OAKLAND, Calif. — Colts owner Jim Irsay wondered aloud during the summer about what kind of football team he'd see this season.
Fifteen regular-season games later, he's likely no closer to a definitive answer.
Indianapolis (7-8) lost a deceptively close 33-25 decision at Oakland on Saturday and officially was eliminated from the playoffs. It marked the first time the franchise will sit out the postseason in consecutive years since 1997-98 and rendered next week's home finale against Jacksonville inconsequential.
It's a disappointing result in a season that has seen T.Y. Hilton take the NFL lead in receiving yards (1,353) and Frank Gore reach the verge of ending a nearly decade-long slump without a 1,000-yard rusher.