Coaching the Difference?

Jim Caldwell has taken plenty of heat this season for his decisions, specifically his decision to rest the starters for the final two games of the season. Following the Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints, Caldwell received more criticism and was questioned for his ability or lack there of to match the aggressiveness and fire of Sean Payton. Like predecessor Tony Dungy, Caldwell is not the type of coach who will wear his emotions on his sleeve. Every shot of him on the sideline during the Super Bowl showed him emotionless and seemingly complacent, but on the inside it is safe to assume that he was feeling a lot worse than he was actually letting on. Even after the game Caldwell did not show much disappointment or emotion in the interview following the defeat. However, this calm, cool, and collected style may ultimately lead to his inability to ever connect with Indianapolis fans. 

Trying to follow in the footsteps of Tony Dungy is quite a task in itself, but attempting to follow in these footsteps in the exact same path is proving to be almost impossible. Colts fans have already seen this act before with Dungy, and Caldwell is trying to replicate it just as high school’s try to replicate Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. As much as fans hate Rex Ryan when their team is squaring off against the New York Jets, you would be hard pressed to find a coach who is more beloved by their fans and players. Ryan’s aggressive and explosive personality exudes confidence to everyone around him. The same can be said about Sean Payton, who arguably puts more trust in his team than any coach in the NFL. Payton’s aggressive style puts the ball in the hands of the athletes, and even though he is one of the smartest coaches around he understands that he must trust his players and they must carry out the tasks they are assigned. Oppositely coach Caldwell seemingly took the ball out of the hands of his players time and time again this season. From sitting his starters the last two games of the season to playing it safe throughout the Super Bowl it is clear that Caldwell was reluctant to take the risk that other coaches around the NFL take. 

Certainly Tony Dungy proved that it is possible to win the Super Bowl with a calm and cool coaching strategy, however, I believe most Colts fans are beginning to crave a coach that is willing to put more on the line and gamble more often. Coach Caldwell certainly did not lose the game for the Colts, but it can be argued that events leading up to the game and coaching calls during the game helped play a major role in the Colts defeat. It was clear that fans were very unhappy with the decision not to play for the perfect season, and I believe that affected the momentum of this team going into the playoffs. Fans will always look for a goat after a loss, especially one with the magnitude of the Super Bowl. However, the blame cannot fall squarely on the shoulders of one person, and instead of looking for a goat maybe we should be giving praise to the play of the Saints.