2017 Colts - Preseason

INDIANAPOLIS - The 2016 season could not have been much better for the Colts outside of a single loss, and it's hard to believe but this team could be even better. They sport the best QB in the league, the best offensive line in the league, and more offensive weapons than anyone could ever ask for. If things didn't look bad enough for the rest of the league, a free agency splurge has fortified an already formidable defense. Could the 1972 Miami Dolphins be giving up their annual ritual?

Despite everything they have, and everyone they already signed, the Colts had to fill some vacancies during OTA's. TE and DT were still a concern, so Indianapolis signed Dennis Pitta, Scott Chandler, Paul Soliai, and Glenn Dorsey on 1-year deals. The four got plenty of playing time during the preseason, along with most of the backups and rookies. Finish 3-1, with wins against the Chargers, Vikings, and Panthers is hardly an indication of anything. This team is loaded, and they could be right back in the Superbowl.

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART

Indianapolis Colts Depth Chart - 2017
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	T.Y. Hilton	D. Rogers	T. Williams
TE	D. Pitta	S. Chandler
LT	A. Castonzo	J. Mewhort
LG	J. Mewhort	K. Finley
C	K. Holmes	K. Finley
RG	B. Fusco	K. Finley
RT	W. Vega	B. Fusco
WR	K. Allen	C. Shorts III	K. Benjamin
QB	A. Luck	J. Palmer
FB	S. Havili
HB	S. Ramsey	C. Harris (R)	R. Hillman
Base 3-4 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	D. Browning	A. Jones
NT	P. Soliai	G. Dorsey
RDE	B. Vaughn	R. Duncan
LOLB	B. Werner	T. Farrell (R)
LILB	A. Dent	D. Jackson
RILB	M. Te'o	T. Farrell (R)
ROLB	V. Burfict	T. Farrell (R)
CB	V. Davis	A. Mims
SS	J. Cyprien	D. Cosby (R)
FS	B. Daniels	D. Cosby (R)
CB	K. Sampson	D. Miliner
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	T. Reyes
P	P. McAfee
H	J. Palmer
PR	R. Hillman	C. Harris
KR	R. Hillman	C. Harris
LS	K. Finley

OTA / PRE-SEASON ANSWERS

Can Harris grab the #1 spot on the depth chart?

Charlie Harris, Marshall Faulk 2.0 : When the Colts took Harris they were looking for a pass-catching option out of the backfield, but now that he's in camp he looks like so much more. Pep Hamilton has basically changed his offense into a spread that looks more like Baylor or Oregon than his old Stanfurd offenses, and that suits Harris just fine. While Shayn Ramsey did everything you could ask of a HB, and he's still #1 on the depth chart, Harris is going to keep him looking over his shoulder all season. Many coaches have called Harris the next Marshall Faulk, so he might be pretty good.

No Fly Zone : The aquisition of Jonathan Cyprien turned a very good secondary into an absolute nightmare. With teams regularly taking to the air to try and catch up with the Colts they gave up a lot of yards and struggled to stop even the worst offenses. This year could be very different with the elite talent and depth they have. Vontae Davis is probably the best, if not one of the best, corners in the NFL and Branch Daniels elevated himself to elite status at FS. Kian Sampson is starting to look like the heir apparent to Davis, and back-up Aerion Mims isn't that far behind. The addition of Dee Milliner also sealed up this unit, so we should see marked improvement in pass coverage.

Luck & Associates, Offensive Juggernaut : Teams might be waving the white flag against Indianapolis this year. After the scheme change from a two-TE power run to a spread passing team that relies on package plays this team has morphed into a destroyer of defenses. One thing that teams are going to have to deal with is the Colts stunning ability to run out of the shotgun. After barely running from the shotgun in 2014 and 2015, the Colts ran 85% of their rushing plays from the shotgun and might push that to 100% if you don't count kneel downs. Having the best offensive line in the NFL helps you do that, but it also helps to have offensive weapons at every position on the field and few teams have the players or scheme to deal with it. The 2016 Colts offense was the best ever, finishing with the highest DVOA on record, and this unit could be even better.

FALL QUESTIONS

LB Depth & Pass Rush : The LB group has good to elite starters, and the starters aren't the problem. The depth at LB is probably the single worst position on this team. Making it worse is the total lack of a pass rush outside of Vontaze Burfict. Burfict has been a one man demolition squad working off the outside shoulder of Browning and Vaughn, but opposite him Bjoern Werner hasn't been able to produce. Teams are going to be able to make adjustments knowing where the heat is coming from, so there is going to be pressure on Werner to step up. Werner has been good, but he hasn't been good enough to keep the Colts from drafting someone to replace him. The interior is solid, but they aren't good at generating pressure in the passing game. This may be the only place to attack the Colts defense, so this unit is going to need to be on it's toes all year.

Tight End (Again) : Considering the options at WR and HB, this isn't a pressing need. Dennis Pitta is a real upgrade at TE compared to last year, but Scott Chandler behind him is just a blocking TE at best. Kelvin Benjamin may get some looks out of the TE spot, but his run blocking isn't very good so he can't be relied upon in an up-tempo no-huddle offense. Pitta gives the Colts a good option, but this is the weakest point of a powerful offense.

Will Hamilton be back for 2018?

