The

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 20 ...

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 tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

was the 56th season for the team in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

and the 25th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains independence from Indonesia and ...

that the Colts did not win the

AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned ...

title. However, after a 3–4 start on the season

Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Col ...

led the Colts to a nine-game winning streak, a 12–4 record, and a wild card berth in the playoffs. The Colts' season came to an end in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

when they were upset in their wild-card round playoff game against the

Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...

. The 2008 season was the Colts' inaugural season playing at

Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the National Football League (NFL)'s Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium was ...

after playing at the

RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ( 1984–2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention C ...

for 24 seasons. This marks

Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former 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. Dungy's teams b ...

's 7th and last season as

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other Coach (sport), coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manage ...

of the

, and

's 11th season as the starting quarterback. As a result of his play over the final two months of the regular season, Manning was awarded his third

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

award. When the Colts won their seventh straight game in Week 15, they became the only team in the history of the NFL to have seven consecutive wins in five consecutive seasons. With their regular season record of 12–4, they became the first franchise in NFL history to have twelve wins in six consecutive seasons (the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

hold the record with 8 seasons, 2010–2017).

Offseason

Coaching announcement

On January 21, 2008

announced he would return for at least one more season. The Colts also announced that Assistant Head Coach Jim Caldwell would be promoted to Associate Head Coach and would assume the position of Colts Head Coach whenever Tony Dungy decides to retire.

Off-field activity

In May,

ESPN The Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year ...

released the findings of its annual survey of over 80,000 fans entitled the "Ultimate Standings: Fan Satisfaction Rankings". The Colts ranked as the best major league sports franchise out of 122 teams from

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the maj ...

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...

, and the

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

. In August, ESPN.com ranked Colts' fans as the 16th best in the National Football League.

Released

* DT

Booger McFarland Anthony Darelle "Booger" McFarland (born December 18, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisiana State University and wa ...

* LB Rob Morris * WR

Craphonso Thorpe Craphonso Ja'won "Cro" Thorpe (born June 27, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State. Thorpe has also b ...

* DE Ed Johnson

Trades

* Traded FB

Luke Lawton Richard Luke Lawton (born August 26, 1980 in New Iberia, Louisiana) is a former American football Fullback (American football), fullback. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at McNeese ...

to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

for a 2009 conditional draft pick.

Free agents

2008 NFL Draft

Roster

Staff

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Game recaps

Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears

The Colts began their 2008 campaign with their first official home game at

. For this Sunday night interconference duel, they took on 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...

in a rematch of

Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis was first out of the gate as kicker

Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest kic ...

got a 39-yard field goal. The Bears responded with RB

Matt Forte Matthew Garrett Forte (born December 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafte ...

getting a 50-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Colts responded with Vinatieri nailing a 34-yard field goal. However, Chicago increased its lead with kicker

Robbie Gould Robert Paul Gould III (; born December 6, 1982) is an American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Chicago Bears from 2005 to 2015, during which he became the franchise's all ...

getting a 41-yard field goal, DE

Adewale Ogunleye Adewale Ogunleye (; born August 9, 1977) is a former American football defensive end who played eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and also played for the ...

tackling RB

Joseph Addai Joseph Kwaku Duah Addai Jr. ( ) (born May 3, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round (30th overall pick) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University b ...

in his endzone for a safety (first time Indy gave up a safety since November 2000), and Gould nailing a 25-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Indianapolis tried to rally as QB

completed a 6-yard TD pass to WR

Reggie Wayne Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, and was drafted ...

, yet the Bears replied with LB

Lance Briggs Lance Marell Briggs (born November 12, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats and was sele ...

returned a fumble 21 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Chicago sealed the win with FB

Jason McKie Jason A. McKie (born May 22, 1980 in Gulf Breeze, Florida) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. With the loss, the Colts began their season at 0–1. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

39 yard field goal, 5:52. ''Colts 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:05.'' ** CHI –

50 yard run (

Gould Gould may refer to: People * Gould (name), a surname Places United States * Gould, Arkansas, a city * Gould, Colorado, an unincorporated community * Gould, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Gould, Oklahoma, a town * Gould, West Virginia, ...

kick), 4:59. ''Bears 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 0:53.'' * 2nd Quarter ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 34 yard field goal, 9:38. ''Bears 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:04.'' ** CHI – Robbie Gould 41 yard field goal, 4:43. ''Bears 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:55.'' ** CHI –

tackled by

for a safety, 4:05. ''Bears 12–6.'' ** CHI – Robbie Gould 25 yard field goal, 0:00. ''Bears 15–6. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:59.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND –

6 yard pass from

(Vinetieri kick), 9:18. ''Bears 15–13. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:47.'' ** CHI –

21 yard fumble return (Gould kick), 1:52. ''Bears 22–13.'' * 4th Quarter ** CHI –

1 yard run (Gould kick), 8:56. ''Bears 29–13. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:46.''

Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings

Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Bears, the Colts flew to the

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League' ...

for a Week 2 interconference duel with the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansio ...

. In the first half, Indianapolis trailed as Vikings kicker

Ryan Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974Ryan Longwell
NFLPA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

got a 45-yard and a 27-yard field goal in the first quarter, along with a 53-yard field goal in the second quarter. It marked the first time that the Colts got shut out in the first half since October 2006. In the third quarter, Minnesota increased its lead with Longwell nailing a 46-yard and a 28-yard field goal. Afterwards, Indianapolis started to rally as RB

got a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Colts drew closer as QB

completed a 32-yard TD pass to WR

, followed by a 2-point conversion run by RB

Dominic Rhodes Dominic Dondrell Rhodes (born January 17, 1979) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Midwestern State and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001. Rhodes was also a member of ...

. Afterwards, near the end of game, Indianapolis completed its comeback as kicker

nailing the game-winning 47-yard field goal. With the win, the Colts improved to 1–1. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** MIN –

Ryan Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974Ryan Longwell
NFLPA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

45 yard field goal, 10:10. ''Vikings 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:14.'' ** MIN – Ryan Longwell 27 yard field goal, 0:09. ''Vikings 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:56.'' * 2nd Quarter ** MIN – Ryan Longwell 53 yard field goal, 0:00. ''Vikings 9–0. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 0:21.'' * 3rd Quarter ** MIN – Ryan Longwell 46 yard field goal, 10:38. ''Vikings 12–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:22.'' ** MIN – Ryan Longwell 28 yard field goal, 4:09. ''Vikings 15–0. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 3:31.'' ** IND –

1 yard run ( Vinatieri kick), 1:24. ''Vikings 15–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:45.'' * 4th Quarter ** IND –

32 yard pass from

(

run), 5:54. ''Tied 15–15. Drive: 3 plays, 61 yards, 1:15.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 47 yard field goal, 0:03. ''Colts 18–15. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:04.''

Week 3: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Coming off their last-second road win over the Vikings, the Colts went home for a Week 3 AFC South duel with the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

. In the first quarter, Indy was first out of the gates as QB

completed a 4-yard TD pass to WR

Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who played 13 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), much of it with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton ...

. In the second quarter, the Jaguars took the lead with kicker

Josh Scobee Joshua Taylor Scobee (born June 23, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at ...

getting a 26-yard field goal, along with CB

Rashean Mathis Rashean Jamil Mathis (; born August 27, 1980) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bethune–Cookman University, and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second ro ...

returning an interception 61 yards for a touchdown. The Colts reclaimed the lead before halftime as RB

got a 3-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Jacksonville regained the lead with RB

Maurice Jones-Drew Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned una ...

getting a 6-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Jaguars increased their lead with Scobee kicking a 21-yard field goal. Afterwards, Indianapolis responded with Addai's 2-yard TD run. However, the Jaguars got the last laugh as Scobee nailed the game-winning 51-yard field goal. With the loss, the Colts entered their bye week at 1–2. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

4 yard pass from

( Vinatieri kick), 11:03. ''Colts 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:57.'' * 2nd Quarter ** JAC –

27 yard field goal, 12:33. ''Colts 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:09.'' ** JAC –

61 yard interception return (Scobee kick), 5:10. ''Jaguars 10–7.'' ** IND –

3 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 1:28. ''Colts 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 3:42.'' * 3rd Quarter ** JAC –

6 yard run (Scobee kick), 1:17. ''Jaguars 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:59.'' * 4th Quarter ** JAC – Josh Scobee 21 yard field goal, 2:33. ''Jaguars 20–14. Drive: 18 plays, 82 yards, 12:18.'' ** IND – Joseph Addai 2 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 1:07. ''Colts 21–20. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 1:26.'' ** JAC – Josh Scobee 51 yard field goal, 0:04. ''Jaguars 23–21. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 1:03.''

Week 5: at Houston Texans

Coming off their bye week, the Colts flew to

Reliant Stadium NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...

for a Week 5 AFC South duel with the Houston Texans. In the first quarter, Indianapolis drew first blood as kicker

got a 46-yard field goal, along with RB

getting a 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Texans responded with RB

Steve Slaton Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for West Virginia University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2 ...

getting a 1-yard TD run, kicker

Kris Brown Kristopher Clayton Brown (born December 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Nebr ...

getting a 37-yard field goal, and QB

Sage Rosenfels Sage Jamen Rosenfels (born March 6, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Iowa State. He was then drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolp ...

completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR

Andre Johnson Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted b ...

