With five games to play, the Indianapolis Colts sit at 0-11. Without Peyton Manning, they have gone from being one of the best teams in the league to by far the worst, and 0-16 is well within sight. The Colts still have to play the Patriots, Ravens, Titans, Texans and Jaguars, and only one of those games (against Jacksonville) seems winnable.
The Lions are the only team in NFL history to go 0-16. They set the record for mediocrity in 2008, and three players on that year's team are now on this year's Colts squad. Dan Orlovsky is set to start for Indianapolis at quarterback this Sunday and is still looking for his first career win. Linebacker Ernie Sims is part of a Colts defense that is giving up close to 30 points a game. Finally, fullback Jerome Felton was just claimed off waivers by the Colts after the Panthers released him.
As a Lions fan that had to experience the awfulness of a 0-16 season, I'm a bit conflicted on what I want to see happen with this year's Colts. On the one hand, having another team go 0-16 would at least give the Lions some company in the "worst team ever" discussion, and they would no longer be the only franchise that comes to mind when you see 0-16. Then again, 2008 was so painful that you almost don't want to wish it on any franchise's fans. (I say almost because what Lions fan wouldn't enjoy seeing the Bears go winless?)
I don't have anything against Colts fans and I don't think guys like Orlovsky and Sims deserve to be part of the wrong side of history again. At the same time, though, it's not like Colts fans have had to deal with a ton of losing. They were just in a Super Bowl a couple years ago, so at least they have some recent success to point to if 0-16 does happen. Keeping that in mind, I guess I would say I do hope the Colts go winless simply so the 2008 Lions don't stand alone in the record books for losing. What do you guys think?