2020 Indianapolis Colts season

2020 Indianapolis Colts season
Owner	Jim Irsay
General manager	Chris Ballard
Head coach	Frank Reich
Home field	Lucas Oil Stadium
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	2nd AFC South
Playoff finish	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Bills) 24–27
Pro Bowlers	G Quenton Nelson C Ryan Kelly OLB Shaquille Leonard
All-Pros	LG Quenton Nelson (1st team) DT DeForest Buckner (1st team) LB Shaquille Leonard (1st team) ST George Odum (1st team) C Ryan Kelly (2nd team) LS Luke Rhodes (2nd team)
Uniform
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The 2020 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 68th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 37th in Indianapolis. It was also their third season under head coach Frank Reich and fourth under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard. Long-time San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers signed a one-year contract worth $25 million on March 17, 2020, to take over as the team's starting quarterback, reuniting him with Frank Reich, who served as quarterbacks coach for the Chargers during the 2013 season.

Despite giving the Jacksonville Jaguars their only win of the season in their season opener, the Colts improved upon their 7–9 season from the previous year with a Week 13 win over the Houston Texans and returned to the playoffs as a Wild Card as the 7th seed. The Colts finished tied with the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South division title, with an 11–5 record, but lost the tiebreaker based on record vs. division opponents (5–1 to 4–2). Before the season, the NFL decided to add a 7th team from each conference in the postseason. This proved to be a crucial decision, because had the NFL stuck with 6 teams per conference in the playoffs, the Colts would've joined the 1985 Broncos and 2008 Patriots as the only teams in NFL history to go 11-5 but fail to qualify for the playoffs. In the Wild Card, the Colts were defeated by the Buffalo Bills 27–24, marking the only time in his career Rivers lost in the Wild Card Round.

Following the season, Rivers announced his retirement on January 20, 2021, after 17 years in the league. After starting a total of 252 straight games and never missing a single start in his career, Rivers also retired as 2nd in the all-time consecutive starts list, only behind former long-time Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Rivers' retirement left Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks as the new longest active leader for consecutive starts by a quarterback.

Draft

Main article: 2020 NFL draft

2020 Indianapolis Colts Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	34	Michael Pittman Jr.	WR	USC	from Washington Redskins
	41	Jonathan Taylor	RB	Wisconsin	from Cleveland Browns
3	85	Julian Blackmon	S	Utah	from Philadelphia Eagles via Detroit Lions
4	122	Jacob Eason	QB	Washington
5	149	Danny Pinter	G	Ball State	from Detroit Lions
6	193	Robert Windsor	DT	Penn State
	211	Isaiah Rodgers	CB	UMass	from New York Jets via Kansas City Chiefs
	212	Dezmon Patmon	WR	Washington State	from New England Patriots
	213	Jordan Glasgow	LB	Michigan	from New England Patriots

2020 Indianapolis Colts undrafted free agents

Name	Position	College	Ref.
Rodrigo Blankenship	K	Georgia	[1]
Kameron Cline	DT	South Dakota
Kendall Coleman	DE	Syracuse
Farrod Green	TE	Mississippi State
DeMichael Harris	WR	Southern Miss
Carter O'Donnell	T	Alberta
Travis Reed	CB	South Alabama
Donald Rutledge	S	Georgia Southern
Brandon Wellington	LB	Washington
Chris Williams	DT	Wagner

Staff

2020 Indianapolis Colts staff

Front office Owner – Jim Irsay General manager – Chris Ballard Assistant general manager – Ed Dodds Vice president of player personnel – Vacant Director of football administration – Mike Bluem Director of pro personnel – Kevin Rogers Jr. Director of college scouting – Morocco Brown Assistant director of pro scouting – Jon Shaw Assistant director of college scouting – Matt Tarpening Senior player personnel scout – Todd Vasvari Director of player development – Brian Decker Head coaches Head coach – Frank Reich Assistant to the Head coach – Tyler Boyles Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Nick Sirianni Quarterbacks – Marcus Brady Running backs – Tom Rathman Wide receivers – Mike Groh Tight ends – Jason Michael Offensive line – Chris Strausser Assistant offensive line – Klayton Adams Pass game specialist – Kevin Patullo Offensive quality control – Parks Frazier Offensive quality control – Jerrod Johnson

