2005 Indianapolis Colts season
Encyclopedia
The 2005
Indianapolis Colts
season
was the 53rd season for the team in the National Football League
and 22nd in Indianapolis. The 2005 Colts season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record from 2004
and to advance further into the playoffs. The Colts finished the season 14–2, but lost their first game in the postseason to the Pittsburgh Steelers
who ended as Super Bowl XL
champions. They started the season with a 13-game winning streak and were heavily favored to go to the Super Bowl. The Colts' nemesis, the New England Patriots
, lost to the Denver Broncos
in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The following night the Colts were favored over the Steelers because they had easily beaten them in the two preceding years. However, the Colts were disappointed by the #6-seed Steelers upset win.
had a busy offseason with the main focus to sign star running back
Edgerrin James
to a new contract. However, that did not happen, and the Colts decided to take the initiative of sticking him with the franchise tag http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7014278/. (The franchise tag is a way to keep a player on the roster for one more year, but for a much larger salary than specified on the contract.) The Colts also signed RT Ryan Diem
to a seven-year contract that included a $12 million signing bonus, which made him one of the highest-paid tackles in the league.
The Colts were not able to re-sign TE
Marcus Pollard
(Detroit Lions
, free-agent) or DE
Brad Scioli
(free-agent) during the offseason.
x - clinched homefield advantage
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against
came into town to face the Baltimore Ravens
. This game was a game of mistakes by Baltimore, and taking advantage of miscues for Indianapolis. Baltimore QB
Kyle Boller
threw an interception for a touchdown before being injured, and his replacement, Anthony Wright
ended up throwing two more interceptions. Baltimore kicker
Matt Stover
missed three field goals, and gave the Colts more opportunities to score. The Colts also had three takeaways, and the Ravens had none, however, the Colts punted seven times while Baltimore only punted four times. Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning
finished the game 21 for 36, with 254 yards passing, and two touchdown passes. Ravens QB Anthony Wright finished the game 19 for 31, with 214 yards passing, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Indianapolis RB Edgerrin James
had 88 yards on 23 carries, and Ravens RB Jamal Lewis
had 48 yards on 16 carries.
This ended up as the Colts' first win in Baltimore since moving to Indianapolis.
20-yard FG (3–0 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:43 – 28-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison
(Vanderjagt kick) (10–0 IND)
Q3 – IND – 5:08 – 26-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Ben Utecht
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–0 IND)
Q4 – IND – 2:39 – 30-yard interception return for TD by Cato June
(Vanderjagt kick) (24–0 IND)
Q4 – BAL – 0:13 – 17-yard TD pass from Anthony Wright to Daniel Wilcox
(Stover kick) (24–7 IND)
defense was the talk of the week, not their offense. This week was similar as the Colts surrendered only 3 points to the Jaguars
. This game between AFC South
division rivals was dominated by the running game for both teams, and the defensive lines. Colts QB
Peyton Manning
was 13 of 28 for 122 yards passing, with no touchdowns and an interception while Jacksonville QB Byron Leftwich
finished the game 16 of 29 for 198 yards passing. Edgerrin James
finished his day off with 27 carries for 128 yards rushing, and Jacksonville RB Fred Taylor
finished with 16 carries for 81 yards. Jacksonville had seven fumbles in this game, but recovered every one of them. This game was scoreless until there was less than seven minutes to go in the third quarter.
28-yard FG (3–0 JAC)
Q4 – IND – 8:27 – Ran Carthon
6-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (7–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 1:50 – Mike Vanderjagt
41-yard FG (10–3 IND)
RB
Edgerrin James
topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight game, and he also scored his first rushing touchdown of the year in this game. His 2-yard touchdown run was the only touchdown scored, and the kickers for both teams both kicked in two field goals each. The Browns defended the deep pass and the potent Colts offense all game, and the Colts just ran the ball. Both of the quarterbacks combined for only 11 incomplete passes. Colts QB
Peyton Manning
finished the game 19 for 23 with 228 yards passing and one interception as Browns
QB Trent Dilfer
finished 22 of 29 for 208 passing yards.
In this game, QB Peyton Manning was the second-fastest quarterback to reach 30,000 career passing yards. He did it in 115 games, while Miami Dolphins
QB Dan Marino
did it in 114 games. This win against the Browns was the Colts' seventh-consecutive win in the RCA Dome. After this game, the Colts moved to 3–0, while the Browns went to 1–2.
Q2 – CLE – 13:13 – Phil Dawson
40-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 3:14 – Mike Vanderjagt
20-yard FG (10–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 7:07 – Mike Vanderjagt 23-yard FG (13–3 IND)
Q4 – CLE – 14:09 – Phil Dawson 22-yard FG (13–6 IND)
offense finally showed up this game, as QB
Peyton Manning
threw for 264 yards and four touchdown passes. Two of those touchdown passes were to WR
Marvin Harrison
and those two touchdowns tied the record for the most touchdowns between a quarterback and a receiver. RB
Edgerrin James
had 21 carries for 90 yards, and Marvin Harrison had 9 catches for 109 yards.
The Colts have only allowed 26 points to be scored against them in four games so far, which is a franchise record. The Titans
never really got anything going on offense, and Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair
was their leading rusher for the team in this game.
(Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – TEN – 4:58 – Rob Bironas
34-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 7:17 – Mike Vanderjagt
20-yard FG (10–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 1:17 – 11-yard pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (17–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 7:55 – 8-yard pass from Peyton Manning to Edgerrin James (Vanderjagt kick) (24–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 13:09 – 24-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (31–3 IND)
Q4 – TEN – 4:31 – 6-yard TD pass from Steve McNair to Bo Scaife
(Bironas kick) (31–10 IND)
QB
Alex Smith
had his troubles all game as he finished 9 for 23 with 74 passing yards, five turnovers (four of them were interceptions), and five sacks. Colts
QB Peyton Manning
completed 23 of his 31 passes, threw for one touchdown, and two interceptions. Colts
MLB
Cato June
picked off Alex Smith twice, returning one of them for a touchdown. Colts RB
Edgerrin James
finished the day with 21 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown, and 49ers RB Kevan Barlow
ran for 99 yards off of 18 carries.
Also of note, after Cato June's interception return, kicker
Mike Vanderjagt
scored his 900th point in the NFL. Also, after Manning got his first career win over the 49ers in this game, that left only four teams that he has not beaten yet.
6-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 6:29 – 24-yard interception return for TD by Cato June
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q3 – SF – 9:41 – Joe Nedney
30-yard FG (14–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 14:55 – Edgerrin James 4-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (21–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 5:58 – 18-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Troy Walters
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–3 IND)
came into a Week 6 matchup with the Colts
on Monday Night Football
with QB
Peyton Manning
and WR
Marvin Harrison
tied with Steve Young and Jerry Rice
on the list of the most touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver. That eventually changed in the fourth quarter, as Manning and Harrison made NFL
history, again.
The Rams jumped out to a 17–0 lead on the Colts in the RCA Dome in front of a Monday Night Football audience, and nobody could believe it. The 5–0 Colts were down 17 points at the end of the first quarter, and the 2–5 Rams had all the confidence in the world. That drastically changed in the second half, however. After two interceptions by MLB
Cato June
that set up two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble recovery by CB
Nick Harper
that had also set up two touchdown scores, the Colts scored all 45 of their points in three quarters, and held the Rams to just 11 points those quarters.
Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison also happened to make history that night also, by completing their 86th career touchdown pass to pass Steve Young and Jerry Rice on the list of the most touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver. Cato June also left the game as the NFL leader in interceptions. He had three interceptions in the past two games (one for a touchdown). Also of note, Rams QB Marc Bulger
went out of the game with a shoulder injury, and backup QB Jamie Martin replaced him for the rest of the game.
21-yard TD run (Jeff Wilkins
kick) (7–0 STL)
Q1 – STL – 8:17 – Jeff Wilkins 29-yard FG (10–0 STL)
Q1 – STL – 3:31 – 57-yard TD pass from Marc Bulger
to Kevin Curtis
(Wilkins kick) (17–0 STL)
Q2 – IND – 9:44 – Edgerrin James
1-yard TD run (Mike Vanderjagt
kick) (17–7 STL)
Q2 – IND – 1:57 – 3-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–14 STL)
Q2 – STL – 0:30 – Jeff Wilkins 49-yard FG (20–14 STL)
Q3 – IND – 10:02 – Mike Vanderjagt 22-yard FG (20–17 STL)
Q3 – IND – 3:16 – Edgerrin James 8-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (24–20 IND)
Q4 – IND – 14:58 – Dominic Rhodes
1-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (31–20 IND)
Q4 – IND – 9:25 – 6-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (38–20 IND)
Q4 – IND – 8:12 – Edgerrin James 1-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (45–20 IND)
Q4 – STL – 3:28 – 9-yard TD pass from Jamie Martin to Cam Cleeland
(Marshall Faulk
2-point conversion) (45–28 IND)
had a fast start, as they forced two first-half turnovers and had the game tied at 14 at halftime. However, that did not hold up in the second half as the Colts
scored 24 second-half points and held Houston to −4 total yards on offense. There was even a drive when Texans QB
David Carr
was sacked on three straight plays, and on those last two sacks, he fumbled the ball. But, Houston recovered both fumbles, and punted the ball after those three horrible plays. Colts QB Peyton Manning
was 21 for 27 with 237 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, and David Carr was 6 of 9 with 48 passing yards, one touchdown, and an interception.
