Colts links: Destined to lose Super Bowl 50?

How satisfied would Indianapolis  Colts fans be with a Super Bowl 50 appearance -- and a loss?

That's a popular scenario as NFL writers start making predictions for the upcoming season. It would follow the Colts' progression of the Ryan Grigson-Chuck Pagano-Andrew Luck era -- one more step before falling short of the ultimate prize.

But first, a pick of the Colts winning the Super Bowl.

• Todd Salem of FanSided goes with the Colts beating the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Dan Salem has the Green Bay Packers winning.

When Indy faces Seattle in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks fall short once again. Defense no longer wins championships, and Luck and company will prove that, earning their first title under this regime. 

Now to a popular pick -- the Packers over the Colts.

• From Adam Schein at NFL.com:

The league is celebrating its 50th Super Bowl. Nothing would be more poetic and perfect then watching two unbelievable quarterbacks shoot it out.

It's not that I love the Packers or Colts. It's that I'm absolutely infatuated with their quarterbacks.

Give me Aaron Rodgers over Andrew Luck in a classic game, 38-35 Pack.

• At CBS Sports, its Prediction Machine sees a 31-28 Packers victory.

The Prediction Machine has correctly predicted at least one Super Bowl participant for the past two seasons, so that seems to be good news for either Colts fans or Packers fans.

• Same from Terez Paylor at the Kansas City Star.

• AOL has the Colts falling to the Seahawks.

In Andrew Luck's fourth NFL season, strapped with T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson, the Colts figure to be even stronger than they were a year ago. A trip to the Super Bowl was just out of their reach last January, but in Chuck Pagano's contract year, there should be a bit of extra motivation to reach the title game in February -- but we have them falling just short. 

• Jim Derry at NOLA.com has the Denver Broncos beating the Eagles. He has the Colts earning the No. 1 AFC seed but losing to Denver in the AFC Championship Game.

With more weapons on offense and an emerging superstar at quarterback in Andrew Luck, this could certainly be the year the Colts jump from a team on the cusp to a Super Bowl participant. I still think they're one year away, as their former quarterback has one last moment of shining glory, but Luck most definitely could steal the spotlight.

• It's probably no surprise that Musket Fire, the FanSided site for New England Patriots fans, picks New England to reach the Super Bowl, along with Green Bay.

I think Tom Brady and the Patriots advance to yet another Super Bowl, while Aaron Rodgers and company get past the Legion of Boom to meet New England in San Francisco for an epic battle between the two best quarterbacks in the league.