Offensive Coordinator : The 2016 Colts offense was transcendant, and yes they had Andrew Luck, but teams were beating down the doors to interview Pep Hamilton for a head coaching job. Based on the vacancies there weren't any appealing options, and ownership offered Hamilton a respectable raise through the end of this season. Hamilton's contract expires at the end of this season, along with Pagano and DC Greg Manusky, so they team will need to lock them all up with an extension if they don't want him leaving after the season. This is going to hang over the team all season, it would be better for the team to resolve it as early as possible.

2017 Colts - NFL Draft

ARLINGTON - The NFL Draft made it's trip to Dallas this year thanks to the gracious efforts of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The draft took place at AT&T Stadium, the first football stadium to host the event, and over twenty thousand fans made the trip. With the Colts crushing the season and free agency they headed into the draft with a short list of needs.

The Atlanta Falcons made Nebraska QB Ron Milliner the #1 overall pick, and the Buffalo Bills made Miami C Terry Brown the #2 pick. Indianapolis was trying to trade up for Brown, but ultimately the price was too high. The story of the Colts draft was trading out of the 2017 draft and into the 2018 draft with three separate trades that left them with only four selections. With no DT or TE with a 1st round grade left GM Phil Emery sent the 32nd pick to Dallas, who selected Missouri QB Khris Bloom, in exchange for a 1st & 3rd round pick in 2018. Emery also sent their 6th rounder to New Orleans for a 5th round pick in 2018 and their 7th round selection to Seattle for their 6th round selection in 2018.

While this draft was a snooze for Colts fans they will head into the 2018 draft with a whopping 13 picks thanks to the Donald Thomas trade with Pittsburgh. Their haul includes two picks in every round but the 2nd, if they can't fill their roster needs next year they might kick Emery out the door.

2017 NFL Draft - Indianapolis Colts
Pick	Player	College	Pos	Ht	Wt
1 (32)	Traded to DAL
2 (64)	Tanner Farrell	Florida A&M	MLB	6'-2"	240
3 (96)	Charlie Harris	California	HB	5'-11"	220
4 (128)	Domonic Cosby	Rutgers	FS	6'-1"	195
5 (160)	Jamerson Ogeltree	Clemson	CB	6'-0"	190
6 (192)	Traded to NO
7 (224)	Traded to SEA

DRAFT ANALYSIS

Best Pick(s) : Trading the 32nd pick to Dallas, MLB Tanner Farrell

With all of the best OL and DT prospects taken the trade with Dallas nets a 1st and 3rd rounder for next year. Chances are the Cowboys will not be one of the top teams in the NFL next year, so the Colts are looking at two good 1st round picks next year. Farrell flew under the radar during the season, but he wowed scouts during the combine and interviewed well. After reviewing his game film more and more teams became interested in the Florida A&M player and Indianapolis made him the first FCS player taken in the draft. He has elite size and good speed, shows sound fundamentals and looks well above average in pass coverage. If Farrell had been a Power 5 player he could have made it into the 1st round.

Worst Pick(s) : FS Domonic Cosby, CB Jamerson Ogeltree

With the Colts playing more and more Dime/Quarters coverage grabbing some secondary depth seems like a good idea. The problem is that Cosby will be a backup at best with Branch Daniels firmly seated in the starter position, that pick could have been better used on a DT. Ogeltree certainly looks interesting on paper, with good size and elite speed, but his coverage skills and footwork aren't nearly as sharp as scouts had hoped. His time at Clemson was unremarkable, and his time with Indianapolis could be the same. He will start off 5th on the CB depth chart with little chance of seeing much playing time outside of special teams. Again, this pick would have been better used on a DT.

Sleeper Pick(s) : HB Charlie Harris

It might be a stretch to say that a 3rd round pick is really a sleeper, but the Colts expect big things out of the Cal running back. Scouts and team execs were all over the place on Harris, with one scout comparing him to Jamaal Charles and another worrying that he could be a system product. While Harris didn't crack 1000 rushing yards in the Bear Raid offense, his elite speed and soft hands helped him finish 4th on the team in receiving yards (553) and receptions (50). Ultimately the Colts are looking for more versatility out of the backfield, and Harris should give them exactly that.

Draft Grade : B

While the Colts managed to get some good players, they really whiffed on filling team needs. They failed to draft a TE or a DT, which means they are going to be looking for someone off the scrap heap during camp. They also needed to add OL depth, which they didn't do, but they did add some depth at secondary. After a massive wave of free agent signings this team won't have any glaring openings, so trading back so many times makes sense for the future. Charlie Harris could be a real steal and break the cycle of signing guys to short deals to fill out the HB depth chart. Ultimately this class is more about setting up the 2018 draft.

2017 Colts - Free Agency

INDIANAPOLIS - After basically taking a year off and saving on cap space GM Phil Emery came out swinging after putting together a Superbowl winning team. If the Colts could afford to do nothing and still win it all, again, it's frightening to think about what could happen in 2017 after making a huge splash in free agency.

PRE-FREE AGENCY NEGOTIATIONS

Technically the biggest signing happened before someone could become a free agent as Andrew Luck agreed to a massive extension that will leave Colts fans happy for years to come. Luck agreed to a 7-yes $225 million deal that should see him spend the rest of his career in Indianapolis, easily the best signing of the year.

