2015 Indianapolis Colts season

Last updated

2015 Indianapolis Colts season
Owner Jim Irsay
General manager Ryan Grigson
Head coach Chuck Pagano
Home field Lucas Oil Stadium
Results
Record8–8
Division place2nd AFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers Mike Adams, SS
Vontae Davis, CB
T. Y. Hilton, WR
Uniform
Colts football uniforms.png

The 2015 Indianapolis Colts season was the franchise's 63rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 32nd in Indianapolis, surpassing the 31 seasons they played in their original home city of Baltimore. It was also the fourth season under the trio of head coach Chuck Pagano, general manager Ryan Grigson and quarterback Andrew Luck. The Colts entered the 2015 season as the defending AFC South champions after compiling an 11–5 record before falling to the New England Patriots in a controversial AFC Championship game matchup.

Contents

After a week 8 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Colts fired offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and elevated associate head coach Rob Chudzinski to replace him. [1] The Colts failed to improve from their three consecutive 11–5 records and finished the season at 8–8. They lost the division to the Houston Texans and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and only the fourth time since 1998. This was their first time to lose to the Houston Texans at home since the Texans entered the NFL in 2002.

2015 draft class

Source:

2015 Indianapolis Colts Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
1 29 Phillip Dorsett Wide receiver Miami
365 D'Joun Smith Cornerback Florida Atlantic
93 Henry Anderson Defensive end Stanford
4109 Clayton Geathers Safety Central Florida
5151 David Parry Nose tackle Stanford
6205 Josh Robinson Running back Mississippi State
207 Amarlo Herrera Inside linebacker Georgia
7*255 Denzelle Good [2] Tackle Mars Hill
* Compensatory selection [3]

Draft trades

Undrafted free agents

Source:

PositionPlayerCollegeNotes
QB Bryan Bennett Southeastern Louisiana
RB Abou Toure Tennessee-Martin Waived on August 31 [4]
RB Tyler Varga Yale
TE Jean Sifrin Massachusetts-Amherst Waived on June 2 [5]
TEJustin Sinz Purdue Waived on August 31 [4]
C Brandon Vitabile Northwestern Waived on August 31 [4]
WR Ezell Ruffin San Diego State Waived on August 31 [4]
WRQuan Bray Auburn
WRTyler Rutenbeck Dubuque [6]
CB Al-Hajj Shabazz West Chester
CBJosh Mitchell Nebraska
CBDonald Celiscar Western Michigan Waived-injured on August 31 [4]
CBRaymon Taylor Michigan [7]
ILB Justin Shirk Bloomsburg Waived on August 31 [4]
ILBJunior Sylvestre Toledo
OLB Cody Galea San Diego State
OLBTerrell Hartsfield Cincinnati Waived on May 10 [8]
OLBZack Hodges Harvard Waived on August 31 [4]
S Robert Smith Clemson
K Taylor Ponitus North Alabama [9]

Roster moves

Free agents

PositionPlayer Free agency
tag
Date signed/released2015 teamNotes
S Mike Adams UFA March 10, 2015Indianapolis Colts [10]
LB Daniel Adongo ERFA March 10, 2015Indianapolis Colts [11]
S Colt Anderson UFAMarch 10, 2015Indianapolis Colts [12]
RB Ahmad Bradshaw UFAOctober 14, 2015Indianapolis Colts [13]
S Sergio Brown UFAMarch 11, 2015 Jacksonville Jaguars [14]
CB Darius Butler UFAMarch 8, 2015Indianapolis Colts [15]
LB Jerrell Freeman RFA April 27, 2015Indianapolis Colts [16]
CB Josh Gordy UFAApril 15, 2015 New York Giants [17]
QB Matt Hasselbeck UFAFebruary 26, 2015Indianapolis Colts [18]
RB Daniel Herron ERFAApril 1, 2015Indianapolis Colts [19]
S Delano Howell RFA
LB Cam Johnson ERFAMarch 10, 2015Indianapolis Colts [20]
LB Josh McNary ERFASeptember 15, 2015Indianapolis Colts [21]
LS Matt Overton RFAMarch 3, 2015Indianapolis Colts [22]
DE Fili Moala UFAAugust 19, 2015 Houston Texans [23]
G Joe Reitz UFAMarch 10, 2015Indianapolis Colts [24]
WR Hakeem Nicks UFAApril 24, 2015 Tennessee Titans [25]
DT Jeris Pendleton ERFAJune 30, 2015Indianapolis Colts [26]
DE Cory Redding UFAMarch 11, 2015 Arizona Cardinals [27]
C A. Q. Shipley RFAMarch 11, 2015 Arizona Cardinals [27]
LB Andy Studebaker UFAMarch 10, 2015 Tennessee Titans [28]
WR Reggie Wayne UFAMarch 10, 2015 New England Patriots [29]
RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent, FT: Franchise tag