. In the third quarter, Houston increased its lead with Brown nailing a 43-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Texans continued its run as Slaton got a 1-yard TD run. The Colts rallied with QB

completing a 7-yard TD pass to rookie TE

Tom Santi Tom Santi (born November 22, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and played two seasons for them. Before that, he played college football at Virginia ...

, LB

Gary Brackett Gary Lawrence Brackett (born May 23, 1980) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Rutgers, and signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Brack ...

returning a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown, and Manning completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR

. With the win, Indianapolis improved to 2–2. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

46 yard field goal, 9:42. ''Colts 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 5:18.'' ** IND –

1 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 2:16. ''Colts 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:22.'' * 2nd Quarter ** HOU –

1 yard run (

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model use ...

kick), 12:06. ''Colts 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 5:10.'' ** HOU – Kris Brown 37 yard field goal, 7:09. ''Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:21.'' ** HOU –

5 yard pass from

(Brown kick), 0:27. ''Texans 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:51.'' * 3rd Quarter ** HOU – Kris Brown 43 yard field goal, 0:21. ''Texans 20–10. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 8:47.'' * 4th Quarter ** HOU – Steve Slaton 1 yard run (Brown kick), 8:18. ''Texans 27–10. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:59.'' ** IND –

7 yard pass from

(Vinatieri kick), 4:04. ''Texans 27–17. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 4:14.'' ** IND –

68 yard fumble return (Vinatieri kick), 3:36. ''Texans 27–24.'' ** IND –

5 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 1:54. ''Colts 31–27. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:42.''

Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Coming off their comeback divisional road win over the Texans, the Colts went home for a Week 6 duel with the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis got a fast start as QB

completed a 67-yard TD pass to WR

and a 22-yard TD pass to WR

, while kicker

got a 37-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Colts continued their dominating start as Manning completed a 5-yard TD pass to Harrison. In the third quarter, Indianapolis continued its victory march as RB

got a 1-yard TD run. The Ravens would get their only score of the game as kicker

Matt Stover John Matthew Stover (born January 27, 1968) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, he was amon ...

nailed a 37-yard field goal. With the win, not only did the Colts improve to 3–2, but they finally got their first win in their new stadium. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

67 yard pass from

( Vinatieri kick), 9:43. ''Colts 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 1:36.'' ** IND –

11 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 2:43. ''Colts 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:55.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 37 yard field goal, 0:38. ''Colts 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:13.'' * 2nd Quarter ** IND – Marvin Harrison 5 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 1:48. ''Colts 24–0. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 3:46.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND –

1 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 9:25. ''Colts 31–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:35.'' ** BAL –

37 yard field goal, 1:15. ''Colts 31–3. Drive: 15 plays, 62 yards, 8:10.'' * 4th Quarter ** No Scoring Plays

Week 7: at Green Bay Packers

Coming off their home rout over the Ravens, the Colts flew to

Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing ...

for a Week 7 interconference duel with the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the th ...

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis trailed early as Packers kicker

Mason Crosby Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers cho ...

got a 31-yard field goal. The Colts would take the lead as RB

got a 3-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Green Bay regained the lead as QB

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to t ...

completed a 12-yard TD pass to TE Donald Lee, along with RB Ryan Grant getting an 11-yard TD run. In the third quarter, the Packers increased their lead as Free Safety

Nick Collins Nicholas Cordell Collins (born August 16, 1983) is a former American football safety who played seven seasons for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bethune-Cookman, and was drafted by t ...

returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown, along with Crosby nailing a 29-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Green Bay finished its domination as Safety

Aaron Rouse Aaron Roosevelt Rouse (born January 8, 1984) is a former American football safety who last played for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He ...

returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown. Indianapolis's only response would be Rhodes' 1-yard TD run. With the loss, the Colts fell to 3–3. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** GB –

31 yard field goal, 8:06. ''Packers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 6:54.'' ** IND –

3 yard run ( Vinatieri kick), 4:06. ''Colts 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:00.'' * 2nd Quarter ** GB – Donald Lee 12 yard pass from

(Crosby kick), 14:15. ''Packers 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:51.'' ** GB – Ryan Grant 11 yard run (Crosby kick), 2:49. ''Packers 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 6:51.'' * 3rd Quarter ** GB –

62 yard interception return (Crosby kick), 12:28. ''Packers 24–7.'' ** GB – Mason Crosby 29 yard field goal, 2:37. ''Packers 27–7. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:24.'' * 4th Quarter ** GB –

99 yard interception return (Crosby kick), 4:27. ''Packers 34–7.'' ** IND – Dominic Rhodes 1 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 1:41. ''Packers 34–14. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 2:46.''

