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The 2009 season was 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 20 ...
' 57th 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 ...
(NFL) and their 26th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanistan ...
that the Colts did not have
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 ...
on their coaching staff, due to his retirement from coaching. The 2009 Indianapolis Colts improved upon their 12–4 record from 2008 as well as winning their sixth AFC South division championship in seven years with a 14–2 record. The Colts also clinched the top seed in the AFC. The Colts were the sole undefeated team after Week 15. The following week, the Colts lost to the New York Jets after benching their starters. During the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
, the Colts defeated 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 divisional round and the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game and represented the AFC in
Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) cham ...
. The 14–2 Colts lost to the 13–3
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in
Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) cham ...
, 31–17.


Offseason


Head coach announcement

On January 12, 2009,
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 ...
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 ...
announced his retirement from coaching 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 ...
. Two days later, then-Assistant Head Coach and Quarterbacks Coach Jim Caldwell was formally announced as Dungy's successor.


Staff changes

*
Clyde Christensen Clyde Christensen (born January 28, 1956) is an American football coach, currently working as an Offensive Analyst at his alma mater, North Carolina. A decorated assistant coach, Christensen has experience coaching collegiately and in the NFL ra ...
replaced Jim Caldwell as Assistant Head Coach. * Larry Coyer replaced
Ron Meeks Ron Meeks (born August 27, 1954) is a former gridiron football player and coach. His son is former Stanford cornerback Quenton Meeks. Meeks played high school football for the Robert E. Lee Generals in Jacksonville, Florida. Meeks played coll ...
as Defensive Coordinator (Meeks resigned). * Tom Moore originally decided to
retire Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
from coaching 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 ...
due to a revision in the league's pension plan for non-players. Almost four months later, he was re-hired by the Colts as their ''Senior Offensive Coordinator''. *
Howard Mudd Howard Edward Mudd (February 10, 1942 – August 12, 2020) was an American football offensive lineman and coach. He attended Midland High School and then Michigan State University. While at Michigan State he joined Delta Tau Delta International ...
originally decided to retire from coaching in the National Football League due to a revision in the league's pension plan for non-players. Almost four months later, he was re-hired by the Colts as their ''Senior Offensive Line Coach''. *
Frank Reich Frank Michael Reich Jr. (; ; born December 4, 1961) is an American football coach and former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Maryland ...
replaced Jim Caldwell as Quarterbacks coach. *
Ray Rychleski Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gr ...
replaced
Russ Purnell Russ Purnell (born June 12, 1948) is an American football coach. He has served for 26 seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL, mainly coordinating the special teams units. He is one of only 21 NFL assistant coaches who have won at least one S ...
as Special Teams coach.


Additions


Departures


Free agents


2009 NFL Draft


Undrafted free agents


Staff


Roster


Depth chart


Schedule


Preseason


Regular season


Standings


Game summaries


Week 1: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

With the win the Colts started out the season 1–0 and improved their regular season winning streak to 9 games. ----


Week 2: at Miami Dolphins

With the win, not only did the Colts improve to 2–0, but Peyton Manning's 119th career victory would surpass
Johnny Unitas John Constantine Unitas (; May 7, 1933 – September 11, 2002) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Following a career that spanned from 1956 ...
for the most quarterback wins in franchise history. The win also helped the Colts' improved their winning streak to 10 games in the regular season. The Colts' offense would make the most of its time on the field, as they were only in the game for 14:53. ----


Week 3: at Arizona Cardinals

With the win the Colts improved to 3–0 and their regular season winning streak to 11 games. ----


Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks

With the win, the Colts improved to 4–0 and made their record 12 straight regular season games. Colts QB
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 ...
would tie
Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football a ...
for the third–most career touchdown passes in
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 ...
history (342), behind only
Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 201 ...
and
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and b ...
. Also, Colts
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 ...
Jim Caldwell would become the franchise's first rookie head coach since
Lindy Infante Gelindo "Lindy" Infante (March 27, 1940 – October 8, 2015) was an American football player and coach, who became an offensive coordinator and head coach in both the National Football League (NFL) and the United States Football League (USFL). ...
in 1996 to win their first four games. ----


Week 5: at Tennessee Titans

With the win the Colts improved to 5–0 into their bye week and increased their winning streak to 13 games. ----


