For Chris Ballard, Sunday’s regular-season finale was five years in the making. Over that time, Ballard, the Indianapolis general manager, built a team that was purportedly ready to make the leap in 2021.
His Colts teams had amassed a 32-32 record entering this season, and Ballard had developed a reputation for drafting well, trading smartly and resisting overspending. This season’s team boasts a contender for the Most Valuable Player Award in running back Jonathan Taylor.
With one win over the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts had a chance to enter the A.F.C. postseason as absolutely the last team anyone would want to face.