Also of note, this win gave coach Tony Dungy
his 100th career win in the NFL
. He is the 34th head coach to win 100 games.
1-yard TD run (Mike Vanderjagt
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 11:22 – 31-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q2 – HOU – 3:15 – Domanick Davis 8-yard TD run (Kris Brown
kick) (14–7 IND)
Q2 – HOU – 0:30 – 8-yard TD pass from David Carr to Jabar Gaffney
(Brown kick) (14–14)
Q3 – IND – 11:18 – Edgerrin James 9-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (21–14 IND)
Q3 – IND – 0:17 – Mike Vanderjagt 36-yard FG (24–14 IND)
Q4 – IND – 11:38 – 7-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison
(Vanderjagt kick) (31–14 IND)
Q4 – IND – 8:07 – Montae Reagor
37-yard fumble return TD (38–14 IND)
Q4 – HOU – 7:56 – Jerome Mathis
89-yard kick return TD (2-point conversion failed) (38–20 IND)
Coming into this game, Colts
Quarterback
Peyton Manning
was 0–7 against the Patriots
in Foxboro. Manning finished the game 28 for 37 with 321 yards and three touchdowns. He helped guide the Colts to score on seven of their eight possessions.
The Colts forced the Patriots to do some uncharacteristic things just to catch up. Pats coach Bill Belichick
called for an onside kick, and to go for a first down on fourth down and 4. The Colts held onto the ball for over 36 minutes of the game, and controlled the tempo all the way to the end. Throughout the game you could see the frustration on the Patriots as Tom Brady was seen yelling "Are we gonna fight? Are we gonna lay down?" at his team mates throughout the game
Patriots QB Tom Brady
finished the game 22 of 33 for 265 yards and three touchdowns, running back
Corey Dillon
ran the ball for 40 yards on 12 carries, and Edgerrin James
ran the ball for 104 yards on 34 carries. The Colts had two receivers top 100 yards receiving, Marvin Harrison
and Reggie Wayne
, and both of them had nine receptions each. On the very last play of the game, Colts DE
Robert Mathis
recorded a sack to keep his streak alive at eight straight games with at least one sack. Through week 9, the Colts were the only undefeated team in the league.
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – NE – 5:52 – 16-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Deion Branch
(Adam Vinatieri
kick) (7–7)
Q2 – IND – 11:50 – Edgerrin James 2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (14–7 IND)
Q2 – IND – 0:09 – 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne (Vanderjagt kick) (21–7 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:36 – Dominic Rhodes
4-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (28–7 IND)
Q3 – NE – 5:46 – 31-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Daniel Graham
(Vinatieri kick) (28–14 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:30 – Mike Vanderjagt 35-yard FG (31–14 IND)
Q4 – IND – 13:58 – Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard FG (34–14 IND)
Q4 – NE – 10:15 – 19-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Troy Brown
(Vinatieri kick) (34–21 IND)
Q4 – IND – 5:53 – 30-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (2-point conversion failed) (40–21 IND)
QB
Peyton Manning
finished his game off 26 of 35 with 297 passing yards, three touchdowns, and was sacked once, while Texans
QB David Carr
went 16 for 25 with 138 passing yards, one touchdown, and was sacked three times. RB
Edgerrin James
carried the football 26 times for 122 yards. The Houston Texans offense could only muster up two first downs the entire game, and one was by penalty in the second quarter. Colts DE
Robert Mathis
failed to record a sack in this game, the first time all season that he has not had at least one sack in a game.
Through week 10, the Colts were still the only undefeated team in the league.
(Mike Vanderjagt
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 11:14 – Edgerrin James 5-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 5:36 – 21-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Brandon Stokley
(Vanderjagt kick) (21–0 IND)
Q2 – HOU – 1:53 – Jonathan Wells
14-yard TD run (Kris Brown
kick) (21–7 IND)
Q3 – HOU – 8:26 – 13-yard TD pass from David Carr to Jabar Gaffney
(Brown kick) (21–14 IND)
Q3 – IND – 5:54 – 30-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–14 IND)
Q3 – HOU – 0:59 – Kris Brown 24-yard FG (28–17 IND)
Q4 – IND – 11:30 – Mike Vanderjagt 45-yard FG (31–17 IND)
wide receiver
Chad Johnson made his weekly guarantee that the opposing cornerback
could not stop him. The Colts
cornerbacks could not stop Johnson, as he had 8 receptions for 189 yards and one touchdown. But, the Bengals still lost to the Colts in a shootout, and the Colts remained the only undefeated team in the NFL
, at 10–0. Colts QB
Peyton Manning
finished the game 24 for 40 with 365 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. The opposing quarterback, Carson Palmer
also had marvelous stats, as he finished with 25 pass completions on 38 attempts, two touchdowns, and one interception. As Chad Johnson led the Bengals in receiving, TE
Dallas Clark
led the Colts in receiving with six catches for 125 yards. There were only a total of three punts in the entire game, two by the Colts and one by the Bengals. In the first six possessions of the game, there were five touchdowns and a field goal. During those six possessions, both Manning and Palmer had perfect 158.3 quarterback ratings.
The Colts are were the seventeenth team to start the season 10–0, the first team to do so since the Denver Broncos
did during the 1998 NFL season
. Colts WR Marvin Harrison
also reached 900 receptions for his career in this game, and he is the fastest player to do so in NFL history.
4-yard TD run (Mike Vanderjagt
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – CIN – 4:47 – Shayne Graham
43-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q1 – IND – 4:30 – 66-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–3 IND)
Q1 – CIN – 3:23 – 68-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson (Graham kick) (14–10 IND)
Q2 – IND – 14:12 – 9-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Bryan Fletcher
(Vanderjagt kick) (21–10 IND)
Q2 – CIN – 9:13 – Rudi Johnson
1-yard TD run (Graham kick) (21–17 IND)
Q2 – IND – 7:11 – Edgerrin James
1-yard TD run (28–17 IND)
Q2 – IND – 3:41 – 21-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark (Vanderjagt kick) (35–17 IND)
Q2 – CIN – 1:29 – Shayne Graham 41-yard FG (35–20 IND)
Q2 – CIN – 0:12 – Rudi Johnson 1-yard TD run (Graham kick) (35–27 IND)
Q3 – CIN – 12:52 – 15-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chris Henry (Graham kick) (35–34)
Q3 – IND – 4:29 – Edgerrin James 2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (42–34 IND)
Q4 – IND – 6:16 – Mike Vanderjagt 19-yard FG (45–34 IND)
Q4 – CIN – 1:23 – Shayne Graham 44-yard FG (45–37 IND)
The Colts
defeated another tough AFC opponent in week 12, and were still undefeated. After handing the Steelers
another defeat, the Colts solidified their presence in the NFL
as one of the best teams. After the Steelers went three-and-out on their very first possession of the game, the Colts scored on their first play of their first drive. On the first play from scrimmage in the game, quarterback
Peyton Manning
threw an 80-yard touchdown strike to WR
Marvin Harrison
. Harrison just blew by cornerback
Ike Taylor
, and the Colts never looked back. They controlled the tempo throughout the entire game. Manning finished the game 15 of 25 with 245 passing yards, had two touchdowns, and one interception. On the other hand, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
, did not fare to well. He finished 17 of 26 with 133 passing yards, had one touchdown, and two interceptions. The Colts snapped Roethlisberger's nine-game road winning streak. Roethlisberger had never lost a game on the road during his first season in 2004, and had not yet lost on the road in 2005 before coming to Indianapolois. Marvin Harrison led all receivers in the game with four catches for 128 yards and one touchdown.
The Colts were the eleventh team to start the season 11–0, the first team to do so since the Denver Broncos
did during the 1998 NFL season
. Also, after Manning got his first career win over the Steelers in this game, that left only three teams that he had not yet beaten.
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – IND – 6:07 – Mike Vanderjagt 29-yard FG (10–0 IND)
Q1 – PIT – 1:14 – 12-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward
(Jeff Reed
kick) (10–7 IND)
Q2 – IND – 5:22 – Mike Vanderjagt 48-yard FG (13–7 IND)
Q2 – IND – 0:00 – Mike Vanderjagt 44-yard FG (16–7 IND)
Q3 – IND – 11:47 – 12-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Bryan Fletcher
(Vanderjagt kick) (23–7 IND)
Q4 – IND – 1:38 – Mike Vanderjagt 28-yard FG (26–7 IND)
continued their undefeated streak this week as they mightily defeated the Tennessee Titans
35–3. So far, the Colts had won seven of their last nine games by at least 17 points, and averaged more than 35 points per game. Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning
completed 13 of 17 passes for 187 passing yards and three touchdowns, giving him a 151.2 QB rating. Titans QB Steve McNair
was 22 of 33 with 220 yards passing and had one fumble.