Week 7: at St. Louis Rams

''at
Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Dom ...
,
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, whic ...
'' * Game time: 1:00 PM EDT * Game weather: None (Domed Stadium) * Game attendance: 60,108 * Referee: Carl Cheffers * TV announcers ( CBS):
Kevin Harlan Kevin Harlan (born June 21, 1960) is an American television and radio sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS and the NBA for TNT. 2022 will be his 38th c ...
and
Solomon Wilcots Solomon Wilcots (born October 9, 1964) is a former American football free safety in the NFL, a current national television analyst and broadcaster as well as a head coach in Your Call Football. Wilcots played six seasons in the league for the Cin ...
Coming off their bye week, the Colts flew to the
Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Dom ...
for a Week 7 interconference duel with the St. Louis Rams. Indianapolis came out of the gates early in the first quarter as quarterback
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 ...
completed a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
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 ...
. The Rams would respond with a 30-yard field goal from kicker Josh Brown, yet the Colts answered with Manning hooking up with tight end
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 ...
on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, running back Joseph Addai would acquire the only score of the second quarter with a six-yard touchdown. St. Louis would begin the third quarter with Brown booting a 45-yard field goal, yet Indianapolis calmly responded with rookie cornerback Jacob Lacey returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown. Afterwards, the Colts closed out the game with Manning finding rookie wide receiver
Austin Collie Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL Dra ...
on an eight-yard touchdown pass and 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 ...
getting a 31-yard touchdown run. With the win, Indianapolis improved to 6–0 and increased their winning streak to 14 games. *Scoring First quarter *IND –
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 ...
six-yard pass from
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 ...
, 8:50 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:10.'' *STL – Josh Brown 30-yard field goal, 5:26. ''Colts 7–3.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:24.'' *IND –
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 ...
27-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 3:31 (Stover kick), ''Colts 14–3.'' ''Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:55.'' Second quarter *IND – Joseph Addai six-yard run (Stover kick), 1:57, ''Colts 21–3.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:42.'' Third quarter *STL – Josh Brown 45-yard field goal, 5:07. ''Colts 21–6.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:56.'' *IND – Jacob Lacey 35-yard interception return (Stover kick), 1:00. ''Colts 28–6.'' Fourth quarter *IND –
Austin Collie Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL Dra ...
eight-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 3:42 (Stover kick), ''Colts 35–6.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 6:47.'' *IND –
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 ...
35-yard run, 2:29 (Stover kick), ''Colts 42–6.'' ''Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:08.'' ----


Week 8: vs. San Francisco 49ers

''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 ...
, Indianapolis'' * Game time: 1:00 PM EST * Game weather: 49 °F (Sunny) * Game attendance: 66,229 * Referee:
Ed Hochuli Edward G. Hochuli ( ; born December 25, 1950) is an American attorney and retired American football official. He has served as an attorney at Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. since 1983, and was an official in the National Football League (NFL ...
* TV announcers (
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...
): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, and
Laura Okmin This article is a list of every person who has served as an on-camera announcer for the ''NFL on Fox'': List of current announcers A *Kenny Albert: play-by-play (1994–present) *Erin Andrews: sideline reporter and ''Fox NFL Sunday'' feature r ...
The Colts began three straight home games in Week 8 with an interconference duel against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-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 of the league's National ...
. Indianapolis would find themselves trailing in the first quarter as 49ers running back
Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third in NFL career ru ...
got a 64-yard touchdown run. The Colts answered with kicker Matt Stover getting a 38-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Indianapolis crept closer as Stover made a 33-yard field goal, yet San Francisco answered with quarterback
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
completing an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Vernon Davis Vernon Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2009, Davis co-led the NFL in touchdown re ...
. The Colts closed out the half with a 31-yard field goal from Stover. In the second half, Indianapolis narrowed San Francisco's lead to two as Stover booted a 40-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, they executed a
halfback option play The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage. The key t ...
as running back Joseph Addai's threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
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 ...
. Afterwards, the defense held off against the various comeback attempts from the 49ers. With the win, the Colts improved to 7–0 for the fourth time in five seasons and they set a franchise record with 15 consecutive regular season wins. Also, quarterback
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 ...
(31/48 for 347 yards) joined
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and b ...
,
Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 201 ...
, and
John Elway John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American professional football executive and former quarterback who is the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Elway played college f ...
as the only players in NFL history to complete 4,000 career passes. In addition, he became the fastest to reach the milestone as he reached it in 183 games. *Scoring First quarter *SF –
Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third in NFL career ru ...
64-yard run (
Joe Nedney Joseph Thomas Nedney (born March 22, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996. He ...
kick), 11:16, ''49ers 7–0.'' ''Drive: 2 plays, 70 yards, 0:46.'' *IND – Matt Stover 38-yard field goal, 3:16. ''49ers 7–3.'' ''Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:40.'' Second quarter *IND – Matt Stover 33-yard field goal, 14:50. ''49ers 7–6.'' ''Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:17.'' *SF –
Vernon Davis Vernon Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2009, Davis co-led the NFL in touchdown re ...
8-yard pass from
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
, 0:38 (Nedney kick), ''49ers 14–6.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 1:19.'' *IND – Matt Stover 31-yard field goal, 0:06, ''49ers 14–9.'' ''Drive: 3 plays, 48 yards, 0:32.'' Third quarter *IND – Matt Stover 40-yard field goal, 9:34, ''49ers 14–12.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:26.'' Fourth quarter *IND –
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 ...
22-yard pass from Joseph Addai, 14:53 (
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 ...
failed), ''Colts 18–14.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:10.'' ----


