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Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
was the franchise's 53rd season in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL), the 22nd in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
and the fourth season under
head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former professional football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts ...
. The Colts improved on their 12–4 record from
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
and finished the season 14–2. Indianapolis started the season with a 13-game winning streak and were heavily favored to go to and win
Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2005 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh S ...
. The Colts'
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
, the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, lost to the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The following day, the Colts were favored over the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
because they had easily beaten them in their previous meeting. However, the Colts lost their first playoff game in heartbreaking fashion to the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers, when
placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...
Mike Vanderjagt missed a crucial field goal. The 2005 Colts set an NFL record by winning twelve games in which they never trailed at any point in the contest and still stands as of 2024.Record still stands as of the 2023 season; the previous record-holder was the 1978 Miami Dolphins, who had 11 such games. The 2005 Colts were the first team to start the season with 13 straight wins and lose an opening playoff game, although this would be repeated by the 2011 Green Bay Packers. They were also the first team to start the season with 13 straight wins and not win the Super Bowl, although this would be repeated by the 2007 New England Patriots who went 16–0 in the regular season, the Colts again in
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
when they started 14–0 and went 14–2, the 2011 Green Bay Packers who started 13–0 and went 15–1, and by the 2015 Carolina Panthers who began the season 14–0 and went 15–1. The Colts would, however, win the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
the next year with a 12–4 record over the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
with a score of 29–17.


Offseason

The Colts had a busy offseason with the main focus to sign star
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
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 ta

(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 Offensive tackle, 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 The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, free-agent) or DE Brad Scioli (free-agent) during the offseason.


2005 NFL draft


Roster


Schedule


Preseason


Regular season


Standings


Week-by-week results


Week 1: at Baltimore Ravens

In the first Sunday night football game of the 2005 NFL regular season, the Colts 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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
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. With the impressive win, Indianapolis began the season at 1–0. This ended up as the Colts’ first win in Baltimore since moving to Indianapolis.


Scoring summary

Q2 – IND – 0:15 – Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard FG (3–0 IND) Q3 – IND – 8:43 – 28-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
(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)


Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

During last week's game at Baltimore, the Colts' defense was the talk of the week, not their offense. This week was similar as the Colts surrendered only 3 points to the
Jaguars The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat species in the Americas an ...
. This game between
AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 200 ...
division rivals was dominated by the running game for both teams, and the defensive lines. Colts QB
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
was 13 of 28 for 122 yards passing, with no touchdowns and an interception while Jacksonville QB
Byron Leftwich Byron Antron Leftwich (born January 14, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He is currently an assistant coach at Colorado. He played college fo ...
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. With the win, the Colts improved to 2–0.


Scoring summary

Q3 – JAC – 6:59 – Josh Scobee 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)


Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns

Colts 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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
finished the game 19 for 23 with 228 yards passing and one interception as Browns QB
Trent Dilfer Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the UAB Blazers football team. Dilfer previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He achieved ...
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 The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
QB
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1961) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He played college f ...
did it in 114 games. This win against the Browns was the Colts' seventh-consecutive win in the RCA Dome. With the win, the Colts improved to 3–0.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 4:11 – Edgerrin James 2-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND) Q2 – CLE – 13:13 –
Phil Dawson Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns football, Texas Lo ...
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)


Week 4: at Tennessee Titans

The
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
offense finally showed up this game, as QB
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
threw for 264 yards and four touchdown passes. Two of those touchdown passes were to WR
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
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 In Greek mythology, the Titans ( ; ) were the pre-Twelve Olympians, Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). The six male ...
never really got anything going on offense, and Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair was their leading rusher for the team in this game. With the win, the Colts improved to 4–0.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 11:31 – 25-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to
Reggie Wayne Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...
(Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND) Q1 – TEN – 4:58 –
Rob Bironas James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American professional football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn Universit ...
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)


Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
completed 23 of his 31 passes, threw for one touchdown, and two interceptions. Colts
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
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. With the impressive win, the Colts improved to 5–0.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 7:41 – Dominic Rhodes 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 Troy McHenry Walters (born December 15, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Walters played as a wide receiver and punt returner ...
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–3 IND)


Week 6: vs. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams came into a Week 6 matchup with the Colts on
Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
with QB
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
and WR
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
tied with
Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...
and
Jerry Rice Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter ...
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 few could believe it. The 5–0 Colts were down 17 points at the end of the first quarter, and the 2–3 Rams had all the confidence in the world. That drastically changed in the second half, however. After two interceptions by
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
Cato June that set up two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble recovery by CB
Nick Harper Nick Harper (born 22 June 1965) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper. Early life Harper was born in London, England, to the folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper. Nick tells of how he ...
that 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 in those quarters. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison also made history that night by completing their 86th career touchdown pass to pass Steve Young and Jerry Rice on the list of 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. With the comeback win, the Colts improved to 6–0.