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Matt Eberflus Defensive line – Brian Baker Special defensive assistant/asst. defensive line – Matt Raich Linebackers – Dave Borgonzi Defensive backs/cornerbacks – Jonathan Gannon Defensive backs/safeties – Alan Williams Defensive quality control – David Overstreet II Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Raymond Ventrone Assistant special teams – Franky Ross Strength and conditioning Director of sports performance – Rusty Jones Sports science/conditioning – Ryan Podell Head strength and conditioning – Richard Howell Assistant strength and conditioning – Doug McKenney Assistant strength and conditioning – Zane Fakes

Final roster

2020 Indianapolis Colts roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  7 Jacoby Brissett  9 Jacob Eason 17 Philip Rivers Running backs (RB) 21 Nyheim Hines PR 28 Jonathan Taylor Wide receivers (WR) 16 Ashton Dulin 12 DeMichael Harris RS 13 T. Y. Hilton 14 Zach Pascal 85 Dezmon Patmon 11 Michael Pittman Jr. Tight ends (TE) 81 Mo Alie-Cox 80 Trey Burton 84 Jack Doyle 86 Noah Togiai

Offensive linemen (OL) 64 Mark Glowinski G 75 Chaz Green T 69 Will Holden T 68 Joey Hunt C 78 Ryan Kelly C 56 Quenton Nelson G 63 Danny Pinter G 72 Braden Smith T 65 Jared Veldheer T Defensive linemen (DL) 96 Denico Autry DT 52 Ben Banogu DE 99 DeForest Buckner DT 57 Kemoko Turay DE 50 Justin Houston DE 94 Tyquan Lewis DT 97 Al-Quadin Muhammad DE 76 Taylor Stallworth DT 90 Grover Stewart DT

Linebackers (LB) 49 Matthew Adams OLB 44 Zaire Franklin MLB 59 Jordan Glasgow OLB 53 Shaquille Leonard OLB 58 Bobby Okereke OLB 45 E. J. Speed OLB 54 Anthony Walker Jr. MLB Defensive backs (DB) 32 Julian Blackmon S 38 T. J. Carrie CB 23 Kenny Moore II CB 30 George Odum FS 27 Xavier Rhodes CB 34 Isaiah Rodgers CB 35 Tremon Smith CB 37 Khari Willis SS 31 Tavon Wilson SS 26 Rock Ya-Sin CB Special teams  3 Rodrigo Blankenship K 46 Luke Rhodes LS  8 Rigoberto Sanchez P

Practice squad 40 Darius Anderson RB 33 Ibraheim Campbell S 36 Andre Chachere CB 92 Kameron Cline DT 60 Jake Eldrenkamp G 10 Daurice Fountain WR 41 Farrod Green TE 67 Sam Jones G 61 Carter O'Donnell T 39 Paul Perkins RB  5 Austin Rehkow P 42 Will Sunderland CB 73 J'Marcus Webb T 66 Chris Williams DT 93 Robert Windsor DT Reserve 15 Parris Campbell WR (IR) 74 Anthony Castonzo T (IR) 62 Le'Raven Clark T (IR) 29 Malik Hooker FS (IR) 25 Marlon Mack RB (IR) 42 Rolan Milligan S (Opt-out) 55 Skai Moore MLB (Opt-out) 39 Marvell Tell CB (Opt-out) 20 Jordan Wilkins RB (COVID-19) Rookies in italics 53 active, 13 reserve, 15 practice squad

Preseason

The Colts' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[2]

Week	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result
1	August 13	Philadelphia Eagles	Lucas Oil Stadium	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2	August 24	Washington Football Team	Lucas Oil Stadium
3	August 29	at Buffalo Bills	New Era Field
4	September 3	at Cincinnati Bengals	Paul Brown Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

The Colts' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7. ^[2]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 13	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 20–27	0–1	TIAA Bank Field	Recap
2	September 20	Minnesota Vikings	W 28–11	1–1	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
3	September 27	New York Jets	W 36–7	2–1	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	at Chicago Bears	W 19–11	3–1	Soldier Field	Recap
5	October 11	at Cleveland Browns	L 23–32	3–2	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
6	October 18	Cincinnati Bengals	W 31–27	4–2	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
7	Bye
8	November 1	at Detroit Lions	W 41–21	5–2	Ford Field	Recap
9	November 8	Baltimore Ravens	L 10–24	5–3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
10	November 12	at Tennessee Titans	W 34–17	6–3	Nissan Stadium	Recap
11	November 22	Green Bay Packers	W 34–31 (OT)	7–3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
12	November 29	Tennessee Titans	L 26–45	7–4	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
13	December 6	at Houston Texans	W 26–20	8–4	NRG Stadium	Recap
14	December 13	at Las Vegas Raiders	W 44–27	9–4	Allegiant Stadium	Recap
15	December 20	Houston Texans	W 27–20	10–4	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
16	December 27	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 24–28	10–5	Heinz Field	Recap
17	January 3	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 28–14	11–5	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 1: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	7	10	0	3	20
Jaguars	0	14	3	10	27