Week 9: vs. Houston Texans

''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 ...
, Indianapolis'' * Game time: 1:00 PM EST * Game weather: 69 °F (Sunny) * Game attendance: 66,033 * Referee: Jeff Triplette * TV announcers ( CBS):
Kevin Harlan Kevin Harlan (born June 21, 1960) is an American television and radio sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS and the NBA for TNT. 2022 will be his 38th c ...
&
Solomon Wilcots Solomon Wilcots (born October 9, 1964) is a former American football free safety in the NFL, a current national television analyst and broadcaster as well as a head coach in Your Call Football. Wilcots played six seasons in the league for the Cin ...
Coming off their win over the 49ers, the Colts stayed at home for a Week 9 AFC South duel with the Houston Texans. Indianapolis would get off to a fast start in the first quarter as quarterback
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 ...
completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to running back Joseph Addai, followed by kicker Matt Stover nailing a 22-yard field goal. The Colts would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Stover booted a 37-yard field goal, while the Texans would close out the half with a 56-yard field goal from 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 ...
. In the third quarter, Houston began to rally as quarterback Matt Schaub found running back Ryan Moats on a one-yard touchdown pass. The Texans would take the lead in the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run from running back
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 ...
, yet Indianapolis regained the lead with Addai's two-yard touchdown run. The Texans attempted to force the game into overtime with a 42-yard field goal attempt, which went wide left. With the win, the Colts improved to 8–0 for the third time in five seasons as well as increasing their winning streak to 16 games. Peyton Manning (34/50 for 318 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) would become the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 40,000 yards in one decade. Jim Caldwell would become the first rookie head coach to start 8–0 since
Potsy Clark George M. "Potsy" Clark (March 20, 1894 – November 8, 1972) was an American football and baseball player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University, ( ...
in 1931. *Scoring First quarter *IND – Joseph Addai 7-yard pass from
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 ...
, 6:20 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 4:39.'' *IND – Matt Stover 22-yard field goal, 3:58, ''Colts 10–0.'' ''Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 2:06.'' Second quarter *IND – Matt Stover 37-yard field goal, 12:50, ''Colts 13–0.'' ''Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 3:51.'' *HOU –
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 ...
56-yard field goal, 0:01, ''Colts 13–3.'' ''Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 0:56.'' Third quarter *HOU – Ryan Moats 1-yard pass from Matt Schaub, 8:31 (Kris Brown kick), ''Colts 13–10.'' ''Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 6:29.'' Fourth quarter *HOU –
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 ...
1-yard run, 14:58 (Kris Brown kick), ''Texans 17–13.'' ''Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:41.'' *IND – Joseph Addai 2-yard run, 7:11 (Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 20–17.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:49.'' ----