Not to be overlooked, but Khalil Holmes also signed a long term deal, although for much less money than Luck, but 6-years for $35.9 million is a good deal for one of the best centers in football. With Indianapolis sporting the best offensive line in the league it made sense to lock up their leader and captain.

OLB Bjoern Werner also agreed to a long term deal, 4-years for $8.8 million, which seems to indicate that management is happy with him for the long run.

Some of Emery's spending was fueled by who the Colts decided not to bring back. A number of players were informed that they would not receive offers, and the Colts roster will look very different this year. FS LaRon Landry, DT Terrance Knighton, MLB Kelvin Sheppard, TE Jacob Tamme, OLB Erik Walden, DE Ricky-Jean Francois, HB Justin Forsett, and HB Marcus Lattimore were allowed to hit the open market.

FREE AGENCY

While Emery came out swinging, he didn't spend blindly or fight for the big names. In fact, the Colts landed a number of deal by laying low and seeing how the market played out. The first domino to fall was SS Johnathan Cyprien, mostly because the market was so overheated for pass defenders, and Emery managed to land him for 3-years and $15 million. That looks great considering that SS J.J. Wilcox (5-year $42 million) was scooped up by Buffalo, FS Tyrann Mathieu (6-year $43 million) went back to Arizona, and FS Kenny Vaccaro (5-year $56 million) landed a princely sum with Washington.

Indianapolis also landed MLB Manti Te'o on a very nice deal, 4-years for $8.5 million, that helped give the Colts one of the most solid LB corps in the NFL. The CB market also saw a number of teams fighting fiercely over big names, Darrelle Revis landed in San Diego for a whopping 1-year $10 million deal and Miami went all out on Desmond Trufant to the tune of $58 million over 5 years. This allowed the Colts to swoop in and sign Dee Milliner for a pittance at 4-years $8 million.

The final pieces came on offense near the end of the first week of free agency. With most teams out of cap space, the Colts were free to swoop in on some under appreciated players. The biggest grab was WR Keenan Allen (5-year $25 million), who will provide the Colts with a big body receiver to compliment T.Y. Hilton. Emery also added WR Terrence Williams, Kelvin Benjamin, and HB Ronnie Hillman on cap-friendly deal.

With so much quality spending going on, it looks like there won't be much pressure on management to find starters in the draft. While it would have been good to find a long term solution at DT, this team looks to be so good it won't matter.

2016 Colts - Superbowl

1:00PM ET - January 31th, 2017
AT&T Stadium - Arlington, TX

Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts
Jan 31, 2017	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Philadelphia Eagles (#1 13-3, 7-1 Away)	7	0	3	0	10
Indianapolis Colts (#1 15-1, 7-1 Home)	3	14	7	7	31

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 311YDS, 2TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 21CAR, 90YDS, TD
Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 9REC, 118YDS, TD

ARLINGTON - The wait for this Superbowl could not have been more painful for everyone involved. From the media circus surrounding Chip Kelly to the looming scowl of Jerry Jones, this game had everything the fans and media could possibly want. A rematch of last year would feature the league's best QB, and arguably best player in Andrew Luck, and two of the best offenses in football.

Despite all of the speculation and chest beating on both sides, with the media making this game out as an even match, the gambling community was not sold. Indianapolis would come into the game a whopping 18.5 point favorite, just barely breaking the record set in 1994 during Superbowl XXIX. San Francisco went into their game against San Diego as an 18 point favorite and trounced the Chargers 49-26 to cover. Considering the way Indianapolis has been playing it's surprising that Vegas didn't go to 21 points or more.

Even though the Colts boasted a truly legendary offense and a very good defense, if not an elite one, they would come face to face with their biggest weakness; the receiving HB. LeSean McCoy might not burn the Colts on the ground, but he would definitely cause issues with underneath routes and matchups with their linebackers. Containing McCoy and limiting the deep passes would be the Colts' key to victory.

Luck was not going to lose this game.

As it turned out, and most expected it, the Colts didn't need to contain McCoy to win this one. The battle between Nick Foles and Luck was closer to bringing a knife to a gunfight for the Eagles. Right out of the gate Luck established himself and the Colts offense after the Eagles managed an opening drive TD run by McCoy.

Luck took his time and used the ground game to create easy pass completions, and the Eagles had no answer. From the start of the game the Colts sapped the clock, and the Eagles just couldn't do anything about it. Indianapolis used a FG and two 2nd quarter TD's, a run and a pass to Da'Rick Rogers, to head into halftime with a 17-7 lead.

Defensively, the Colts were suffocating, and it turned into an incredible game for Donavon Browning. Browning enjoyed one-on-one matchups off the edge as the Eagles focused on Vontaze Burfict coming from outside and inside blitzes. Browning knocked Foles down after pass completions and started turning those into sacks.

Indianapolis added an 8 yard strike to T.Y. Hilton to go up 24-7 before the Eagles could come back with a 42 yard Nick Novak FG.  Philadelphia started off the 4th with a promising drive, but Chip Kelly rolled the dice once too many. Facing 4th & 1 on the Colts 35 they went for it and McCoy was stoned for a loss.

Daniels' 4th quarter INT ends the Eagles chances at coming back.

Foles came out gunning for the endzone, trying to make it more respectable, but Branch Daniels picked off a deep pass to close the door on Philadelphia's chances at covering. Indianapolis salted away the rest of the clock and clinched their second straight Superbowl victory.

