2015 Indianapolis Colts season

2015 Indianapolis Colts season
Owner	Jim Irsay
General manager	Ryan Grigson
Head coach	Chuck Pagano
Home field	Lucas Oil Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	2nd AFC South
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Mike Adams, SS Vontae Davis, CB T. Y. Hilton, WR
Uniform
←  2014 Colts seasons 2016  →

The 2015 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 63rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 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.

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

Main article: 2015 NFL draft

Source:

2015 Indianapolis Colts Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	29	Phillip Dorsett	Wide receiver	Miami
3	65	D'Joun Smith	Cornerback	Florida Atlantic
	93	Henry Anderson	Defensive end	Stanford
4	109	Clayton Geathers	Safety	Central Florida
5	151	David Parry	Nose tackle	Stanford
6	205	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

• Indianapolis traded their second and fourth-round selections (No. 61 and 128, respectively) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Tampa's third and fourth-round selections (No. 65 and 109, respectively).
• Indianapolis traded their fifth and seventh-round selections (No. 165 and 244, respectively) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for San Francisco's fifth-round selection (No. 151).
• Indianapolis acquired an additional sixth-round selection (No. 207 overall) in a trade that sent cornerback Marcus Burley to the Seattle Seahawks.
• Indianapolis traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 246 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for linebacker Cam Johnson.
• Indianapolis acquired an additional seventh-round selection (No. 244 overall) in a trade that sent defensive end Caesar Rayford to the Dallas Cowboys.

Undrafted free agents

Source:

Position	Player	College	Notes
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]
TE	Justin 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]
WR	Quan Bray	Auburn
WR	Tyler Rutenbeck	Dubuque	[6]
CB	Al-Hajj Shabazz	West Chester
CB	Josh Mitchell	Nebraska
CB	Donald Celiscar	Western Michigan	Waived-injured on August 31 [4]
CB	Raymon Taylor	Michigan	[7]
ILB	Justin Shirk	Bloomsburg	Waived on August 31 [4]
ILB	Junior Sylvestre	Toledo
OLB	Cody Galea	San Diego State
OLB	Terrell Hartsfield	Cincinnati	Waived on May 10 [8]
OLB	Zack Hodges	Harvard	Waived on August 31 [4]
S	Robert Smith	Clemson
K	Taylor Ponitus	North Alabama	[9]

Roster moves

Free agents

Position	Player	Free agency tag	Date signed/released	2015 team	Notes
S	Mike Adams	UFA	March 10, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[10]
LB	Daniel Adongo	ERFA	March 10, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[11]
S	Colt Anderson	UFA	March 10, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[12]
RB	Ahmad Bradshaw	UFA	October 14, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[13]
S	Sergio Brown	UFA	March 11, 2015	Jacksonville Jaguars	[14]
CB	Darius Butler	UFA	March 8, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[15]
LB	Jerrell Freeman	RFA	April 27, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[16]
CB	Josh Gordy	UFA	April 15, 2015	New York Giants	[17]
QB	Matt Hasselbeck	UFA	February 26, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[18]
RB	Daniel Herron	ERFA	April 1, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[19]
S	Delano Howell	RFA	–	–	–
LB	Cam Johnson	ERFA	March 10, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[20]
LB	Josh McNary	ERFA	September 15, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[21]
LS	Matt Overton	RFA	March 3, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[22]
DE	Fili Moala	UFA	August 19, 2015	Houston Texans	[23]
G	Joe Reitz	UFA	March 10, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[24]
WR	Hakeem Nicks	UFA	April 24, 2015	Tennessee Titans	[25]
DT	Jeris Pendleton	ERFA	June 30, 2015	Indianapolis Colts	[26]
DE	Cory Redding	UFA	March 11, 2015	Arizona Cardinals	[27]
C	A. Q. Shipley	RFA	March 11, 2015	Arizona Cardinals	[27]
LB	Andy Studebaker	UFA	March 10, 2015	Tennessee Titans	[28]
WR	Reggie Wayne	UFA	March 10, 2015	New England Patriots	[29]

RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent, FT: Franchise tag

Additions

Position	Player	Tag	2014 Team	Notes
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	UFA	Philadelphia Eagles	Signed 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

Position	Player	Tag	2015 Team	Notes
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 Owner/CEO – Jim Irsay General manager – Ryan Grigson Vice president of football operations – Jimmy Raye III Director of college scouting – T. J. McCreight Director of football administration – Mike Bluem Associate director of pro personnel – Kevin Rogers Jr. Assistant director of college scouting – Todd Vasvari Head coaches Head coach – Chuck Pagano Associate head coach/offensive coordinator – Rob Chudzinski Offensive coaches Quarterbacks – Clyde Christensen Running backs – Charlie Williams Wide receivers – Jim Hostler Tight ends – Alfredo Roberts Offensive line – Joe Gilbert Offensive line – Hal Hunter Offensive quality control – Frank Giufre

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Greg Manusky Defensive line – Gary Emanuel Linebackers – Jeff FitzGerald Outside linebackers – Brad White Secondary – Mike Gillhamer Safeties – Roy Anderson Defensive assistant – Tim Berbenich Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Tom McMahon Assistant special teams – Brant Boyer Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Roger Marandino Assistant strength and conditioning – Richard Howell

Final roster

2015 Indianapolis Colts roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  5 Josh Freeman  8 Matt Hasselbeck  3 Ryan Lindley 12 Andrew Luck  7 Stephen Morris Running backs (RB) 23 Frank Gore 36 Dan Herron 40 Trey Williams Wide receivers (WR) 11 Quan Bray RS 15 Phillip Dorsett 13 T. Y. Hilton 81 Andre Johnson 10 Donte Moncrief Tight ends (TE) 84 Jack Doyle 80 Coby Fleener 86 Erik Swoope

Offensive linemen (OL) 74 Anthony Castonzo T 71 Denzelle Good T 72 Jonotthan Harrison C 62 Khaled Holmes C 60 Lance Louis G 75 Jack Mewhort T 76 Joe Reitz T Defensive linemen (DL) 58 Trent Cole DE 94 Zach Kerr DT 90 Kendall Langford DE 98 Robert Mathis DE 67 T. Y. McGill DT 95 Earl Okine DE 64 Kelcy Quarles DE 54 David Parry DT 92 Björn Werner DE

Linebackers (LB) 50 Jerrell Freeman MLB 49 Amarlo Herrera MLB 52 D'Qwell Jackson OLB 51 Sio Moore OLB 91 Jonathan Newsome OLB 59 Andy Studebaker OLB 93 Erik Walden OLB Defensive backs (DB) 29 Mike Adams SS 32 Colt Anderson SS 31 Jalil Brown CB 20 Darius Butler CB 35 Akeem Davis FS 21 Vontae Davis CB 42 Clayton Geathers S 39 Tay Glover-Wright CB 27 Winston Guy FS 33 Dwight Lowery FS 28 Greg Toler CB Special teams  1 Pat McAfee P 45 Matt Overton LS  4 Adam Vinatieri K