Week 10: vs. New England Patriots

''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 ...
, Indianapolis'' * Game time: 8:20 PM EST * Game weather: Played with roof closed, retractable roof stadium * Game attendance: 67,476 * Referee: Scott Green * TV announcers (
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
):
Al Michaels Alan Richard Michaels (born November 12, 1944) is an American television sportscaster currently working as the play-by-play announcer for ''Thursday Night Football'' on Prime Video and in an emeritus role for NBC Sports. He has worked on netw ...
,
Cris Collinsworth Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional American football player. Collinsworth was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981-1988), all with ...
, and
Andrea Kremer Andrea Kremer (born February 25, 1959) is a multi-Emmy Award-winning American television sports journalist. She currently calls ''Thursday Night Football'' games for Amazon Prime Video making sports history, along with Hannah Storm, by becoming ...
The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots set up for their rivalry game at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts came in at 8–0 while the Patriots came in 6–2, both shooting for home field advantage during the playoffs. The Colts struck first with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Addai. However New England answered with 24 unanswered points in the first and second quarter. The Colts finally got back into the game with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne towards the end of the first half. The third quarter was scoreless with the Colts still trailing by 10, but the Patriots started the fourth with a touchdown pass to Randy Moss with the Patriots now leading 31–14. The Colts came back quickly scoring a touchdown, making it 31–21. After a New England field goal, the Colts scored a touchdown on an Addai run. The Patriots were still in the lead 34–28, however the Colts were hot with Peyton Manning ready to lead them to a win if the defense could hold the Patriot offense for one more drive. With less the two and a half minutes remaining in the game, the New England Patriots were faced with a fourth and two on their own 28-yard line.
Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patr ...
decided to go for it on a controversial play, where Brady threw to Kevin Faulk, who gained control of the ball behind the first down marker, forcing the Patriots to turn the ball over on downs. Having wasted their last time out on the preceding play and the play occurring before the two-minute warning, the Patriots couldn't challenge the ruling on the field. With a minute left Peyton Manning found Reggie Wayne for the touchdown to seal a 35–34 victory over the Patriots as the team improved to 9–0 and their winning streak continued with 17 games. *Scoring First quarter *IND – Joseph Addai 15-yard pass from
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 ...
, 8:19 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 3:28.'' *NE – Laurence Maroney 1-yard run, 4:47 (
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 ...
kick), ''Tied 7–7.'' ''Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:32.'' Second quarter *NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 13:15, ''Patriots 10–7.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 4:52.'' *NE –
Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee T ...
63-yard pass from
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with whic ...
, 11:18 (Gostkowski kick), ''Patriots 17–7.'' ''Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:51.'' *NE –
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Kent State as a Quarterback an ...
9-yard pass from Tom Brady, 7:19, (Gostkowski kick) ''Patriots 24–7.'' ''Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:12.'' *IND –
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 ...
20-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 4:17 (Stover kick), ''Patriots 24–14.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:02.'' Fourth quarter *NE – Randy Moss five-yard pass from Tom Brady, 14:18 (Gostkowski kick), ''Patriots 31–14.'' ''Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:42.'' *IND – Pierre Garçon 29-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 12:14 (Stover kick), ''Patriots 31–21.'' ''Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:04.'' *NE – Stephen Gostkowski 36-yard field goal, 4:12, ''Patriots 34–21.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 13 yards, 3:32.'' *IND – Joseph Addai four-yard run, 2:23 (Stover kick), ''Patriots 34–28.'' ''Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 1:49.'' *IND – Reggie Wayne 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 0:13 (Stover kick), ''Colts 35–34.'' ''Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:47.'' ----


Week 11: at Baltimore Ravens

''at
M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of th ...
,
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
'' * Game time: 1:00 PM EST * Game weather: 56 °F (Sunny) * Game attendance: 71,320 * Referee: John Parry * TV announcers ( CBS):
Greg Gumbel Greg Gumbel (born May 3, 1946) is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments for CBS Sports (most notably, the National Football League and NCAA basketball). The older brother of news and sportscaster Bryan ...
&
Dan Dierdorf Daniel Lee Dierdorf (born June 29, 1949) is an American sportscaster and former football offensive tackle. A native of Canton, Ohio, Dierdorf played college football for the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1970 and was selected as a con ...
Following their comeback win over the Patriots, the Colts flew to
M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of th ...
for a Week 11 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 on the board first with quarterback
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 ...
passing to tight end
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 ...
for a three-yard touchdown. Baltimore would respond as kicker Billy Cundiff made a 46-yard and a 44-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Ravens took the lead with Cundiff nailing a 38-yard field goal, until the Colts came right back when running back Joseph Addai's five-yard touchdown run. The Ravens would close out the half with Cundiff booting a 36-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, Cundiff's 20-yard field goal gave the Ravens the lead again in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, Indianapolis would regain the lead again as former Baltimore kicker Matt Stover booted a 20-yard field goal. With the win, the Colts would improve to 10–0, which includes a franchise-best nine-straight road win dating back to last season well as 18 straight wins overall. Dallas Clark (1 reception for 3 yards and 1 TD) would break John Mackey's record for the most receptions by a Colts tight end with 321. *Scoring First quarter *IND –
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 ...
3-yard pass from
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 ...
, 11:24 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 3:36.'' *BAL – Billy Cundiff 46-yard field goal, 5:41, ''Colts 7–3.'' ''Drive: 15 plays, 51 yards, 6:15.'' *BAL – Billy Cundiff 44-yard field goal, 4:06, ''Colts 7–6.'' ''Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:52.'' Second quarter *BAL – Billy Cundiff 38-yard field goal, 4:48, ''Ravens 9–7.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 3:50.'' *IND – Joseph Addai 5-yard run, 1:28 (Stover kick), ''Colts 14–9.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:15.'' *BAL – Billy Cundiff 36-yard field goal, 0:07, ''Colts 14–12.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 1:21.'' Fourth quarter *BAL – Billy Cundiff 20-yard field goal, 10:16, ''Ravens 15–14.'' ''Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 8:05.'' *IND – Matt Stover 25-yard field goal, 7:06, ''Colts 17–15.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 2:58.'' ----