The Colts were the fifth team in NFL
history to start the season 12–0, and also clinched a playoff spot with this win against the Titans. But the Colts had to wait one more week to clinch the AFC South
Championship and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Peyton Manning also made history in this game, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 25 touchdown passes in eight straight seasons. Also, on the Colts' opening drive, WR
Marvin Harrison
became the 12th receiver in league history to top 12,000 yards receiving in his career.
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 4:11 – 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Bryan Fletcher
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q2 – TEN – 0:29 – Rob Bironas
24-yard FG (14–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 9:40 – 27-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne
(Vanderjagt kick) (21–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 1:28 – Edgerrin James
2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (28–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 11:44 – Larry Tripplett
60-yard fumble return TD (35–3 IND)
were now one step closer to perfection, as they only had three games left to match the record set by the 1972 Miami Dolphins
. Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning
picked apart the Jacksonville
secondary all game, finishing the game with 24 of 36 for 324 yards passing and two touchdowns, but was sacked a season-high 3 times. Jaguars QB David Garrard
(who was starting in the place of Byron Leftwich
) was 26 of 35 for 250 passing yards, and had one touchdown. Also of note, the Colts snapped the Jaguars' five-game winning streak.
After the Colts defeated the Jaguars, they became only the fourth team in NFL
history to start a season 13–0. The Colts joined the 1934 Chicago Bears
, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the 1998 Denver Broncos
as the only teams to do so. Also, with this win, the Colts clinched the AFC South
Division Championship, a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs
, and clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
(Mike Vanderjagt
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – JAC – 14:11 – Josh Scobee
27-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 9:21 – 65-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (14–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 0:00 – Mike Vanderjagt 40-yard FG (17–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:14 – Mike Vanderjagt 34-yard FG (20–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 0:45 – Mike Vanderjagt 38-yard FG (23–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 12:13 – Mike Vanderjagt 46-yard FG (26–3 IND)
Q4 – JAC – 4:08 – David Garrard 5-yard TD run (Scobee kick) (26–10 IND)
Q4 – JAC – 1:54 – 1-yard TD pass from David Garrard to Jimmy Smith (David Garrard 2-point conversion) (26–18 IND)
came into Week 15 of the NFL season still undefeated, and this week's game featured the Colts playing the San Diego Chargers
at home. San Diego started the game with 4 scores in the first 3 quarters of the game, before the Colts could even score. By the time the Colts finally put some points on the scoreboard, they were down 16–0 to the Chargers. Marty Schottenheimer
and the Chargers were in the middle of a playoff hunt, and they were not going to go down easy. But after San Diego jumped out to a 16-point lead, the Colts came back in the third quarter with three scores of their own, to put them up by one point at the beginning of the fourth quarter, 17–16. However, they were not able to score the rest of the game, and the Chargers scored twice in the fourth quarter, once on a field goal and another on an 83-yard touchdown run by RB
Michael Turner
. The loss to the Chargers was the first loss of the season for the Colts, but the last team to go 13–0, the 1998 Denver Broncos
, lost their 14th and 15th games, before winning their last game of the season, and they went on to win Super Bowl XXXIII
. The Colts had history in their favor, but Peyton Manning
did not want to lose any more games during the 2005 season
.
(Nate Kaeding
kick) (7–0 SD)
Q1 – SD – 1:56 – Nate Kaeding 36-yard FG (10–0 SD)
Q2 – SD – 0:15 – Nate Kaeding 20-yard FG (13–0 SD)
Q3 – SD – 9:30 – Nate Kaeding 48-yard FG (16–0 SD)
Q3 – IND – 6:41 – Mike Vanderjagt
32-yard FG (16–3 SD)
Q3 – IND – 3:42 – Edgerrin James
1-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (16–10 SD)
Q3 – IND – 11:44 – 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–16 IND)
Q4 – SD – 6:41 – Nate Kaeding 49-yard FG (19–17 SD)
Q4 – SD – 2:09 – Michael Turner 83-yard TD run (Kaeding kick) (26–17 SD)
loss to the San Diego Chargers
last week, Colts coach Tony Dungy
elected to keep most of his starters benched for the entire Christmas Eve
game against the Seattle Seahawks
, besides the first drive of the game. However, Dungy's decision did not come from the sidelines, because two days earlier, his eldest son, James, had committed suicide in his apartment. So, assistant coach Jim Caldwell
took over for Tony as he spent the week with his family.
Colts QB
Peyton Manning
played only a couple series and backup QB Jim Sorgi
got some extended playing time. Dungy decided that since they had clinched a playoff spot, the AFC South
Division Championship, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, he had nothing else to really play for, and he did not want to risk his players getting injured before the playoffs. Seattle was playing to win because if they beat the Colts, they would clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs in the NFC
.
The Seahawks beat the Colts 28–13, and NFL MVP Shaun Alexander
scored three touchdowns in the game and tied Priest Holmes
for the NFL record for touchdowns in a season with 27. The Colts-Seahawks game set records well before kickoff. The game featured the highest scoring and winningest teams against each other, and each looking to set a franchise record for most wins in a season. In addition, the schedule makers set a record with the first regular season game where the teams combined for at least 25 victories.
24-yard FG (3–0 IND)
Q1 – SEA – 5:42 – Shaun Alexander 2-yard TD run (Josh Brown kick) (7–3 SEA)
Q2 – SEA – 11:46 – 15-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck
to Jerramy Stevens
(Brown kick) (14–3 SEA)
Q2 – IND – 0:37 – Mike Vanderjagt 32-yard FG (14–6 SEA)
Q3 – SEA – 10:57 – 6-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Shaun Alexander (Brown kick) (21–6 SEA)
Q4 – SEA – 3:58 – Shaun Alexander 1-yard TD run (Brown kick) (28–6 SEA)
Q4 – IND – 1:59 – 6-yard TD pass from Jim Sorgi to Troy Walters
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–13 SEA)
, Colts
Coach Tony Dungy
made his return to the sidelines after the death of his eldest son. The Colts faced the Arizona Cardinals
at the RCA Dome, and in front of an emotional and proud crowd. The Colts won this game, 17–13 over the Cardinals, and they dedicated the last two games of the regular season to James Dungy. Colts QB
Peyton Manning
only played on the first drive of this game, just like the previous game, and Jim Sorgi
played at the quarterback position for the rest of the game.
(Mike Vanderjagt
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – ARI – 13:04 – Neil Rackers
28-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 2:41 – Mike Vanderjagt 44-yard FG (10–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 11:26 – 18-yard TD pass from Jim Sorgi to Troy Walters
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–3 IND)
Q3 – ARI – 8:29 – 25-yard TD pass from Josh McCown
to Larry Fitzgerald
(Rackers kick) (17–10 IND)
Q4 – ARI – 10:59 – Neil Rackers 42-yard FG (17–13 IND)
coach Tony Dungy
was notified that his eldest son, James Dungy, was found unresponsive in his apartment in Lutz
, Florida
by James' girlfriend. A deputy from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department
performed CPR on the 18-year-old Dungy before an ambulance transported him to University Community Hospital, where James was pronounced dead. The Operations Manager at the Hillsborough County Medical Examiners Department said that the cause of death was an apparent suicide
. On February 17, 2006, after the autopsy was performed, Dr. Jacqueline Lee of the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office stated that Dungy had hanged himself from a bedroom ceiling fan with a leather belt.
Colts coach Tony Dungy did not perform his usual head coaching duties in the next regular season game for the Colts, as he had taken a brief vacation to mourn the loss of his son. Assistant Head Coach / Quarterbacks Coach Jim Caldwell
took over for Dungy in a Week 16 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks
, in which the Colts lost, 13–28. Dungy did return to the next game, which happened to be the last game of the regular season. The Colts won that game, 17–13 over the Arizona Cardinals
. The Colts dedicated the last two games of the season to James Dungy, with Tony Dungy returning to the sideline in their Divisional Playoff game against Pittsburgh
.
Two months before his death, James Dungy had also been treated for a prescription drug overdose on October 21, 2005.
became the first No. 6 playoff seed (since the league expanded to a 12-team playoff format in 1990) to defeat a No. 1 seed, and also the first No. 6 seed to reach a conference championship game. The Steelers took a 14–0 lead in the first period with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
's six yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El
on the game's opening drive, and tight end Heath Miller
's seven yard touchdown reception. The Colts could only manage a field goal in the second quarter while running back Jerome Bettis
's one yard touchdown run late in the third quarter increased the Steelers' lead, 21–3.
The Colts rallied in the final quarter to cut the deficit 21–18, with quarterback Manning's 50-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark
and running back Edgerrin James
's 3-yard touchdown run (and Reggie Wayne
's successful two-point conversion
reception). James' touchdown came a few plays after an interception by Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu
was overturned by instant replay
(a reversal that the league would later admit was a mistake http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9168866). But with 1:20 left in the game, Manning was sacked on fourth and 16 at the Colts' 2-yard line, and the ball was turned over to the Steelers on downs.