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 14,100
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Nyheim Hines 12-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 11:42. Colts 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:18. Second quarter JAX – D. J. Chark 6-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Josh Lambo kick), 10:42. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 2:08. IND - Nyheim Hines 8-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 4:45. Colts 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:57. JAX – Laviska Shenault 15-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Josh Lambo kick), 1:38. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:07. IND - Rodrigo Blankenship 38-yard field goal, 0:05. Colts 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 1:33. Third quarter JAX – Josh Lambo 50-yard field goal, 3:30. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 4:12. Fourth quarter IND - Rodrigo Blankenship 25-yard field goal, 9:39. Colts 20–17. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 8:51. JAX – Keelan Cole 22-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Josh Lambo kick), 5:56. Jaguars 24–20. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:43. JAX – Josh Lambo 46-yard field goal, 2:50. Jaguars 27–20. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:34. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 36/46, 363 yards, TD, 2 INT JAX – Gardner Minshew – 19/20, 173 yards, 3 TD Top rushers IND – Nyheim Hines – 7 rushes, 28 yards, TD JAX – James Robinson – 16 rushes, 62 yards Top receivers IND – Parris Campbell – 6 receptions, 71 yards JAX – Keelan Cole – 5 receptions, 47 yards, TD

The Colts failed to win in Week 1 for the seventh consecutive season, dating back to 2014. In addition, they also suffered their sixth consecutive road loss to the Jaguars. This was the Jaguars only win of the season.

Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	3	0	0	8	11
Colts	0	15	3	10	28

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 2,500
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (Fox): Tim Brando, Robert Smith and Sarah Kustok
• Preview, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Dan Bailey 21-yard field goal, 9:01. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:59. Second quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 5-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 11:45. Colts 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:29. IND – Kirk Cousins sacked in endzone by DeForest Buckner for a safety, 4:54. Colts 9–3. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 28-yard field goal, 1:10. Colts 12–3. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:44. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 38-yard field goal, 0:24. Colts 15–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:21. Third quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 38-yard field goal, 9:27. Colts 18–3. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:26. Fourth quarter IND – Zach Pascal 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 14:00. Colts 25–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 6:25. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 44-yard field goal, 8:47. Colts 28–3. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 3:43. MIN – Dalvin Cook 3-yard run (Dalvin Cook run), 5:20. Colts 28–11. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:27. Top passers MIN – Kirk Cousins – 11/26, 113 yards, 3 INT IND – Philip Rivers – 19/25, 214 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIN – Dalvin Cook – 14 rushes, 63 yards, TD IND – Jonathan Taylor – 26 rushes, 101 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Justin Jefferson – 3 receptions, 44 yards IND – Mo Alie-Cox – 5 receptions, 111 yards, TD, INT

This game marked the team's 300th home win in franchise history. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins struggled immensely, throwing 3 interceptions, just 113 yards and 11 completions on 26 attempts, and a passer rating of 15.9

Week 3: vs. New York Jets

Week 3: New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	7	0	0	0	7
Colts	7	10	14	5	36

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 79 °F (26 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 7,480
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Xavier Rhodes 44-yard interception return (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 12:25. Colts 7–0. NYJ – Braxton Berrios 16-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Sam Ficken kick), 5:12. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 88 yards, 7:13. Second quarter IND – Mo Alie-Cox 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 14:13. Colts 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:59. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 42-yard field goal, 8:38. Colts 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:51. Third quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 5:21. Colts 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:07. IND – T. J. Carrie 44-yard interception return (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 0:00. Colts 31–7. Fourth quarter IND – Sam Darnold sacked in end zone by Justin Houston for a safety, 4:50. Colts 33–7. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 41-yard field goal, 2:04. Colts 36–7. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:46. Top passers NYJ – Sam Darnold – 17/29, 168 yards, TD, 3 INT IND – Philip Rivers – 17/21, 217 yards, TD Top rushers NYJ – Frank Gore – 15 rushes, 57 yards IND – Jonathan Taylor – 13 rushes, 59 yards, TD Top passers NYJ – Braxton Berrios – 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD IND – T. Y. Hilton – 3 receptions, 52 yards

Philip Rivers reached 400 touchdowns and 60,000 passing yards for his career. Sam Darnold threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns by Colts defensive backs, and was sacked in the end zone for a safety.

