On September 28, 1969

[Kray007]

The Colts walked into Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis to face off against the Vikings. Three hours later, they staggered off the field on the short end of a 52-14 annihilation in which Joe Kapp and two backups threw for almost 540 yards.

The next year, they finished 11-2-1 and carried home the Lombardi Trophy.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that the Colts are a year away from the promised land. Next year’s QB is likely to be a rookie who’ll experience the usual growing pains. But, also, don’t mistake that as pessimism. Chris Ballard has put together a heckuva roster that only needs a few tweaks to walk into the big game and carry off the trophy.

Some luck is needed. Drafting a QB always has elements of a crap shoot. But, if Ballard hits with the pick and he adds a couple of pieces to the OL…