At this point, the game appeared to be over. However, the Steelers were forced to advance the ball towards another score instead of taking a quarterback kneel
because the Colts still had three timeouts remaining. But on Pittsburgh's first play, in which Bettis tried to punch it in for an insurance touchdown, he fumbled for the first time all season when linebacker Gary Brackett popped it from Bettis' hands with his helmet. Indianapolis defensive back Nick Harper recovered the ball and appeared to be on his way for an Indy touchdown that would've given the Colts the lead when Roethlisberger made a season saving tackle at the Colts' 42-yard line (midfield), spinning around and grabbing his ankle. Eventually, the Colts then advanced to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line, but kicker Mike Vanderjagt
, who had been perfect at home in the playoffs, missed a 46-yard game-tying field goal attempt wide right with 17 seconds remaining, and the Steelers ran out the clock.
Roethlisberger's game-saving tackle would later be known as "The Immaculate Tackle" and "The Tackle II".
kick) (7–0 PIT)
Q1 – PIT – 3:12 – 7-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller (Reed kick) (14–0 PIT)
Q2 – IND – 1:20 – Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard FG (14–3 PIT)
Q3 – PIT – 1:26 – Jerome Bettis 1-yard TD run (Reed kick) (21–3 PIT)
Q4 – IND – 14:09 – 50-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark (21–10 PIT)
Q4 – IND – 4:24 – Edgerrin James 3-yard TD run (Reggie Wayne 2-point conversion) (21–18 PIT)
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
season
Indianapolis Colts seasons
The Indianapolis Colts, formerly the Baltimore Colts, are an American football team playing in the National Football League . The list documents the season-by-season records of the Colts franchise from to present, including postseason records and league awards for individual players or head coaches...
was the 53rd season for the team in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and 22nd in Indianapolis. The 2005 Colts season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record from 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
and to advance further into the playoffs. The Colts finished the season 14–2, but lost their first game in the postseason to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
who ended as Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
champions. They started the season with a 13-game winning streak and were heavily favored to go to the Super Bowl. The Colts' nemesis, the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, lost to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The following night the Colts were favored over the Steelers because they had easily beaten them in the two preceding years. However, the Colts were disappointed by the #6-seed Steelers upset win.
Offseason
The ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
had a busy offseason with the main focus to sign star running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
to a new contract. However, that did not happen, and the Colts decided to take the initiative of sticking him with the franchise tag http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7014278/. (The franchise tag is a way to keep a player on the roster for one more year, but for a much larger salary than specified on the contract.) The Colts also signed RT Ryan Diem
Ryan Diem
Ryan Diem is a starting offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Ryan Diem stands 6'6" tall and weighs 305 pounds...
to a seven-year contract that included a $12 million signing bonus, which made him one of the highest-paid tackles in the league.
The Colts were not able to re-sign TE
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Marcus Pollard
Marcus Pollard
Marcus LaJuan Pollard is a former American football tight end.-College career:Pollard attended Bradley University, where he played basketball. Bradley did not have a football program at the time he matriculated there...
(Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, free-agent) or DE
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Brad Scioli
Brad Scioli
Brad Elliott Scioli is a former American football defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL.-Pro career:...
(free-agent) during the offseason.
2005 NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Height | Weight | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Marlin Jackson Marlin Jackson -Indianapolis Colts:Jackson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 29th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. As an NFL rookie he had 52 tackles and one interception. Marlin played mostly in passing situations with one start in 15 games. In his second season, he had 82 tackles and 1... |
CB Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
6–0 | 196 | Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... |
| 2 | 60 | Kelvin Hayden Kelvin Hayden Kelvin Darnell Hayden, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. He returned a Rex Grossman interception 56 yards for a... |
CB | 6–0 | 195 | Illinois University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system... |
| 3 | 92 | Vincent Burns Vincent Burns Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns was an American football defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. He currently is a free agent. Burns played college football at Northern Arizona University and the University of Kentucky, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round of the... |
DT | 6–2 | 260 | Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... |
| 4 | 129 | Dylan Gandy Dylan Gandy Dylan Colter Gandy is an American football center for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech.Gandy earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI... |
G Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
6–3 | 302 | Texas Tech Texas Tech University Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the... |
| 4 | 135 | Matt Giordano Matt Giordano Matthew Victor Giordano is an American football safety for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Giordano earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super... |
SS Defensive back In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of... |
5–11 | 192 | California |
| 5 | 148 | Jonathan Welsh Jonathan Welsh (football player) Jonathan Welsh is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. From 2005 to 2007, he played for the Indianapolis Colts. He attended University of Wisconsin–Madison, and was drafted in the fifth-round by the Colts in the 2005 NFL Draft.-External links:**... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
6–4 | 235 | Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866... |
| 5 | 165 | Rob Hunt Rob Hunt Nathan Robert "Rob" Hunt was an American football center and offensive lineman in the National Football League... |
C Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
6–3 | 298 | North Dakota State North Dakota State University North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size... |
| 5 | 173 | Tyjuan Hagler Tyjuan Hagler Tyjuan Cedric Hagler is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... |
LB Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
6–0 | 236 | Cincinnati University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio.... |
| 6 | 202 | Dave Rayner Dave Rayner David Michael "Dave" Rayner is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... |
K Placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points... |
6–2 | 210 | Michigan State Michigan State University Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,... |
| 7 | 243 | Anthony Davis Anthony Davis (Canadian football running back) Anthony Davis is a running back in the Canadian Football League. Davis was born in Plainfield, New Jersey and attended the University of Wisconsin where he played football for four years... |
RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
5–7 | 200 | Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866... |
Roster
| Indianapolis Colts 2005 final roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Ryan Diem Ryan Diem is a starting offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Ryan Diem stands 6'6" tall and weighs 305 pounds... T Tarik Glenn Tarik Glenn is a former American football offensive tackle who played for the Indianapolis Colts. Glenn performed as two-way lineman at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California.... T Dylan Gandy Dylan Colter Gandy is an American football center for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech.Gandy earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI... G/C Ryan Lilja Ryan Matthew Lilja is an American football guard for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2004... G Jeff Saturday Jeffrey Bryant Saturday is an American football center for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played college football at North Carolina. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the National Football League Players' Association.-Early years:Saturday attended... C Matt Ulrich Matthew James Ulrich is an American football offensive guard free agent in the National Football League.Ulrich was named Northwesten University team captain in 2004 and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.... G Kurt Vollers Kurt Fredrick Vollers is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame... T Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Gary Brackett Gary Lawrence Brackett is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Brackett attended Glassboro High School in Glassboro, New Jersey.... ILB Gilbert Gardner Gilbert Ravelle Gardner, II is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.... OLB Johnathan Goddard Jonathan Bruce Goddard was an American defensive end in the National Football League and Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions and also spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and Colorado Crush before his death in a June 2008 motorcycle accident.-Early years:Goddard was born... OLB Cato June Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a... OLB Keith O'Neil Keith Daniel O'Neil is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
 Vincent Burns Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns was an American football defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. He currently is a free agent. Burns played college football at Northern Arizona University and the University of Kentucky, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round of the... DT (IR) Rocky Calmus Rocky Calmus is a retired American football linebacker who played for the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he won the 2001 Butkus Award as the nation's top college linebacker.... OLB (IR) Makoa Freitas Rockne Makoa Freitas is an American football offensive lineman. His father is Rocky Freitas.... OT (IR) Joaquin Gonzalez (American football) Joaquin Antonio Gonzalez is a former professional National Football League offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns and the Indianapolis Colts.... OT (IR) Tyjuan Hagler Tyjuan Cedric Hagler is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... OLB (PUP) Brad Pyatt Bradley James Pyatt is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League and Arena Football League. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003... WR (IR) Keyon Whiteside Keyon Shontel Whiteside is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.-External links:*... OLB (PUP) Practice Squad
Rookies in italics |
|||||
Preseason
| Date | Opponent | Result | Host Stadium | NFL Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 6, 2005 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 21–27 | Tokyo Dome Tokyo Dome Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium... |
Recap |
| August 13, 2005 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 10–17 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| August 20, 2005 | Chicago Bears 2005 Chicago Bears season -Roster:-Schedule:-Standings:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against-Week 1: at Washington Redskins:-Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions:-Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals:-Week 5: at Cleveland Browns:... |
L 17–24 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| August 27, 2005 | at Denver Broncos 2005 Denver Broncos season In 2005 the Denver Broncos ended the 2005 regular season with a 13–3 record, the franchise's second-best number of wins of all time and their third best win percentage ever. They won their first playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXXIII in the 1998 season... |
L 24–37 | Invesco Field | Recap |
| September 2, 2005 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 0–38 | Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and... |
Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Host Stadium | NFL Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11, 2005 | at Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... |
W 24–7 | 1–0 | M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of... |
Recap |
| 2 | September 18, 2005 | Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 10–3 | 2–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| 3 | September 25, 2005 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 13–6 | 3–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| 4 | October 2, 2005 | at Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 31–10 | 4–0 | The Coliseum LP Field LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.... |
Recap |
| 5 | October 9, 2005 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
W 28–3 | 5–0 | Monster Park Monster Park Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000... |
Recap |
| 6 | October 17, 2005 | St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 45–28 | 6–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| 7 | October 23, 2005 | at Houston Texans Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 38–20 | 7–0 | Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface.... |