Week 8: at Tennessee Titans

Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Packers, the Colts went to

LP Field Nissan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, it is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the Nati ...

for a Week 8 MNF interconference duel with the undefeated

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis trailed early as Titans kicker

Rob Bironas James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Geor ...

got a 34-yard field goal. The Colts responded with QB

completing a 10-yard TD pass to TE

Dallas Clark Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is a former American football tight end who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was reco ...

. In the second quarter, Tennessee drew closer as Bironas got a 44-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Indianapolis increased its lead as Manning hooked up with Clark again on a 19-yard TD pass. Afterwards, the Titans tied the game as RB

LenDale White LenDale Anthony White (born December 20, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks and Den ...

got a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Tennessee pulled away as Bironas nailed a 48-yard field goal, White got another 1-yard TD run, and RB Chris Johnson got a 16-yard TD run. The Colts tried to rally as Manning got a 1-yard TD run, but the Titans defense stiffened and prevailed. This was also the Colts' last regular season loss until December 27, 2009, when their former division rival New York Jets ended the Colts' hopes of a

perfect season A perfect season is a sports season, including any requisite playoff portion, in which a team remains and finishes undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the ...

. With the loss, Indianapolis fell to 3–4. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** TEN –

34 yard field goal, 9:47. ''Titans 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 40 yards, 5:17.'' ** IND –

10 yard pass from

( Vinatieri kick), 1:21. ''Colts 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:21.'' * 2nd Quarter ** TEN – Rob Bironas 44 yard field goal, 14:19. ''Colts 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:13.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND – Dallas Clark 19 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 11:10. ''Colts 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:54.'' ** TEN –

1 yard run (

Collins Collins may refer to: People Surname Given name * Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat * Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration * Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middl ...

Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...

), 3:24. ''Tied 14–14. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:45.'' * 4th Quarter ** TEN – Rob Bironas 48 yard field goal, 14:50. ''Titans 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 1:09.'' ** TEN – LenDale White 1 yard run (Bironas kick), 4:42. ''Titans 24–14. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:51.'' ** TEN – Chris Johnson 16 yard run (Bironas kick), 3:38. ''Titans 31–14. Drive: 1 play, 16 yards, 0:07.'' ** IND – Peyton Manning 1 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 1:20. ''Titans 31–21. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 2:14.''

Week 9: vs. New England Patriots

Trying to rebound from their MNF divisional road loss to the Titans, the Colts went home for a Week 9 Sunday night duel with their hated rival, the

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis got off to a fast start as QB

completed a 12-yard TD pass to WR Anthony Gonzalez. In the second quarter, the Patriots responded as kicker

Stephen Gostkowski Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots. He was selected in the fourth round of the ...

got a 29-yard and a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter, New England took the lead as RB

BenJarvus Green-Ellis BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis (born July 2, 1985) is a former American football running back who played for the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. Green-Ellis was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played co ...

got a 6-yard TD run (with a failed 2-point conversion). The Colts would answer with Manning hooking up with Gonzalez again on a 9-yard TD pass, along with completing a 2-point conversion pass to WR

. In the fourth quarter, the Patriots tied the game with Gostkowski getting a 25-yard field goal, yet Indy replied with former Patriot kicker

nailing a 52-yard field goal. Afterwards, Indianapolis's defense prevented New England's last attempt at a comeback. With the win, the Colts improved to 4–4. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND – Anthony Gonzalez 12 yard pass from

( Vinatieri kick), 2:22. ''Colts 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 9:02.'' * 2nd Quarter ** NE –

29 yard field goal, 10:24. ''Colts 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:58.'' ** NE – Stephen Gostkowski 29 yard field goal, 1:31. ''Colts 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 6:18.'' * 3rd Quarter ** NE –

6 yard run (

Two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert 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 just scored must run ...

attempt failed), 7:18. ''Patriots 12–7. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 7:48.'' ** IND – Anthony Gonzalez 9 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Manning to

Wayne Wayne may refer to: People with the given name and surname * Wayne (given name) * Wayne (surname) Geographical Places with name ''Wayne'' may take their name from a person with that surname; the most famous such person was Gen. "Mad" Anthon ...

), 3:18. ''Colts 15–12. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:00.'' * 4th Quarter ** NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25 yard field goal, 11:38. ''Tied 15–15. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 6:39.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 52 yard field goal, 8:09. ''Colts 18–15. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:28.''