Superbowl MVP Browning celebrates the Colts victory.

Foles wasn't terrible, though he was very accurate in finishing 24/26, but when you line up against Luck you need to be great or you're going to lose. Foles was not great and Luck was, but it wasn't helpful having Browning in his face all game. The Eagles' offensive line could not cope with the aggressive attack dialed up by Pagano, and when Foles wasn't being sacked he was getting hurried. This helped the Colts keep the Eagles from throwing the ball deep, allowing Indianapolis' corners to play press coverage and keep an eye on the bubble screens.

LeSean McCoy did exactly what you might expect, finishing with 8 receptions for 61 yards to go along with his 66 on the ground, but he was overshadowed by the punishing Colts run game.
Even with Luck and the offense having a great game, the NFL couldn't ignore Browning's 5 sack game and named him Superbowl MVP. Indianapolis are the first back-to-back Superbowl winners since the 04-05 New England Patriots and get to join the elusive group of repeat winners that includes Denver (98-99), Dallas (93-94), San Francisco (89-90), Pittsburgh (79-80, 75-76), Miami (73-74), and Green Bay (67-68). Now the task turns to being the first to win three in a row.

2016 Colts - Pro Bowl Selections

HONOLULU - The Pro Bowl returns to Hawaii, and boy do the Colts need the time to rest. With a match up against Philadelphia looming, and practically the entire Colts offense here, they wouldn't have too much time to have fun.

OFFENSE

QB Andrew Luck
HB Shayn Ramsey
WR T.Y. Hilton
WR Cecil Shorts III
WR Da'Rick Rogers
LT Anthony Castonzo
LG Jack Mewhort
C Khalid Holmes
RG Brandon Fusco
RT Wayne Vega

DEFENSE

DE Donavon Browning
DT Terrance Knighton
OLB Vontaze Burfict
P Pat McAfee

The usual suspects for Indianapolis with Andrew Luck the top vote getter in the NFL. The offense has been beyond dominant all season, perhaps even transcendent, and every position but TE is represented.

Browning and Burfict were expected, they have really risen to the challenge this year, but Knighton was a bit of a surprise for a team with DT issues. He earned the trip, but it's doubtful he'll be back next year.

2016 Colts - Conference Championships

1:00PM ET - January 17th, 2017

Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Jan 17, 2017	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Denver Broncos (#2 14-2, 6-2 Away)	0	0	7	7	14
Indianapolis Colts (#1 15-1, 7-1 Home)	14	21	7	0	42

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 278YDS, 3TD
Rushing : J. Forsett (IND) - 19CAR, 123YDS, TD
Receiving : D. Rogers (IND) - 6REC, 105YDS, TD
INDIANAPOLIS - After thumping the Ravens the Colts turned their attention to getting back to the Superbowl, but more importantly they were looking for revenge. After starting the season 0-1 with a loss to the Broncos, followed by 16 straight wins, this team was very motivated to show Denver this wasn't the same team they beat in Week 1.

The Broncos would come into this game pumped up as well, they did finish 14-2, but if they had any idea how hard the Colts would punch them in the mouth they might have been a little less enthusiastic. This game was an outright beating almost from the start, and the Broncos defense would be left flat on their back begging for mercy.

Indianapolis made it 14-0 after the 1st quarter on two Shayn Ramsey TD runs, and boy did the Colts run today. Ramsey and Justin Forsett teamed up to steamroll the Broncos for 223 yards combined. Andrew Luck hit Jacob Tamme, Da'Rick Rogers, and T.Y. Hilton in the 2nd quarter to head into the break up 35-0.

Luck didn't have to do much to win this one.

Denver really should have stayed in the locker room, but there was still another half of football to play. The Broncos offense was just about as bad as their defense, with Zac Dysert being accurate but unable to move the ball down field. John Fox stuck to his game plan and kept running Montee Ball, but despite having a decent outing (14 carries for 71 yards) they just couldn't get a 1st down.

Indianapolis made it 42-0 with a Forsett TD run on their first possession of the 2nd half, and the game was pretty much over. Dysert showed some life when he hit Demaryius Thomas for a 58 yard TD, but by that point it was much too late.

The Colts hit coach Chuck Pagano with a bucket of blue Gatorade midway through the 4th quarter as most of the starters stood around looking pleased on the sidelines. The Colts would wait patiently for the Eagles-Seahawks score to see who they would face in the Superbowl.

2016 Colts - Divisional Playoff

1:00PM ET - January 10th, 2017

Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
Jan 10, 2017	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Baltimore Ravens (#4 11-5, 5-3 Away)	0	7	0	7	14
Indianapolis Colts (#1 15-1, 7-1 Home)	14	13	7	10	44

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 292YDS, TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 26CAR, 146YDS, TD
Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 7REC, 100YDS

INDIANAPOLIS - The Ravens took care of business at home last week, and the media played up the 'Nobody believes in us' angle along with the players, but it didn't take long to see why nobody believed in them. Despite being a balanced team with an excellent coach, the Ravens were almost literally run out of the building.

While Andrew Luck has an easy day, going 28/30 with only one TD, the Ravens front seven lived out a four quarter nightmare. Shayn Ramsey and Justin Forsett split carries pretty evenly, and at one point it seemed like anyone could run behind the Colts offensive line. If it wasn't for a surprising 99 yard kickoff return by rookie CB Chris Lindley the Ravens would have gone into the half down 27-0 with little to no hope of winning.

