The Indianapolis Colts are still undefeated after playing the Broncos this past weekend. Not exactly breaking news, I realize. But what you may not have realized is that there are people arguing that the Broncos also (sort of, kind of) won.
Yes, we have entered in the murky world of moral victories, a long time favorite cliché of sports writers to describe a loss more painful than an expected drubbing would be. As a fan, a moral victory often doubles as a soul-crushing loss where an underdog team plays just well enough to get your hopes up before ultimately failing to win (see Florida State at Miami 2002).
After pulling themselves out of the resulting fetal position, a fan will start to talk themselves into the loss being a good thing. The team played well, they hung in there, they showed grit, just a couple lucky breaks from pulling out the shocking victory, they may not have won this one but they are surely going to win next time – yadda, yadda, yadda. It is the language of the optimistic loser.
And of course I know of what I speak – look at any of my postings regarding the Seminoles.
My first problem with this line of thinking is the linguistic problem of calling something a moral victory. I don’t think you can use the term victory when they in fact lost – it isn’t like the Broncos’ record is now going to be 7-4-1 like they had on overtime loss in hockey. And what do morals have to do with anything? He played great in a loss so all of Brandon Marshall’s off field transgressions are forgotten? Does that make Peyton Manning immoral? If that is the case, is every loss by BYU by definition a moral victory? Interestingly, there seems to have been an entire alternative definition of moral created just to support the phrase. How can I get that kind of help when I make up non-sensical phrases – like The Sproles?
So, putting aside the literalness of my issue with declaring a moral victory, was the Broncos game, something that had ‘psychological rather than physical or tangible effects’?
Actually, yes.
Bronco fans remember the trips to Indianapolis under Mike Shanahan. Games where the Colts put up 40 plus points and the Broncos got lucky to get to double digits. Those games were over before Archie Manning had even reached his RCA Dome suite.
This game looked to be the exact same story when the Colts marched down the field with the first two drives and had 14 points before the first update came across the screen from another game. Then a funny thing happened on the way to a blow-out.
The defense started slowing down the Colts, started getting turnovers and the offense started moving the ball. Sure there were mistakes that ultimately cost them the game (turnovers, penalties, and Eagles-esque inability to gain a yard on 3rd and 4th down), but when the Broncos scored to make the 21-16 mid-way through the fourth quarter, there must have been a few moments of concern in the Selling-Our-Souls-to-the-Oil-Based-Devil Dome.
If the playoffs seeding were to remain as it currently stands, the Broncos would go to New England for the first game (the only NFL team imploding quicker than the Cowboys and a team that the Broncos already beat once, back when Randy Moss still gave a crap). If they were able to beat the Pats, they would then return to Indy to play the Colts again.
Most likely that Colts team would have not played a full-length, meaningful game since…well last Sunday, while the Broncos will have won at least 3 of 4 do-or-die games. You think there might be a little rust on that offensive machine that scored 14 points before the knees of the Broncos ‘veteran’ secondary had even stopped creaking and popping?
If in the next (hypothetical) meeting, if the Broncos keep the Colts from starting fast and already have some idea how to move the ball on the Colts defense (and learn how to gain a yard when necessary), you don’t think that this Broncos team has the confidence and talent to shock the country?
So, while the Broncos did lose the game, fall a game further behind the Chargers and get a game closer to the rest of the Wild Card mob, it is hard to argue that this wasn’t a positive for the Broncos. They exorcised the Indy demons (a little) and convinced themselves they could slow down the best offense in the AFC and move on the Colts defense. If these teams meet again that has to bring some positive ‘psychological rather than physical or tangible effects’.
I am sure that the Broncos coach agrees with that.
“When you lose, you lose,” McDaniels said after the game. “There’s no moral victories in this league.”
Oh.
Nevermind.