Additions

PositionPlayerTag2014 TeamNotes
WR Duron Carter UFA Montreal Alouettes Signed on February 3, 2015. [30]
OL Ben Heenan UFA Saskatchewan Roughriders Signed on February 3, 2015. [31]
DE Earl Okine UFA Brooklyn Bolts Signed on March 3, 2015. [32]
G Todd Herremans UFA Philadelphia Eagles Signed on March 8, 2015. [33]
RB Frank Gore UFA San Francisco 49ers Signed on March 10, 2015. [34]
LB Trent Cole UFAPhiladelphia EaglesSigned on March 10, 2015. [35]
DE Kendall Langford UFA St. Louis Rams Signed on March 10, 2015. [36]
WR Andre Johnson UFA Houston Texans Signed on March 11, 2015. [37]
LB Nate Irving UFA Denver Broncos Signed on March 20, 2015. [38]
WR Vincent Brown UFA Oakland Raiders Signed on March 31, 2015. [39]
S Dwight Lowery UFA Atlanta Falcons Signed on April 3, 2015. [40]

Departures

PositionPlayerTag2015 TeamNotes
S LaRon Landry UFA--Released on February 11, 2015. [41]
LB Andrew Jackson UFA--Released on February 11, 2015. [42]
T Xavier Nixon UFA Washington Redskins Released on February 11, 2015. [42]
LB Shaun Phillips UFA--Released on February 16, 2015. [43]
DE Ricky Jean-Francois UFA Washington Redskins Released on February 23, 2015. [44]
RB Michael Hill UFA Washington Redskins Released on March 12, 2015. [45]
RB Trent Richardson UFA Oakland Raiders Released on March 12, 2015. [46]

Staff

2015 Indianapolis Colts staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning


Final roster

2015 Indianapolis Colts roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 15 reserve, 10 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame siteNFL.com
recap
1August 16at Philadelphia Eagles L 10–360–1 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
2August 22 Chicago Bears L 11–230–2 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
3August 29at St. Louis Rams W 24–141–2 Edward Jones Dome Recap
4September 3 Cincinnati Bengals L 6–91–3Lucas Oil Stadium Recap

Regular season

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame siteNFL.com
recap
1September 13at Buffalo Bills L 14–270–1 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
2September 21 New York Jets L 7–200–2 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
3September 27at Tennessee Titans W 35–331–2 Nissan Stadium Recap
4October 4 Jacksonville Jaguars W 16–13 (OT)2–2Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
5October 8at Houston Texans W 27–203–2 NRG Stadium Recap
6October 18 New England Patriots L 27–34 3–3Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
7October 25 New Orleans Saints L 21–273–4Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
8November 2at Carolina Panthers L 26–29 (OT)3–5 Bank of America Stadium Recap
9November 8 Denver Broncos W 27–244–5Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
10 Bye
11November 22at Atlanta Falcons W 24–215–5 Georgia Dome Recap
12November 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 25–126–5Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
13December 6at Pittsburgh Steelers L 10–456–6 Heinz Field Recap
14December 13at Jacksonville Jaguars L 16–516–7 EverBank Field Recap
15December 20 Houston Texans L 10–166–8Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
16December 27at Miami Dolphins W 18–127–8 Sun Life Stadium Recap
17January 3 Tennessee Titans W 30–248–8Lucas Oil Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Buffalo Bills

Quarter1234Total
Colts008614
Bills7107327

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

With the loss, the Colts fell to 0–1.

Week 2: vs. New York Jets

Week Two: New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Jets7301020
Colts00077

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

With the upset loss, the Colts fell to 0–2 for the second straight year.

Week 3: at Tennessee Titans

Week Three: Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts7702135
Titans01017633

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

After trailing 14–0 in the first half, the Titans would score 27 unanswered points to take a 27–14 lead. However, the Colts would own the fourth quarter, as they outscored Tennessee 21–6. The Titans had a chance to tie the game after pulling within 35–33, but the 2-point attempt failed, and the Colts held on for the win. With the win, the Colts improved to 1–2 and picked up their 8th straight win over the Titans.

