The Colts kind of got swept under the rug as being the first victim on the Ravens’ run to the title, considering what the Ravens had to go through after facing Indianapolis. After taking out the upstart team of the year in Baltimore, the Ravens had to face two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks on their way to Super Bowl XLVII. The road wasn’t easy, and each game was a separate challenge.

Although the marquee match-ups that followed the game between the Colts and Ravens were a bit more sexy, it shouldn’t be discounted how close the Colts were to knocking Baltimore out in the first round. The Colts looked rushed and overwhelmed at times, but they still had plenty of early opportunities to retire Ray Lewis in his home stadium. An abundance of penalties and turnovers, coupled with the last-second loss of offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, proved to be too much to overcome for Indianapolis.

So, the Colts had to watch the Ravens raise the title, and a few players had to take a bittersweet trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. The loss may have hurt, but knowing how close they came to knocking off the best team in the world should also be inspiring. The Colts took an early exit form the postseason, but at least they lost to the champs.

A win for New England would have meant just more solidifying of an already amazing run for that team over the last twelve years. The legend of what this team has been able to do, regardless of scandals and setbacks, was established long ago. Yet one more Super bowl appearance, win or lose, would continue to silence talk of anything but a decade-plus of dominance (especially in the AFC) by New England. For this team to come up short shows a case for the fact this franchise is not bulletproof. For all of their past and present successes, the Patriots can still walk around with their chests puffed out. To see that legend hampered just a bit by big losses, will help to quiet talks of whether or not this run was the best run ever.

Because of the rivalry during this run, any loss for the Patriots is a small victory for fans of the Indianapolis Colts. It’s tough for Indianapolis fans to watch New England win. The rivalry will go on, and both teams will do battle again, but one less Super Bowl appearance won’t lessen what the Patriots have accomplished during this era. As far as this AFC Championship game goes, it seems that Indianapolis Colts fans saw a victory for the lesser of two evils.