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Coming off their Sunday night home win over the Patriots, the Colts flew to

Heinz Field Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Pant ...

for a Week 10 duel with 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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis trailed early as Steelers RB

Mewelde Moore Mewelde Jaem Cadere Moore (born July 24, 1982) is a former American football running back. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Moore also played with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning a Sup ...

got a 1-yard TD run. The Colts immediately responded with QB

completing a 65-yard TD pass to WR

. In the second quarter, Pittsburgh answered with Moore getting another 1-yard TD run, along with kicker Jeff Reed getting a 42-yard field goal. Indianapolis closed out the half with Manning completing a 2-yard TD pass to TE

. In the third quarter, the Colts tied the game with kicker

getting a 36-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers regained the lead as Reed nailed a 24-yard field goal. Indianapolis took the lead as Manning completing a 17-yard TD pass to RB

, along with the defense preventing any Pittsburgh comeback. This was the Colts' first win in Pittsburgh since 1968. With the win, the Colts improved to 5–4. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** PIT –

1 yard run (

Reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

kick), 9:10. ''Steelers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:53.'' ** IND –

65 yard pass from

( Vinatieri kick), 7:52. ''Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:26.'' * 2nd Quarter ** PIT – Mewelde Moore 1 yard run (Reed kick), 13:23. ''Steelers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:19.'' ** PIT – Jeff Reed 42 yard field goal, 4:22. ''Steelers 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 4:28.'' ** IND –

2 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 0:09. ''Steelers 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:18.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 36 yard field goal, 8:18. ''Tied 17–17. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:46.'' * 4th Quarter ** PIT – Jeff Reed 24 yard field goal, 8:01. ''Steelers 20–17. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yards, 8:27.'' ** IND –

17 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 3:10. ''Colts 24–20. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 1:40.''

Week 11: vs. Houston Texans

Coming off their road win over the Steelers, the Colts went home for a Week 11 AFC South rematch with the Houston Texans. In the first quarter, Indianapolis trailed early as Texans kicker

got a 28-yard field goal. The Colts responded with kicker

getting a 40-yard field goal. Houston would answer with Brown making a 34-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Indy tied the game as Vinatieri got a 39-yard field goal. The Texans retook the lead as RB

Ahman Green Ahman Rashad Green (; born February 16, 1977) is a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Green played college football at Nebraska Cornhuskers football, Nebraska and was drafted by the ...

got a 1-yard TD run. Indianapolis closed out the half as Vinatieri made a 32-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Colts took the lead as QB

completed a 23-yard TD pass to RB

. Houston would reply as RB

got a 71-yard TD run, yet Indy regained the lead as Addai got a 7-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Texans tried to come back as Green got a 2-yard field goal, yet Indianapolis pulled away with Vinatieri nailing a 31-yard field goal. On the Texans' final drive, QB

was intercepted by safety

Melvin Bullitt Melvin Terry Bullitt (born November 13, 1984) is a former American football defensive back. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and played for the team for five seasons. He played college football at Texas ...

(who was filling in again for the injured

Bob Sanders Demond "Bob" Sanders (born February 24, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was drafted by t ...

). Ironically, it was Bullitt who picked off Rosenfels on the Texans' final drive when they played the Colts in Week 5. Manning then took a knee, preserving the Colts' third consecutive victory. With the season-sweep, the Colts improved to 6–4. ''Scoring summary'' * 1st Quarter ** HOU –

28-yard field goal, 9:25. ''Texans 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:39.'' ** IND –

40-yard field goal, 5:43. ''Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 3:42.'' ** HOU – Kris Brown 34-yard field goal, 3:02. ''Texans 6–3. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:41.'' * 2nd Quarter ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 39-yard field goal, 11:39. ''Tied 6–6. Drive: 14 plays, 53 yards, 6:24.'' ** HOU –

1-yard run (Brown kick), 2:56. ''Texans 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:56.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 0:10. ''Texans 13–9. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 2:46.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND –

23-yard pass from

(Vinatieri kick), 11:14. ''Colts 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:52.'' ** HOU –

71-yard run (Brown kick), 9:42. ''Texans 20–16. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:38.'' ** IND – Joseph Addai 7-yard run (Vinatieri kick), 6:19. ''Colts 23–20. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:16.'' * 4th Quarter ** IND –

10-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 15:00. ''Colts 30–20. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 4:32.'' ** HOU – Ahman Green 2 yard run (Brown kick), 9:00. ''Colts 30–27. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 6:02.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 1:57. ''Colts 33–27. Drive: 16 plays, 69 yards, 7:02.''

Week 12: at San Diego Chargers

Coming off their divisional home win over the Texans, the Colts flew to

Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadiu ...

for a Week 12 Sunday night game with the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis took the lead as kicker

got a 23-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Chargers took the lead as kicker

Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...

made a 35-yard field goal, while QB

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was s ...

completed a 39-yard TD pass to WR

Vincent Jackson Vincent Terrell Jackson (January 14, 1983 – February 15, 2021) was an American professional football player who played as a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northern Colorad ...