Recap |
| 8 | Bye | |||||
| 9 | November 7, 2005 | at New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
W 40–21 | 8–0 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
Recap |
| 10 | November 13, 2005 | Houston Texans Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 31–17 | 9–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| 11 | November 20, 2005 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W 45–37 | 10–0 | Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and... |
Recap |
| 12 | November 28, 2005 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 26–7 | 11–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| 13 | December 4, 2005 | Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 35–3 | 12–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| 14 | December 11, 2005 | at Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 26–18 | 13–0 | Alltel Stadium Alltel Stadium EverBank Field is an American football stadium in downtown Jacksonville, Florida, and the home stadium facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . It also hosts the annual Florida vs... |
Recap |
| 15 | December 18, 2005 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–26 | 13–1 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
| 16 | December 24, 2005 | at Seattle Seahawks 2005 Seattle Seahawks season The 2005 Seattle Seahawks season saw them advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in the team's history. They were the NFC representative in Super Bowl XL, a game they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Seahawks compiled a 13-3 record in the regular season, easily winning the NFC West and... |
L 13–28 | 13–2 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
Recap |
| 17 | January 1, 2006 | Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–13 | 14–2 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
Standings
y - clinched playoff berthx - clinched homefield advantage
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against
| AFC South AFC South The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x – Indianapolis Colts | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 439 | 247 |
| y – Jacksonville Jaguars 2005 Jacksonville Jaguars season After a 9–7 season in 2004 the Jaguars came out of the gates prepared to become a dominant force in the AFC. They achieved that task, going 12–4 in the regular season, but did not manage to win their own division, getting swept by the Indianapolis Colts as they went 14–2... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 361 | 269 |
| Tennessee Titans 2005 Tennessee Titans season The 2005 Tennessee Titans season was the 46th season the team was with the league. The team attempted to improve upon their previous output of 5–11, but was only able to win four games in 2005. The Titans' games were often high-scoring, with 8 of their 16 games accumulating in excess of 50 points... |
4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 299 | 421 |
| Houston Texans 2005 Houston Texans season The 2005 Houston Texans season was the fourth season in franchise history. The Texans completed the season with the worst record in both the NFL and in franchise history... |
2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 260 | 431 |
Week 1: at Baltimore Ravens
In the first Sunday night football game of the 2005 NFL regular season, the ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
came into town to face the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. This game was a game of mistakes by Baltimore, and taking advantage of miscues for Indianapolis. Baltimore QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Kyle Boller
Kyle Boller
Kyle Bryan Boller is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of California.Boller has also played for the St...
threw an interception for a touchdown before being injured, and his replacement, Anthony Wright
Anthony Wright (quarterback)
Anthony Lavron Wright is a retired American football quarterback. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1999...
ended up throwing two more interceptions. Baltimore kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
missed three field goals, and gave the Colts more opportunities to score. The Colts also had three takeaways, and the Ravens had none, however, the Colts punted seven times while Baltimore only punted four times. Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
finished the game 21 for 36, with 254 yards passing, and two touchdown passes. Ravens QB Anthony Wright finished the game 19 for 31, with 214 yards passing, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Indianapolis RB Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
had 88 yards on 23 carries, and Ravens RB Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
had 48 yards on 16 carries.
This ended up as the Colts' first win in Baltimore since moving to Indianapolis.
Scoring summary
Q2 – IND – 0:15 – Mike VanderjagtMike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
20-yard FG (3–0 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:43 – 28-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
(Vanderjagt kick) (10–0 IND)
Q3 – IND – 5:08 – 26-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Ben Utecht
Ben Utecht
Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht is a former American football tight end who played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Minnesota...
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–0 IND)
Q4 – IND – 2:39 – 30-yard interception return for TD by Cato June
Cato June
Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
(Vanderjagt kick) (24–0 IND)
Q4 – BAL – 0:13 – 17-yard TD pass from Anthony Wright to Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He has played for the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has played in the National Football League since 2001...
(Stover kick) (24–7 IND)
Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
During last week's game at Baltimore, the Colts'Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
defense was the talk of the week, not their offense. This week was similar as the Colts surrendered only 3 points to the Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. This game between AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
division rivals was dominated by the running game for both teams, and the defensive lines. Colts QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
was 13 of 28 for 122 yards passing, with no touchdowns and an interception while Jacksonville QB Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
finished the game 16 of 29 for 198 yards passing. Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
finished his day off with 27 carries for 128 yards rushing, and Jacksonville RB Fred Taylor
Fred Taylor (football player)
Frederick Antwon Taylor is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for thirteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as a first-team All-American...
finished with 16 carries for 81 yards. Jacksonville had seven fumbles in this game, but recovered every one of them. This game was scoreless until there was less than seven minutes to go in the third quarter.
Scoring summary
Q3 – JAC – 6:59 – Josh ScobeeJosh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
28-yard FG (3–0 JAC)
Q4 – IND – 8:27 – Ran Carthon
Ran Carthon
Arandric Kornell "Ran" Carthon is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for three seasons in the early 2000s...
6-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (7–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 1:50 – Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
41-yard FG (10–3 IND)
Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight game, and he also scored his first rushing touchdown of the year in this game. His 2-yard touchdown run was the only touchdown scored, and the kickers for both teams both kicked in two field goals each. The Browns defended the deep pass and the potent Colts offense all game, and the Colts just ran the ball. Both of the quarterbacks combined for only 11 incomplete passes. Colts QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
finished the game 19 for 23 with 228 yards passing and one interception as Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
QB Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer is a former football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sixth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football...
finished 22 of 29 for 208 passing yards.
In this game, QB Peyton Manning was the second-fastest quarterback to reach 30,000 career passing yards. He did it in 115 games, while Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
QB Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
did it in 114 games. This win against the Browns was the Colts' seventh-consecutive win in the RCA Dome. After this game, the Colts moved to 3–0, while the Browns went to 1–2.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 4:11 – Edgerrin James 2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND)Q2 – CLE – 13:13 – Phil Dawson
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...
40-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 3:14 – Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
20-yard FG (10–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 7:07 – Mike Vanderjagt 23-yard FG (13–3 IND)
Q4 – CLE – 14:09 – Phil Dawson 22-yard FG (13–6 IND)
Week 4: at Tennessee Titans
The IndianapolisIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
offense finally showed up this game, as QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
threw for 264 yards and four touchdown passes. Two of those touchdown passes were to WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
and those two touchdowns tied the record for the most touchdowns between a quarterback and a receiver. RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
had 21 carries for 90 yards, and Marvin Harrison had 9 catches for 109 yards.
The Colts have only allowed 26 points to be scored against them in four games so far, which is a franchise record. The Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
never really got anything going on offense, and Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
was their leading rusher for the team in this game.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 11:31 – 25-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie WayneReggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
(Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – TEN – 4:58 – Rob Bironas
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro...
34-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 7:17 – Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
20-yard FG (10–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 1:17 – 11-yard pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (17–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 7:55 – 8-yard pass from Peyton Manning to Edgerrin James (Vanderjagt kick) (24–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 13:09 – 24-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (31–3 IND)
Q4 – TEN – 4:31 – 6-yard TD pass from Steve McNair to Bo Scaife
Bo Scaife
Oliver Edward "Bo" Scaife, III is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(Bironas kick) (31–10 IND)
Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
had his troubles all game as he finished 9 for 23 with 74 passing yards, five turnovers (four of them were interceptions), and five sacks. Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
QB Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
completed 23 of his 31 passes, threw for one touchdown, and two interceptions. Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
MLB
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Cato June
Cato June
Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
picked off Alex Smith twice, returning one of them for a touchdown. Colts RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
finished the day with 21 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown, and 49ers RB Kevan Barlow
Kevan Barlow
Kevan C. Barlow is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
ran for 99 yards off of 18 carries.
Also of note, after Cato June's interception return, kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
scored his 900th point in the NFL. Also, after Manning got his first career win over the 49ers in this game, that left only four teams that he has not beaten yet.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 7:41 – Dominic RhodesDominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
6-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 6:29 – 24-yard interception return for TD by Cato June
Cato June
Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q3 – SF – 9:41 – Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
30-yard FG (14–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 14:55 – Edgerrin James 4-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (21–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 5:58 – 18-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Troy Walters
Troy Walters
Troy McHenry Walters is a retired American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Stanford University by the Minnesota Vikings. He has also played for the...
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–3 IND)
Week 6: vs. St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
came into a Week 6 matchup with the Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
with QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
and WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
tied with Steve Young and Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
on the list of the most touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver. That eventually changed in the fourth quarter, as Manning and Harrison made NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
history, again.
