La temporada 2006 de los Indianapolis Colts fue la 54.ª temporada de la franquicia en la Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (NFL), la 23.ª en Indianápolis y la 5.ª temporada bajo el mando del entrenador Tony Dungy . El equipo no logró mejorar su récord de temporada regular de 14-2 de la temporada 2005 , terminando en 12-4. Sin embargo, sí mejoraron su desempeño en postemporada y avanzaron más hacia los playoffs , ganando el Super Bowl XLI . [1] [2]
Por cuarta temporada consecutiva, los Colts habían ganado 12 o más partidos. También ganaron el Campeonato de la División Sur de la AFC por cuarta vez consecutiva, y derrotaron a los Kansas City Chiefs en la ronda de comodines y a los Baltimore Ravens en la ronda divisional, antes de ganar el Campeonato de la AFC , venciendo a los New England Patriots 38-34 para avanzar al Super Bowl XLI , en el que dominaron a los Chicago Bears , ganando 29-17 el 4 de febrero de 2007, en el Dolphin Stadium . [3] Este fue el primer Super Bowl de la franquicia desde el Super Bowl V en 1970 , y el primero desde que se mudaron a Indianápolis , así como su cuarto título en su historia (1958, 1959, 1970 y 2006). Fueron solo el segundo equipo de fútbol en un estadio abovedado en ganar el Super Bowl después de los St. Louis Rams de 1999 .
Los Colts de 2006 permitieron 5,33 yardas terrestres por intento, por lejos el peor promedio desde la fusión, y el séptimo peor en la historia de la NFL. [4] Aún así, los Colts ganaron el campeonato con la ayuda de la ofensiva estadísticamente más eficiente de la liga. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Durante esta temporada, los Colts, que tuvieron mucho éxito en la década de 2000 a pesar de verse afectados por la dinastía Patriots, [10] [11] [12] [13] hicieron historia al convertirse en el primer equipo que jugó en un estadio cubierto en ganar un Super Bowl en un estadio al aire libre y por ayudar a Tony Dungy a convertirse en el primer entrenador afroamericano en ganar un Super Bowl. [14] [15] [16] [17] En 2019, la NFL clasificó a los Colts de 2006 como el 37.º mejor equipo de la NFL de todos los tiempos. [18]
La temporada baja marcó la disolución del trío de Edgerrin James , Peyton Manning y Marvin Harrison , apodados cariñosamente los "Triplets" por los fanáticos de los Colts. Mientras que los dos últimos firmaron contratos a largo plazo, el contrato de James expiró al final de la temporada 2005. Firmó con los Arizona Cardinals en la temporada baja como agente libre. Otras pérdidas clave incluyeron a Larry Tripplett ( Buffalo Bills , agente libre) y David Thornton ( Tennessee Titans , agente libre). Los Colts optaron por no volver a firmar al pateador Mike Vanderjagt , en su lugar firmaron al ex pateador de los New England Patriots Adam Vinatieri con un contrato lucrativo. El ex mariscal de campo de los Tampa Bay Buccaneers Shaun King fue contratado para competir con Jim Sorgi por el puesto de mariscal de campo suplente, pero luego fue cortado y reemplazado por Josh Betts .
Nota: Los oponentes dentro de la división están en texto negrita .
en el estadio de los Giants , East Rutherford, Nueva Jersey
Indianápolis abrió la temporada regular como visitante contra los New York Giants el 10 de septiembre de 2006. En un enfrentamiento muy publicitado y esperado denominado "The Manning Bowl" , el mariscal de campo de los Colts, Peyton Manning, lideró a los Colts contra los Giants y el mariscal de campo Eli Manning , quien es su hermano menor. Este encuentro marcó la primera vez en la historia de la NFL que dos hermanos comenzaron como mariscales de campo uno frente al otro. En una serie inicial que duró casi nueve minutos, los Colts avanzaron 58 yardas en 17 jugadas, solo para ser limitados a un gol de campo de 26 yardas de Adam Vinatieri en su primera aparición en la temporada regular como Colt. Indianápolis anotó nuevamente con otro gol de campo de Vinatieri, este de 32 yardas, antes de finalmente encontrar la zona de anotación en un pase de 2 yardas de Peyton Manning al TE Dallas Clark . Los Giants recortaron la ventaja de los Colts con un pase de touchdown de 34 yardas de Eli Manning al WR Plaxico Burress , aunque los Colts respondieron rápidamente con otro gol de campo antes de que terminara la primera mitad. Los Giants atacaron primero en el tercer cuarto con otro pase de touchdown de Eli Manning, esta vez de 15 yardas al TE Jeremy Shockey . Sin embargo, resultó ser demasiado poco y demasiado tarde, ya que los Colts aumentaron su ventaja con una carrera de touchdown de 1 yarda del RB Dominic Rhodes . Una carrera de touchdown de 1 yarda del RB de los Giants Brandon Jacobs hizo que el juego fuera interesante en los minutos finales, pero Indianápolis respondió con un último gol de campo y jugadas defensivas oportunas en la recta final, y pudieron sellar la victoria.