Week 4: at Chicago Bears

Week 4: Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	7	6	3	3	19
Bears	0	3	0	8	11

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Amanda Balionis
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Mo Alie-Cox 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 8:08. Colts 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:35. Second quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 27-yard field goal, 9:24. Colts 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 4:55. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 21-yard field goal, 3:47. Colts 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 5:37. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 30-yard field goal, 0:06. Colts 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 1:59. Third quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 44-yard field goal, 0:55. Colts 16–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:11. Fourth quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 30-yard field goal, 3:47. Colts 19–3. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 7:12. CHI – Allen Robinson 16-yard pass from Nick Foles (David Montgomery run), 1:35. Colts 19–11. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 2:12. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 16/29, 190 yards, TD CHI – Nick Foles – 26/42, 249 yards, TD, INT Top passers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 17 rushes, 68 yards CHI – David Montgomery – 10 rushes, 27 yards Top passers IND – Zach Pascal – 3 receptions, 58 yards CHI – Allen Robinson – 7 receptions, 101 yards, TD

Week 5: at Cleveland Browns

Week 5: Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	7	3	10	3	23
Browns	3	17	7	5	32

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 11,759
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CLE – Cody Parkey 24-yard field goal, 10:24. Colts 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:36. IND – Jonathan Taylor 4-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 6:00. Colts 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:24. Second quarter CLE – Kareem Hunt 2-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Cody Parkey kick), 14:06. Browns 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 6:54. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 32-yard field goal, 10:15. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:51. CLE – Rashard Higgins 15-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Cody Parkey kick), 5:58. Browns 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:17. CLE – Cody Parker 36-yard field goal, 0:13. Browns 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 4:00. Third quarter CLE – Ronnie Harrison 47-yard interception return (Cody Parker kick), 12:15. Browns 27–10. IND – Isaiah Rodgers 101-yard kickoff return (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 12:00. Browns 27–17. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 37-yard field goal, 3:58. Browns 27–20. Drive: 10 plays, 29 yards, 5:15. Fourth quarter CLE – Penalty on Philip Rivers enforced in end zone for a Safety, 14:39. Browns 29–20. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 25-yard field goal, 2:50. Browns 29–23. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 4:15. CLE – Cody Parkey 46-yard field goal, 0:21. Browns 32–23. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 2:29. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 21/33, 243 yards, 2 INT CLE – Baker Mayfield – 21/37, 247 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 12 rushes, 57 yards, TD CLE – Kareem Hunt – 20 rushes, 72 yards Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton – 6 receptions, 69 yards CLE – Jarvis Landry – 4 receptions, 88 yards

Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 6: Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	14	10	3	0	27
Colts	0	21	0	10	31

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 12,453
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Chris Spielman and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CIN – Giovani Bernard 2-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 11:17. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:48. CIN – Joe Burrow 2-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 3:18. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:59. Second quarter CIN – Joe Mixon 7-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 14:56. Bengals 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:49. IND – Trey Burton 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 12:18. Bengals 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 2:38. CIN – Randy Bullock 47-yard field goal, 8:04. Bengals 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:14. IND – Trey Burton 10-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 4:38. Bengals 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:26. IND – Zach Pascal 17-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 0:15. Bengals 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 2:43. Third quarter CIN – Randy Bullock 55-yard field goal, 3:32. Bengals 27–21. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 6:03. Fourth quarter IND – Jack Doyle 14-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 14:55. Colts 28–27. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:37. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 40-yard field goal, 4:03. Colts 31–27. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 3:59. Top passers CIN – Joe Burrow – 25/39, 313 yards, INT IND – Philip Rivers – 29/44, 371 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers CIN – Joe Mixon – 18 rushes, 54 yards, TD IND – Jonathan Taylor – 12 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers CIN – Tee Higgins – 6 receptions, 125 yards IND – Marcus Johnson – 5 receptions, 108 yards

After trailing 0–21 in the second quarter, the Colts outscored the Bengals 31–6 to improve to 4–2 entering their bye week. The 21-point deficit is the largest comeback in a home regular season game in franchise history. It was also Philip Rivers' largest comeback win since 2006, coincidentally also against the Bengals, also Rivers' first year as a starting quarterback.