Week 12: at Houston Texans

''at
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 ...
,
Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...
'' * Game time: 1:00 PM EST * Game weather: 75 °F (Mostly Cloudy) * Game attendance: 70,990 * Referee:
Al Riveron AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (Aladdin), Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (EastEnders), Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British ...
* TV announcers ( CBS):
Greg Gumbel Greg Gumbel (born May 3, 1946) is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments for CBS Sports (most notably, the National Football League and NCAA basketball). The older brother of news and sportscaster Bryan ...
&
Dan Dierdorf Daniel Lee Dierdorf (born June 29, 1949) is an American sportscaster and former football offensive tackle. A native of Canton, Ohio, Dierdorf played college football for the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1970 and was selected as a con ...
Coming off their road win against the
Ravens Ravens may refer to: * Raven, a species of the genus ''Corvus'' Sports * Anderson Ravens, the intercollegiate athletic program of Anderson University in Indiana * Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football franchise * Benedictine Ravens, ...
, 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 an AFC South showdown with the
Texans A Texan is a person associated with Texas, US. Texan may also refer to: Aircraft * T-6 Texan, World War II era training plane * T-6 Texan II, airplane used by the United States Air Force for basic pilot training * Fly Synthesis Texan, an Ita ...
, their second meeting of the season. Houston dominated throughout the first half, scoring 17 points. The Colts took over from there, scoring 35 points, one of which was an interception returned 27 yards by Clint Session. With the win, the Colts went to 11–0and their winning streak improved to 19 games. Also, with the win and Jacksonville's loss to San Francisco, the Colts clinched the AFC South division title, the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season. *Scoring First quarter *HOU –
Vonta Leach Terzell Vonta Leach ( ; born November 6, 1981) is a former American football fullback who played for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played colleg ...
7-yard pass from Matt Schaub, 8:31 (
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 ...
kick), ''Texans 7–0.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:35.'' *HOU –
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...
5-yard run, 2:10 (Brown kick), ''Texans 14–0.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:46.'' Second quarter *HOU – Kris Brown 35-yard field goal, 10:49. ''Texans 17–0.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 2:41.'' *IND – Pierre Garçon 9-yard pass from
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 ...
, 5:46 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Texans 17–7.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 5:03.'' *HOU – Kris Brown 33-yard field goal, 1:00. ''Texans 20–7.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:46.'' Third quarter *IND –
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 ...
4-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 11:20 (Stover kick), ''Texans 20–14.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:40.'' Fourth quarter *IND –
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 ...
6-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 8:24 (Stover kick), ''Colts 21–20.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 2:50.'' *IND – Clint Session 27-yard interception return, 8:09 (Stover kick), ''Colts 28–20.'' *IND –
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 ...
23-yard run, 2:52 (Stover kick), ''Colts 35–20.'' ''Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:43.'' *HOU –
Jacoby Jones Jacoby Rashi'd Jones (born July 11, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He played college football at Lane College, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He pla ...
10-yard pass from Matt Schaub, 0:18 (Stover kick), ''Colts 35–27.'' ''Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:34.'' ----


Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans

''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 ...
, Indianapolis'' * Game time: 1:00 PM EST * Game weather: None (Retractable Roof Closed) * Game attendance: 66,321 * Referee: Ron Winter * TV announcers ( CBS): Ian Eagle &
Rich Gannon Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years. Gannon was born in ...
Coming off their come-from-behind road win against Houston, the Colts went home for a divisional duel with the 5–6 Tennessee Titans. Indianapolis started off the scoring with an eight-yard run from Joseph Addai. The Titans came back with a 20-yard field goal by Rob Bironas. Indianapolis struck again in the second quarter on another Joseph Addai run, then again on a four-yard pass to Austin Collie. The Titans would hit paydirt next with 0:20 left in the half, but Indianapolis would close out the first half with a 43-yard field goal by Matt Stover. After a scoreless third quarter, the Colts would strike next on another field goal, this time from 36 yards. The Titans scored again on a 17-yard pass to Bo Scaife. The Titans regained possession on an onside kick, but the Colts Defense kept the Titans from scoring again. With the win, the Colts went to 12–0 Also with the win, the Colts tied the 2006
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 ...
Patriots record for most consecutive regular season wins with 21. *Scoring First quarter *IND – Joseph Addai 8-yard run, 13:02 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:58.'' *TEN –
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 ...
20-yard field goal, 6:34. ''Colts 7–3.'' ''Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 6:28.'' Second quarter *IND – Joseph Addai 1-yard run, 11:42 (Stover kick), ''Colts 14–3.'' ''Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:56.'' *IND –
Austin Collie Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL Dra ...
4-yard pass from
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 ...
, 1:55 (Stover kick), ''Colts 21–3.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 3:48.'' *TEN –
Kenny Britt Kenneth Lawrence Britt (born September 19, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Rutgers and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played for ...
6-yard pass from
Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, an ...
, 0:20 (Bironas kick), ''Colts 21–10.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 1:35.'' *IND – Matt Stover 43-yard field goal, 0:00, ''Colts 24–10.'' ''Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 0:20.'' Third quarter *No scoring play Fourth quarter *IND – Matt Stover 36-yard field goal, 3:14, ''Colts 27–10.'' ''Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 7:23.'' *TEN – Bo Scaife 17-yard pass from Vince Young, 1:23 (Bironas kick), ''Colts 27–17.'' ''Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 1:51.'' ----


Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos

''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 ...
, Indianapolis'' * Game time: 1:00 PM EST * Game weather: None (retractable roof closed) * Game attendance: 67,248 * Referee:
Bill Leavy Bill Leavy (pronounced LEE-vee; born February 13, 1947) is a retired American football official who officiated in the National Football League (NFL) from the 1995 through 2014 seasons, wore uniform number 127, and is also a retired San Jose, Cali ...
* TV announcers ( CBS):
Dick Enberg Richard Alan Enberg (January 9, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American sportscaster. Over the course of an approximately 60-year career, he provided play-by-play of various sports for several radio and television networks, including N ...
&
Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished fir ...
The Colts improved their season record to 13–0 and broke the 2006
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 ...
Patriots record for most consecutive regular season wins with 22. *Scoring First quarter *IND –
Austin Collie Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL Dra ...
5-yard pass from
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 ...
, 9:06 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 7–0.'' ''Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:54.'' *IND –
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 ...
10-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 5:04 (Stover kick), ''Colts 14–0.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:24.'' Second quarter *IND – Dallas Clark 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 7:58 (Stover kick), ''Colts 21–0.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:03.'' *DEN –
Brandon Marshall Brandon Tyrone Marshall (born March 23, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was drafted ...
5-yard pass from
Kyle Orton Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Dra ...
, 2:23 (
Matt Prater Matthew Phillip Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for lon ...
kick), ''Colts 21–7.'' ''Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:35.'' Third quarter *No scoring play Fourth quarter *DEN – Matt Prater 28-yard field goal, 14:50, ''Colts 21–10.'' ''Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:02.'' *DEN – Brandon Marshall 5-yard pass from Kyle Orton, 9:44 (
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 ...
failed), ''Colts 21–16.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:44.'' *IND – Dallas Clark 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 2:25 (Stover kick), ''Colts 28–16.'' ''Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:19.'' ----


Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars

''at
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 ...
,
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
'' * Game time: 8:20 PM EST * Game weather: 61 °F (Mostly cloudy) * Game attendance: 63,753 * Referee: Walt Anderson * TV announcers ( NFLN): Bob Papa &
Matt Millen Matthew George Millen (born March 12, 1958) is a former American football linebacker and executive. Millen played 12 years in the National Football League for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins, ...
*Scoring First quarter *JAC – Josh Scobee 50-yard field goal, 7:32, ''Jaguars 3–0.'' ''Drive: 13 plays, 41 yards, 7:33.'' Second quarter *IND –
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 ...
6-yard pass from
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 ...
, 14:19 ( Matt Stover kick), ''Colts 7–3.'' ''Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:14.'' *JAC –
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 ...
9-yard pass from
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 ...
, 8:34 (Scobee kick), ''Jaguars 10–7.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:48.'' *IND –
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 ...
93-yard kickoff return, 8:25 (Stover kick), ''Colts 14–10.'' *JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew 3-yard run, 3:05 (Scobee kick), ''Jaguars 17–14.'' ''Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:14.'' *IND –
Austin Collie Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL Dra ...
23-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 0:40 (Stover kick), ''Colts 21–17.'' ''Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:23.'' Third quarter *JAC –
Mike Sims-Walker Michael Anthony Sims-Walker (born Michael Anthony Walker on November 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville ...
16-yard pass from David Garrard, 8:37 (Scobee kick), ''Jaguars 24–21.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:45.'' *IND – Dallas Clark 27-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 5:37 (Stover kick), ''Colts 28–24.'' ''Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:04.'' *JAC – Mike Thomas 13-yard pass from David Garrard, 0:53 (Scobee kick), ''Jaguars 28–31.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:41.'' Fourth quarter *IND –
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 ...
65-yard pass from Peyton Manning, 5:23 (Stover kick), ''Colts 35–31.'' ''Drive: 1 play, 65 yards, 8:37.'' ---- With the win the Colts improved to 14–0 and their winning streak improved to 23. Also, with the Saints' loss the Colts became the NFL's only undefeated team. The Colts also became the first team since the 2007 Patriots to start a season at 14–0.


Week 16: vs. New York Jets

''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 ...
, Indianapolis'' * Game time: 4:15 PM EST * Game weather: None (retractable roof closed) * Game attendance: * Referee:
Terry McAulay Terry McAulay (born December 24, 1959) is a former American football official who worked in the National Football League (NFL) for the 1998 through 2017 seasons. He was the referee for seven conference championship games and three Super Bowls ...
* TV announcers ( CBS):
Greg Gumbel Greg Gumbel (born May 3, 1946) is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments for CBS Sports (most notably, the National Football League and NCAA basketball). The older brother of news and sportscaster Bryan ...
and
Dan Dierdorf Daniel Lee Dierdorf (born June 29, 1949) is an American sportscaster and former football offensive tackle. A native of Canton, Ohio, Dierdorf played college football for the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1970 and was selected as a con ...
With this loss, the Colts ended their perfect season run and had a record of 14–1 heading into the last week of the regular season. The Colts also ended their 23–game regular season winning streak. *Scoring First quarter *IND – Joseph Addai 21-yard run, 6:55 (
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 ...
kick blocked), ''Colts 6–0.'' ''Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 4:20.'' Second quarter *IND – Adam Vinatieri 22-yard field goal, 11:46. ''Colts 9–0.'' ''Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 4:45.'' *NYJ –
Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for seve ...
35-yard field goal, 1:44. ''Colts 9–3.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:38.'' Third quarter *NYJ – Brad Smith 106-yard kickoff return, 0:12 (Feely kick), ''Jets 10–9.'' *IND – Donald Brown 1-yard run, 10:13 (
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 ...
failed), ''Colts 15–10.'' ''Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:35.'' *NYJ – Marques Douglas 1-yard fumble return, 1:29 ( Dustin Keller two-point conversion), ''Jets 18–15.'' Fourth quarter *NYJ – Jay Feely 43-yard field goal, 13:34. ''Jets 21–15.'' ''Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:03'' *NYJ – Thomas Jones 1-yard run, 5:38 (
Braylon Edwards Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recogniz ...
two-point conversion), ''Jets 29–15.'' ''Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:14'' ----


Week 17: at Buffalo Bills

With the loss, the Colts finished the season with a league-best 14-2 . ----


Postseason


AFC Divisional vs. Baltimore Ravens

Entering the postseason as the AFC's #1 seed, the Colts began their playoff run at home in the AFC Divisional Round against the #6
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 ...
. Indianapolis would open the first quarter with a 44-yard field goal from former Ravens kicker Matt Stover. Baltimore would reply with a 25-yard field goal from kicker Billy Cundiff. In the second quarter, the Colts would deliver a big punch as quarterback
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 ...
hooked up with rookie wide receiver
Austin Collie Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL Dra ...
on a 10-yard touchdown pass and then found wide receiver
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 ...
on a three-yard touchdown pass. After a scoreless third quarter, Indianapolis would add onto their lead with Stover's 33-yard field goal. From there, the defense kept forcing turnovers to prevail. Manning ended up yelling at Donald Brown during a play at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which became a meme. ----


