allowing players to try to reach personal milestones, because they're very important. They are personal milestones and I've said before that I always look back on the two rushing titles that (former Buffalo Bills running back) Thurman Thomas lost because he sat down at the end of the season in order to be healthy for the playoffs when I was in Buffalo and fortunate enough to be with that great team. I always worried that he would be kept out of the Hall of Fame because of that, because he didn't win those rushing titles. Fortunately, he did get into the Hall of Fame. I was ecstatic when it took place because it worried me that we'd made the wrong decision for him. So, we are not reticent about individual milestones. We did not feel that 16-0 was an appropriate team milestone. It's really as simple as that and I can't say it any more clearly than that. We've said it from Day One. That's other people's agendas. Not ours. First of all, every football man feels that it's not attainable anyway, but more importantly, it's not something that anybody really focuses on. To us, we went all out against Jacksonville because of a short week and second of all, because the 23 straight was important. The most wins in a decade were important. Those are things to be proud of, just as the individual players' milestones are to be proud of.”
*“Running away” from a potential 16-0 season: “We didn't run away from it, and 16-0 is not a perfect season. We have a huge difference of opinion there. Sixteen and oh is not a perfect season. Nineteen and oh is a perfect season. The Patriots already did 16-0 and it turned into 18-1. They are not known as a team that achieved a perfect season. We don't ever run away from anything. We'll let our record speak for itself.”
*About fans not getting their money's worth from Sunday's game: “I don't know what to tell you except to say we played as hard as we could. We did not play well. I've talked a lot about where we felt our priorities lay. This team has given everything it has every time out and I don't think there is any time since I've been here, including my first year when we struggled through a 3-13 season (in 1998), when we have not given our best or given our fans their money's worth. I recognize that people pay good money to come and see us play. I also recognize we owe fans 100 percent of our efforts. I've never tolerated anything less than that from any player or any coach in this organization – never will. All we can do is give you our best. If 14 wins is not good enough, I don't know how we can make you happy, quite honestly.”
Late in the show, Polian was asked if players were consulted about the decision. Polian answered that “The players knew in advance what the general plan was. So far as I know, every player signed on to it.”
Polian then added, “This comes down to – if you and I sat down, we would come to a meeting of the minds on what to do with injured players. . . . This comes down to whether or not someone believes that 16-0 is an important goal to be reached. It hurts me quite honestly and I think hurts everyone in this organization to see all of the other things that we've accomplished glossed over. But that's the way the world is. It is what it is and that's the way it is. What this really boils down to is whether or not you believe that 16-0 has meaning. We don't think, and haven't thought about it and have have made it clear from Thanksgiving on when the issue was first raised – by other people, not us – that 16-0 was not something that was important to our season. First of all, most football people don't believe it's possible. We played a very poor game [Sunday]. It's unlikely we would have won under any circumstances given how poorly we played. Everybody's going to play a poor game every now and then. We gave it our best shot. It wasn't good enough. I'm sorry about that. It seems to me that we ought to be focusing on what lies ahead, not what has gone behind us, but there's nothing we can do other than to go and give our best the rest of the season.”
Polian throughout the show emphasized that the Colts had but one focus, and that it was the same focus they have had throughout the season – to put themselves in the best possible position for the posteason.
“If we don't win the Super Bowl regardless of what our regular-season record was people will say, 'It's a wasted season,''' he said. “That already has been said. That was said in August. Not that we necessarily care what people say. We don't, but the fact of the matter is that the whole issue is a story. That's fine. Everybody's entitled to stories. That's wonderful. But it wasn't our issue. And it wasn't one we ever focused on. And it's not one we felt we owed our fans.
“We felt we owed our fans the excellence we've provided for a decade, the 23 straight – which will stand I think for a long time – and the most wins in a decade. That was really important to us. We felt to write our names in the history book would be an important thing for everyone in this organization, and for our fans. Sixteen and oh was not something we ever focused on.”
He said the reason for removing Manning with 5:36 remaining in the third quarter was that that was the time (Colts Head Coach) Caldwell believed appropriate to reduce the risk of Manning being injured.
“There were approximately 20 minutes left in the game,” Polian said. “We felt like we were doing a good job defensively. We had not allowed an offensive touchdown to that point. We were quite upset about the return of the kickoff, which gave them life, but Jim felt at that point it was the time to take him out. You have to put this in context with the opposition, too. This is a very sophisticated, hard-blitzing, pass-rushing, very-difficult-to-pick-up, very-difficult-to-prepare-for, very-difficult-to-execute-against defense. They're the No. 1 defense in the National Football League. They're there for a reason. They have good players.
“But most importantly, they rush the passer with great ferocity. Do you want to expose Peyton in that kind of a situation? I think not. Discretion here is the better part of valor.”
More from Colts President Bill Polian's weekly radio show:
* "We played our worst game Sunday as a team." Here.
* RT Ryan Diem and TE Gijon Robinson likely to miss Sunday's game against Buffalo. Here.
Comments
bill polian's can go to hell look at his team history at resting starters going in to the post season wow
They are afraid to play the Steelers!! That is why they threw the game and they know it!
GO COLTS!!!!
I absolutely agree with the rest of the nation! Bill Polian showed no character in single handedly flushing a once in a lifetime chance at history down the toilet. In the 80 year history of the NFL only two other teams had ever found themselves in that position. His comments about the fan base being irrelevant show how self-centered and arrogant this man really is. He couldn't care less about the millions of fans who were pulling for the Colts to rise to this challenge.It was also obvious that the players were as disgusted (Manning with his helmet on)at rolling over, as the fans were. Has this guy ever actually played in a football game?
If not risking injury to the starters was the most important goal, why did they play for most of 3 quarters????....Can you answer that Mr. Polian?....I didn't think so.....Quit B.S-ing everyone and just tell them you THREW the damn game....Sorry but we are not that ignorant!
It will be great to watch Buffalo Bills, i have bought tickets from
ticketfront.com looking forward to it.
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