Week 4: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Four: Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Jaguars31000013
Colts3703316

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: October 4
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), partly cloudy — retractable roof open
  • Game attendance: 65,609
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy (play-by-play) and Adam Archuleta (color commentator)
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Due to an injured shoulder, Andrew Luck missed the first game of his career, and was replaced by 40-year-old veteran Matt Hasselbeck, who avoided any turnovers and led the Colts to a 16–13 win in overtime. Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers would miss 3 game-winning field goal attempts at the end of the fourth quarter and one in overtime. Adam Vinatieri would nail the game winner in overtime to give Indianapolis the win. With the win, the Colts evened their record at 2–2.

Week 5: at Houston Texans

Week Five: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts1037727
Texans0107320

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Despite a Hail Mary being thrown at the end of the first half, the Colts still managed to hold on for the win. With their 3rd straight win, the Colts improved to 3–2, and set a new NFL record for most consecutive wins against division opponents with 16.

Week 6: vs. New England Patriots

Week Six: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Patriots7137734
Colts7140627

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

This game was notorious for a terrible playcall by the Colts, now known as the Colts Catastrophe. With the Colts trailing 27–21 late in the 3rd quarter, Pagano opted to run a scrimmage play using special teams on 4th and 3 on the Colts' 37-yard line. However, a bizarre formation resulted in a Patriots tackle for loss, Colts turnover, and a flag for illegal formation. The Patriots easily scored a touchdown on the next drive and went on to win the game by 7 points, 34–27. The playcall was universally criticized and was considered by many to be the worst play in NFL history. [47]

Week 7: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints7137027
Colts0014721

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

In the Super Bowl rematch between the two teams, the Saints started the first half, dominating the Colts 20–0, which stunned Indy's home crowd. The Colts looked for answers in the second half, but Andrew Luck struggled to find open receivers and he was intercepted twice.

Week 8: at Carolina Panthers

Week Eight: Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Colts06017326
Panthers10076629

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: November 2
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), light rain
  • Game attendance: 74,136
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Jon Gruden (color commentator) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter)
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Colts traveled to Charlotte to take on Cam Newton and his undefeated Carolina Panthers, looking to hang their first loss on them. After struggling much in the first half, the Colts answered back in the fourth quarter. However, it wasn't enough to stop the Panthers in overtime and the Colts would lose 29–26.

Week 9: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Nine: Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Broncos0710724
Colts71001027

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: November 8
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), sunny — retractable roof open
  • Game attendance: 66,894
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color commentator) and Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Peyton Manning returned to Indianapolis for the final time.

Late in the fourth quarter, with the Colts leading 27–24, they looked to extend the lead on a field goal by Adam Vinatieri, but it was overturned and the Colts still won 27–24.

With the win, the Colts went to 4–5, while the Broncos suffered their first loss and dropped to 7–1.

However, two days later, Andrew Luck was hospitalized with a lacerated kidney along with an abdominal injury. He ended up missing the rest of the season, putting more pressure on veteran backup Matt Hasselbeck, who was 2–0 in 2 starts due to Luck's previous injury.

Week 11: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Eleven: Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts0771024
Falcons777021

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Game information

The Colts would trail 21–7 late in the third quarter, but they would fight back to tie the game at 21 after D'Qwell Jackson returned an interception at the Atlanta 6-yard line for a touchdown. The Colts would then later on march down the field to win it with an Adam Vinatieri field goal with 52 seconds left. With the win, the Colts improved to 5–5. They also improved to 14–2 all time against the Falcons.

Week 12: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Twelve: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Buccaneers390012
Colts3313625

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

With the win, the Colts improved to 6–5 and remained in the playoff hunt.

Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Thirteen: Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts370010
Steelers61571745

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 58,701
  • Referee: Ron Torbert
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Colts would suffer an embarrassing loss on national television to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers would lead for the majority of the game, and the Colts could not get into any rhythm. With the loss, the Colts fell to 6–6.

Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Fourteen: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts3103016
Jaguars36212151

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: December 13
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), clear
  • Game attendance: 62,372
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy (play-by-play) and Adam Archuleta (color commentator)
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Colts would lead 13–3, but Jacksonville would outscore Indianapolis 48–3 from then on. With the loss, the Colts fell to 6–7 and lost to a divisional opponent for the first time since 2012, snapping their NFL record 16-game winning streak in division play.