The Ravens couldn't stop the run at all.

The Indianapolis defense just ate the Ravens alive, and they couldn't get 1st downs to keep drives going. Joe Flacco only attempted 12 passes and failed to pass for over 150 yards. The sad Ravens offense, with Ray Rice getting destroyed, only managed 33 yards on the ground. Thanks to 7 sacks, 3 by Terrance Knighton, the Ravens totalled 84 passing yards. When the dust had settled Ramsey and Forsett combined for 246 yards and 3TD on 48 carries.

Top to bottom, this game was a beating, and whoever gets to play the Colts in the AFC title game is going to have their hands full.

2016 Colts - Wild Card Weekend

INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts are once again waiting it out during the first round of the playoffs with a well deserved BYE. The time off allowed the Colts to celebrate a little bit more once again as the awards and accolades rolled in.

Nobody was surprised, even though he was humble enough to say that he thought Aaron Rodgers would win, but Andrew Luck brought home his third straight MVP award. Luck finished the season with a new NFL record in passing yards, 6756, beating his own record set in 2015. He also threw 54TD passes, another record that bested his mark of 44 in 2015. It really couldn't have been anyone else, he has truly taken the reigns as the best player in the NFL.

Luck's assault on the record books will be going for years and years.

Not to be overlooked, but Chuck Pagano won his second Coach Of The Year award and puts himself in a position to get a hefty contract extension. While the offense got most of the headlines, the Colts defense held it's own as one of the best in the NFL. Pagano and DC Greg Manusky have done quite a job with a very talented unit.

Indianapolis also landed the Offensive Player Of The Year (Luck), Offensive Rookie Of The Year (HB Shayn Ramsey), Defensive Rookie Of The Year (CB Kian Sampson), and the Defensive Lineman Of The Year (Donavon Browning).

Wildcard Scores

#3 New England 29 - #6 Houston 23
#4 Baltimore 25 - #5 San Diego 22
#3 Seattle 31 - #6 Arizona 28
#4 Tampa Bay 19 - #5 San Francisco 26

Aside from the 49ers upset of Tampa Bay every game was close. The Ravens earn the honor of traveling to Lucas Oil Stadium and trying to stop the most prolific offense in the history of the NFL.

2016 Colts - Week 17

1:00PM ET - December 27th, 2016

Paul Brown Stadium - Cincinnati, OH

Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals
Oct 30, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (15-1, 8-0 Away)	14	7	7	14	42
Cincinnati Bengals (6-10, 3-5 Home)	0	7	0	7	14

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 342YDS, 4TD
Rushing : J. Forsett (IND) - 19CAR, 116YDS, TD
Receiving : C. Shorts III (IND) - 5REC, 138YDS, TD

CINCINNATI - The final week of the regular season is finally here and the AFC playoffs race is coming down to the wire for just about every team involved. Thanks to the Colts opening week loss to the Broncos, they would be under pressure to win this week. Every single team, even ones that had already clinched a spot, could change seeds with a loss today. With four teams in the running for the wildcard slots, there would be an enormous amount of pressure to win today.

NFL Standings - Updated: Oct 30, 2016
AFC EAST	W	L	T
Y-New England	12	3	0
AFC NORTH	W	L	T
Y-Baltimore	11	4	0
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T
Y-Indianapolis	14	1	0
AFC WEST	W	L	T
Y-Denver	13	2	0
AFC WILD CARD RACE	W	L	T
Cleveland	9	6	0
NY Jets	9	6	0
San Diego	9	6	0
Houston	8	6	1

The Colts don't really do second gear, and even though they just had to win they blew out the hapless Bengals. The few Colts fans that braved the trip to Cincinnati could be seen waving 'Bungles' signs in the stands, and Indianapolis certainly made them look right.

The Bengals secondary just killed them today, allowing Andrew Luck to pass for 342 yards and 4TD on a simple 20/26. Their weakness was giving up massive amounts of yards to Cecil Shorts III and T.Y. Hilton, who combined for 13 receptions and a whopping 275 yards. Indianapolis opened the scoring with a 77 yard TD to Shorts that started as a 5 yard out, and the Bengals just couldn't tackle him.

The Colts poured it on in the first half with three TD passes, one to Shorts and two to Hilton, before Cincinnati could get on the board with a 9 yard strike to TE Tyler Eifert. The Bengals went into the locker room with their heads down, and they probably should have just stayed in there for the second half.

Marcus Lattimore made it 28-7 with a 1 yard TD run, and then the Bengals really lost their motivation. Gio Bernard went down with a high ankle sprain and left the game, clearly draining the Bengals of their spirit. Things only got worse in the 4th when the Colts made it 42-7, and then Andy Dalton left the game with a chest injury. Rookie QB Kain Jackson came in and hit Eifert for his second TD of the game, but it was too little too late.

Ramsey had a short day, but he had an incredible rookie season.

It wasn't all that surprising to see Dalton get injured, Indianapolis totalled nine sacks during the game. Dalton could barely snap the ball before Vontaze Burfict and D'Qwell Jackson were in his face, both players nabbed three sacks. To add insult it injury, Hilton was swamped on the sidelines in the closing minutes as teammates and coaching staff congratulated him on a stunning record breaking season. Hilton would walk out of the game with 2107 receiving yards, crushing Calvin Johnson's record of 1964.