. The Colts would tie the game as QB

completed a 13-yard TD pass to WR Anthony Gonzalez. In the third quarter, Indianapolis took the lead as Manning completed a 1-yard TD pass to RB

. In the fourth quarter, the Colts added onto their lead as Vinatieri got a 38-yard field goal. San Diego cut the Colts' lead to 3 as Rivers completed a 1-yard TD pass to FB

Jacob Hester Jacob Troy Hester (born May 8, 1985) is a former American football fullback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college fo ...

, and then Kaeding kicked a 47-yard field goal to tie the game. However, Indianapolis sealed the deal as Vinatieri nailed the game-winning 51-yard field goal. By making the kick, Vinatieri redeemed himself after missing a game-winning 29-yard field goal against San Diego in the previous season. With the win, the Colts improved to 7–4. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

23 yard field goal, 1:45. ''Colts 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:40.'' * 2nd Quarter ** SD –

35 yard field goal, 11:47. ''Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:59.'' ** SD –

39 yard pass from

(Kaeding kick), 5:05. ''Chargers 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 4:35.'' ** IND – Anthony Gonzalez 13 yard pass from

(Vinatieri kick), 0:43. ''Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:18.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND –

1 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 3:54. ''Colts 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 7:10.'' * 4th Quarter ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 38 yard field goal, 11:51. ''Colts 20–10. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 4:10.'' ** SD –

1 yard pass from Philip Rivers (Kaeding kick), 5:40. ''Colts 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 6:12.'' ** SD – Nate Kaeding 47 yard field goal, 1:35. ''Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:45.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 51 yard field goal, 0:02. ''Colts 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 1:30.''

Week 13: at Cleveland Browns

Coming off the Sunday Night road win over the Chargers, the Colts flew to

Cleveland Browns Stadium FirstEnergy Stadium is a stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, primarily for American football. It is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and serves as a venue for other events such as college and h ...

for a Week 13 duel with the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

. In the first quarter, Indianapolis trailed early as Browns kicker

Phil Dawson Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is a former American football placekicker. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and holds their franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He ...

got a 34-yard field goal. The Colts would respond with kicker

getting a 30-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Cleveland took the lead as Dawson nailed a 25-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, Indianapolis's defense made the game's key play in the fourth quarter, as DE

Dwight Freeney Dwight Jason Freeney (born February 19, 1980) is an American former football player who played as a defensive end and outside linebacker for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse University, w ...

forced a fumble, allowing fellow DE

Robert Mathis Robert Nathan Mathis (born February 26, 1981) is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker who played his entire 14-year career with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footbal ...

to return the fumble recovery 37 yards for a touchdown. From there on out, Indy's defense prevented any possible comeback. With the win, the Colts improved to 8–4. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** CLE –

34 yard field goal, 9:09. ''Browns 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 5:32.'' ** IND –

30 yard field goal, 2:02. ''Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 7:06.'' * 2nd Quarter ** CLE – Phil Dawson 25 yard field goal, 7:36. ''Browns 6–3. Drive: 16 plays, 66 yards, 9:23.'' * 3rd Quarter ** No Scoring Plays * 4th Quarter ** IND –

37 yard fumble return (Vinatieri kick), 9:55. ''Colts 10–6.''

Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

With a low-scoring road win over the Browns behind them, the Colts went home for a Week 14 game with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

. In the first quarter, Indy got the early lead as RB

got a 17-yard touchdown run. The Bengals would answer in the second quarter with kicker

Shayne Graham Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in ...

nailing a 19-yard field goal, yet Indianapolis replied with QB

completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR

. Manning would even deliver two third-quarter scores for the Colts, as he completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez and a 4-yard touchdown pass to TE

. Indianapolis closed out the game with CB

Kelvin Hayden Kelvin Darnell Hayden Jr. (born July 23, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Illinois and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. In Super Bowl XLI he returned a ...

returning an interception 85 yards for a touchdown. With their win, the Colts improved to 9–4. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

17 yard run ( Vinatieri kick), 0:44. ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:58.'' * 2nd Quarter ** CIN –

19 yard field goal, 6:11. ''Colts 7–3.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:16.'' ** IND –

5 yard pass from

(Vinatieri kick), 0:34. ''Colts 14–3.'' ''Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:32.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND – Anthony Gonzalez 2 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 6:22. ''Colts 21–3.'' ''Drive: 15 plays, 81 yards, 8:45.'' ** IND –

4 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 2:26. ''Colts 28–3.'' ''Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:29.'' * 4th Quarter ** IND –

85 yard interception return (Vinatieri kick), 5:15. ''Colts 35–3.''