Week 8: at Detroit Lions

Week 8: Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	20	0	21	41
Lions	7	0	7	7	21

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 500
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Michael Grady
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DET – Marvin Jones 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 5:42. Lions 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:37. Second quarter IND – Nyheim Hines 22-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 11:10. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 2:13. IND – Jack Doyle 7-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 5:32. Colts 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 3:49. IND – Nyheim Hines 29-yard pass from Philip Rivers (kick failed), 0:56. Colts 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:50. Third quarter DET – Kerryon Johnson 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 11:08. Colts 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:52. Fourth quarter IND – Jordan Wilkins 1-yard run (Jordan Wilkins run), 13:34. Colts 28–14. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:53. IND – Kenny Moore II 29-yard interception return (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 13:26. Colts 35–14. DET – Marvin Jones 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 12:15. Colts 35–21. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:11. IND – Trey Burton 2-yard run (kick failed), 7:01. Colts 41–21. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:14. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 23/33, 262 yards, 3 TD DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/42, 336 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers IND – Jordan Wilkins – 20 rushes, 89 yards, TD DET – Jamal Agnew – 1 rush, 11 yards Top receivers IND – Nyheim Hines – 3 receptions, 54 yards, 2 TD DET – Marvin Hall – 4 receptions, 113 yards

Week 9: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 9: Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	7	0	7	10	24
Colts	7	3	0	0	10

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: November 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 76 °F (24 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 12,200
• Referee: Adrian Hill
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 5:33. Colts 7–0. Drive:8 plays, 65 yards, 4:41. BAL – Chuck Clark 65-yard fumble return (Justin Tucker kick), 1:11. Tied 7–7. Second quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 43-yard field goal, 0:45. Colts 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:38. Third quarter BAL – Gus Edwards 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 5:43. Ravens 14–10. Drive:10 plays, 54 yards, 5:15. Fourth quarter BAL – Lamar Jackson 9-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 11:08. Ravens 21–10. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 8:23. BAL – Justin Tucker 48-yard field goal, 2:08. Ravens 24–10. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:12. Top passers BAL – Lamar Jackson – 19/23, 170 yards IND – Philip Rivers – 26/44, 227 yards, INT Top rushers BAL – Lamar Jackson – 13 rushes, 58 yards, TD IND – Jordan Wilkins – 11 rushes, 39 yards Top receivers BAL – Nick Boyle – 4 receptions, 46 yards IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 4 receptions, 56 yards

Week 10: at Tennessee Titans

Week 10: Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	3	10	14	7	34
Titans	7	10	0	0	17

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Clear, 56 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 13,949
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (Fox/NFLN/Amazon Prime): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter TEN – D'Onta Foreman 5-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:50. Titans 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:10. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 24-yard field goal, 0:36. Titans 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 4:30. Second Quarter TEN – Stephen Gostkowski 50-yard field goal, 11:12. Titans 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:24. IND – Nyheim Hines 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 7:49. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:23. TEN – Jonnu Smith 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:54. Titans 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:55. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Titans 17–13. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 2:54. Third quarter IND – Nyheim Hines 2-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 2:51. Colts 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:18. IND – T. J. Carrie 6-yard return of blocked punt (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 1:52. Colts 27–17. Fourth quarter IND – Jacoby Brissett 2-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:21. Colts 34–17. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 2:50. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 29/39, 308 yards, TD TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 15/27, 158 yards, TD Top rushers IND – Nyheim Hines – 12 rushes, 70 yards, TD TEN – Derrick Henry – 19 rushes, 103 yards Top receivers IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 7 receptions, 101 yards TEN – Corey Davis – 5 receptions, 67 yards

Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 11: Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Packers	7	21	0	3	0	31
Colts	7	7	11	6	3	34

