Forget about the past four playoff games, all losses, the Colts coach says. Only Sunday's game matters.
By ROGER MILLS
Published January 2, 2004
Kicked to the curb by Bucs ownership after leading the team to four playoff appearances in five seasons, it didn't take long for Tony Dungy to get a new job.
The Colts, fresh off their own coaching meltdown of Jim Mora, snagged Dungy within days and made him their new coach in what was supposed to be a classic marriage.
Dungy's defensive proficiency was a perfect match for one of the league's most potent offenses. Dungy's calming influence was precisely what was needed for a team in turmoil.
At first, it seemed to work. Indianapolis finished 10-6. But it was hammered 41-0 by the Jets in a wild-card game. That was Dungy's fourth consecutive playoff loss in which his team failed to score a touchdown.
Entering Sunday's wild-card game against the Broncos, the doubters are back. But Dungy said he doesn't care. "It's really not something you think about," Dungy said of the playoff losses. "You know it's there, and we haven't won.
"But to me, when you lose playoff games, whether they're 41-0 or 35-34, they hurt the same. It's a loss. A loss is just a loss, and a win is just a win. You go on to the next week."
The reality is for all his success in lifting the Bucs into playoff contention and restoring credibility to the Colts, Dungy's coaching legacy is tied to what happens at playoff time.
What many know is Dungy, 48, gets his teams to the playoffs. What many question is if he can get them to the Super Bowl. His past three playoff appearances, two with the Bucs and one with the Colts, ended in first-round defeats. His teams were outscored 93-12.
"I think every year is different," Dungy said. "You can go and say, "This happened last year, or this happened the year before.' Green Bay had never lost a playoff game in Green Bay, and Atlanta went up and beat them. The fact that you won the Super Bowl last year doesn't mean anything coming into this year. You still have to win. The fact that you lost your last playoff game last year doesn't matter that much the next year."
This season, the Colts finished 12-4, won the AFC South and earned a home playoff game. And this time, Dungy isn't standing in the glass house by himself. Quarterback Peyton Manning, whose playoff record is 0-3, is there to diffuse some responsibility.
"He understands it, and we've talked about it a lot during the course of the year," Dungy said. "We said at the very beginning, when we were 4-0, that it wouldn't really matter. That when we got to the end of the year, people would say, "The season starts with the first playoff game.' Whether we were 14-2 or 15-1 or 9-7 and barely getting in, it would have been the same. "Fair or unfair, that's the way it is. So (Manning) understands that. Hopefully, he won't put undue pressure on himself. There's enough pressure trying to win playoff games no matter what."
Manning, who had another MVP-caliber season, said neither a player nor a coach can afford to worry about his legacy.
"It's the Colts, as a team, we haven't done well," Manning said. "For us to do it this time, we need to play better. For us to win, I need to do my job well, at a high level. It's just a fact. I don't hide from it. It is something I certainly would like to change. All I am excited about is we have another opportunity this year. I am proud of this team for fighting back. It was a pretty devastating loss last year in the playoffs. ... We are back. We have another shot. Hopefully, we can do better."
Playing in the RCA Dome could help.
"Being home means a lot for us," running back Edgerrin James said. "We don't always play that well in the cold weather. So that's important for us."
Equally important is Dungy has the Colts believing in his conservative philosophy. Known for keeping his cool, Dungy's controlled manner - and Pro Bowl kicking by Mike Vanderjagt - has helped the team pull off three victories in which it trailed during the fourth quarter. Down 35-14 against the Bucs with four minutes left, neither Dungy nor the Colts panicked. They came back to win 38-35 in overtime. Down 14-3 to the Bills, James' two touchdowns led to a 17-14 victory. And down 17-3 to the Texans, the Colts won on a 43-yard Vanderjagt field goal as time expired.
Trailing 17-10 late against Houston, Dungy opted to punt rather than try a long field goal or convert a fourth-down play. The Colts bought into his idea and made the defensive stop. Even Manning agreed with the decision.
"Certainly, it is our job to score more points than them, but we have to be patient," Manning said, a phrase similar to Dungy speak. "When no one is open, we just can't throw one up for grabs. We have to play the field position game. It was frustrating against Houston to throw an incompletion on third down with four minutes to play. But we backed them up with a punt, got a turnover and took it down to the last minute.
"You have to play the game all the way out. You have to trust your defense to make the big stop at the right time. Hope your guys are open, but if they are not, you have to try it again the next series."
Sound familiar?
- Information from the Colts Web site and other news organizations was used in this report.