Practice squad 73 Pierce Burton T 16 Duron Carter WR 63 Ben Heenan G 53 Edwin Jackson MLB 65 Kitt O'Brien G 26 LaDarius Perkins RB 34 Josh Robinson RB (IR) 25 Dezmen Southward FS 14 Joshua Stangby WR 61 Joe Vellano DT 47 Brian Vogler TE Reserve 83 Dwayne Allen TE (IR) 96 Henry Anderson DT (IR) 44 Ahmad Bradshaw RB (IR) 55 Nate Irving MLB (IR) 97 Arthur Jones DT (IR) 57 Josh McNary MLB (IR) 43 Tevin Mitchel CB (IR) 46 Josh Mitchell CB (IR) 30 D'Joun Smith CB (IR) 48 Junior Sylvestre OLB (IR) 69 Hugh Thornton G (IR) 38 Tyler Varga FB (IR)  6 Charlie Whitehurst QB (IR) 99 Billy Winn DT (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 15 reserve, 10 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 16	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 10–36	0–1	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
2	August 22	Chicago Bears	L 11–23	0–2	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
3	August 29	at St. Louis Rams	W 24–14	1–2	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
4	September 3	Cincinnati Bengals	L 6–9	1–3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 13	at Buffalo Bills	L 14–27	0–1	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
2	September 21	New York Jets	L 7–20	0–2	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
3	September 27	at Tennessee Titans	W 35–33	1–2	Nissan Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 16–13 (OT)	2–2	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
5	October 8	at Houston Texans	W 27–20	3–2	NRG Stadium	Recap
6	October 18	New England Patriots	L 27–34	3–3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
7	October 25	New Orleans Saints	L 21–27	3–4	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
8	November 2	at Carolina Panthers	L 26–29 (OT)	3–5	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
9	November 8	Denver Broncos	W 27–24	4–5	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
10	Bye
11	November 22	at Atlanta Falcons	W 24–21	5–5	Georgia Dome	Recap
12	November 29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 25–12	6–5	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
13	December 6	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 10–45	6–6	Heinz Field	Recap
14	December 13	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 16–51	6–7	EverBank Field	Recap
15	December 20	Houston Texans	L 10–16	6–8	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
16	December 27	at Miami Dolphins	W 18–12	7–8	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
17	January 3	Tennessee Titans	W 30–24	8–8	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Buffalo Bills

Week One: Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	0	8	6	14
Bills	7	10	7	3	27

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 70,319
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes (play-by-play) and Solomon Wilcots (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF – 0:00 Percy Harvin 51-yard TD pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter kick. Drive 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:39. (BUF 7–0) Second quarter BUF – 7:49 Dan Carpenter 41-yard FG. Drive 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:22. (BUF 10–0) BUF – 0:20 Karlos Williams 26-yard TD run, Dan Carpenter kick. Drive 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:22. (BUF 17–0) Third quarter BUF – 9:34 Anthony Dixon 1-yard TD run, Dan Carpenter kick. Drive 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:26. (BUF 24–0) IND – 0:54 Donte Moncrief 2-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, 2-point conversion successful (Andrew Luck pass to Coby Fleener). Drive 18 plays, 65 yards, 8:40. (BUF 24–8) Fourth quarter BUF – 8:14 Dan Carpenter 45-yard FG. Drive 4 plays, -1 yard, 1:30. (BUF 27–8) IND – 5:56 Dwayne Allen 6-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, 2-point conversion failed. Drive 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:18. (BUF 27–14) Top passers IND – Andrew Luck: 26/49, 243 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT BUF – Tyrod Taylor: 14/19, 195 yards, 1 TD Top rushers IND – Frank Gore: 8 carries, 31 yards BUF – Karlos Williams: 6 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton: 7 receptions, 88 yards BUF – Percy Harvin: 5 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers IND – Henry Anderson: 8 tackles, 1 assist BUF – Nigel Bradham: 7 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	7	3	0	10	20
Colts	0	0	0	7	7

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: September 21
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 65,220
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Jon Gruden (color commentator) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NYJ – 6:44 Eric Decker 6-yard TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Nick Folk kick. Drive 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:44. (NYJ 7–0) Second quarter NYJ – 1:51 Nick Folk 35-yard FG. Drive 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:12. (NYJ 10–0) Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter IND – 10:07 Donte Moncrief 26-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 8 plays, 91 yards, 3:59. (NYJ 10–7) NYJ – 6:20 Brandon Marshall 15-yard TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Nick Folk kick. Drive 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:47. (NYJ 17–7) NYJ – 0:57 Nick Folk 46-yard FG. Drive 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:38. (NYJ 20–7) Top passers NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick: 22/34, 244 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT IND – Andrew Luck: 21/37, 250 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT Top rushers NYJ – Chris Ivory: 14 carries, 57 yards IND – Frank Gore: 15 carries, 57 yards Top receivers NYJ – Eric Decker: 8 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD IND – Donte Moncrief: 7 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers NYJ – Buster Skrine: 7 tackles, 1 assist IND – Jerrell Freeman: 3 tackles, 7 assists