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 12,495
• Referee: Shawn Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter GB – Robert Tonyan 25-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 8:21. Packers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 4:06. IND – Michael Pittman Jr. 45-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 5:45. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:36. Second quarter GB – Aaron Jones 2-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 9:55. Packers 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 4:14. GB – Davante Adams 5-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 7:48. Packers 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:53. IND – Trey Burton 17-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 1:52. Packers 21–14. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:56. GB – Jamaal Williams 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:16. Packers 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:36. Third quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 37-yard field goal, 7:43. Packers 28–17. Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 7:17. IND – Jack Doyle 6-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nyheim Hines run), 1:59. Packers 28–25. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:57. Fourth quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 32-yard field goal, 11:12. Tied 28–28. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:56. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 43-yard field goal, 8:56. Colts 31–28. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:06. GB – Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 31–31. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 1:22. Overtime IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 39-yard field goal, 7:10. Colts 34–31. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:02. Top passers GB – Aaron Rodgers – 27/38, 311 yards, 3 TD, INT IND – Philip Rivers – 24/36, 288 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers GB – Aaron Jones – 10 rushes, 41 yards, TD IND – Jonathan Taylor – 22 rushes, 90 yards Top receivers GB – Davante Adams – 7 receptions, 106 yards, TD IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 3 receptions, 66 yards, TD

Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 12: Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	14	21	3	7	45
Colts	7	7	0	12	26

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: November 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 12,464
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter TEN – Derrick Henry 12-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:12. Titans 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:48. IND – Trey Burton 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 2:34. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:38. TEN – A. J. Brown 69-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:09. Titans 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:25. Second quarter IND – Jacoby Brissett 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 12:51. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:18. TEN – Derrick Henry 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:15. Titans 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:29. TEN – Derrick Henry 11-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:41. Titans 28–14. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 2:44. TEN – Ryan Tannehill 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:20. Titans 35–14. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 0:53. Third quarter TEN – Stephen Gostkowski 49-yard field goal, 0:44. Titans 38–14. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:54. Fourth quarter IND – Jacoby Brissett 1-yard run (run failed), 13:23. Titans 38–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:21. IND – T. Y. Hilton 5-yard pass from Philip Rivers (pass failed), 2:34. Titans 38–26. Drive: 11 plays, 94 yards, 3:21. TEN – A. J. Brown 42-yard kickoff return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:29. Titans 45–26. Top passers TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 13/22, 221 yards, TD IND – Philip Rivers – 24/42, 295 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers TEN – Derrick Henry – 27 rushes, 178 yards, 3 TD IND – Nyheim Hines – 10 rushes, 29 yards Top receivers TEN – A. J. Brown – 4 receptions, 98 yards, TD IND – T. Y. Hilton – 4 receptions, 81 yards, TD

Week 13: at Houston Texans

Week 13: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	14	10	0	2	26
Texans	10	10	0	0	20

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 57 °F (14 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 12,316
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Sherree Burruss
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – T. Y. Hilton 21-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:52. Colts 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:28. HOU – Deshaun Watson 11-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:51. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:01. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 52-yard field goal, 4:37. Texans 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:48. IND – Nyheim Hines 5-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 0:41. Colts 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:52. Second quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 39-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:17. Colts 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:15. HOU – David Johnson 6-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:39. Colts 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:38. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 42-yard field goal, 1:15. Colts 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:27. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 34-yard field goal, 0:08. Colts 24–20. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:07. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter IND – Deshaun Watson sacked in end zone by Justin Houston, 6:08. Colts 26–20. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 27/35, 285 yards, 2 TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 26/38, 341 yards, INT Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 13 rushes, 91 yards HOU – David Johnson – 10 rushes, 44 yards, TD Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton – 9 receptions, 110 yards, TD HOU – Keke Coutee – 8 receptions, 141 yards

Week 14: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 14: Indianapolis Colts at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	10	10	7	17	44
Raiders	7	7	6	7	27

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

• Date: December 13
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 25-yard field goal, 8:56. Colts 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 6:08. IND – T. Y. Hilton 7-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 2:59. Colts 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:50. LV – Foster Moreau 47-yard pass from Derek Carr (Daniel Carlson kick), 0:09. Colts 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 2:50. Second quarter LV – Nelson Agholor 21-yard pass from Derek Carr (Daniel Carlson kick), 10:39. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 3:23. IND – T. Y. Hilton 44-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:03. Colts 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:35. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 20-yard field goal, 0:00. Colts 20–14. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 3:30. Third quarter LV – Daniel Carlson 25-yard field goal, 9:45. Colts 20–17. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:19. IND – Jonathan Taylor 67-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 7:27. Colts 27–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:14. LV – Daniel Carlson 23-yard field goal, 0:17. Colts 27–20. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 7:14. Fourth quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 3-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:40. Colts 34–20. Drive: 19 plays, 75 yards, 5:50. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 35-yard field goal, 6:55. Colts 37–20. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 2:25. IND – Khari Willis 50-yard interception return (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 5:32. Colts 44–20. LV – Derek Carr 5-yard run (Daniel Carlson kick), 0:55. Colts 44–27. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:27. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 19/28, 244 yards, 2 TD LV – Derek Carr – 31/45, 316 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 20 rushes, 150 yards, 2 TD LV – Josh Jacobs – 13 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton – 5 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TD LV – Nelson Agholor – 5 receptions, 100 yards, TD