The Rams jumped out to a 17–0 lead on the Colts in the RCA Dome in front of a Monday Night Football audience, and nobody could believe it. The 5–0 Colts were down 17 points at the end of the first quarter, and the 2–5 Rams had all the confidence in the world. That drastically changed in the second half, however. After two interceptions by MLB
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Cato June
Cato June
Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
that set up two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble recovery by CB
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Nick Harper
Nick Harper (American football)
Nicholas Necosi Harper is a currently a free agent American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as an street free agent in 2000. He played college football at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia.Harper has played for the...
that had also set up two touchdown scores, the Colts scored all 45 of their points in three quarters, and held the Rams to just 11 points those quarters.
Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison also happened to make history that night also, by completing their 86th career touchdown pass to pass Steve Young and Jerry Rice on the list of the most touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver. Cato June also left the game as the NFL leader in interceptions. He had three interceptions in the past two games (one for a touchdown). Also of note, Rams QB Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
went out of the game with a shoulder injury, and backup QB Jamie Martin replaced him for the rest of the game.
Scoring summary
Q1 – STL – 12:04 – Steven JacksonSteven Jackson
Steven Rashad Jackson is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University....
21-yard TD run (Jeff Wilkins
Jeff Wilkins
For the American basketball player, see Jeff Wilkins .Jeffrey Allen Wilkins nicknamed "Money" is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St Louis Rams. He played college football at Youngstown State University...
kick) (7–0 STL)
Q1 – STL – 8:17 – Jeff Wilkins 29-yard FG (10–0 STL)
Q1 – STL – 3:31 – 57-yard TD pass from Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
to Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
(Wilkins kick) (17–0 STL)
Q2 – IND – 9:44 – Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
1-yard TD run (Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (17–7 STL)
Q2 – IND – 1:57 – 3-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–14 STL)
Q2 – STL – 0:30 – Jeff Wilkins 49-yard FG (20–14 STL)
Q3 – IND – 10:02 – Mike Vanderjagt 22-yard FG (20–17 STL)
Q3 – IND – 3:16 – Edgerrin James 8-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (24–20 IND)
Q4 – IND – 14:58 – Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
1-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (31–20 IND)
Q4 – IND – 9:25 – 6-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (38–20 IND)
Q4 – IND – 8:12 – Edgerrin James 1-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (45–20 IND)
Q4 – STL – 3:28 – 9-yard TD pass from Jamie Martin to Cam Cleeland
Cam Cleeland
Cameron Ross Cleeland is an American football tight end who last played for the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. Previously he had played for the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots and went to the University of Washington....
(Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
2-point conversion) (45–28 IND)
Week 7: at Houston Texans
The TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
had a fast start, as they forced two first-half turnovers and had the game tied at 14 at halftime. However, that did not hold up in the second half as the Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
scored 24 second-half points and held Houston to −4 total yards on offense. There was even a drive when Texans QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
David Carr
David Carr
David Duke Carr is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
was sacked on three straight plays, and on those last two sacks, he fumbled the ball. But, Houston recovered both fumbles, and punted the ball after those three horrible plays. Colts QB Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
was 21 for 27 with 237 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, and David Carr was 6 of 9 with 48 passing yards, one touchdown, and an interception.
Also of note, this win gave coach Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
his 100th career win in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He is the 34th head coach to win 100 games.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 3:42 – Edgerrin JamesEdgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
1-yard TD run (Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 11:22 – 31-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark
Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa...
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q2 – HOU – 3:15 – Domanick Davis 8-yard TD run (Kris Brown
Kris Brown
Kristopher "Kris" Clayton Brown is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent.He was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first six years of his NFL career, he has converted 132 of 173 field goals and scored 573 points...
kick) (14–7 IND)
Q2 – HOU – 0:30 – 8-yard TD pass from David Carr to Jabar Gaffney
Jabar Gaffney
Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(Brown kick) (14–14)
Q3 – IND – 11:18 – Edgerrin James 9-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (21–14 IND)
Q3 – IND – 0:17 – Mike Vanderjagt 36-yard FG (24–14 IND)
Q4 – IND – 11:38 – 7-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
(Vanderjagt kick) (31–14 IND)
Q4 – IND – 8:07 – Montae Reagor
Montae Reagor
William Montae Reagor is a former American football defensive tackle who played for nine seasons in the National Football League. After playing college football at Texas Tech, he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
37-yard fumble return TD (38–14 IND)
Q4 – HOU – 7:56 – Jerome Mathis
Jerome Mathis
Jerome Alvon Mathis is a professional American and Canadian football wide receiver and kick returner who currently is a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football for Hampton.Mathis has also been a member of the Washington...
89-yard kick return TD (2-point conversion failed) (38–20 IND)
Week 9: at New England Patriots
| "They showed why they're pretty much the best team in the league." |
| ~Rosevelt Colvin Rosevelt Colvin Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue.... |
Coming into this game, Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
was 0–7 against the Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in Foxboro. Manning finished the game 28 for 37 with 321 yards and three touchdowns. He helped guide the Colts to score on seven of their eight possessions.
The Colts forced the Patriots to do some uncharacteristic things just to catch up. Pats coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
called for an onside kick, and to go for a first down on fourth down and 4. The Colts held onto the ball for over 36 minutes of the game, and controlled the tempo all the way to the end. Throughout the game you could see the frustration on the Patriots as Tom Brady was seen yelling "Are we gonna fight? Are we gonna lay down?" at his team mates throughout the game
Patriots QB Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
finished the game 22 of 33 for 265 yards and three touchdowns, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
ran the ball for 40 yards on 12 carries, and Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
ran the ball for 104 yards on 34 carries. The Colts had two receivers top 100 yards receiving, Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
and Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
, and both of them had nine receptions each. On the very last play of the game, Colts DE
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Robert Mathis
Robert Mathis
Robert Nathan Mathis is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.-Early years:Mathis attended McNair High School in Atlanta, Georgia....
recorded a sack to keep his streak alive at eight straight games with at least one sack. Through week 9, the Colts were the only undefeated team in the league.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 12:30 – 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Mike VanderjagtMike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – NE – 5:52 – 16-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
(Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
kick) (7–7)
Q2 – IND – 11:50 – Edgerrin James 2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (14–7 IND)
Q2 – IND – 0:09 – 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne (Vanderjagt kick) (21–7 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:36 – Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
4-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (28–7 IND)
Q3 – NE – 5:46 – 31-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Daniel Graham
Daniel Graham
Daniel Lawrence Grahamhttp://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GrahDa00.htm is an American football tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(Vinatieri kick) (28–14 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:30 – Mike Vanderjagt 35-yard FG (31–14 IND)
Q4 – IND – 13:58 – Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard FG (34–14 IND)
Q4 – NE – 10:15 – 19-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Troy Brown
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall...
(Vinatieri kick) (34–21 IND)
Q4 – IND – 5:53 – 30-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (2-point conversion failed) (40–21 IND)
Week 10: vs. Houston Texans
ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
finished his game off 26 of 35 with 297 passing yards, three touchdowns, and was sacked once, while Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
QB David Carr
David Carr
David Duke Carr is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
went 16 for 25 with 138 passing yards, one touchdown, and was sacked three times. RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
carried the football 26 times for 122 yards. The Houston Texans offense could only muster up two first downs the entire game, and one was by penalty in the second quarter. Colts DE
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Robert Mathis
Robert Mathis
Robert Nathan Mathis is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.-Early years:Mathis attended McNair High School in Atlanta, Georgia....
failed to record a sack in this game, the first time all season that he has not had at least one sack in a game.
Through week 10, the Colts were still the only undefeated team in the league.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 4:29 – 14-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas ClarkDallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa...
(Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 11:14 – Edgerrin James 5-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 5:36 – 21-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
(Vanderjagt kick) (21–0 IND)
Q2 – HOU – 1:53 – Jonathan Wells
Jonathan Wells (American football)
Jonathan Wells is a former running back who played for the Ohio State Buckeyes.-High school career:Wells played high school football at John Curtis Christian High School in his native River Ridge, Louisiana...
14-yard TD run (Kris Brown
Kris Brown
Kristopher "Kris" Clayton Brown is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent.He was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first six years of his NFL career, he has converted 132 of 173 field goals and scored 573 points...
kick) (21–7 IND)
Q3 – HOU – 8:26 – 13-yard TD pass from David Carr to Jabar Gaffney
Jabar Gaffney
Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(Brown kick) (21–14 IND)
Q3 – IND – 5:54 – 30-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–14 IND)
Q3 – HOU – 0:59 – Kris Brown 24-yard FG (28–17 IND)
Q4 – IND – 11:30 – Mike Vanderjagt 45-yard FG (31–17 IND)
Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals
Prior to this game, BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Chad Johnson made his weekly guarantee that the opposing cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
could not stop him. The Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
cornerbacks could not stop Johnson, as he had 8 receptions for 189 yards and one touchdown. But, the Bengals still lost to the Colts in a shootout, and the Colts remained the only undefeated team in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, at 10–0. Colts QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
finished the game 24 for 40 with 365 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. The opposing quarterback, Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
also had marvelous stats, as he finished with 25 pass completions on 38 attempts, two touchdowns, and one interception. As Chad Johnson led the Bengals in receiving, TE
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Dallas Clark
Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa...
led the Colts in receiving with six catches for 125 yards. There were only a total of three punts in the entire game, two by the Colts and one by the Bengals. In the first six possessions of the game, there were five touchdowns and a field goal. During those six possessions, both Manning and Palmer had perfect 158.3 quarterback ratings.