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	7	7	0	21	35
Titans	0	10	17	6	33

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 65,920
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy (play-by-play) and Adam Archuleta (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter IND – 5:42 Frank Gore 1-yard TD run, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:43. (IND 7–0) Second quarter IND – 12:59 Dwight Lowery 69-yard interception return for a TD, Adam Vinatieri kick. (IND 14–0) TEN – 8:29 Ryan Succop 38-yard FG. Drive 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:30. (IND 14–3) TEN – 0:19 Kendall Wright 7-yard pass from Marcus Mariota, Ryan Succop kick. Drive 13 plays, 83 yards, 6:05. (IND 14–10) Third quarter TEN – 9:51 Antonio Andrews 8-yard TD run, Ryan Succop kick. Drive 6 plays, 66 yards, 3:42. (TEN 17–14) TEN – 9:36 Dorial Green-Beckham 3-yard pass from Marcus Mariota, Ryan Succop kick. Drive 1 play, 3 yards, 0:05. (TEN 24–14) TEN – 3:04 Ryan Succop 21-yard FG. Drive 8 plays, 10 yards, 3:41. (TEN 27–14) Fourth quarter IND – 6:49 Phillip Dorsett 35-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 12 plays, 98 yards, 5:31. (TEN 27–21) IND – 5:53 Donte Moncrief 11-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 1 play, 11 yards, 0:06. (IND 28–27) IND – 2:51 Frank Gore 6-yard TD run, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:38. (IND 35–27) TEN – 0:47 Jalston Fowler 1-yard TD run, 2-point conversion failed. Drive 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:04. (IND 35–33) Top passers IND – Andrew Luck: 18/30, 260 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT TEN – Marcus Mariota: 27/44, 367 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers IND – Frank Gore: 14 carries, 86 yards, 2 TD TEN – Antonio Andrews: 12 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton: 4 receptions, 94 yards TEN – Kendall Wright: 7 receptions 95 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers IND – D'Qwell Jackson: 8 tackles, 4 assists TEN – Avery Williamson: 4 tackles, 4 assists

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Jaguars	3	10	0	0	0	13
Colts	3	7	0	3	3	16

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

First quarter IND – 4:59 Adam Vinatieri 54-yard FG. Drive 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:26. (IND 3–0) JAX – 2:49 Jason Myers 20-yard FG. Drive 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:10. (3–3) Second quarter JAX – 11:37 Allen Hurns 8-yard TD pass from Blake Bortles, Jason Myers kick. Drive 4 plays, 44 yards, 2:00. (JAX 10–3) IND – 6:04 Coby Fleener 2-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:33. (10–10) JAX – 0:04 Jason Myers 32-yard FG. Drive 14 plays, 65 yards, 6:00. (JAX 13–10) Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter IND – 12:27 Adam Vinatieri 32-yard FG. Drive 8 plays, 35 yards, 4:06. (13–13) Overtime IND – 4:36 Adam Vinatieri 27-yard FG. Drive 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:37. (IND 16–13) Top passers JAX – Blake Bortles: 28/50, 298 yards, 1 TD IND – Matt Hasselbeck: 30/47, 282 yards, 1 TD Top rushers JAX – T. J. Yeldon: 22 carries, 105 yards IND – Frank Gore: 17 carries, 53 yards Top receivers JAX – Allen Hurns: 11 receptions, 116 yards, 1 TD IND – Coby Fleener: 9 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers JAX – John Cyprien: 11 tackles, 3 assists IND – D'Qwell Jackson: 10 tackles, 7 assists

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	10	3	7	7	27
Texans	0	10	7	3	20