Scoring summary

Q1 – STL – 12:04 –
Steven Jackson Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He played college football for the Or ...
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 Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...
(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 Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons and is the current running backs coach at the Colorado ...
2-point conversion) (45–28 IND)


Week 7: at Houston Texans

The Texans 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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
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. With the win, the Colts improved to 7–0. Also of note, this win gave coach
Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former professional football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts ...
his 100th career win in the NFL. He is the 34th head coach to win 100 games.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 3:42 – Edgerrin James 1-yard TD run ( Mike Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND) Q2 – IND – 11:22 – 31-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to
Dallas Clark Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is an American former professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unq ...
(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 Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
(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)


Week 9: at New England Patriots

Coming into this game, Colts
Quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
was 0–7 against the
Patriots A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
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 William Stephen Belichick ( ; born April 16, 1952) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, inc ...
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 teammates throughout the game Patriots QB
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
finished the game 22 of 33 for 265 yards and three touchdowns,
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
Corey Dillon Corey James Dillon (born October 24, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. He played college fo ...
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 Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
and
Reggie Wayne Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...
, 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. With the win, the Colts improved to 8–0 and 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 Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND) Q1 – NE – 5:52 – 16-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Deion Branch (
Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 24 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri is the ...
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)


Week 10: vs. Houston Texans

Colts QB
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
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 improving to 9–0.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 4:29 – 14-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to
Dallas Clark Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is an American former professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unq ...
( 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 Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
(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, Bengals
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
Chad Johnson Chad Ochocinco Johnson (born Chad Javon Johnson, January 9, 1978), known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He ...
made his weekly guarantee that the opposing
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
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 Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is an American former professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unq ...
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 were the seventeenth team to start a season 10–0 and the first to do so since the Denver Broncos during the
1998 NFL season The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The season culminated with Super Bowl XXXIII, with the Denver Broncos defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. The Broncos ha ...
. Colts WR
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
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 Rhodes 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 Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...
(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)


Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Monday Night Game'' 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 as one of the best teams in the NFL. After the Steelers went three-and-out on their first possession of the game, the Colts scored on the first play of their first drive when
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
threw an 80-yard touchdown strike to WR
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
. Harrison blew by
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
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 Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
, did not fare as 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 Indianapolis. 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 a season 11–0, and the first to do so since the Denver Broncos during the
1998 NFL season The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The season culminated with Super Bowl XXXIII, with the Denver Broncos defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. The Broncos ha ...
. 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 Vanderjagt 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 Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American American football, football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for Arizona State Sun Devils football, Arizona State. He played as a wide receiver in the National Foo ...
( 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)


Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans

The Colts 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 The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
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 a 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 The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 200 ...
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 Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
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 Vanderjagt 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 James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American professional football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn Universit ...
24-yard FG (14–3 IND) Q3 – IND – 9:40 – 27-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to
Reggie Wayne Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...
(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)


Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars

The
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
were now one step closer to perfection, as they only had only four games left to match the record set by the 1972
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
for most consecutive wins to begin a season. Colts
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
picked apart the
Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
secondary all game, finishing the game with 24 of 36 for 324 yards passing and two touchdowns, while being sacked a season-high 3 times. Jaguars QB David Garrard (who was starting in the place of
Byron Leftwich Byron Antron Leftwich (born January 14, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He is currently an assistant coach at Colorado. He played college fo ...
) 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, after the 1934 Chicago Bears, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the 1998 Denver Broncos. Also, with this win, the Colts clinched the
AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 200 ...
Division Championship, a first-round bye in the
NFL playoffs The National Football League (NFL) playoffs is the annual single-elimination tournament held to determine the National Football League, league champion. The four-round tournament is held after the league's regular season. Since the 2020 NFL seaso ...
, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 4:40 – 9-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
( 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)


Week 15: vs. San Diego Chargers

The Colts came into Week 15 of the NFL season still undefeated, and faced 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 Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an American professional football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He was the head coach of the Cl ...
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 regular-season game, and they went on to win
Super Bowl XXXIII Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXII champion 1998 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion ...
. With the loss, the Colts fell to 13–1.