en el RCA Dome , Indianápolis, Indiana
En su primer partido en casa de la Semana 2 contra el rival de la AFC Sur , Houston , Indianápolis continuó con su dominio ofensivo al comenzar el juego con un pase de touchdown de 10 yardas del QB Peyton Manning al WR Brandon Stokley y un pase de touchdown de 21 yardas de Manning al corredor novato Joseph Addai . En el segundo cuarto, el pateador Adam Vinatieri convirtió con éxito un intento de gol de campo de 39 yardas para ampliar la ventaja de los Colts a 17-0. Los Texans respondieron con un gol de campo propio, pero los Colts agregaron otro gol de campo cuando expiró el tiempo para finalizar la mitad. El tercer cuarto fue testigo de más anotaciones cuando Peyton Manning completó una serie de touchdown en la primera posesión de la mitad, esta vez un pase de touchdown de 15 yardas al TE Bryan Fletcher . Cinco minutos después, Adam Vinatieri convirtió otro gol de campo para Indianápolis, esta vez desde 38 yardas. Houston mostró señales de vida en el cuarto cuarto cuando el mariscal de campo David Carr completó un pase de touchdown de 33 yardas al ala cerrada Owen Daniels . Sin embargo, Indianápolis respondería con una carrera de touchdown de 2 yardas del corredor Dominic Rhodes . Los Texans respondieron con un pase de touchdown de 1 yarda de Carr al ala cerrada Mark Bruener , pero los Colts anotaron una vez más, esta vez con una carrera de touchdown de 3 yardas del corredor Ran Carthon . Houston anotó una vez más en los momentos finales cuando David Carr completó un pase de touchdown de 10 yardas al receptor abierto Andre Johnson , pero el juego nunca estuvo tan cerrado como lo indicó el marcador final. Esta victoria mejoró el récord de los Colts contra los Texans a 9-0. También es digno de mención que el mariscal de campo Peyton Manning superó a Johnny Unitas con la mayor cantidad de pases completos en la historia de la franquicia. Manning logró esta hazaña en su tercera finalización del juego. [19]
Peyton Manning terminó el juego con 26 de 38 pases, 400 yardas por pase y tres touchdowns. David Carr terminó con 219 yardas por pase en 22 de 26 pases completados y también tuvo tres pases de touchdown. Ninguno de los mariscales de campo lanzó una intercepción, pero Carr perdió el balón tres veces. El corredor de los Colts, Joseph Addai, terminó el juego con 82 yardas terrestres, un récord personal, y también tuvo una recepción de touchdown. Peyton Manning fue capturado dos veces en este juego, y David Carr fue capturado cuatro veces.
en el RCA Dome, Indianápolis, Indiana
Jugando nuevamente frente a la multitud local, los Colts enfrentaron una gran prueba contra sus rivales de la AFC Sur , los Jacksonville Jaguars . Jacksonville anotó primero en una carrera de touchdown de 4 yardas del QB Byron Leftwich . Los Colts no pudieron responder hasta principios del segundo cuarto cuando el WR / PR Terrence Wilkins devolvió un despeje 82 yardas para un touchdown. Indianápolis tomó la delantera por primera vez en el juego durante el tercer cuarto con el pase de touchdown de 30 yardas del QB Peyton Manning al TE Dallas Clark . En el cuarto cuarto, Manning aumentó la ventaja de Indianápolis en una carrera de touchdown de dos yardas poco característica. Esa anotación puso a los Colts arriba 21-7. Los Jaguars, sin embargo, llegarían a un touchdown al final del juego con el pase de touchdown de 7 yardas de Byron Leftwich al RB Maurice Jones-Drew . Esa anotación, sin embargo, resultó ser la última del juego ya que Indianápolis se aferró a la victoria y mejoró su récord a 3-0.
El mariscal de campo Peyton Manning terminó el juego con 14 de 31 pases completos con 219 yardas por pase y un pase de touchdown, mientras que Byron Leftwich terminó con 16 de 28 pases completos con 107 yardas por pase y un pase de touchdown. Leftwich también lanzó dos intercepciones. El corredor Maurice Jones-Drew tuvo 103 yardas terrestres para Jacksonville, y Marvin Harrison tuvo 6 recepciones para 94 yardas recibidas. El pateador de Jacksonville, Josh Scobee , falló sus dos goles de campo, y resultaron cruciales en el juego en las últimas etapas.
En el estadio de los Giants, East Rutherford, Nueva Jersey
Los Colts viajaron a The Meadowlands para un enfrentamiento con los New York Jets . Esta sería la segunda vez esta temporada que los Colts jugaran en el Giants Stadium, ya que jugaron contra los New York Giants en la apertura de la temporada regular . Indianápolis anotó primero en una carrera de touchdown de 6 yardas del corredor Dominic Rhodes . Sin embargo, el segundo cuarto fue tomado por los Jets cuando empataron el juego en el pase de touchdown de 33 yardas del QB Chad Pennington al WR Jerricho Cotchery , y tomaron la delantera en la carrera de touchdown de 1 yarda del RB Kevan Barlow . Los Colts empataron el juego justo antes del medio tiempo en una carrera de touchdown de 2 yardas del novato RB Joseph Addai . Después de un tercer cuarto sin anotaciones, el pateador Martin Gramatica , reemplazando al lesionado Adam Vinatieri , hizo un gol de campo de 20 yardas a principios del cuarto para darle a Indianápolis la ventaja, 17-14. Pero Nueva York recuperó la ventaja, anotando en un touchdown de 5 yardas de Kevan Barlow. El mariscal de campo de los Colts, Peyton Manning, lideró a los Colts en su siguiente posesión, liderándolos en una serie anotadora que condujo a un pase de touchdown de 2 yardas al ala cerrada Bryan Fletcher . Ilustrando perfectamente la naturaleza de ida y vuelta de la contienda, la ventaja cambió de manos una vez más cuando el back defensivo Justin Miller devolvió la patada inicial 103 yardas para un touchdown para mover rápidamente todo el impulso al lado de Nueva York. Pero Indianápolis se tomó el revés con calma mientras Manning marchaba metódicamente a los Colts por el campo y anotó los puntos finales del juego en un pase de mariscal de campo de 1 yarda . Enfrentando un campo largo y con solo ocho segundos en el reloj, en la última jugada del juego, Chad Pennington completó un pase por el medio al corredor Leon Washington , quien le pasó el balón al receptor abierto Brad Smith en un intento desesperado por anotar un touchdown que recordaba a " The Play " entre la Universidad de Stanford y la Universidad de California . Cinco pases laterales y tres balones sueltos después, los Colts acabaron con cualquier esperanza de una remontada milagrosa de los Jets al recuperar el último balón suelto de la jugada cuando expiró el tiempo.
