2013 NFL Playoffs: Indianapolis Colts Fall Without Bruce Arians


Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It has been a year of ups and downs for the Indianapolis Colts with the team going from just two wins in 2011, all the way to the AFC playoffs in 2012. There was the illness of coach Chuck Pagano and the success of Andrew Luck. There is one coach that may have been overlooked some during this season and during the Wild Card game, his absence was felt in offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. Arians was taken to a Baltimore hospital with an illness before Sunday’s game and it looked like the Colts suffered in their loss to the Baltimore Ravens because of it.

Baltimore was playing with a ton of emotion obviously with Ray Lewis playing his last home game but the Colts were in the game all the way through the first half. If Arians would have been well enough to be on the sidelines, I think Indianapolis may have actually won the game. The play-calling that got the Colts to the playoffs just wasn’t there and it showed as Indianapolis began to fall apart in the second half.

It was just an instance where a coach who had called all the plays all year and was the head coach for most of the season just disappears and everything falls apart. It is a real shame to Luck and the Colts as their season faded away into the Baltimore evening. There is no doubt that the Colts had a great turnaround but could have had more if Arians would have been on the sidelines for the playoff game. The question now is will Arians be back next year in Indy?

Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports or like his Facebook page.

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