The win clinches the #1 seed in the playoffs, and with so many of the wildcard teams playing night games the Colts will have to sit back and see who their potential opponents will be in two weeks.

2016 Colts - Week 16

1:00PM ET - December 20th, 2016

LP Field - Nashville, TN

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Oct 23, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (14-1, 7-0 Away)	14	21	0	21	56
Tennessee Titans (2-13, 2-6 Home)	7	10	7	0	24

Top Performers

Passing : R. Fitzpatrick (TEN) - 358YDS, 3TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 16CAR, 163YDS, 2TD
Receiving : J. Kearse (TEN) - 8REC, 120YDS, 2TD

NASHVILLE - With a playoff spot already in hand it all comes down to style points with only two games left. Thanks to Denver's 12-2 record coming into this week Indianapolis will have to keep it's foot on the pedal to grab that #1 seed. The Titans are probably happy to be on the wrong end of the Colts playoff run, the top pick in the draft would really help them rebuild.

There wasn't all that much in terms of entertainment today, unless you like seeing a superior team completely demolish a weak opponent. Andrew Luck barely had to throw the ball, going 20/25, to rack up 300 yards of passing. This game was all about the Colts punishing ground attack, and it certainly punished the Titans.

Ryan Fitzpatrick did his best, throwing for over 300 yards with 3TD, but the Titans couldn't run the ball themselves and spent most of the second half suffering through three-and-out possessions. Despite putting 24 points on the board, a worrisome sign for the Colts defense, the Titans were never really in this game.

A brick would couldn't stop the Indianapolis ground game.

Shayn Ramsey and Justin Forsett combined for an eye popping 291 yards on 33 carries, and at no point did the Titans seem like they could stop them. Part of the problem was stopping the run while covering the Colts wideouts. This issue helped T.Y. Hilton join Luck in the history books with a modest 58 receiving yards. Hilton ended the game with 1970 receiving yards on the season which passes Calvin Johnson's record of 1964. With one game left a 2000 yard receiving season isn't out of the question.

The Colts head to Cincinnati for the final game of the regular season, a win would clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

2016 Colts - Week 15

1:00PM ET - December 13th, 2016

Lambeau Field - Green Bay, WI

Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers
Oct 16, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (13-1, 6-0 Away)	10	21	0	10	41
Green Bay Packers (10-3-1, 6-1 Home)	3	14	0	14	31

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 401YDS, 3TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 29CAR, 91YDS, 2TD
Receiving : D. Rogers (IND) - 10REC, 166YDS

GREEN BAY - Heavy winds and an early winter cheer did little to lessen the Colts' spirits this week. With Houston's tie in Week 14 the Colts clinched the AFC South and yet another division title. After weeks of soft opponents that seemed to melt in the face of Indianapolis' red hot offense, playing the 10-2-1 Packers would be a real test of their title mettle.

The teams traded long field goals to open the scoring before Andrew Luck extended his own record with a 10 yard TD pass to T.Y Hilton. The swirling winds proved to be an issue all game, and the Packers seemed to know it. Green Bay did it's best to halt the Colts' running game, hoping that the wind would act like a 12th man against the passing game.

Aaron Rodgers tied things up with a 5 yard scramble in the 2nd quarter, but the Colts took over and asserted themselves as usual. Two TD passes, including a 45 yarder to Cecil Shorts III, and a short TD run by Ramsey put Indianapolis up 31-10. Green Bay managed a scoring drive before the end of the half, but they were clearly reeling on defense.

Both head coaches did their homework, with Mike McCarthy getting the slight edge by attempting a 47 yard FG, but neither team put up any points during the 3rd quarter.

Luck continues his run at a third MVP trophy.

Indianapolis tried to rely on the running game to close things out, but the Packers really made it hard to move the ball on the ground. Ramsey did find the endzone early in the 4th, but it was nearly all Green Bay going forward. Rodgers was deadly, but he continued to run the ball which gave the Colts defense problems all game. Two straight drives ended in TD runs, one of them Jonathan Stewart's second of the game, and suddenly the Packers were only down by a TD.

Despite relatively close offensive stats, in the end it was Luck's passing and a clock eating final drive that put this game away. A short FG with less than a minute left put Indianapolis up by 10, and it would finish that way.

With a playoff spot already locked up and two sub .500 teams left, including the league's worst team (Tennessee), a #1 seed is firmly within grasp.

2016 Colts - Week 15 NFL Standings

NFL Standings - Updated: Oct 16, 2016
NFC EAST	W	L	T
Philadelphia-Y	10	2	0
NY Giants	4	8	0
Dallas	4	8	0
Washington	1	10	1
NFC NORTH	W	L	T
Green Bay	10	2	0
Chicago	6	5	1
Detroit	6	6	0
Minnesota	4	6	2
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T
New Orleans	6	6	0
Tampa Bay	5	7	0
Carolina	5	7	0
Atlanta	2	10	0
NFC WEST	W	L	T
Seattle	9	3	0
San Francisco	9	3	0
Arizona	8	4	0
Toronto	3	9	0
AFC EAST	W	L	T
New England	9	3	0
NY Jets	7	5	0
Miami	5	6	0
Buffalo	3	9	0
AFC NORTH	W	L	T
Baltimore	8	4	0
Cleveland	8	4	0
Cincinnati	5	7	0
Pittsburgh	3	9	0
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T
Indianapolis	11	1	0
Houston	8	4	0
Jacksonville	4	8	0
Tennessee	2	10	0
AFC WEST	W	L	T
Denver	10	2	0
San Diego	7	5	0
Oakland	5	7	0
Kansas City	3	9	0