El mariscal de campo Peyton Manning terminó el juego con 21 de 30 pases para 217 yardas y un touchdown, Chad Pennington completó 17 de 23 pases para 207 yardas y tuvo un pase de touchdown y una intercepción. Manning fue capturado dos veces mientras que Pennington fue capturado tres veces. El corredor novato de los Colts, Joseph Addai, tuvo un récord personal de 84 yardas terrestres mientras los Colts mejoraron su récord a 4-0.
en el RCA Dome, Indianápolis, Indiana
Después de su ajustada victoria contra los Jets , los Colts regresaron a casa para un enfrentamiento de la Semana 5 con su rival de la AFC Sur, Tennessee . Los Titans tomaron la delantera temprano cuando el mariscal de campo novato Vince Young corrió 19 yardas para un touchdown en lo que sería la única anotación del primer cuarto. En el segundo cuarto, Tennessee amplió su ventaja a 10-0 con un gol de campo de 22 yardas de Rob Bironas . Indianápolis redujo el déficit con seis minutos restantes en el tercer cuarto con el pase de touchdown de 13 yardas del mariscal de campo Peyton Manning al WR Marvin Harrison . Sin embargo, Tennessee respondió con el gol de campo de 47 yardas de Rob Bironas, que le dio a los Titans una ventaja de 13-7 al comenzar el último cuarto. Demostrando la determinación que les permitió remontar en sus dos juegos anteriores, la ofensiva de Indianápolis entregó lo que resultó ser el puntaje decisivo del juego con solo cinco minutos restantes en el cuarto cuarto con un pase de touchdown de 2 yardas de Peyton Manning al WR Reggie Wayne para darle a los Colts una ventaja de 14-13. Ese terminó siendo el puntaje final después de que Vince Young no pudo convertir un pase de Ave María en la zona de anotación . Con la victoria, los Colts se mantuvieron invictos y ampliaron su ventaja en la AFC Sur a dos juegos sobre el segundo lugar, Jacksonville .
Peyton Manning terminó el partido con 20 de 31 pases completos para 166 yardas con 2 pases de touchdown y una intercepción, y Vince Young terminó con 63 yardas en 10 de 21 intentos de pase y también lanzó una intercepción. El corredor de Tennessee Travis Henry tuvo 123 yardas terrestres en la derrota.
en el RCA Dome, Indianápolis, Indiana
Después de su semana de descanso, los Colts dieron un sólido desempeño ofensivo en casa contra los Washington Redskins . Indianápolis ganó el encuentro 36-22 a pesar de estar abajo 14-13 al medio tiempo. El mariscal de campo Peyton Manning , quien fue golpeado duramente por los defensores dos veces en la primera mitad, se recuperó rotundamente en la segunda mitad con 3 pases de touchdown en el tercer cuarto. En un día en el que Manning estuvo casi perfecto, él y el WR Marvin Harrison conectaron para dos touchdowns. La actuación también vio a la pareja subir en sus respectivas listas de yardas de carrera; Manning superó a Jim Hart para pasar al 14º lugar en yardas de pase de todos los tiempos y Harrison superó a Irving Fryar para pasar al octavo lugar en la tabla de yardas de recepción de carrera. El mariscal de campo de Washington, Mark Brunell, lanzó para dos touchdowns y ninguna intercepción, pero su actuación no pudo evitar la tercera derrota consecutiva de los Redskins antes de su semana de descanso.