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT/7:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), mostly cloudy — retractable roof open
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color commentator) and Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter IND – 6:28 Adam Vinatieri 48-yard FG. Drive 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:05. (IND 3–0) IND – 1:22 Andre Johnson 4-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:00. (IND 10–0) Second quarter IND – 7:37 Adam Vinatieri 42-yard FG. Drive 13 plays, 46 yards, 6:01. (IND 13–0) HOU – 2:08 Nick Novak 36-yard FG. Drive 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:29. (IND 13–3) HOU – 0:00 Jaelen Strong 42-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer, Nick Novak kick. Drive 9 plays, 95 yards, 1:16. (IND 13–10) Third quarter IND – 13:02 Frank Gore 3-yard TD run, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:58. (IND 20–10) HOU – 4:03 Jaelen Strong 11-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer, Nick Novak kick. Drive 10 plays, 90 yards, 5:05. (IND 20–17) Fourth quarter IND – 10:28 Andre Johnson 2-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:35. (IND 27–17) HOU – 6:07 Nick Novak 49-yard FG. Drive 8 plays, 49 yards, 4:21. (IND 27–20) Top passers IND – Matt Hasselbeck: 18/29, 213 yards, 2 TD HOU – Brian Hoyer: 24/31, 312 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers IND – Frank Gore: 22 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD HOU – Arian Foster: 19 carries, 41 yards Top receivers IND – Andre Johnson: 6 receptions, 77 yards, 2 TD HOU – DeAndre Hopkins: 11 receptions, 169 yards Top tacklers IND – D'Qwell Jackson: 8 tackles, 3 assists HOU – Brian Cushing: 8 assists

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	13	7	7	34
Colts	7	14	0	6	27

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 66,726
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentator) and Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter IND – 7:16 Donte Moncrief 5-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 13 plays, 89 yards, 7:44. (IND 7–0) NE – 2:50 Julian Edelman 12-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:26. (7–7) Second quarter NE – 13:48 Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard FG. Drive 10 plays, 69 yards, 2:53. (NE 10–7) IND – 11:30 Mike Adams 14-yard interception return for a TD, Adam Vinatieri kick. (IND 14–10) NE – 9:33 LeGarrette Blount 38-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:57. (NE 17–14) IND – 2:38 T. Y. Hilton 3-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:55. (IND 21–17) NE – 0:02 Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard FG. Drive 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:36. (IND 21–20) Third quarter NE – 10:56 Rob Gronkowski 25-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:04. (NE 27–21) Fourth quarter NE – 12:48 LeGarrette Blount 11-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive 6 plays, 35 yards, 3:24. (NE 34–21) IND – 1:19 Griff Whalen 18-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, PAT blocked. Drive 8 plays, 85 yards, 1:44. (NE 34–27) Top passers NE – Tom Brady: 23/37, 312 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT IND – Andrew Luck: 30/50, 312 yards, 3 TDs Top rushers NE – LeGarrette Blount: 16 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD IND – Frank Gore: 13 carries, 78 yards Top receivers NE – Danny Amendola: 7 receptions, 105 yards IND – T. Y. Hilton: 6 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers NE – Devin McCourty: 7 tackles, 2 assists IND – D'Qwell Jackson: 4 tackles, 9 assists

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	13	7	0	27
Colts	0	0	14	7	21

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), mostly cloudy — retractable roof open
• Game attendance: 66,420
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen (play-by-play), John Lynch (color commentator) and Pam Oliver (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – 2:31 Khiry Robinson 1-yard TD run, Kai Forbath kick. Drive 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:31. (NO 7–0) Second quarter NO – 14:56 Khiry Robinson 6-yard TD run, Kai Forbath kick. Drive 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:20. (NO 14–0) NO – 13:26 Michael Hoomanawanui 16-yard TD pass from Drew Brees, Kai Forbath kick failed, wide left. Drive 3 plays, 27 yards, 1:11. (NO 20–0) Third quarter NO – 10:26 Mark Ingram II 1-yard TD run, Kai Forbath kick. Drive 6 plays, 82 yards, 2:57. (NO 27–0) IND – 3:42 T. Y. Hilton 87-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 2 plays, 87 yards, 0:20. (NO 27–7) IND – 0:01 T. Y. Hilton 46-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:24. (NO 27–14) Fourth quarter IND – 3:05 Donte Moncrief 8-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 7 plays, 80 yards, 0:54. (NO 27–21) Top passers NO – Drew Brees: 28/44, 255 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT IND – Andrew Luck: 23/44, 333 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II: 14 carries, 143 yards, 1 TD IND – Frank Gore: 9 carries, 43 yards Top receivers NO – Brandin Cooks: 6 receptions, 81 yards IND – Frank Gore: 5 receptions, 32 yards Top tacklers NO – Dannell Ellerbe: 7 tackles IND – Jerrell Freeman: 5 tackles, 7 assists