2016 Colts - Week 14

1:00PM ET - December 6th, 2016

Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City, MO

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
Oct 9, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (12-1, 5-0 Away)	14	17	7	14	52
Kansas City Chiefs (3-10, 3-4 Home)	0	14	8	0	22

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 456YDS, 4TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 31CAR, 174YDS, TD
Receiving : D. Rogers (IND) - 7REC, 165YDS, 2TD

KANSAS CITY - The excitement in Indianapolis started well before their trip to vaunted Arrowhead Stadium. The team announced early this week that Khaled Holmes had been signed to a 5-year $25 million contract extension which further solidifies the Colts offensive line. The week would end with Andrew Luck shattering an NFL record that many thought could not be done, and the hapless Chiefs did little to stop him.

The Chiefs did not come in to this game with much chance of winning, but they do sport a solid Home record despite being 3-9 with all three of their wins coming at Arrowhead. Unfortunately for them, poor CB Marcus Cooper would be on the spot all game long. Shayn Ramsey would start the scoring with a 1 yard TD run, and then things started to get out of hand. With Indianapolis pinned on it's own 7 yard line, Cooper would get burned by Cecil Shorts III for an 88 yard pass that would turn into a 5 yard TD pass to T.Y. Hilton.

Rogers' big day helped Luck on his way to history.

Kansas City would show some life in the 2nd quarter with both teams trading off long TD passes. First Dwayne Bowe turned in a 44 yard TD, then Da'Rick Rogers bested him with a 69 yarder for his second TD of the quarter. The Chiefs followed up with a 55 yard TD pass to rookie T.J. Landry and suddenly Alex Smith was looking pretty good.

The Colts did their thing in the 2nd half, almost completely shutting down the Chiefs defense while running them over and putting more points on the board. Though victory seems to have come with a price as FS Branch Daniels left the game with a shoulder strain. Early reports are positive, but he did not return to the game.

When the clock hit 0:00 at the end of the 4th Luck was now holding an NFL record 5688 passing yards, which easily eclipsed Peyton Manning's mark of 5477. It's even more frightening considering that there are three more games left in the season which should give Luck a chance to put that record out of reach. The Colts offense has been more like a nuclear option this season, with the team regularly putting up unthinkable amounts of yards and points. There is already chatter of Pep Hamilton being a top head coach candidate at the end of the season.

2016 Colts - Week 13

1:00PM ET - November 29th, 2016

Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
Nov 29, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Tennessee Titans (2-10, 0-6 Away)	10	3	0	7	20
Indianapolis Colts (11-1, 7-1 Home)	7	21	10	21	59

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 504YDS, 6TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 22CAR, 167YDS, TD
Receiving : D. Rogers (IND) - 6REC, 166YDS, TD

INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts fourth straight home game would also be their last before the playoffs, it's starting to look more and more like Indianapolis will be in the running for a #1 seed. The Titans are terrible, and things aren't helped by starting a rookie under center, but Indianapolis put on a scoring clinic today.

Andrew Luck only needed to complete 28 passes to rack up 504 yards and 6TD. The Titans defense gave up long TD pass after long TD pass. Luck hit TD passes of 24, 25, 31, 44, and 78 yards which helped put Tennessee away and get them closer to the top pick in the draft.

Luck eviscerated the Titans' secondary.

The Titans didn't help themselves, even though rookie QB Dillon Kitchens went 22/28, the Colts tallied a whopping 13 sacks. Donavon Browning put himself on the map with 5 sacks as the right side of the Titans line just didn't have an answer for him. Tennessee managed to pass 300 yards of offense, but it mostly came in the 4th quarter when they were throwing the ball on every down.

2016 Colts - Week 12

8:30PM ET - November 23nd, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Oakland Raiders at Indianapolis Colts
Nov 23, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Oakland Raiders (5-6, 2-3 Away)	7	14	0	7	28
Indianapolis Colts (10-1, 6-1 Home)	0	17	7	21	45

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 413YDS, 4TD
Rushing : J. Forsett (IND) - 29CAR, 186YDS, 2TD
Receiving : D. Rogers (IND) - 10REC, 156YDS

INDIANAPOLIS - Monday Night Football quickly turned into Monday Nightmare Football for the Colts, the second game in a row that things went south against an inferior opponent, but in the end Andrew Luck powered them to victory.

Things went bad almost immediately with Shayn Ramsey leaving the game with what was thought to be a high ankle sprain. Oakland scored from with a Stevan Ridley TD run, and then Luck had to leave the game after getting knocked down on a pass play. Fortunately for Indianapolis it turned to 4th down and Jordan Palmer would have time to warm up. Palmer came out the next possession, but a three-and-out gave Luck enough time to come back in.

Indianapolis got on the board with a 45 yard FG, but the Raiders came back to open the 2nd quarter with a 17 yard TD pass to Harry Douglas. Luck hit Dante Moncrief for an 11 yard TD on the next drive to pull within 4, but on the next drive Justin Forsett would fumble the ball away on the Raiders' 11. Two plays later Kendall Wright was dancing in the endzone with a 21-10 lead.