The Colts are were the seventeenth team to start the season 10–0, the first team to do so since the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
did during the 1998 NFL season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. Colts WR Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
also reached 900 receptions for his career in this game, and he is the fastest player to do so in NFL history.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 8:56 – Dominic RhodesDominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
4-yard TD run (Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – CIN – 4:47 – Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
43-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q1 – IND – 4:30 – 66-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–3 IND)
Q1 – CIN – 3:23 – 68-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson (Graham kick) (14–10 IND)
Q2 – IND – 14:12 – 9-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Bryan Fletcher
Bryan Fletcher (tight end)
Bryan Jamaile Fletcher is an American football player, he plays tight end and is currently a free agent. He attended UCLA. He is the younger brother of former San Diego Chargers running back Terrell Fletcher. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears...
(Vanderjagt kick) (21–10 IND)
Q2 – CIN – 9:13 – Rudi Johnson
Rudi Johnson
Burudi Ali "Rudi" Johnson is a former American football running back who played professionally from 2001 - 2008. Rudi was born in Petersburg, Virginia approximately 30 miles south of Richmond. His first name "Burudi" is Swahili and means "cool'" and his middle name "Ali" represented his family's...
1-yard TD run (Graham kick) (21–17 IND)
Q2 – IND – 7:11 – Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
1-yard TD run (28–17 IND)
Q2 – IND – 3:41 – 21-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark (Vanderjagt kick) (35–17 IND)
Q2 – CIN – 1:29 – Shayne Graham 41-yard FG (35–20 IND)
Q2 – CIN – 0:12 – Rudi Johnson 1-yard TD run (Graham kick) (35–27 IND)
Q3 – CIN – 12:52 – 15-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer to Chris Henry (Graham kick) (35–34)
Q3 – IND – 4:29 – Edgerrin James 2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (42–34 IND)
Q4 – IND – 6:16 – Mike Vanderjagt 19-yard FG (45–34 IND)
Q4 – CIN – 1:23 – Shayne Graham 44-yard FG (45–37 IND)
Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
| "It's tough to go undefeated, but they have the potential." |
| ~Hines Ward Hines Ward Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia... |
The Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
defeated another tough AFC opponent in week 12, and were still undefeated. After handing the Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
another defeat, the Colts solidified their presence in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as one of the best teams. After the Steelers went three-and-out on their very first possession of the game, the Colts scored on their first play of their first drive. On the first play from scrimmage in the game, quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
threw an 80-yard touchdown strike to WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
. Harrison just blew by cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Ike Taylor
Ike Taylor
Ivan "Ike" Taylor is an American football defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League...
, and the Colts never looked back. They controlled the tempo throughout the entire game. Manning finished the game 15 of 25 with 245 passing yards, had two touchdowns, and one interception. On the other hand, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, did not fare to well. He finished 17 of 26 with 133 passing yards, had one touchdown, and two interceptions. The Colts snapped Roethlisberger's nine-game road winning streak. Roethlisberger had never lost a game on the road during his first season in 2004, and had not yet lost on the road in 2005 before coming to Indianapolois. Marvin Harrison led all receivers in the game with four catches for 128 yards and one touchdown.
The Colts were the eleventh team to start the season 11–0, the first team to do so since the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
did during the 1998 NFL season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. Also, after Manning got his first career win over the Steelers in this game, that left only three teams that he had not yet beaten.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 13:16 – 80-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Mike VanderjagtMike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q1 – IND – 6:07 – Mike Vanderjagt 29-yard FG (10–0 IND)
Q1 – PIT – 1:14 – 12-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
(Jeff Reed
Jeff Reed (football)
Jeffrey "Jeff" Montgomery Reed is a National Football League placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
kick) (10–7 IND)
Q2 – IND – 5:22 – Mike Vanderjagt 48-yard FG (13–7 IND)
Q2 – IND – 0:00 – Mike Vanderjagt 44-yard FG (16–7 IND)
Q3 – IND – 11:47 – 12-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Bryan Fletcher
Bryan Fletcher (tight end)
Bryan Jamaile Fletcher is an American football player, he plays tight end and is currently a free agent. He attended UCLA. He is the younger brother of former San Diego Chargers running back Terrell Fletcher. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears...
(Vanderjagt kick) (23–7 IND)
Q4 – IND – 1:38 – Mike Vanderjagt 28-yard FG (26–7 IND)
Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans
The ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
continued their undefeated streak this week as they mightily defeated the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
35–3. So far, the Colts had won seven of their last nine games by at least 17 points, and averaged more than 35 points per game. Colts quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
completed 13 of 17 passes for 187 passing yards and three touchdowns, giving him a 151.2 QB rating. Titans QB Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
was 22 of 33 with 220 yards passing and had one fumble.
The Colts were the fifth team in NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
history to start the season 12–0, and also clinched a playoff spot with this win against the Titans. But the Colts had to wait one more week to clinch the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
Championship and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Peyton Manning also made history in this game, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 25 touchdown passes in eight straight seasons. Also, on the Colts' opening drive, WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
became the 12th receiver in league history to top 12,000 yards receiving in his career.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 8:08 – 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Mike VanderjagtMike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – IND – 4:11 – 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Bryan Fletcher
Bryan Fletcher (tight end)
Bryan Jamaile Fletcher is an American football player, he plays tight end and is currently a free agent. He attended UCLA. He is the younger brother of former San Diego Chargers running back Terrell Fletcher. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears...
(Vanderjagt kick) (14–0 IND)
Q2 – TEN – 0:29 – Rob Bironas
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro...
24-yard FG (14–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 9:40 – 27-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
(Vanderjagt kick) (21–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 1:28 – Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (28–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 11:44 – Larry Tripplett
Larry Tripplett
Larry Tripplett is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.Tripplett has also played for the Buffalo Bills and the Seattle...
60-yard fumble return TD (35–3 IND)
Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
were now one step closer to perfection, as they only had three games left to match the record set by the 1972 Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Colts quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
picked apart the Jacksonville
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
secondary all game, finishing the game with 24 of 36 for 324 yards passing and two touchdowns, but was sacked a season-high 3 times. Jaguars QB David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
(who was starting in the place of Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
) was 26 of 35 for 250 passing yards, and had one touchdown. Also of note, the Colts snapped the Jaguars' five-game winning streak.
After the Colts defeated the Jaguars, they became only the fourth team in NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
history to start a season 13–0. The Colts joined the 1934 Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the 1998 Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as the only teams to do so. Also, with this win, the Colts clinched the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
Division Championship, a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2005-06
The National Football League playoffs for the 2005 season began on January 7, 2006 and led up to Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan....
, and clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 4:40 – 9-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin HarrisonMarvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
(Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – JAC – 14:11 – Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
27-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 9:21 – 65-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison (Vanderjagt kick) (14–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 0:00 – Mike Vanderjagt 40-yard FG (17–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 8:14 – Mike Vanderjagt 34-yard FG (20–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 0:45 – Mike Vanderjagt 38-yard FG (23–3 IND)
Q4 – IND – 12:13 – Mike Vanderjagt 46-yard FG (26–3 IND)
Q4 – JAC – 4:08 – David Garrard 5-yard TD run (Scobee kick) (26–10 IND)
Q4 – JAC – 1:54 – 1-yard TD pass from David Garrard to Jimmy Smith (David Garrard 2-point conversion) (26–18 IND)
Week 15: vs. San Diego Chargers
The ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
came into Week 15 of the NFL season still undefeated, and this week's game featured the Colts playing the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at home. San Diego started the game with 4 scores in the first 3 quarters of the game, before the Colts could even score. By the time the Colts finally put some points on the scoreboard, they were down 16–0 to the Chargers. Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
and the Chargers were in the middle of a playoff hunt, and they were not going to go down easy. But after San Diego jumped out to a 16-point lead, the Colts came back in the third quarter with three scores of their own, to put them up by one point at the beginning of the fourth quarter, 17–16. However, they were not able to score the rest of the game, and the Chargers scored twice in the fourth quarter, once on a field goal and another on an 83-yard touchdown run by RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Michael Turner
Michael Turner (NFL player)
Michael 'The Burner' Turner is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northern Illinois.-College career:He attended...
. The loss to the Chargers was the first loss of the season for the Colts, but the last team to go 13–0, the 1998 Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, lost their 14th and 15th games, before winning their last game of the season, and they went on to win Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
. The Colts had history in their favor, but Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
did not want to lose any more games during the 2005 season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
.
