NFL: 25 Most Disappointing 1 Seeds In NFL Playoff History

25 Most Disappointing 1 Seeds In NFL Playoff History: 4. 2005 Indianapolis Colts

This one is one of the most epic games on the list. There were so many moments of this game that should have led to an Indianapolis Colts win, but the Pittsburgh Steelers just seemed to be a team that played on the margins, and that’s where they played best. Before going over the game that ended the Colts season, let’s see how they got here.

The Colts started the season winning their first 13 games, and the talking heads were legitimately talking about another undefeated season. It was a narrative every season, and it hit a fever pitch in 2007 with the Patriots, but the Colts were the first team that seemed like it had a shot. It took until Week 15 against the Chargers to lose a game, and now that the Colts got it out of the way, they were ready to make a run to the Super Bowl.

It’s hard to bring up the disappointments of this season without talking about the tragedy that Tony Dungy dealt with. His son was found dead in his apartment in Florida on December 22nd. Jim Caldwell was forced to take over for a few weeks before Dungy could return in Week 17. However, there’s no way anyone can focus on work after that, let alone the work it takes to be an NFL coach.

When it comes to the game, there is one play that defines the Steelers win against the Colts. Ben Roethlisberger saved Pittsburgh’s season not with a touchdown, but with a tackle. He grabbed Nick Harper’s ankles as he was on the way to scoring a touchdown that would have sealed the game. That would have given the Colts a 24-21 lead, and it would have forced the Steelers to drive to win. Instead, the onus was on the Colts. They took the ball to the other side of the field, and Mike Vanderjagt went to kick a 46-yard, game-tying field goal. He missed with just seconds left after he was perfect in the regular season, and the Colts were out.