Colts' near-perfect season ends in disappointment

INDIANAPOLIS -- Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward was in disbelief after the Steelers 21-18 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. \n"I thought the game was over several times. I thought we won, then I though we lost ... didn't you?" asked the wide-eyed Ward after the Steelers dominated the Colts, only to give them several opportunities to get back into the game in the final quarter. "We didn't try to do it like this - trust me." \nWard couldn't have been the only one shocked by the Colts' loss or the method by which the Steelers handed them that loss, a rare occurrence in a season that saw Indianapolis race to a 13-0 record and a shot at an undefeated regular season. \nThe Steelers had a race of their own Sunday, jetting to a 14-0 first quarter lead thanks to two touchdown passes from Ben Roethlisberger, one to tight end Heath Millerand another to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El. The Pittsburgh defense complemented the offensive barrage with an onslaught of its own throughout the game, hurrying Colts quarterback Peyton Manning relentlessly and sacking him five times.\nBy the end of the third quarter, the RCA Dome's blue masses were silently agitated. Some fans even headed for the exits as Pittsburgh extended its lead to 21-3 on running back Jerome Bettis' large shoulders.\n"We could hear our fans out there," Roethlisberger said. "When Peyton has to quiet the crowd at his home stadium you know the fans are having an effect."\nThe fans who remained saw a season-defining final quarter of football.\nIn the final play of the third quarter, Manning waived off the Indianapolis punt team and completed a fourth-down pass to Brandon Stokley that kept the trailing Colts in the hunt. Two plays later, an energized RCA Dome crowd erupted as Manning tossed a 50-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark.\nIn the first of several stunning turns, Manning's next attempt to bring the Colts closer appeared to be an interception by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu fumbled, recovered the fumble and seemed to have given the Steelers possession. The play was challenged and overturned, though, and the Colts retained possession.\nThe Colts, seemingly reawakened by their newfound fortune, marched down the field and scored on an Edgerrin James touchdown run and a two-point conversion, narrowing the lead to 21-18. \nThe Colts got the ball back with what seemed their last chance to prevail. On fourth down, with 16 yards to go for the first down and only one minute and 27 seconds left, Manning was sacked at the Colts' one yard line. Bettis had the job of putting the Colts away, with one yard to the end zone and a win in sight. \nBut the running back who hadn't fumbled in over 250 carries was hit and fumbled the ball into the hands of the Colts' injured cornerback Nick Harper. Harper sprinted to the middle of the field and was stopped by a desperate dive by Roethlisberger.\nThe Colts, blessed with yet another chance, were able to drive into field goal range, setting up kicker Mike Vanderjagt -- the most accurate kicker in NFL history -- with a 47-yard field goal attempt in the final minutes. \nHe missed wide right.\n"They played very hard and they made the plays to win it," said Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy, who failed to rule out the possibility of retirement after a tumultuous season that saw the Colts nearly reach a perfect regular-season record and Dungy's son James commit suicide. "I was proud of our guys for hanging in there and fighting all the way through. We just didn't play well enough today."\nWith the win, the Steelers now go on to face the Denver Broncos next week, while Manning and the Colts can only think ahead to next season and dwell on another year of lost opportunity. \n"Every game that I play I take it personal when we play well and when we lose," Manning said. "I'm disappointed and I can't give you anymore of an explanation than that. It will be more disappointing tonight and tomorrow, and it certainly takes time to move on from a game like this"