Week 15: vs. Houston Texans

Week 15: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	10	3	7	20
Colts	14	0	3	10	27

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: December 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 9,992
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Jay Feely
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 5-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 5:49. Colts 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:39. IND – Zach Pascal 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 0:52. Colts 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 2:22. Second quarter HOU – Chad Hansen 38-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:46. Colts 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:09. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Colts 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 1:43. Third quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 35-yard field goal, 8:27. Colts 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 6:33. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 31-yard field goal, 1:19. Colts 17–13. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 7:08. Fourth quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 53-yard field goal, 13:31. Colts 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:48. HOU – Keke Coutee 9-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:25. Tied 20–20. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:06. IND – Zach Pascal 5-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 1:47. Colts 27–20. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:38. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 33/41, 373 yards, 2 TD IND – Philip Rivers – 22/28, 228 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – David Johnson – 8 rushes, 27 yards IND – Jonathan Taylor – 16 rushes, 83 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – David Johnson – 11 receptions, 106 yards IND – Zach Pascal – 5 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD

Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 16: Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	7	14	3	0	24
Steelers	0	7	7	14	28

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 37 °F (3 °C)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 6-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:48. Colts 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:45. Second quarter PIT – James Conner 1-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 13:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 3 yards, 0:50. IND – Jonathan Taylor 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 6:35. Colts 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 7:12. IND – Zach Pascal 42-yard pass from Philip Rivers, 4:02. Colts 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 43 yards, 0:48. Third quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 28-yard field goal, 9:23. Colts 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:37. PIT – Diontae Johnson 39-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 3:16. Colts 24–14. Drive: 1 play, 39 yards, 0:07. Fourth quarter PIT – Eric Ebron 5-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 14:52. Colts 24–21. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 1:51. PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster 25-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 7:38. Steelers 28–24. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 4:28. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 22/35, 270 yards, TD, INT PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 34/49, 341 yards, 3 TD Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 18 rushes, 74 yards, 2 TD PIT – James Conner – 5 rushes, 20 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Zach Pascal – 3 receptions, 64 yards, TD PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster – 9 receptions, 96 yards, TD

Initially seeded within the AFC playoff race, the Week 16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked the Colts to the first seed outside looking in. ^[3]

Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 17: Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	7	7	0	14
Colts	10	10	0	8	28

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: January 3, 2021
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 9,976
• Referee: Shawn Smith
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Sherree Burruss
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – T. Y. Hilton 6-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 10:16. Colts 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:43. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 22-yard field goal, 1:16. Colts 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:26. Second quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 11:40. Colts 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:17. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 24-yard field goal, 2:38. Colts 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:43. JAX – Laviska Shenault 9-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Aldrick Rosas kick), 0:27. Colts 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:11. Third quarter JAX – Laviska Shenault 8-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Aldrick Rosas kick), 6:26. Colts 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:41. Fourth quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 45-yard run (Philip Rivers–T. Y. Hilton pass), 3:35. Colts 28–14. Drive: 2 plays, 50 yards, 0:51. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 17/27, 164 yards, TD, INT JAX – Mike Glennon – 26/42, 261 yards, 2 TD Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 30 rushes, 253 yards, 2 TD JAX – Dare Ogunbowale – 14 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers IND – Nyheim Hines – 6 receptions, 50 yards JAX – Chris Conley – 7 receptions, 87 yards

As one of five AFC teams with a 10–5 record entering Week 17, the Colts were on the outside of the playoff picture until the Miami Dolphins fell to the Buffalo Bills earlier in the afternoon. The Colts held on for a 28–14 win to avoid being swept by the otherwise winless Jaguars. With the win and the Houston Texans' loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Colts finished the season with an 11–5 record and were eliminated from contention for the division title, but clinched the seventh and final wild card slot in the expanded NFL playoffs. ^[4]

