Incredible Loss Incredibly Inexplicable

Not sure what I just witnessed a little less than 7 hours ago. The defending Super Bowl champions were gloriously ahead 7-0 against the San Diego Chargers, in the Divisional Playoff game. Then the Colts were poised to score again, quickly moving downfield, getting ready for an additional body blow to the Chargers in the form of a 14-0 lead. At home. In the Dome.

And on a brilliant pass and catch from our legendary tandem, Manning to Harrison, we watch in as the sleek Harrison darts across the middle with the ball. Ready to turn the corner, he spins away from a tackle, is hit, and the ball pops out and lands on the Dome turf. Rookie wideout Gonzales is oh-so-close but cannot reach it in time. The ball is recovered by the Chargers.

Let the madness begin.

Indianapolis finally had its star wide receiver back. The offensive line is healthy and whole for the first time a long while. The defense is still without Dwight Freeney, but everyone else is seemingly ready and able to go again. It is all set up for us.

One of San Diego's major weapons, tight end Antonio Gates, is nearly a non-factor with a toe injury. The remarkable Ladanian Tomlinson is rendered a spectator along the sidelines for the entire second half, and the young but still erratic QB Rivers goes out with a leg injury in the late portion of the 3rd quarter. The Colts special teams play has been, well....special throughout the game. It must be destined for us to move on to play the Patriots yet again.

Someone just forgot to tell Billy Volek and Legedu Nanjee. Damn that's hard to type. Not because of the spelling, but because of who they represent. Nobodies off the bench. Stop gap measures. Two guys even Charger fans didn't expect to see today. And along with Michael Turner and Vincent Jackson the Chargers answered every score the Colts put on the scoreboard. They all came through and laid a hurting on the Colts in the form of a 28-24 heartbreaking stunner in the Dome.

The crowd was the LOUDEST I have ever heard it. Just completely deafening, causing so much confusion in the SD offense that timeouts were wasted, offsides were called numerous times and audibles were impossible. Peyton Manning threw for over 400 yards and three TD's. Still, they drove and scored. Against a Colts defense that was the hardest to score against and the toughest to move the ball against in the entire NFL this season.

It just wasn't meant to be after it looked so apparently obvious that it was.

No way to explain it other than it was a completely inexplicable failure to capitalize on so many opportunities. Home field. Roaring crowd. QB on fire, hitting on 14 of 14 opening passes. Special teams playing well.

But the turnovers and inadequate defensive front pressure created the opportunity for San Diego to snatch one away. So did the bizarre penalties by veteran defensive players like Bob Sanders - the NFL's defensive player of the year. Unimaginable and inexplainable.

And when our offense could not put the ball in the endzone three times on drives inside SD redzone territory, we paid with a season-ending loss.

That rainy triumph in Florida seems even more distant now. Off-season has come three weeks earlier than anticipated or desired. And what tops everything off with more bitter taste is the fact that it might lead to another Super Bowl for that "other" team.

Oh God, how miserable it will be to hear that for the next month and on into next season. Please God, do not make us suffer that tortureous fate.

I beg of you. Make them fall short of perfect. It would be the healing salve of this painful loss. This incredible loss that seems so incredibly inexplicable.