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 | |
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.
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.
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
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] |
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 |
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] |
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] |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
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 |
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.
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
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Colts fell to 0–1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jets | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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|
With the upset loss, the Colts fell to 0–2 for the second straight year.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 35 |
Titans | 0 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 33 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Game information | ||
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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.
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
Game information | ||
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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.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
Texans | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Game information | ||
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|
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.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patriots | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
Colts | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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|
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]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
Colts | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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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.
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
Game information | ||
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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.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broncos | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
Colts | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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|
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.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
Falcons | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Game information | ||
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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.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buccaneers | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Colts | 3 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 25 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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|
With the win, the Colts improved to 6–5 and remained in the playoff hunt.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Steelers | 6 | 15 | 7 | 17 | 45 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game information | ||
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|
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.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
Jaguars | 3 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 51 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
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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.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 |
Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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|
This, notably, is the Colts' first loss to the Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium since the latter team began play in 2002.
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
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Colts improved to 7–8. This was Matt Hasselbeck's final career game.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Titans | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
Colts | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
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.
AFC South | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
# | 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] | |||||||||||
|
The 2013 Indianapolis Colts season was the franchise's 61st season in the National Football League (NFL), the 30th in Indianapolis and the second season under head coach Chuck Pagano, who missed most of the 2012 season due to treatment for leukemia. Throughout the season, the Colts wore a patch to recognize the 30th season since their move to Indianapolis.
The 2014 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 83rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first season under head coach Jay Gruden. The Redskins finished the season 4–12, slightly improving on their 3–13 record from 2013 and resulted in the departure of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.
The 2014 season was the Baltimore Ravens' 19th in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens improved upon their 8–8 record from 2013, when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Additionally, the Ravens scored a franchise record 409 points and quarterback Joe Flacco passed for a career-high 27 touchdowns and 3,986 yards.
The 2014 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 47th overall and the twelfth under head coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals qualified for the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season, but lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the first round, extending their playoff losing streak to 7 games, the 3rd longest losing streak in NFL history at the time, behind the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs who both had 8.
The 2014 Indianapolis Colts season was the franchise's 62nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 31st in Indianapolis. It also marked the third season under head coach Chuck Pagano, general manager Ryan Grigson, and quarterback Andrew Luck.
The 2015 season was the Jacksonville Jaguars' 21st in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Gus Bradley. The Jaguars improved on their 3–13 record in 2014, finishing with a 5–11 record and winning their most games in a season since 2011. While they improved upon their previous two seasons, the Jaguars were eliminated from playoff contention before their Week 16 loss to the New Orleans Saints when the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans earlier in the day.
The 2015 Tennessee Titans season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 56th overall and the 19th in the state of Tennessee. Second-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired on November 3 following a 1–6 start, and was replaced by tight ends coach Mike Mularkey on an interim basis. Despite slightly improving from their 2–14 season from the previous year, finishing with a 3–13 record, they finished with a lower Strength of Schedule, thus earning the right to the top pick in the 2016 NFL draft, later trading it to the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2016 season was the San Diego Chargers' 47th in the National Football League (NFL), their 57th overall, their 56th and final season in San Diego, California and their fourth and final season under head coach Mike McCoy.
The 2016 Green Bay Packers season was their 98th season overall, 96th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 11th under head coach Mike McCarthy. Despite a 4–6 start to the season, the Green Bay Packers went on a 6-game winning streak to finish the regular season with a 10–6 record. The team clinched the NFC North for the fifth time in six years with their week 17 win over the Detroit Lions. They routed the fifth-seeded New York Giants 38–13 in the wild card round of the playoffs and defeated the top-seeded and heavily favored Dallas Cowboys 34–31 in the divisional round of the playoffs, but their season came to an end when they were beat by the second-seeded Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game 44–21.
The 2016 Indianapolis Colts season was the franchise's 64th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 33rd in Indianapolis. The Colts matched their 8–8 record from 2015, but would miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997–1998. This season would also see the Colts get swept by the Houston Texans for the first time in franchise history. As a result, the Colts fired general manager Ryan Grigson after five seasons with the team. However, head coach Chuck Pagano would return the next year.
The 2016 season was the Tennessee Titans franchise's 47th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 57th overall. It also marked the franchise's 20th season in the state of Tennessee as well as the first full season under head coach Mike Mularkey, who served as the team's interim head coach for the last nine games of the 2015 season.
The 2016 season was the Jacksonville Jaguars' 22nd in the National Football League (NFL), and their fourth and final season under head coach Gus Bradley, who was fired after the Week 15 game against the Houston Texans. The Jaguars missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
The 2017 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 98th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th in Arizona and their 12th at University of Phoenix Stadium. It was also the fifth and final season under head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals played one road game in London at Twickenham Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams as one of the NFL London Games. They improved on a 7–8–1 season they had in 2016, finishing 8–8 as they spent most of the season alternating between wins and losses. However, they missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
The 2017 Indianapolis Colts season was the franchise's 65th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 34th in Indianapolis and the tenth playing their home game at Lucas Oil Stadium. It was also the sixth and final season under head coach Chuck Pagano, who was fired at the end of the season. It was also the first under new general manager Chris Ballard, the former Kansas City Chiefs' Director of Football Operations, following the dismissal of Ryan Grigson. The Colts were looking to improve on their 8–8 record from last year and make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. However, star quarterback Andrew Luck suffered a shoulder injury before the regular season began, was placed on the injured reserve list, and missed the remainder of the season that paralleled the 2011 season, when then-starting quarterback Peyton Manning sat out the entire season to undergo neck surgeries and coincidentally, the Colts lost at least 12 games.
The 2017 season was the Jacksonville Jaguars' 23rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Doug Marrone. Marrone was hired after acting as the team's interim head coach for the final two games of the 2016 season. The team improved on their 3–13 record from 2016 and ended their 10-year playoff drought dating back to 2008 with a Week 15 win over the Houston Texans. They also secured their first winning season since 2007 after a 30–24 win over the Seattle Seahawks. On December 24, 2017, they clinched their third division title, and their first AFC South title following a Tennessee Titans loss. They won the wild card game against the Buffalo Bills 10–3, then headed to Pittsburgh, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 45–42 to advance to the AFC Championship to face the New England Patriots, the first time that they had made the AFC Championship game since 1999. Despite leading for much of the game, the Jaguars would allow two fourth quarter touchdowns, and ultimately lost to the Patriots 24–20.
The 2017 Tennessee Titans season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 58th overall. It also marked the franchise's 21st season in the state of Tennessee as well as the second full season under head coach Mike Mularkey. They equaled their record from a year ago, and not only that, with a 15–10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17, they clinched their first playoff berth since 2008. In the first round, the Titans rallied from a 21–3 halftime deficit against the Chiefs to win 22–21, winning their first playoff game since 2003. However, they were defeated by the New England Patriots in the divisional round by the score of 35–14. Despite making the playoffs and winning a playoff game, this would be Mularkey's final year coaching the Titans, as they parted ways after the season ended. This is also the last season where the Titans wore their uniform design since 1999.
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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.
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.
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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