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Colts	0	6	0	17	3	26
Panthers	10	0	7	6	6	29

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

First quarter CAR – 13:41 Graham Gano 39-yard FG. Drive 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:44. (CAR 3–0) CAR – 7:21 Jonathan Stewart 3-yard TD run, Graham Gano kick. Drive 11 plays, 37 yards, 5:03. (CAR 10–0) Second quarter IND – 10:24 Adam Vinatieri 47-yard FG. Drive 7 plays, 27 yards, 4:16. (CAR 10–3) IND – 7:04 Adam Vinatieri 34-yard FG. Drive 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:04. (CAR 10–6) Third quarter CAR – 0:14 Greg Olsen 27-yard TD pass from Cam Newton, Graham Gano kick. Drive 2 plays, 29 yards, 0:48. (CAR 17–6) Fourth quarter CAR – 10:44 Corey Brown 8-yard TD pass from Cam Newton, Graham Gano kick failed, wide left. Drive 3 plays, 30 yards, 1:24. (CAR 23–6) IND – 7:04 Andre Johnson 18-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 8 plays, 86 yards, 3:40. (CAR 23–13) IND – 2:27 Coby Fleener 8-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:15. (CAR 23–20) IND – 0:00 Adam Vinatieri 24-yard FG. Drive 16 plays, 54 yards, 2:02. (23–23) Overtime IND – 12:04 Adam Vinatieri 50-yard FG. Drive 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:56. (IND 26–23) CAR – 7:50 Graham Gano 42-yard FG. Drive 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:14. (26–26) CAR – 5:22 Graham Gano 52-yard FG. Drive 4 plays, 5 yards 1:40. (CAR 29–26) Top passers IND – Andrew Luck: 23/47, 231 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs CAR – Cam Newton: 16/35, 248 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Top rushers IND – Frank Gore: 22 carries, 70 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart: 24 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD Top receivers IND – Coby Fleener: 7 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD CAR – Greg Olsen: 6 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers IND – D'Qwell Jackson: 3 tackles, 10 assists CAR – Luke Kuechly: 9 tackles, 5 assists, 1 interception

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	10	7	24
Colts	7	10	0	10	27

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

First quarter IND – 6:48 Frank Gore 7-yard TD run, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:42. (IND 7–0) Second quarter IND – 12:13 Adam Vinatieri 43-yard FG. Drive 9 plays, 63 yards, 6:01. (IND 10–0) IND – 7:12 Jack Doyle 3-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:43. (IND 17–0) DEN – 0:00 Omar Bolden 83-yard punt return for a TD, Brandon McManus kick. (IND 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 11:27 Emmanuel Sanders 64-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Brandon McManus kick. Drive 3 plays, 60 yards, 1:23. (IND 17–14) DEN – 4:57 Brandon McManus 29-yard FG. Drive 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:40. (17–17) Fourth quarter IND – 14:05 Ahmad Bradshaw 8-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:52. (IND 24–17) DEN – 8:54 Owen Daniels 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Brandon McManus kick. Drive 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:11. (24–24) IND – 6:13 Adam Vinatieri 55-yard FG. Drive 7 plays, 33 yards, 2:41. (IND 27–24) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 21/36, 281 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs IND – Andrew Luck: 21/36, 252 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers DEN – C. J. Anderson: 7 carries, 34 yards IND – Frank Gore: 28 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Owen Daniels: 6 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD IND – T. Y. Hilton: 5 receptions, 82 yards Top tacklers DEN – Danny Trevathan: 6 tackles, 13 assists IND – Kendall Langford: 3 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	7	7	10	24
Falcons	7	7	7	0	21