El mariscal de campo de los Colts, Peyton Manning, terminó el juego con 25 de 35 pases para 342 yardas y cuatro touchdowns, mientras que el mariscal de campo de Washington, Mark Brunell, completó 27 de sus 37 intentos de pase para 226 yardas y dos touchdowns. El corredor novato de los Colts , Joseph Addai, tuvo un récord personal de 85 yardas terrestres en 11 acarreos, y el corredor de los Redskins, Ladell Betts, llevó el balón 10 veces para 52 yardas. El receptor abierto de los Colts, Reggie Wayne, tuvo su primer gran juego de la temporada, ya que tuvo 7 recepciones para 122 yardas recibidas y un touchdown. En 2011, Tony Dungy especuló que los fuertes golpes que Peyton Manning sufrió en la primera mitad del juego fueron el comienzo de los problemas de cuello que finalmente llevarían a Peyton Manning a dejar los Colts en 2012. [20] [21]
en el estadio Invesco Field en Mile High , Denver, Colorado
Después de una convincente victoria sobre un equipo de los Redskins en problemas en la Semana 7, los Colts se enfrentaron a uno de sus oponentes más duros del año en los Denver Broncos . Los Broncos estaban en la cima de la clasificación de la AFC Oeste con un récord de 5-1 gracias en gran parte a un fuerte juego terrestre y una defensa dominante que solo había permitido dos touchdowns en la temporada. Ambas defensas jugaron bien en el primer cuarto, que terminó con los Colts liderando 3-0. Denver tomó la delantera a principios del segundo cuarto con una carrera de touchdown de una yarda de Jake Plummer . Indianápolis redujo la ventaja a uno en su siguiente serie, que terminó en un gol de campo de 30 yardas de Adam Vinatieri , pero los Broncos respondieron con un pase de touchdown de 15 yardas del QB Jake Plummer al WR Javon Walker justo antes del medio tiempo para ampliar su ventaja a 14-6. En su primera serie de la mitad, Indianápolis estuvo a un punto de la ventaja con un pase de touchdown de 12 yardas del QB Peyton Manning al WR Reggie Wayne . En la siguiente posesión de los Colts, Wayne y Manning se conectaron de nuevo para otro touchdown, este un pase de 5 yardas para tomar la delantera 20-14. Pero los Broncos regresaron con una carrera de touchdown de una yarda de Mike Bell , dándoles una ventaja de un punto al final del tercer cuarto. Después de un gol de campo de Vinatieri y otro touchdown de Denver, los Colts estaban abajo por 5 puntos con un poco más de la mitad del cuarto cuarto restante. Después de que los Colts recibieran la patada inicial, marcharon por el campo. La serie finalizó con un pase de touchdown de 19 yardas de Manning a Wayne, la tercera vez que se conectaron para un touchdown en el juego. Los Colts ahora estaban arriba por un punto y decidieron ir por la conversión de dos puntos para ir arriba por un gol de campo. La conversión fue un éxito ya que Manning encontró a Reggie Wayne en la zona de anotación nuevamente. Jason Elam apareció para Denver y convirtió un gol de campo de 49 yardas para empatar el juego a 31. La serie final del juego resultó en un gol de campo de Adam Vinatieri con dos segundos restantes para poner a Indianápolis arriba por tres.
Manning terminó el juego con tres pases de touchdown, todos ellos a Reggie Wayne. El corredor novato Joseph Addai tuvo un récord personal de 93 yardas en solo 17 acarreos. El ala defensiva Dwight Freeney fue acreditado con media captura, su primera de la temporada.
En el estadio Gillette , Foxboro, Massachusetts
Los Colts se dirigieron al Gillette Stadium para un muy esperado partido de Sunday Night Football con los New England Patriots en la Semana 9. En el primer cuarto, una intercepción en la zona de anotación por parte del novato FS Antoine Bethea de los Colts preparó la primera serie anotadora de los Colts, una marcha de 68 yardas que terminó con un pase de touchdown de 5 yardas del QB Peyton Manning al WR Marvin Harrison para la única anotación del cuarto. Ya golpeados en la defensa, los Patriots perdieron al SS Rodney Harrison por una lesión en el hombro en el primer cuarto, y nunca regresó al juego. El segundo cuarto fue mucho más agitado después de dos anotaciones del RB de los Patriots Corey Dillon , una carrera de TD del RB novato de los Colts Joseph Addai y un gol de campo del pateador de los Colts Adam Vinatieri .
Los Patriots jugaron desde atrás durante el resto del partido y no pudieron alcanzar a los Colts. El mariscal de campo de los Patriots, Tom Brady, fue interceptado cuatro veces en la derrota, y el apoyador de los Colts, Cato June, interceptó dos de esos pases. También cabe destacar que el receptor abierto de los Colts, Marvin Harrison, tuvo 8 recepciones en el juego para 145 yardas y dos touchdowns. La victoria marcó la segunda consecutiva de los Colts contra los Patriots después de haber perdido las seis anteriores. Con la victoria, los Colts se convirtieron en el segundo equipo en la historia de la NFL en comenzar temporadas consecutivas 8-0 (los Green Bay Packers comenzaron tres temporadas consecutivas 8-0 de 1929 a 1931). Además, con 326 yardas por pase, el mariscal de campo Peyton Manning ha lanzado para más de 300 yardas en tres juegos consecutivos por primera vez en su carrera.
en el RCA Dome, Indianápolis, Indiana
Los Colts derrotaron a los Buffalo Bills en la Semana 10, 17-16, convirtiéndose en el primer equipo en la historia de la NFL en comenzar temporadas consecutivas 9-0. La puntuación del juego consistió en cuatro touchdowns y tres goles de campo. Buffalo atacó primero, ya que convirtieron un intento de gol de campo de K Rian Lindell . Los Colts luego siguieron con una anotación propia, un pase de touchdown de 1 yarda del QB Peyton Manning al WR Reggie Wayne para tomar la delantera con 11:14 restantes en la mitad. Los Colts tenían una ventaja de 7 puntos cerca del final de la mitad, pero Buffalo cambió el impulso a su favor cuando Terrence McGee devolvió un balón suelto 68 yardas para un touchdown para empatar el juego a 10.