AFC Championship vs. New York Jets

Coming off their divisional win over the Ravens, the Colts would stay at home for the
AFC Championship Game The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
against the #5 New York Jets. After a scoreless first quarter, Indianapolis would begin the second quarter with a 25-yard field goal from kicker Matt Stover. However, the Jets responded with quarterback
Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was dra ...
completing an 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Braylon Edwards Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recogniz ...
. The Colts would come right back with Stover's 19-yard field goal, but New York answered with Sanchez's nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller, followed by kicker
Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for seve ...
making a 48-yard field goal. Fortunately, Indianapolis would strike back as quarterback
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 ...
found rookie wide receiver
Austin Collie Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL Dra ...
on a 16-yard touchdown pass. The Colts would take the lead in the third quarter with Manning hooking up with wide receiver Pierre Garçon on a four-yard touchdown pass. Indianapolis would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as Manning hooked up with tight end
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 ...
on a 15-yard touchdown pass, followed by Stover's 21-yard field goal. With the win, not only did the Colts improve their overall record to 16–2, but they would advance to their second Super Bowl in four years. The game served as Peyton Manning's last playoff win as a Colt and the team's last playoff win until their comeback win at home against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...
in the Wildcard Round of the 2013 playoffs. This would serve as the team's last appearance in the AFC Championship Game until the 2014 playoffs. Manning would win his next playoff game in the Divisional Round of the 2013 playoffs as a member of the Broncos. ----


Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) cham ...
vs. New Orleans Saints

After the coin toss, the Saints wanted the ball first; however, this didn't help their first drive. The Colts drove the ball down the field with an attempt to score the first touchdown but was denied and forced Matt Stover to kick a 38-yard goal. But the Colts were not finished: on their next possession, Pierre Garçon caught a 19-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, and the Colts led 10–0 after fifteen minutes. In the second quarter, the Saints were forced to look upon Garrett Hartley for two field goals – a 46 yarder and a 44 yarder respectively – and the deficit was reduced to four points by halftime. Kicking off the second half, the Saints caught Indy by surprise with the "Ambush" play (an onside kick in kickoff formation), which the Saints recovered, shifting the momentum to them. Pierre Thomas caught a 16-yard screen pass from Drew Brees and NO had their first lead of the game, 13–10 after the extra point. The Colts would not be denied from scoring again with the rushing attack of Joseph Addai, capping off the scoring drive with a 4-yard run. From here, however, the Colts would be denied. The Saints still stood by Hartley to keep the game close with a 47-yard field goal, taking the score to 17–16. In the fourth quarter, Jeremy Shockey caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees with Lance Moore catching a two-point conversion and the Saints led 24–17. In the end, it was the defense that came through when Tracy Porter intercepted and returned 74 yards for a touchdown to seal the win and the first Super Bowl title for the New Orleans Saints in their 44-year existence.


Awards and honors

:*''Note'': Since the
2010 Pro Bowl The 2010 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host sit ...
was held before
Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) cham ...
, the seven players selected did not participate.


Scores by quarter


Criticism

In week 16, the Indianapolis Colts faced off against the New York Jets with an undefeated record of 14–0, having already clinched home–field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the third quarter with a 15–10 lead,
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 ...
Jim Caldwell benched
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 ...
for
Curtis Painter Curtis Jeffrey Painter (born June 24, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. High school career ...
. The Jets forced Painter to fumble, then recovered it for a touchdown and turned into an 18–15 lead. Indianapolis never recovered, never put Manning into the game, and lost 29–15, ending the Colts' chance at an undefeated season. Manning's reaction was, "Until any player in here is the head coach, you follow orders and you follow them with all of your heart." On fans' reaction to the game,
Jeff Saturday Jeffrey Bryant Saturday (born June 18, 1975) is an American football coach and former center who is the interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of North ...
stated, "I don't blame them a bit, man.. I probably would have booed, too. I don't blame them. They pay to come see us win games, and we didn't get it done."


References


External links


2009 Indianapolis Colts season at Pro-Football Reference2009 Indianapolis Colts season at ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Indianapolis Colts Season Indianapolis AFC South championship seasons American Football Conference championship seasons Indianapolis Colts seasons Colts