Standings

Division

AFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Tennessee Titans	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	491	439	W1
(7) Indianapolis Colts	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	451	362	W1
Houston Texans	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	384	464	L5
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	15	0	.063	1–5	1–11	306	492	L15

Conference

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Kansas City Chiefs	West	14	2	0	.875	4–2	10–2	.465	.464	L1
2	Buffalo Bills	East	13	3	0	.813	6–0	10–2	.512	.471	W6
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	.475	.448	L1
4 [a]	Tennessee Titans	South	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	.475	.398	W1
Wild Cards
5 [b] [c]	Baltimore Ravens	North	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	.494	.401	W5
6 [c] [d]	Cleveland Browns	North	11	5	0	.688	3–3	7–5	.451	.406	W1
7 [a] [b] [d]	Indianapolis Colts	South	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	.443	.384	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8	Miami Dolphins	East	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.467	.347	L1
9	Las Vegas Raiders	West	8	8	0	.500	4–2	6–6	.539	.477	W1
10 [e]	New England Patriots	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.527	.429	W1
11 [e]	Los Angeles Chargers	West	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.482	.344	W4
12	Denver Broncos	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.566	.388	L3
13	Cincinnati Bengals	North	4	11	1	.281	1–5	4–8	.529	.438	L1
14	Houston Texans	South	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	.541	.219	L5
15	New York Jets	East	2	14	0	.125	0–6	1–11	.594	.656	L1
16	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	1	15	0	.063	1–5	1–11	.549	.688	L15
Tiebreakers [f]
Tennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis in the AFC South based on division record. Baltimore claimed the No. 5 seed over Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below). Baltimore claimed the No. 5 seed over Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep. Cleveland claimed the No. 6 seed over Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. New England finished ahead of the LA Chargers 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.

Postseason

See also: 2020–21 NFL playoffs

Schedule

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
Wild Card	January 9, 2021	at Buffalo Bills (2)	L 24–27	0–1	Bills Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (2) Buffalo Bills

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (7) Indianapolis Colts at (2) Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	3	7	0	14	24
Bills	7	7	3	10	27

at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: January 9, 2021
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 34 °F (1 °C)
• Game attendance: 6,772
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 30-yard field goal, 5:29. Colts 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:39. BUF – Dawson Knox 3-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 1:49. Bills 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:40. Second quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 8:07. Colts 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 5:27. BUF – Josh Allen 5-yard run (Tyler Bass kick), 0:14. Bills 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 96 yards, 1:32. Third quarter BUF – Tyler Bass 46-yard field goal, 11:05. Bills 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:55. Fourth quarter BUF – Stefon Diggs 35-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 14:10. Bills 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:22. IND – Zach Pascal 9-yard pass from Philip Rivers (run failed), 11:32. Bills 24–16. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:38. BUF – Tyler Bass 54-yard field goal, 8:08. Bills 27–16. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:24. IND – Jack Doyle 27-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Philip Rivers–Jack Doyle pass), 6:13. Bills 27–24. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 1:55. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 27/46, 309 yards, 2 TD BUF – Josh Allen – 26/35, 324 yards, 2 TD Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 21 rushes, 78 yards, TD BUF – Josh Allen – 11 rushes, 54 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 5 receptions, 90 yards BUF – Stefon Diggs – 6 receptions, 128 yards, TD

In what would become quarterback Philip Rivers' last game in the NFL, ^[5] the Colts fell to the Bills by a final score of 27–24 despite coming back from a 24–10 fourth-quarter deficit. Rivers threw for two fourth-quarter touchdowns and led another drive to the Bills' 47-yard line in the final two minutes, but the Colts were unable to score on the drive, sealing the win for the Bills.

References

1. "Colts Sign 10 Undrafted Free Agents - Indianapolis". colts.com. April 29, 2020.
2. Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
3. "2020 NFL Playoff Picture, Scenarios, and Standings". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
4. Rapp, Timothy (January 3, 2021). "Philip Rivers, Colts Clinch 2020-21 NFL Playoff Berth with Win vs. Jaguars". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
5. Wojton, Nick (January 20, 2021). "After final game vs. Bills, QB Philip Rivers retires". Bills Wire. USA Today. Retrieved November 11, 2024.

External links

• Official website