Jim Caldwell has no regrets about Indianapolis Colts' imperfect season

The Indianapolis Colts head coach, Jim Caldwell, maintains that he has no regrets about resting starters during the final two games of the NFL's regular season, effectively ending the team's hopes of going a whole season undefeated. The Colts, who had won their first 14 games, lost to the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills after key starters were either withdrawn early in the games or left out altogether, but Caldwell says the decision has been validated by his team's success in reaching Super Bowl XLIV. "Our goal and aim is to get to where we are today," said Caldwell, speaking in his final press conference before Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. "You're hired to win Super Bowls, you're not hired to have outstanding seasons. It's pretty simple to me to understand that the most important thing is to get where we are today and to have an opportunity to win it all." Caldwell said the Colts' injured defensive end Dwight Freeney is "treading in the right direction", but it remains to be seen whether the player will practice today for the first time since tearing an ankle ligament during the team's AFC Championship game win over the New York Jets on 24 January. The coach added that the cornerback Jerraud Powers, who has also been unable to practise due to a foot injury, "feels he will be able to play", but said any final decision on his availability would be made after consulting team doctors. The New Orleans Saints head coach, Sean Payton, also reflected on his team's end-of-season slump, when they lost their final three games after having won the first 13. "Certainly we wanted to win a couple of those close games we weren't able to," said Payton. "But I think the key was preparing to play well in the play-offs. We just had to make sure we got guys healthy, and to really focus on taking advantage of playing at home against Arizona and then again the next week against Minnesota."