En la posesión inicial del tercer cuarto, la serie terminó en una carrera de touchdown de 5 yardas del corredor novato de los Colts, Joseph Addai . Luego, Terrence McGee tomó la patada inicial de Adam Vinatieri 88 yardas hasta la línea de 12 yardas de los Colts. Buffalo no pudo hacer nada en el resto de la serie y tuvo que conformarse con otro gol de campo. En la serie inicial del cuarto cuarto, Lindell convirtió otro gol de campo para los Bills para reducir la ventaja de los Colts a 1 punto. Cuando los Bills avanzaron por el campo en su siguiente posesión, tuvieron la oportunidad de tomar la delantera, pero Rian Lindell falló su gol de campo y los Colts agotaron el reloj para pasar a 9-0. Con la victoria de los Colts y una derrota de los Jacksonville Jaguars , 13-10 ante los Houston Texans , los Colts ahora tienen cuatro juegos de ventaja en la AFC Sur .
En el Estadio de Texas , Irving, Texas
The Colts suffered their first defeat of the season, 21–14, at the hand of the Dallas Cowboys and became the last team to lose during the 2006 NFL season. The game was full of turnovers, and neither team could take care of the scoring opportunities. Colts QB Peyton Manning threw two interceptions and one of those was returned for a touchdown by Cowboys OLB Kevin Burnett early in the second half. The first quarter was back-and-forth as each possession ended with turnover after turnover. After Cowboys QB Tony Romo was sacked by DE Dwight Freeney, Colts WR Marvin Harrison fumbled, and after the Cowboys punted, Manning was sacked by Jay Ratliff and Bradie James recovered the fumble. After a couple of punts by both teams, Peyton Manning & Co. pushed the Cowboys deep in their own territory thanks to the great rushing by rookie RB Joseph Addai. The Colts reached the 4-yard line, and on third down, Manning attempted a pass to the endzone, but in a controversial situation, SS Roy Williams nudged TE Dallas Clark near the end zone, and while Clark fell down, Williams intercepted a Peyton Manning pass for the second time in his career, and gave the Cowboys the ball at their own 7-yard line. The Cowboys scored all of their points in the second half after a first half that was full of turnovers.
Colts QB Peyton Manning went 20 of 39 for 254 passing yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions, Cowboys QB Tony Romo was 19 of 23 with 226 passing yards and had one interception. Colts WR Reggie Wayne had 7 catches for 111 yards, and Cowboys RB Julius Jones rushed the football 22 times for 79 yards. Also of note, former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt missed two of his three field goals during the game.
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
This Week 12 showdown between the Colts and Eagles was originally scheduled for 1:00 ET, but due to the NFL's "flexible-scheduling" system this year, the NFL moved the game to Sunday night at 8:15 ET. This was the Colts' third primetime game this year on NBC, and the Eagles' first. There were 10 scores in this game, 5 each half. The first three scores of the game were by Colts rookie RB Joseph Addai. He had a 15-yard TD run, a 10-yard TD run, and another 15-yard TD run after that. His fourth rushing touchdown of the game came in the second half. The Eagles' first score came with about a minute to go in the half. Quarterback Jeff Garcia threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to L.J. Smith on that drive. On the Colts' next drive, combined with a couple of passes and a 13-yard run by Dominic Rhodes, the Colts put K Adam Vinatieri in field goal range to get some more points before the end of the half. At the half, the Colts had a 17-point lead, 24–7. After a Reggie Wayne touchdown catch, the Colts were up big on the Eagles, 31–7.
On the ensuing possession for the Eagles, Garcia found Reggie Brown in the end zone for a 3-yard score. But with less than 11 minutes left in the game, the Eagles scored once more and reduced the Colts' lead to 10 points. On the following possession, the Colts ran the ball 13 times with no passes and Joseph Addai had the last 8 carries on that drive including another 4-yard scamper, his fourth touchdown of the game. That touchdown also tied the Colts franchise record for the most rushing touchdowns in a single game.
With less than four minutes to go in the game, the Eagles were desperate to score some points, but while Jeff Garcia was deep in his own territory, he dropped back to pass and was hit by both DE Robert Mathis and DE Dwight Freeney. Mathis knocked the ball out of Garcia's hand right before his arm started going forwards and CB Kelvin Hayden picked up the ball and ran it back for a touchdown. The Colts were up by 24 points after that last score. On the next possession, the Eagles put in backup QB A. J. Feeley in place of Garcia, and Feeley ended up getting the football knocked out of his hand by Robert Mathis (his second forced fumble of the game) and the Colts recovered and ended up running out the clock to conclude the game.
Joseph Addai tied the NFL record for most touchdowns in a game by a rookie, with 4 touchdowns in this game. During this game, the Colts lost SS Antoine Bethea, TE Dallas Clark and OT Ryan Diem all to injuries in the first half, and they did not return.
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
This game at the Tennessee Titans saw the return of two crucial players for the Colts: WR Brandon Stokley and FS Bob Sanders. The Colts started hot in this game, and the only score of the first quarter came off a 68-yard touchdown pass from QB Peyton Manning to WR Marvin Harrison. The next score for the Colts came in the second quarter, as RB Dominic Rhodes had a 2-yard run for a touchdown. With less than seven minutes to go in the half, the Colts were up 14–0 on Tennessee. But, within a few minutes Titans K Rob Bironas made a 25-yard field goal to cut the lead to 11 points. The Colts' next possession uncharacteristically ended abruptly when Peyton Manning's pass intended for TE Bryan Fletcher was intercepted by OLB Keith Bulluck with 31 seconds left in the half. 20 seconds later, Titans QB Vince Young connected with WR Drew Bennett for a 20-yard touchdown pass to shrink the Colts' lead to 4 points. With 11 seconds left, the Titans' kickoff went out of bounds and the Colts had the ball at their own 40-yard line. On the following play, Manning hooked up with Bryan Fletcher for a 25-yard pass to the 35-yard line. The Colts brought out K Adam Vinatieri to attempt a 53-yard field goal, but the kick stayed right and just missed the upright. At the half, the Colts were in the lead, 14–10.
