EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Indianapolis Colts are accustomed to facing season-defining games in late December or early January.
To their credit, they've put themselves in a position every team wants to be in: playing meaningful games in the final weeks of a season.
The problem is that the Colts keep winding up with the same disappointing outcome. For the third time in four seasons, the Colts fell short in a game that could have propelled them into the postseason, losing 45-33 on Sunday to the New York Giants. It was a game they needed to win to stay alive for the AFC's final wild-card spot, but -- as has become custom -- they could not finish the job as the season wound down.