Week 15: vs. Detroit Lions

Coming off their win over the Bengals, the Colts stayed at home for their Week 15 interconference game with the winless

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) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

. Indianapolis delivered the game's opening hit in the first quarter as running back

got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Lions would respond with a 51-yard field goal from kicker

Jason Hanson Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Wa ...

. The Colts would add onto their lead in the second quarter as rookie running back

Chad Simpson Chad Simpson (born August 22, 1985) is a former American football Running back. He was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at South Florida and Morgan State. He has also be ...

got a 2-yard touchdown run, yet Detroit answered with quarterback

Dan Orlovsky Daniel John Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American football analyst for ESPN and former American football quarterback who was active for twelve seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL ...

completing a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...

. Indianapolis would close out the half quarterback

completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end

. The Lions would begin to catch up in the third quarter as Hanson got a 30-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Detroit tied the game with running back

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...

getting a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by Orlovsky's 2-point conversion pass to tight end

Casey FitzSimmons Casey FitzSimmons (born October 10, 1980) is a former National Football League tight end. He played his whole career for the Detroit Lions. High school years FitzSimmons attended Chester High School in Chester, Montana and was an All-Conferenc ...

. The Colts would pull away with Rhodes getting another 1-yard touchdown run, followed by kicker

nailing a 31-yard field goal. With the win, Indianapolis improved to 10–4. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

1 yard run ( Vinatieri kick), 7:41. ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 7:22.'' ** DET –

51 yard field goal, 4:50. ''Colts 7–3.'' ''Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:15.'' * 2nd Quarter ** IND –

2 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 5:34. ''Colts 14–3.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:13.'' ** DET –

33 yard pass from

(Hanson kick), 3:42. ''Colts 14–10.'' ''Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:53.'' ** IND –

3 yard pass from

(Vinatieri kick), 0:53. ''Colts 21–10.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:49.'' * 3rd Quarter ** DET – Jason Hanson 30 yard field goal, 10:04. ''Colts 21–13.'' ''Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 2:15.'' * 4th Quarter ** DET –

1 yard run (Orlovsky to

FitzSimmons Fitzsimons (also spelled FitzSimons, Fitzsimmons or FitzSimmons) is a surname of Norman origin common in both Ireland and England. The name is a variant of "Sigmundsson", meaning son of Sigmund. The Gaelicisation of this surname is Mac Shíomóin ...

), 12:58. ''Tied 21–21.'' ''Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 7:39.'' ** IND – Dominic Rhodes 1 yard run (Vinatieri kick), 8:43. ''Colts 28–21.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 4:13.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 31 yard field goal, 0:44. ''Colts 31–21. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:42.''

Week 16: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Coming off their home win over the Lions, the Colts flew to

Jacksonville Municipal Stadium TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and the headquarters of the professional wrestling prom ...

for a Week 16 AFC South rematch with the

on Thursday night. Indianapolis trailed early in the first quarter as Jaguars

David Garrard David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and ...

completed a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Dennis Northcutt Dennis LaMont Northcutt (born December 22, 1977) is a retired American professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University ...

. In the second quarter, the Colts' deficit increased to 14 points as Garrard scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. Indianapolis responded with quarterback

's 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

. The Colts had an opportunity to cut the Jacksonville lead to 4, but

missed a 30-yard field goal. The scoreless Colts possession left 1:03 on the clock, enough time to enable Jacksonville to close out the half with a 44-yard field goal from kicker

. The Colts would hack at the Jaguars' lead in the third quarter with Manning's 10-yard touchdown pass to running back

, yet Jacksonville answered with running back

Montell Owens Montell Ernest Owens (born May 4, 1984) is a former American football fullback. He played college football at Maine. Owens was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He has also played for the Detroit Lions and C ...

to take a 24–14 lead. In the fourth quarter, Indianapolis took the lead on the following scores: Manning's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end

, kicker Adam Vinatieri's 45-yard field goal, and defensive back

Keiwan Ratliff Keiwan Jevar Ratliff (born April 19, 1981) is an American former football cornerback who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized ...