The third quarter did not yield a score, but Vince Young ran wild. The Colts' rushing defense was at its worst towards the end of the regular season. Three minutes into the last quarter, Vince Young hooked up with WR Brandon Jones for a touchdown to give Tennessee its first lead of the game. Ten minutes later, the Colts tied the game with a Vinatieri field goal from 20 yards out. On what ended up being the last possession of the game, the Titans were trying to defeat the Colts for the first time since the 2002 NFL season. After two first downs, the Titans had the ball at the Colts' 41-yard line with 31 seconds to go. After a short pass for 4 yards and an incomplete pass, the Titans had one last shot at a field goal to win the game. Kicker Rob Bironas had very high winds at his back and he made the 60-yard field goal with a lot of help from wind. He cleared the crossbar by almost 3 yards, and made the game-winning field goal for the Titans for the second straight week. With the brutal loss, the Colts went to 10–2 on the season.
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
The Colts came into this game three games ahead of the Jaguars in the AFC South standings, and with a win in this game, the Colts can clinch a playoff spot and the AFC South Championship for the fourth straight year.
On the Jaguars' first play from scrimmage, RB Fred Taylor ran up the middle for 76 yards down to the Colts' 18-yard line. On the following play rookie RB Maurice Jones-Drew rushed 18 yards for the first score of the game. The Colts led the Jaguars at one point in the game, 10–7, but after Jacksonville scored six times before the Colts scored again, there was no way to catch up.
The Colts allowed 375 rushing yards in this game, the second-highest total since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 166 yards and RB Fred Taylor ran for 131 yards. Third-string RB Alvin Pearman also ran for 71 yards. To further emphasize how effective the Jacksonville running game was, Jaguars QB David Garrard was only 8 for 14 with 79 yards passing. While he only threw the ball 14 times, Colts QB Peyton Manning threw the ball 50 times, completing 25 of those passes for 313 passing yards. Neither quarterback threw a touchdown pass, but both of them threw one interception each. The Colts WR tandem of Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne did well in this game. Harrison had 8 catches for 110 yards receiving, and Wayne had 6 catches for 101 yards. Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew did not just succeed on offense—he ran back an Adam Vinatieri kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown also.
The Colts lost SS Antoine Bethea to a shoulder injury, and he would not return. As a consequence, the Colts fell to 10–3, losing first place in the AFC, while the Jaguars improved to 8–5, with the embarrassing loss.
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
Hoping to rebound from their blowout road loss to the Jaguars, the Colts went home for a Monday Night Football matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. In the first quarter, Indianapolis struck first with K Adam Vinatieri nailing a 30-yard field goal. The Bengals would respond with K Shayne Graham converting a 27-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Colts began their breakout with QB Peyton Manning completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to WR Marvin Harrison. Harrison would end up catching three touchdown passes in this game. Even though Cincinnati responded with 12-yard touchdown run by RB Rudi Johnson, Indianapolis responded with Manning completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Harrison. In the third quarter, the Bengals converted another field goal, and the Colts continued their power with Manning completing another touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison. Afterwards, Manning would complete another touchdown pass, this one an 18-yarder to WR Reggie Wayne. In the fourth quarter, the Bengals' only response was another field goal. After that last field goal by Shayne Graham, Adam Vinatieri responded with a 44-yard field goal to close out the game. With the win, the Colts improved to 11–3.
Colts QB Peyton Manning finished the game 29 of 36 for 282 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, while Bengals QB Carson Palmer was 14 of 28 for 176 passing yards. Palmer also fumbled the football four times in this game. Colts DE Dwight Freeney forced three fumbles in the game and also had three sacks on Carson Palmer.
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Coming off a primetime victory over Cincinnati, the Colts flew to Reliant Stadium for an AFC South rematch with the Houston Texans. Heading into this game, Indianapolis had never lost a game to the Texans, winning their first 9 games against them.
In the first quarter, the Colts got an early shock as RB Ron Dayne ran for a 3-yard touchdown and a 6-yard touchdown run. Indianapolis would respond with 37-yard touchdown pass from QB Peyton Manning to WR Marvin Harrison. In the second quarter, the Colts tied the game with Manning completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to WR Aaron Moorehead. However, Houston reclaimed its lead with QB David Carr's 3-yard touchdown pass to RB Vonta Leach. In the third quarter, Indianapolis crept closer with K Adam Vinatieri making a 33-yard field goal for the only score of the period.
In the fourth quarter, the Texans responded with kicker Kris Brown's 42-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Colts tied the game with Manning hooking up with Harrison again on a 7-yard touchdown pass, Harrison's second of the game. However, Houston managed to pull off a huge upset with Kris Brown's game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired, giving Indianapolis their first ever loss against them. With the loss, the Colts fell to 11–4. Colts QB Peyton Manning finished the game 21 of 27 for 205 yards passing with three touchdowns and Texans QB David Carr finished with 163 passing yards on completing 16 of 23 passes with one touchdown. Rookie RB Joseph Addai ran the ball 15 times for 100 yards and former Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne finished the game with 153 rushing yards on 32 carries.
