Colts hope loss to Saints fuels Super Bowl run in 2011

MIAMI – Reggie Wayne stared right through all those reporters.

He wasn’t bothered by the questions Sunday night. He just couldn’t believe he and the Colts lost to his hometown New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl.

Moments after Indianapolis came up one win short of a championship, the Pro Bowl receiver downplayed the disappointment by focusing on next season.

“I’d rather win than lose, but I think once we get this feeling out of the way, we’ll be determined to come back and get another shot at it,” Wayne said.

It won’t be any easier for the other Colts players, who will constantly be reminded of blowing a 10-point lead in the Super Bowl and failing to live up to expectations following a near-perfect regular season.

“I felt like we played well this postseason,” quarterback Peyton Manning said. “We played well in our first playoff game, played well two weeks ago and, at times, made some plays against the Saints. We just didn’t play well enough to win.”

The Colts team compiled several impressive accomplishments this season:

– It broke the NFL record for consecutive regular-season
wins (23).
– It set the league mark for wins in a decade (115).
– It extended its own NFL mark of consecutive 12-win seasons to seven.
– It completed seven fourth-quarter comebacks, also a league record.
– Manning won his fourth MVP award, breaking a tie with Brett Favre for the most ever.

The Colts finished 14-2 in the regular season and 16-3 overall.

“I lost my last college game, too, and you never want to dwell on it,” receiver Pierre Garcon said. “But it happens. You take it and use it as motivation to come back again next year.”