Bryan Joiner

Jeffrey Chadiha has a column on ESPN.com today that is tagged with the line, “Rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated.” The topic? The notion that without Dwight Freeney, the Colts cannot win the Super Bowl. Chadiha writes:

It’s a devastating blow to lose a Pro Bowl defensive end, no question. But to believe Freeney’s loss makes the Colts incapable of defending their Super Bowl championship is a silly notion at best.

Here’s what I’d like to know: where that “silly notion” comes from. Did Chadiha make it up? The answer is “yes.” No one is saying — not on ESPN.com at least, as far as I can tell — that the Colts can’t win without Freeney. If this was Peyton Manning, it would be another story. But it’s not Peyton Manning.

And the end of his article, Chadiha writes:

All they need is the same attitude and belief that has gotten them this far. When it comes down to it, it’s those two qualities that mean more to Indianapolis than anything else these days.

Yes, those two qualities… and Peyton Manning.