After this game, the Colts were now 11–4, having lost 4 of 6 after a 9–0 start and dropped to 4–4 on the road.
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
Following their first-ever loss to the Texans, the Colts wrapped up the regular season at home against the Miami Dolphins. So far, the Colts were 7–0 at the RCA Dome during the regular season. In the first quarter, the Dolphins scored first with K Olindo Mare's 28-yard field goal for the only score of the quarter. In the second quarter, Indianapolis took the lead with QB Peyton Manning completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to DT Dan Klecko. The Dolphins would follow Indianapolis' touchdown with a 38-yard Olindo Mare field goal. The Colts struck right back with Peyton Manning's 11-yard scamper into the end zone. After Dolphins QB Cleo Lemon was intercepted on his first pass of the possession by LB Cato June, Indianapolis had the ball on the Dolphins' 37-yard line. Kicker Adam Vinatieri would come out and convert a 46-yard field goal to close out the half.
In the third quarter, the Dolphins managed to get another field goal from Mare, and Indianapolis answered back with Adam Vinatieri making a 34-yard field goal. Mare would kick yet another field goal for Miami to reduce the Indianapolis lead to 8 points, but to keep up with the Colts, they needed to score a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Dolphins sent out Mare to kick another field goal, his fifth of the game, yet the Colts managed to score another touchdown with Peyton Manning completing a 27-yard touchdown pass to WR Marvin Harrison.
With less than ten minutes remaining in the last game of the season for Miami, they finally found the end zone when Cleo Lemon completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to TE Randy McMichael. The Colts ran out the clock and closed the season with a win at home, to improve their record to 8–0 in the RCA Dome. With the win, Indianapolis wrapped up the regular season at 12–4 and the AFC's No. 3 seed.
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
Entering the NFL Playoffs as the AFC's third seed, the Colts began their playoff run against the sixth-seeded Kansas City Chiefs at home, where they finished 8–0 during the regular season. In the first half, the Colts defense started off playing exceptionally well, holding the Chiefs offense without a first down the entire half. On offense, K Adam Vinatieri had all 9 of the Colts' first half points converting field goals of 48-yards, 19-yards, and 50-yards out. In the third quarter, Indianapolis continued where they left off in the first half with rookie running back Joseph Addai running into the end zone for a touchdown from 6 yards out. Kansas City's only scoring drive of the game came with less than 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The drive concluded with QB Trent Green completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to TE Tony Gonzalez, along with a successful two-point conversion pass to FB Kris Wilson. In the fourth quarter, with 10:16 remaining, the Colts scored another touchdown, this one a 5-yard pass from QB Peyton Manning to WR Reggie Wayne.
The Colts' rush defense held Chiefs RB Larry Johnson to just 32 yards on 13 carries and 29 receiving yards on 5 receptions. The Colts also outgained the Chiefs in total yards 435 to 126 and in first downs 28 to 7. Both teams committed three turnovers, Peyton Manning threw a season-high three interceptions, two of them picked up by former Patriot Ty Law. Manning finished the game 30 of 38 for 268 passing yards with 1 touchdown. Trent Green completed 14 of his 24 passes for 107 total passing yards with one touchdown also. RB Joseph Addai had 25 carries for 122 rushing yards with 1 touchdown. The Colts defense also forced two fumbles by Trent Green and also sacked him four times.
With the win, the Colts advanced to the AFC Divisional Round to face the second-seeded Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Making their first playoff appearance in Baltimore since relocating to Indianapolis 23 years earlier and coming off their win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Colts traveled to M&T Bank Stadium for the Divisional Round playoff game against the second-seeded Baltimore Ravens and their top-ranked defense. In the first quarter, Indianapolis scored first with K Adam Vinatieri making a 23-yard field goal. While the next drive failed to produce a touchdown, it produced another field goal, this second one from 42 yards out. In the second quarter, the Ravens responded with K Matt Stover converting a 40-yard field goal to reduce the Colts' lead to 3 points. Afterwards, Vinatieri would boot a career-long 51-yard field goal with 6:00 left in the half to give the Colts a 9–3 lead. In the third quarter, the Colts struggled to find the end zone, yet it provided Adam Vinatieri to cement his immense value to the team as a free agent pickup. He made his fourth field goal from 48 yards out; in the process making NFL history with that kick: Vinatieri surpassed Gary Anderson's mark of 32 career field goals made in the postseason.[22] After Vinatieri's last of his five field goals that he made this game, he had made 34 field goals in his postseason career. With the win, the Colts improved their overall record to 14–4 this season and would advance to the AFC Championship Game to play against the New England Patriots at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
Colts QB Peyton Manning finished the game 15 of 30 with 170 passing yards and two interceptions, while Ravens QB Steve McNair completed 18 of his 29 passes for 173 total passing yards and also had two interceptions. The Colts' 32nd-ranked rushing defense allowed only 83 total rushing yards this game, and proved that their defense had dramatically improved from the regular season.
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
Coming off their Divisional road win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Colts came back to the dome for the AFC Championship Game against the fourth-seeded New England Patriots, who were fresh off of their win over the top-seeded San Diego Chargers.