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,433
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play), Trent Green (color commentator) and Jamie Erdahl (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – 0:02 Patrick DiMarco 15-yard pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:28. (ATL 7–0) Second quarter ATL – 8:54 Patrick DiMarco 1-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:18. (ATL 14–0) IND – 1:55 Ahmad Bradshaw 7-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:59. (ATL 14–7) Third quarter ATL – 9:38 Leonard Hankerson 3-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:22. (ATL 21–7) IND – 0:10 Ahmad Bradshaw 2-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 10 plays, 90 yards, 4:58. (ATL 21–14) Fourth quarter IND – 10:07 D'Qwell Jackson 6-yard interception return for a TD, Adam Vinatieri kick. (21–21) IND – 0:52 Adam Vinatieri 43-yard FG. Drive 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:02. (IND 24–21) Top passers IND – Matt Hasselbeck: 23/32, 213 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs ATL – Matt Ryan: 25/46, 280 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs Top rushers IND – Frank Gore: 14 carries, 34 yards ATL – Tevin Coleman: 17 carries, 48 yards Top receivers IND – Frank Gore: 5 receptions, 46 yards ATL – Julio Jones: 9 receptions, 160 yards Top tacklers IND – Jerrell Freeman: 7 tackles, 2 assists ATL – Justin Durant: 7 tackles, 2 assists

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	3	9	0	0	12
Colts	3	3	13	6	25

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: November 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), partly cloudy — retractable roof open
• Game attendance: 65,696
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color commentator) and Peter Schrager (sideline reporter)
• Recap Gamebook

Game information

First quarter IND – 8:13 Adam Vinatieri 49-yard FG. Drive 15 plays, 52 yards, 6:47. (IND 3–0) TB – 2:50 Connor Barth 38-yard FG. Drive 12 plays, 60 yards, 5:23. (3–3) Second quarter IND – 12:44 Adam Vinatieri 27-yard FG. Drive 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:06. (IND 6–3) TB – 5:38 Connor Barth 30-yard FG. Drive 15 plays, 68 yards, 7:06. (6–6) TB – 1:54 Cameron Brate 20-yard TD pass from Jameis Winston, Connor Barth kick failed, wide left. Drive 5 plays, 76 yards, 2:40. (TB 12–6) Third quarter IND – 10:01 Adam Vinatieri 26-yard FG. Drive 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:04. (TB 12–9) IND – 7:22 T. Y. Hilton 19-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 3 plays, 46 yards, 1:05. (IND 16–12) IND – 1:02 Adam Vinatieri 44-yard FG. Drive 7 plays, 15 yards, 2:55. (IND 19–12) Fourth quarter IND – 5:53 T. Y. Hilton 3-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick failed, wide left. Drive 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:30. (IND 25–12) Top passers TB – Jameis Winston: 20/36, 245 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT IND – Matt Hasselbeck: 26/42, 315 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers TB – Doug Martin: 14 carries, 97 yards IND – Frank Gore: 19 carries, 24 yards Top receivers TB – Mike Evans: 5 receptions, 64 yards IND – Donte Moncrief: 8 receptions, 114 yards Top tacklers TB – Kwon Alexander: 7 tackles, 3 assists IND – D'Qwell Jackson: 6 tackles, 5 assists, 1 sack

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	3	7	0	0	10
Steelers	6	15	7	17	45