Week 15: vs. Houston Texans

Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans0331016
Colts0100010

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: December 20
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 66,083
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play), Trent Green (color commentator) and Jamie Erdahl (sideline reporter)
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

This, notably, is the Colts' first loss to the Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium since the latter team began play in 2002.

Week 16: at Miami Dolphins

Week Sixteen: Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts870318
Dolphins063312

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 27
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 65,482
  • Referee: Gene Steratore
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton (play-by-play), David Diehl (color commentator) and Kristina Pink (sideline reporter)
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

With the win, the Colts improved to 7–8. This was Matt Hasselbeck's final career game.

Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Seventeen: Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Titans773724
Colts10107330

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

With the win, the Colts ended their season at 8–8 and won their 9th straight game against the Titans.

Standings

Division

AFC South
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(4) Houston Texans 970.5635–17–5339313W3
Indianapolis Colts 880.5004–26–6333408W2
Jacksonville Jaguars 5110.3132–45–7376448L3
Tennessee Titans 3130.1881–51–11299423L4

Conference

#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division Leaders
1 [a] Denver Broncos West1240.7504–28–4.500.479W2
2 [a] New England Patriots East1240.7504–29–3.473.448L2
3 [a] Cincinnati Bengals North1240.7505–19–3.477.406W1
4 Houston Texans South970.5635–17–5.496.410W3
Wild Cards
5 Kansas City Chiefs West1150.6885–110–2.496.432W10
6 [b] Pittsburgh Steelers North1060.6253–37–5.504.463W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 [b] New York Jets East1060.6253–37–5.441.388L1
8 [c] Buffalo Bills East880.5004–27–5.508.438W2
9 [c] Indianapolis Colts South880.5004–26–6.500.406W2
10 Oakland Raiders West790.4383–37–5.512.366L1
11 Miami Dolphins East6100.3751–54–8.469.469W2
12 [d] Jacksonville Jaguars South5110.3132–45–7.473.375L3
13 [d] Baltimore Ravens North5110.3133–34–8.508.425L1
14 San Diego Chargers West4120.2500–63–9.527.328L2
15 [e] Cleveland Browns North3130.1881–52–10.531.271L3
16 [e] Tennessee Titans South3130.1881–51–11.492.375L4
Tiebreakers [f]
  1. 1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based
    on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against
    the same four teams was 2–3.
  2. 1 2 Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative
    record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2.
  3. 1 2 Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  4. 1 2 Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory.
  5. 1 2 Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory.
  6. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

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The 2018 season was the Miami Dolphins' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 53rd overall and their third and last under head coach Adam Gase. During the offseason, the Dolphins tweaked their uniforms' orange color to better align with their classical past and history. For the second straight season, they also brought back their throwback uniforms from the Shula/Marino eras and wore them for three games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Houston Texans season</span> 17th season in franchise history

The 2018 season was the Houston Texans' 17th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Bill O'Brien. This marked the first season since 2005 that Rick Smith would not be the general manager as he took a leave of absence for family reasons. Despite an 0–3 start, their first in a decade, the Texans surpassed their win total from the previous season with a Week 8 win over the Miami Dolphins. They had a franchise record 9 consecutive wins that also broke the NFL record for most consecutive wins after starting 0–3. The streak ended with a Week 14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. With a Week 15 win over the New York Jets, the Texans clinched their first 10-win season under head coach Bill O’Brien, their first 10-win season since 2012 and their third 10-win season in franchise history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Indianapolis Colts season</span> 66th season in franchise history; final one with Andrew Luck

The 2018 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 66th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 35th in Indianapolis. It was also their first season under head coach Frank Reich and second under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard. Despite a 1–5 start, the Colts managed to improve on their 4–12 campaign from the year prior with a 38–10 victory over the Tennessee Titans, and a 5-game winning streak. On Week 16, the Colts achieved their first winning season since 2014 with a 28–27 win against the New York Giants. The next week, they beat the Tennessee Titans in a win or go home match-up to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and became the third team in NFL history to qualify for the playoffs after a 1–5 start and first since the 2015 Chiefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Indianapolis Colts season</span> 70th season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 70th in the National Football League (NFL), their 39th in Indianapolis, their sixth under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard and their fifth and final season under head coach Frank Reich.

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