The Indianapolis Colts have been the strongest team in the NFL through the first 15 weeks of the season. With a 14-0 record, the team looked all but unstoppable as Peyton Manning led a potent offense to an incredible season during one of the QB's best career seasons.

Going against the Jets at home in week 16, the Colts were expected to win this game. They hadn't lost a regular season game since week 8 at Tennessee in 2008, and the Colts had an incredible streak on the line that gave them a very legitimate chance to go 16-0, capping out an undefeated 2009 football season.

Things looked good for the Colts during the first half against the Jets. Leading the game 9-3 at halftime, it looked as if the team was most likely en route to another victory and they'd end up at 15-0 before their final game.

In a very unexpected turn of events, things changed at halftime. What exactly happened here? Well, the Colts opted to bench Peyton Manning in favor of backup quarterback Curtis Painter, who essentially had no pro football experience prior to the game.

What happened from there? Well, the rest is history. The Jets quickly took advantage of the QB change by forcing a fumble on Curtis Painter and turning it into a touchdown.

The team quickly went on a 19-0 run, defeating the Colts by a score of 29-15. This left the Colts at 14-1, ending their streak and destroying their chances of an undefeated season.

It also saved the Jets' season, giving them a real shot at making the playoffs.

What exactly happened here and why would the Colts bench their star QB? Well, the Colts chose to bench Peyton Manning to protect him from potential injury. As they had already clinched home field advantage for the playoffs, they felt it simply wasn't worth the risk.

You can be absolutely sure that talking heads will be letting loose about this decision all week.