The Chargers, and the Dolphins, are frauds. They’ll each be bounced in their first games. The Ravens are going to eat the Wildcat for breakfast. And the Chargers? Forget it. The Colts are going to crush those guys. It won’t even be close.

Take solace in the fact that Manning will tear SD to shreds.

people want the rule changed because it benefits the Pats now, but you have to look at the past and how often does something like this happens, but even with that said, win one more game and we are not thinking about the rules

All the teams knew the rules going in, it’s not like this is the BCS! :)

Besides, most people were thinking the AFC East would be the “weak” division this year. Turned out to not be the case, but I’m sure had it played out that way we still would be defending the legitimacy of the division title.

Plus, if people are really upset about this year specifically, you pointed it out: we lost to the Chargers. Had we beat them, they’d be out right now and we’d be in even under the 4-division, 2 WC system. Gotta win the games on your schedule, plain and simple. No whining! :)

I’m no Pats fan (my Pats-loving husband and co-Colts bloggers can attest to that), but my first inclination was that it was totally unfair for your team not to make the playoffs. But in retrospect this is like our judicial system – more heavily weighted toward not convicting an innocent man. In addition to hyping up the intra-division rivalries, the system also seems designed to ensure somebody with a worse record but tougher schedule isn’t held out. A post on Stampede Blue today shows that the Pats had the easiest post-season-adjusted schedule among all teams, so having gone 11-5 seems a bit less impressive that way (though I will in no way denigrate the team’s accomplishments after losing as many starters as they did).

If it ever ends up a Manning-Manning super bowl, I think we’ll end up going to the movies that day, lol.