After a pair of punts, the Patriots scored on their second drive of the game. However, the play did not happen the way they planned it. Patriots QB Tom Brady fumbled the handoff to RB Laurence Maroney, the ball started rolling towards the goal line, went through a few pairs of Colts defenders' hands, and G Logan Mankins fell on it for a touchdown. The touchdown was one of two touchdowns in this game by offensive linemen. Indianapolis spent over six minutes on their next possession that resulted in a 42-yard field goal by kicker Adam Vinatieri. On the Patriots' first possession of the second quarter, they had no trouble moving the ball downfield and eventually scored on a 7-yard touchdown run by RB Corey Dillon, and the Colts were looking to score quickly to get momentum on their side. However, on the second play of the drive, Colts QB Peyton Manning threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Asante Samuel and he ran that back 39 yards for a touchdown to put the Colts down 21–3 with a little over nine minutes left in the half. The Colts closed out the half with another field goal by Vinatieri to reduce the Patriots' lead to 15 points.
The first possession of the third quarter belonged to the Colts, and they spent almost seven minutes on that drive, which ended with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Peyton Manning. The Colts were now only down by one score, 21–13. After the Patriots went three-and-out on their next possession, the Colts did not waste time before scoring. Within three minutes, Peyton Manning threw a screen pass to DT Dan Klecko for a 1-yard touchdown to bring the Colts within two points of New England. Klecko was signed this offseason by the Colts after he was released by, ironically, the Patriots. After that touchdown catch, the Colts elected to go for the two-point conversion, and Manning completed a pass in the end zone to WR Marvin Harrison to tie the game at 21. The Patriots responded on the ensuing possession with a 6-yard touchdown pass to WR Jabar Gaffney in the back of the end zone. The Colts countered that touchdown with a score of their own, this one by C Jeff Saturday. He ended up with the football in the end zone when RB Dominic Rhodes fumbled at the 1-yard line. The game was now tied 28–28 with 13:24 left in the game. After punts were exchanged, the Patriots broke the tie when K Stephen Gostkowski made a 28-yard field goal to give the Patriots the lead by 3 points. Adam Vinatieri made another field goal for the Colts right after Gostkowski's previous field goal to tie the game at 31, but Gostkowski then converted another field goal with 3:49 left in the game to put the Patriots back on top, 34–31. After the teams exchanged punts again, the Colts had one final opportunity to take the lead with 2:17 left in the game, and the ball on their own 20-yard line. After two passes completed to WR Reggie Wayne totaling 25 yards, and a 32-yard completion to TE Bryan Fletcher, the Colts had the ball on the Patriots 11-yard line. Three plays later, rookie RB Joseph Addai ran right up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown to put the Colts up by 4 points, and give them their first lead of the game, 38–34. The Patriots had exactly 1:00 to put together a winning drive, but on the drive's fourth play, Colts CB Marlin Jackson intercepted Tom Brady with less than 20 seconds to play and he quickly dropped to the ground so that there would be no risk of a fumble, sealing the win for the Colts. Their 18-point comeback was the biggest in conference title game history, and would later be matched by the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals.
With the win, Indianapolis improved their overall record to 15–4 that season and would move on to face the NFC champion Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium.
at Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Two weeks after their record-breaking comeback in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots, the Colts flew to Dolphin Stadium for Super Bowl XLI against the NFC Champion Chicago Bears. Bears CB/KR/PR Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, the first time that has ever happened in Super Bowl history. After the extra point by Robbie Gould, Chicago had an early 7–0 lead. On the following possession for the Colts, QB Peyton Manning threw an interception on the Colts' seventh play from scrimmage. His pass intended for WR Marvin Harrison was intercepted by FS Chris Harris and the Bears had the ball on their own 35-yard line. After Chicago went three-and-out on that possession, the Colts were ready to even the score. The drive ended with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to WR Reggie Wayne, but punter Hunter Smith mishandled the snap on the extra point and kicker Adam Vinatieri could not convert the PAT. However, Chicago would answer right back with a score of their own. QB Rex Grossman completed a 4-yard pass in the end zone to WR Muhsin Muhammad to increase Chicago's lead over Indianapolis, 14–6. After a Colts punt, the Bears had the ball on their own 48-yard line. On the second play of the drive, FS Bob Sanders caused RB Cedric Benson to fumble the football, and the Colts recovered. But, the Colts went three-and-out and could not take advantage of the turnover. After a Bears punt, the Colts spent four minutes on their next drive that ended with an Adam Vinatieri field goal. There were five turnovers in the first quarter, a first in Super Bowl history. This was most likely due to the rain and poor conditions that both teams were playing in.
In the second quarter, the Colts' next possession resulted in a touchdown by RB Dominic Rhodes and gave the Colts the lead for the first time in the game, 16–14. In the second half, the Colts got right back to work as Adam Vinatieri made another field goal, this one from 24-yards out, to make the score 19–14 in their favor. On the following Colts possession, Vinatieri came through yet again and converted a 20-yard field goal to put the Colts up by 8 points. The Bears immediately responded with a field goal of their own, but they would not score any more points in the half. QB Rex Grossman threw two crucial interceptions in the second half, the first was returned 56-yards for a touchdown by DB Kelvin Hayden. Four plays after Grossman's first interception, he was intercepted again, this time by FS Bob Sanders. Both interceptions thrown by Grossman were deep passes that were not thrown accurately.
The Colts defeated the Bears 29–17, and finished the season with an overall record of 16–4 and Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy became the very first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl. The game's MVP was Colts QB Peyton Manning, who finished the game 25 of 38 for 247 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. Rookie RB Joseph Addai finished the game with 19 carries for 77 yards rushing and had 10 catches which is today four shy of the Super Bowl record. RB Dominic Rhodes had 113 rushing yards and one touchdown on 21 carries also.