By Stephen Holder

stephen.holder@indystar.com

It's over. The roller-coaster ride the Indianapolis Colts subjected us to, complete with thrilling highs and head-scratching lows, ended suddenly on a cool, wet night in Foxborough, Mass.

Saturday's 43-22 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC divisional playoffs came one step beyond last season's final stand. But it was not the fate the Colts had hoped for.

"There are no moral victories," outside linebacker Robert Mathis said. "There's wins and losses. That's what this league is. That's how you're measured. You're only as good as your last game."

Perhaps, but the story of the Colts' season can't be based on their performance on a single evening. It's much more complex.

Here, then, are five lessons learned from the 2013 Colts season:

Luck ends the debate

Remember last year about this time how there was real debate about which of the NFL's young quarterbacks was the best of the bunch?

Some would opt for Russell Wilson over Colin Kaepernick. Others would argue for Cam Newton over Robert Griffin III. Andrew Luck was always a part of the conversation but hardly a unanimous choice.

That has changed. There now is widespread agreement that he is the top of the class in the group of quarterbacks who have entered the league in the past three years. His performance in the playoffs — flawed as it was with seven interceptions in two games — put the NFL on notice, putting to rest doubts about his potential for greatness.

Luck's four interceptions against the Patriots on Saturday were mostly unsightly. But look past his youthful mistakes, made mostly while pressing to make a play while the season was slipping away, and you see a fearless gunslinger capable of throwing dimes, on the run, off-balanced. His two deep throws to T.Y. Hilton displayed the rare arm strength Luck possesses.

The case for Luck over the remaining brilliant young quarterbacks is solidified by this: His supporting cast is inferior to most of the others. Wilson has a running game and defense to die for; Kaepernick has the same; Newton is backed by a defense that finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the NFL.

Luck's 2013 season ended in ugly fashion. But it simultaneously left many wanting more and wondering what he might do next.

The defense is lacking

If the Colts are serious about making a Super Bowl run in the post-Peyton Manning era — something that Luck makes possible — theywill have to get more consistency from their defense. As much as the offense was unreliable from week to week, it could always rely on the playmaking of the team's best player, Luck.

On defense, the playmakers are few and far between. Mathis remains at the top of his game, coming off a career year. But as evidenced Saturday night, when he had only a sporadic impact (three tackles, one sack), the Colts rarely have somewhere else to turn when they need a big defensive play.

Inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman took his game to another level this season, producing turnovers and pass rush. But where else did the game-changing plays come from on defense? Cornerback Vontae Davis had his best pro season and the Colts would be wise to try to re-sign him, but it's hard to make splash plays as a cover cornerback 25 yards downfield. Safety Antoine Bethea had some big moments down the stretch, but he had some costly lapses in coverage, too.

The defense isn't necessarily as bad as the numbers suggest (20th in total defense and 26th in run defense during the regular season). But it's not a championship defense, either. In fact, it's not close, despite all of last year's offseason personnel moves.

And here's a legitimate question: Could the defense stand to be a little less aggressive, both with blitzes and in the use of single coverage? That's a question coach Chuck Pagano and his coaches might need to contemplate.

T.Y. Hilton is no one-trick pony

There are those who perhaps wondered after last season whether Hilton was best characterized as a deep threat and little more. Reggie Wayne's unfortunate season-ending injury gave Hilton a chance to disprove that notion.

Yes, he still made plays down the field, the kind that he continued to turn in against the Patriots (he averaged 25.8 yards per catch). But Hilton ran the spectrum of routes with great success: slants and digs and outs. This season, Hilton showed he is equally adept at getting behind the defense and making plays underneath it.

Pep Hamilton and Luck make quite the combo

For all the debate during the season about offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton's power-football approach, highlighted by frequent heavy personnel formations, he showed what a great combination he makes with Luck.

Having been Luck's coordinator at Stanford, you figured Hamilton would hit it off with his former quarterback. But the gains Luck made this year — the dramatic reduction in turnovers to his improved decision-making to his ability to get the most out of his supporting cast — suggest he is thriving under Hamilton. There is no bigger task before the Colts right now than offering Luck all the support he needs to succeed.

That goes beyond just personnel. It includes coaching. In Hamilton, the Colts have the right guy working with Luck.

Is the run-first identity working

The Colts talked about being a run-first football team, but really, it was not much more than talk. For a number of reasons, including injuries that undermined their preseason plans, the Colts' play selection in 2013 wasn't much different than in 2012.

Indianapolis threw the ball 60 percent of the time in 2012. In 2013, the Colts threw the ball … 60 percent of the time. They didn't push the ball down the field nearly as much as they did under former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, but the point is still obvious.

At the end of the day, the Colts are going to go as the quarterback goes, and that's good reason to make sure the ball is in his hands whenever possible.

Call Star reporter Stephen Holder at (317) 444-6520 or email stephen.holder@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @HolderStephen.