Scoring summary

Q1 – SD – 9:13 – 29-yard TD pass from Drew Brees to Keenan McCardell ( 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 Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is an American former professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unq ...
(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' loss to the San Diego Chargers last week, Colts coach
Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former professional football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts ...
elected to keep most of his starters benched for the entire
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
game against the Seattle Seahawks, excepting 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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
played only a couple series and backup QB
Jim Sorgi James Joseph Sorgi Jr. (born December 3, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was selected by the Indianapo ...
got some extended playing time. Dungy decided that since they had clinched a playoff spot, the
AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 200 ...
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 In American football, most valuable player (MVP) awards are given by various entities to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the most valuable during the regular season. Organizations which issue an NFL MVP award include t ...
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. With the loss, the Colts fell to 13–2.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 7:51 – Mike Vanderjagt 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 Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football for t ...
to
Jerramy Stevens Jerramy Ryan Stevens (born November 13, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Seattle ...
(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 McHenry Walters (born December 15, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Walters played as a wide receiver and punt returner ...
(Vanderjagt kick) (28–13 SEA)


Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals

In the last game of the
regular season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...
, Colts’ coach
Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former professional football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts ...
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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
only played on the first drive of this game, just like the previous game, and
Jim Sorgi James Joseph Sorgi Jr. (born December 3, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was selected by the Indianapo ...
played at the quarterback position for the rest of the game. With the win, the Colts finished their regular season at 14–2.


Scoring summary

Q1 – IND – 4:44 – 14-yard TD pass from Jim Sorgi to Ben Utecht ( Mike Vanderjagt kick) (7–0 IND) Q2 – ARI – 13:04 –
Neil Rackers Neil William Rackers (born August 16, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a placekicker for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting I ...
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 McHenry Walters (born December 15, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Walters played as a wide receiver and punt returner ...
(Vanderjagt kick) (17–3 IND) Q3 – ARI – 8:29 – 25-yard TD pass from
Josh McCown Joshua Treadwell McCown (born July 4, 1979) is an American professional American football, football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college foo ...
to Larry Fitzgerald (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, Colts coach
Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former professional football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts ...
was notified that his eldest son, James Dungy, was found unresponsive in his apartment in
Lutz, Florida Lutz is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Hillsborough County, Florida, Hillsborough County and Pasco County, Florida, Pasco County, Florida, United States, north of Tampa. While there is a Census-designated plac ...
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 Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
. 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 The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, 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 Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
. 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 ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
. Two months before his death, James Dungy had also been treated for a prescription drug overdose on October 21, 2005.


Postseason


Game summaries


AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#6) Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers took a 14–0 lead in the first quarter with quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
’s six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Antwaan Randle El Antwaan Randle El (; born August 17, 1979) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who currently serves as the wide receivers coach and assistant head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football L ...
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 Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" due to his l ...
’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 Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is an American former professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unq ...
and running back Edgerrin James’s 3-yard touchdown run (and
Reggie Wayne Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...
’s successful
two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion, two-point convert, or two-point attempt is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that ...
reception). James' touchdown came a few plays after an interception by Pittsburgh safety
Troy Polamalu Troy Aumua Polamalu (; born Troy Benjamin Aumua; April 19, 1981) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 12-year career as a safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). An eight-time ...
was overturned by
instant replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred, both shot and broadcast live TV, live. After being shown live, the video is replayed so viewers can see it again and analyze what just happened. Spo ...
(a reversal that the league would later admit was a mistak

. 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 In American football and Canadian football, a quarterback kneel, also called taking a knee, genuflect offense, kneel-down offense, or victory formation, occurs when the quarterback touches a knee to the ground immediately after receiving the sn ...
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. With the heartbreaking loss, the Colts ended their season at 14–3 and became the first #1 seed to lose to a #6 seed since the 1990 expansion of the playoffs to six teams per conference. The Steelers would go on to win
Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2005 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh S ...
. Colts lost and in 2006 finished 12–4.


See also

*
History of the Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The organization began play in 195 ...
* Indianapolis Colts seasons * Colts–Patriots rivalry


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2005 Indianapolis Colts Season Indianapolis Colts seasons
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
AFC South championship seasons Colts