INDIANAPOLIS - Colts linebacker Robert Mathis, who has missed the past two games with a biceps injury, didn't hold back in voicing his displeasure about the team's loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, which severely hurt the Colts' chances of winning the AFC South.
"Coming back against a team that has what you want in Houston, which is an AFC South title, we can't rise to the occasion. That's just unacceptable," Mathis said on his weekly show on 1260-AM WNDE in Indianapolis on Tuesday.
"I'm not bashing -- I'm just telling the truth. I'm the leader and that falls on me. I'm the first one the fans should be angry at," he said. "If I can take those bullets for my teammates, I'm taking them. I have to do better. ... The talent is there. We can play with any team, when we are on our A-game. It's [just] a lot of mental. We are not the strongest mentally as a team. The physical ability, the coaching, the players -- it's all there. Mentally, we need to get stronger."
A victory Sunday would have allowed the Colts to control their destiny to win the AFC South. Now they likely need to win out and get help from the teams that Houston and Tennessee face in their final three weeks. The Colts haven't missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 1997-98.
Mathis said he understands the frustration from the fan base because they're on the brink of possibly missing the playoffs for the second straight year.
"We are not getting the job done," Mathis said on his show. "However you shake it, the blame falls on us. The fans being [upset] is fully acceptable. They pay their hard earned money to get entertainment and see their team come out and whoop a little tail. That didn't happen. They are disappointed and that's fully understood."