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

First quarter IND – 10:19 Adam Vinatieri 35-yard FG. Drive 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:59. (IND 3–0) PIT – 5:27 Chris Boswell 29-yard FG. Drive 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:52. (3–3) PIT – 3:15 Chris Boswell 51-yard FG. Drive 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:49. (PIT 6–3) Second quarter IND – 8:26 Frank Gore 9-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:28. (IND 10–6) PIT – 4:04 Antonio Brown 7-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, 2-point conversion successful (Ben Roethlisberger pass to Will Johnson). Drive 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:22. (PIT 14–10) PIT – 0:10 Markus Wheaton 5-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Chris Boswell kick. Drive 8 plays, 60 yards, 1:38. (PIT 21–10) Third quarter PIT – 12:35 Martavis Bryant 68-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Chris Boswell kick. Drive 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:23. (PIT 28–10) Fourth quarter PIT – 14:11 Antonio Brown 5-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Chris Boswell kick. Drive 10 plays, 85 yards, 4:23. (PIT 35–10) PIT – 6:29 Chris Boswell 42-yard FG. Drive 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:24. (PIT 38–10) PIT – 4:01 Antonio Brown 71-yard punt return for a TD, Chris Boswell kick. (PIT 45–10) Top passers IND – Matt Hasselbeck: 16/26, 169 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs PIT – Ben Roethlisberger: 24/39, 364 yards, 4 TDs Top rushers IND – Frank Gore: 13 carries, 45 yards PIT – DeAngelo Williams: 26 carries, 134 yards Top receivers IND – Coby Fleener: 4 receptions, 20 yards PIT – Antonio Brown: 8 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TDs Top tacklers IND – Mike Adams: 11 tackles, 1 assist, 1 forced fumble PIT – Lawrence Timmons: 7 tackles, 1 assist

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	3	10	3	0	16
Jaguars	3	6	21	21	51

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
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter Top passers IND – JAX – Top rushers IND – JAX – Top receivers IND – JAX – Top tacklers IND – JAX –

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	3	3	10	16
Colts	0	10	0	0	10

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
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter Top passers HOU – IND – Top rushers HOU – IND – Top receivers HOU – IND – Top tacklers HOU – IND –

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	8	7	0	3	18
Dolphins	0	6	3	3	12

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
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter Top passers IND – MIA – Top rushers IND – MIA – Top receivers IND – MIA – Top tacklers IND – MIA –

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	7	7	3	7	24
Colts	10	10	7	3	30

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: January 3, 2016
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 65,733
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker (color commentators)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter Top passers TEN – IND – Top rushers TEN – IND – Top receivers TEN – IND – Top tacklers TEN – IND –

With the win, the Colts ended their season at 8–8 and won their 9th straight game against the Titans. However, as a result of Houston's win over Jacksonville, the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs for the 1st time 2011.

Standings

Division

AFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Houston Texans	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	339	313	W3
Indianapolis Colts	8	8	0	.500	4–2	6–6	333	408	W2
Jacksonville Jaguars	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	376	448	L3
Tennessee Titans	3	13	0	.188	1–5	1–11	299	423	L4

Conference

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1 [a]	Denver Broncos	West	12	4	0	.750	4–2	8–4	.500	.479	W2
2 [a]	New England Patriots	East	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	.473	.448	L2
3 [a]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.477	.406	W1
4	Houston Texans	South	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	.496	.410	W3
Wild Cards
5	Kansas City Chiefs	West	11	5	0	.688	5–1	10–2	.496	.432	W10
6 [b]	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.504	.463	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 [b]	New York Jets	East	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.441	.388	L1
8 [c]	Buffalo Bills	East	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	.508	.438	W2
9 [c]	Indianapolis Colts	South	8	8	0	.500	4–2	6–6	.500	.406	W2
10	Oakland Raiders	West	7	9	0	.438	3–3	7–5	.512	.366	L1
11	Miami Dolphins	East	6	10	0	.375	1–5	4–8	.469	.469	W2
12 [d]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	.473	.375	L3
13 [d]	Baltimore Ravens	North	5	11	0	.313	3–3	4–8	.508	.425	L1
14	San Diego Chargers	West	4	12	0	.250	0–6	3–9	.527	.328	L2
15 [e]	Cleveland Browns	North	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	.531	.271	L3
16 [e]	Tennessee Titans	South	3	13	0	.188	1–5	1–11	.492	.375	L4
Tiebreakers [f]
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. 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. Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory. Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory. 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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External links

• Official website