The Colts lost in the most stunning upset of this NFL season on Sunday, getting knocked out of playoff contention by a Jaguars team that had the worst record in the league. You might think no one saw it coming, but Colts coach Frank Reich did.
The final episode of the in-season Hard Knocks that the Colts participated in showed Reich leading the first team meeting of the week leading up to that Jaguars game and warning the Colts that they’ve always struggled in Jacksonville and couldn’t afford anything less than their very best.
“We’ve taken three really good teams down to Jacksonville and lost even when their records are poor,” Reich told the assembled players. I promise you this: They’re sitting in their meeting right now, thinking they’re gonna beat us. Thinking they can beat us and ruin our season. And you know what? They’re right. We’ve got to acknowledge that we know that’s right. They can beat us. If we don’t prepare, if we don’t give our best right now, if we don’t prepare our best this week, we can get beat. We’re in a do-or-die situation. Win-and-get-in situation. The stakes are the highest the stakes get in this business.”
That warning failed to stop the Colts from playing their worst game of the season, and seeing the season end in shocking fashion.