Scoring summary
Q1 – SD – 9:13 – 29-yard TD pass from Drew Brees to Keenan McCardellKeenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
(Nate Kaeding
Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
kick) (7–0 SD)
Q1 – SD – 1:56 – Nate Kaeding 36-yard FG (10–0 SD)
Q2 – SD – 0:15 – Nate Kaeding 20-yard FG (13–0 SD)
Q3 – SD – 9:30 – Nate Kaeding 48-yard FG (16–0 SD)
Q3 – IND – 6:41 – Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
32-yard FG (16–3 SD)
Q3 – IND – 3:42 – Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
1-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (16–10 SD)
Q3 – IND – 11:44 – 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark
Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa...
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–16 IND)
Q4 – SD – 6:41 – Nate Kaeding 49-yard FG (19–17 SD)
Q4 – SD – 2:09 – Michael Turner 83-yard TD run (Kaeding kick) (26–17 SD)
Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks
After the Colts'Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
loss to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
last week, Colts coach Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
elected to keep most of his starters benched for the entire Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
game against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, besides the first drive of the game. However, Dungy's decision did not come from the sidelines, because two days earlier, his eldest son, James, had committed suicide in his apartment. So, assistant coach Jim Caldwell
Jim Caldwell (football coach)
-NFL:-External links:* *...
took over for Tony as he spent the week with his family.
Colts QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
played only a couple series and backup QB Jim Sorgi
Jim Sorgi
James Joseph "Jim" Sorgi, Jr. is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
got some extended playing time. Dungy decided that since they had clinched a playoff spot, the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
Division Championship, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, he had nothing else to really play for, and he did not want to risk his players getting injured before the playoffs. Seattle was playing to win because if they beat the Colts, they would clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs in the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
.
The Seahawks beat the Colts 28–13, and NFL MVP Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
scored three touchdowns in the game and tied Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
for the NFL record for touchdowns in a season with 27. The Colts-Seahawks game set records well before kickoff. The game featured the highest scoring and winningest teams against each other, and each looking to set a franchise record for most wins in a season. In addition, the schedule makers set a record with the first regular season game where the teams combined for at least 25 victories.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 7:51 – Mike VanderjagtMike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
24-yard FG (3–0 IND)
Q1 – SEA – 5:42 – Shaun Alexander 2-yard TD run (Josh Brown kick) (7–3 SEA)
Q2 – SEA – 11:46 – 15-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
to Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
(Brown kick) (14–3 SEA)
Q2 – IND – 0:37 – Mike Vanderjagt 32-yard FG (14–6 SEA)
Q3 – SEA – 10:57 – 6-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Shaun Alexander (Brown kick) (21–6 SEA)
Q4 – SEA – 3:58 – Shaun Alexander 1-yard TD run (Brown kick) (28–6 SEA)
Q4 – IND – 1:59 – 6-yard TD pass from Jim Sorgi to Troy Walters
Troy Walters
Troy McHenry Walters is a retired American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Stanford University by the Minnesota Vikings. He has also played for the...
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–13 SEA)
Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals
In the last game of the regular season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
Coach Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
made his return to the sidelines after the death of his eldest son. The Colts faced the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at the RCA Dome, and in front of an emotional and proud crowd. The Colts won this game, 17–13 over the Cardinals, and they dedicated the last two games of the regular season to James Dungy. Colts QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
only played on the first drive of this game, just like the previous game, and Jim Sorgi
Jim Sorgi
James Joseph "Jim" Sorgi, Jr. is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
played at the quarterback position for the rest of the game.
Scoring summary
Q1 – IND – 4:44 – 14-yard TD pass from Jim Sorgi to Ben UtechtBen Utecht
Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht is a former American football tight end who played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Minnesota...
(Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
kick) (7–0 IND)
Q2 – ARI – 13:04 – Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
28-yard FG (7–3 IND)
Q2 – IND – 2:41 – Mike Vanderjagt 44-yard FG (10–3 IND)
Q3 – IND – 11:26 – 18-yard TD pass from Jim Sorgi to Troy Walters
Troy Walters
Troy McHenry Walters is a retired American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Stanford University by the Minnesota Vikings. He has also played for the...
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–3 IND)
Q3 – ARI – 8:29 – 25-yard TD pass from Josh McCown
Josh McCown
Joshua Treadwell McCown is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Sam Houston State.McCown has played for the Detroit Lions, Oakland...
to Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
(Rackers kick) (17–10 IND)
Q4 – ARI – 10:59 – Neil Rackers 42-yard FG (17–13 IND)
Tony Dungy and Family Experience Tragedy
On December 22, 2005, ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
coach Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
was notified that his eldest son, James Dungy, was found unresponsive in his apartment in Lutz
Lutz, Florida
Lutz is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lutz is located at ....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
by James' girlfriend. A deputy from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
performed CPR on the 18-year-old Dungy before an ambulance transported him to University Community Hospital, where James was pronounced dead. The Operations Manager at the Hillsborough County Medical Examiners Department said that the cause of death was an apparent suicide
Teenage suicide
Teenage suicide in the United States remains comparatively high in the 15 to 24 age group with 4,000 suicides in this age range in 2004, making it the third leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 24...
. On February 17, 2006, after the autopsy was performed, Dr. Jacqueline Lee of the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office stated that Dungy had hanged himself from a bedroom ceiling fan with a leather belt.
Colts coach Tony Dungy did not perform his usual head coaching duties in the next regular season game for the Colts, as he had taken a brief vacation to mourn the loss of his son. Assistant Head Coach / Quarterbacks Coach Jim Caldwell
Jim Caldwell (football coach)
-NFL:-External links:* *...
took over for Dungy in a Week 16 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, in which the Colts lost, 13–28. Dungy did return to the next game, which happened to be the last game of the regular season. The Colts won that game, 17–13 over the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Colts dedicated the last two games of the season to James Dungy, with Tony Dungy returning to the sideline in their Divisional Playoff game against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Two months before his death, James Dungy had also been treated for a prescription drug overdose on October 21, 2005.
Postseason schedule
| Playoff Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game Site | NFL Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||||
| Divisional | January 15, 2006 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... (6) |
L 18–21 | 0–1 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
Recap |
AFC Divisional Playoff game: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
became the first No. 6 playoff seed (since the league expanded to a 12-team playoff format in 1990) to defeat a No. 1 seed, and also the first No. 6 seed to reach a conference championship game. The Steelers took a 14–0 lead in the first period with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
's six yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
on the game's opening drive, and tight end Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...
's seven yard touchdown reception. The Colts could only manage a field goal in the second quarter while running back Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
's one yard touchdown run late in the third quarter increased the Steelers' lead, 21–3.
The Colts rallied in the final quarter to cut the deficit 21–18, with quarterback Manning's 50-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark
Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa...
and running back Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
's 3-yard touchdown run (and Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
's successful two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
reception). James' touchdown came a few plays after an interception by Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
was overturned by instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
(a reversal that the league would later admit was a mistake http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9168866). But with 1:20 left in the game, Manning was sacked on fourth and 16 at the Colts' 2-yard line, and the ball was turned over to the Steelers on downs.
At this point, the game appeared to be over. However, the Steelers were forced to advance the ball towards another score instead of taking a quarterback kneel
Quarterback kneel
In American football, a quarterback kneel, also called taking a knee, genuflect offense, or victory formation occurs when the quarterback immediately kneels to the ground after receiving the snap. It is primarily used to run the clock down, either at the end of the first half or the game itself, in...
because the Colts still had three timeouts remaining. But on Pittsburgh's first play, in which Bettis tried to punch it in for an insurance touchdown, he fumbled for the first time all season when linebacker Gary Brackett popped it from Bettis' hands with his helmet. Indianapolis defensive back Nick Harper recovered the ball and appeared to be on his way for an Indy touchdown that would've given the Colts the lead when Roethlisberger made a season saving tackle at the Colts' 42-yard line (midfield), spinning around and grabbing his ankle. Eventually, the Colts then advanced to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line, but kicker Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
, who had been perfect at home in the playoffs, missed a 46-yard game-tying field goal attempt wide right with 17 seconds remaining, and the Steelers ran out the clock.
Roethlisberger's game-saving tackle would later be known as "The Immaculate Tackle" and "The Tackle II".
Scoring summary
Q1 – PIT – 9:25 – 6-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Antwaan Randle El (Jeff ReedJeff Reed (football)
Jeffrey "Jeff" Montgomery Reed is a National Football League placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
kick) (7–0 PIT)
Q1 – PIT – 3:12 – 7-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller (Reed kick) (14–0 PIT)
Q2 – IND – 1:20 – Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard FG (14–3 PIT)
Q3 – PIT – 1:26 – Jerome Bettis 1-yard TD run (Reed kick) (21–3 PIT)
Q4 – IND – 14:09 – 50-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark (21–10 PIT)
Q4 – IND – 4:24 – Edgerrin James 3-yard TD run (Reggie Wayne 2-point conversion) (21–18 PIT)
See also
- History of the Indianapolis ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
- Indianapolis Colts seasonsIndianapolis Colts seasonsThe Indianapolis Colts, formerly the Baltimore Colts, are an American football team playing in the National Football League . The list documents the season-by-season records of the Colts franchise from to present, including postseason records and league awards for individual players or head coaches...
- Colts-Patriots rivalry