After the collapse was complete, as the disappointment was starting to set in, some sudden perspective began to emerge.



The Indianapolis Colts had just lost their regular-season opener, a 34-23 gut punch of a defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals that left them 0-1 for the fifth consecutive season. This was not exactly the blueprint the organization had drawn up for a successful rebound from a 4-12 season a year ago.



But inside the Lucas Oil Stadium locker room, interestingly, you did not hear despair. You instead heard regret. And there’s an important distinction.



A loss is a loss. But the implications of losses can vary wildly. This loss leads to the following conclusion:



The Colts are not a bad football team. They are, however, a team that must learn how to win.



“I saw a lot of positive things out there,” coach Frank Reich said.



This is not a statement often uttered about last season’s team. The 2017 Colts were...