's 35-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Jaguars would get a late-game drive into Colts' territory, yet defensive end

delivered the game-winning sack, preserving Indianapolis' slim lead. With the win, not only did the Colts improve to 11–4, but they also clinched the AFC's No. 5 seed. They also gave head coach

his 10th-straight playoff appearance (an NFL record). ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** JAC –

28 yard pass from

( Scobee kick), 11:05. ''Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:01.'' * 2nd Quarter ** JAC – David Garrard 2 yard run (Scobee kick), 11:43. ''Jaguars 14–0. Drive: 17 plays, 93 yards, 9:35.'' ** IND –

41 yard pass from

( Vinatieri kick), 8:46. ''Jaguars 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:58.'' ** JAC – Josh Scobee 44 yard field goal, 0:06. ''Jaguars 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 1:02.'' * 3rd Quarter ** IND –

10 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 10:32. ''Jaguars 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:34.'' ** JAC –

2 yard run (Scobee kick), 2:33. ''Jaguars 24–14. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 7:58.'' * 4th Quarter ** IND –

1 yard pass from Peyton Manning (Vinatieri kick), 12:36. ''Jaguars 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 4:57.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 45 yard field goal, 6:34. ''Tied 24–24. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:55.'' ** IND –

35 yard interception return (Vinatieri kick), 4:58. ''Colts 31–24.''

Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

Coming off their playoff-clinching road win over the Jaguars, the Colts closed out the regular season at home in a Week 17 AFC South rematch with the

. The Titans, having already clinched the number one seed in the AFC and having home-field advantage, only played second- and third-string players for the entirety of the game. Indianapolis would get the early first quarter lead as quarterback

completed a 55-yard touchdown pass to running back

, followed by kicker

getting a 28-yard field goal. The Colts would increase their lead in the second quarter as Vinatieri nailed a 21-yard and a 38-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, Indianapolis closed out the game in the fourth quarter as center

Jamey Richard Jamey Richard (born October 9, 1984) is a former American football center. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University at Buffalo. He was named Male Student-A ...

recovered rookie running back

Lance Ball Lance Ball (born June 19, 1985) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at the University of Maryland. Ball has also been a member of the I ...

's fumble in the endzone for a touchdown. With the shutout win, the Colts closed out the regular season at 12–4 and captured the AFC's #5 seed and also their 6th straight season with 12+ wins. Peyton Manning (7–7 for 95 yards, 1 touchdown) would acquire his NFL record ninth-straight 4,000-yard passing season, wide receiver

(7 receptions for 31 yards) would pass

Cris Carter Graduel Christopher Darin Carter (born November 25, 1965) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles (1987–1989), the Minnesota Vikings (1990–2001) and the Mi ...

for second on the NFL's all-time career receptions list with 1,102, and tight end

(6 receptions for 59 yards) would set a franchise record for the most single-season receiving yards by a tight end with 848. ''Scoring Summary'' * 1st Quarter ** IND –

55 yard pass from

( Vinatieri kick), 9:24. ''Colts 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 5:48.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 28 yard field goal, 0:20. ''Colts 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 7:18.'' * 2nd Quarter ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 21 yard field goal, 10:19. ''Colts 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:02.'' ** IND – Adam Vinatieri 38 yard field goal, 2:31. ''Colts 16–0. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 5:53.'' * 3rd Quarter ** No Scoring Plays * 4th Quarter ** IND –

fumble recovery in the endzone (Vinatieri kick), 6:48. ''Colts 23–0. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:48.''

Postseason schedule

Postseason results

AFC Wild Card: at San Diego Chargers

Entering the postseason as the AFC's fifth seed, the Colts began their playoff run at

in the AFC's Wild Card game against the No. 4

, in a rematch of their Week 12 contest. Indianapolis got the lead in the first quarter as running back

got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Chargers would strike back in the second quarter as running back

LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers sel ...

got a 3-yard touchdown run. The Colts would answer with kicker

's 43-yard field goal, yet San Diego got the halftime lead with running back

Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football ...

getting a 9-yard touchdown run. Indianapolis would regain the lead in the third quarter as league MVP/quarterback

completed a 72-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

, but the Chargers would tie the game in the fourth quarter as kicker

nailed a 22-yard field goal. Afterwards, in overtime, the Colts would never get the ball as San Diego took the period's first drive and capped it off with Sproles' game-ending 22-yard touchdown run. This would be the second straight time the Chargers beat the Colts in a playoff game. With the loss, Indianapolis' season would end with an overall record of 12–5.

Individual Accomplishments

* On January 2, 2009, Peyton Manning was awarded his third

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. n ...

NFL MVP The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizati ...

award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 Indianapolis Colts Season 2008 National Football League season by team, Indianapolis Indianapolis Colts seasons 2008 in sports in Indiana, Colts

Offseason

Coaching announcement

Off-field activity

Released

Trades

Free agents

2008 NFL Draft

Roster

Staff

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Game recaps

Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 3: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 5: at Houston Texans

Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 7: at Green Bay Packers

Week 8: at Tennessee Titans

Week 9: vs. New England Patriots

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 11: vs. Houston Texans

Week 12: at San Diego Chargers

Week 13: at Cleveland Browns

Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 15: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 16: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

Postseason schedule

Postseason results

AFC Wild Card: at San Diego Chargers

Individual Accomplishments

See also

References