Luck went to work in the final two minutes of the first half and drove the Colts right down to the 1 yard line for a Forsett rushing TD. The Colts headed into the locker room only down 21-17, but more importantly they were starting to click on offense and defense.

Moncrief stepped up to help Luck turn this game around.

The whole second half turned into the Colts asserting themselves as defending champions. The offensive line really came together, making Ramsey sweat a little, and Forsett looked like a #1 HB option. Indianapolis' ability to run turned the Colts passing game into pitch-and-catch for Luck and his receivers, the Raiders defense was creeping up to stop the run and it gave Luck all kinds of great reads. 21 points later, all on TD passes, and the Raiders were on the wrong end of a beating.

Oakland did manage to score again, but they would allow 28 points in just the second half. Luck finished 30/38 with no interceptions, and aside from Forsett's fumble the running game didn't miss Ramsey at all.

Once again Indianapolis looked bad in the first half only to obliterate the opposition, this kind of performance works against the lesser teams in the leagues but might cost them dearly in the playoffs. Whatever is going on needs to stop before Week 15, the Packers probably won't let things slip away like the Jaguars or Raiders.

2016 Colts - Week 11

1:00PM ET - November 15th, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Nov 15, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7, 2-4 Away)	14	0	0	7	21
Indianapolis Colts (9-1, 5-1 Home)	0	7	21	21	49

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 409YDS, 3TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 28CAR, 131YDS, 2TD
Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 11REC, 204YDS

INDIANAPOLIS - The expectation for today's game was an outright blowout, and the lack of Jaguars fans in the stands was very evident. It was hard to find Jacksonville fans, and you were more likely to find a Mark Brunell jersey than a Blake Bortles one. Despite the sorry state of the Jaguars franchise, this game turned everyone's expectation on it's head.

The Colts have experienced minor bouts of struggling on offense, and today was one of the worst instances this season. More importantly, the defense was not doing it's job. Jacksonville opened the scoring with a 65 yard screen pass to former Colt Hakeem Nicks, and then LeGarrette Blount rumbled for an 80 yard TD run. The 1st quarter ended with Jacksonville up 14-0, and a lot of Colts fans were speechless.

The 2nd quarter crawled along, with the Colts defense stepping up, and the only score was a 1 yard TD by Shayn Ramsey. The secret to Jacksonville's success was flustering Andrew Luck, who would finish the 1st half 14/27 for 183 yards and no TD.

Ramsey could not be stopped in the 2nd half.

Indianapolis went into the locker room, the coaches made some adjustments, and then they woke the dragon. Three straight TD drives, all ending in TD pass from Luck, and sudden the Colts were enjoying a 28-14 lead. The defense was suffocating, racking up 4 drive killing sacks that left Bortles shaken. The 4th quarter wasn't much better with the Colts scoring another TD thanks to a Moncrief punt return that put Indianapolis on the Jaguars 30 after they had to punt from their own 1 yard line.

The 4th quarter was mostly just Ramsey running over the Jaguars defenders and Bortles playing poorly. The Colts defense went into pass protection, setting their defensive line loose, and Bortles could barely stay upright. Donavon Browning and Terrance Knighton snagged 3 sacks a piece and pushed the game total to 9. The final humiliation came when Branch Daniels snagged a Bortles pass as ran it back 48 yards for a TD.

Jacksonville had to be wondering what happened, but the Colts move on with their easy stretch of games. A visit from Oakland should be slightly more difficult than this week, but it's doubtful they can win.

2016 Colts - Week 10

8:20PM ET - November 3rd, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
Nov 3, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Houston Texans (5-4, 2-3 Away)	0	0	6	10	16
Indianapolis Colts (8-1, 4-1 Home)	10	14	7	14	45

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 457YDS, 3TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 26CAR, 83YDS
Receiving : D. Rogers (IND) - 14REC, 381YDS, 2TD

INDIANAPOLIS - After the long trip to San Diego the Colts had the pleasure of a short week thanks to a Thursday night game. This would be Indianapolis' second game against Houston, a win would basically shut the door on the Texans' chances at winning the division. The door was shut hard, fast, and very early for Houston. Heach coach Bill O'Brien could only stare into space and wonder if they will ever get past the Colts.

Houston gave up two TD passes of 20+ yards in the first two quarters, one to T.Y. Hilton and one to Da'Rick Rogers. Houston opened a drive under with 2:00 left before the half with a INT that left Brian Hoyer hanging his head. The throw was so poor and so easy for Vontae Davis to catch he was caught by surprise and fell down on the 18 yard line. A few plays later and Andrew Luck snuck it in himself to seal a 24-0 halftime lead.

The weirdest thing coming into the half was the floundering rushing attacks. Both defenses were on their game when it came to running the ball, Shayn Ramsey (13 carries, 36 yards) and Arian Foster (8 carries, 33 yards) just couldn't do much. It wasn't a problem for Indianapolis since Luck was eviscerating the Houston secondary, but it was a real problem for the Texans.

Things didn't get all that much better for Houston in the second half, but they did manage to get into the endzone. A screen pass to Foster went for 17 yards, but Houston went for two and failed to convert. If the Texans picked up any momentum after the score it was quickly snuffed out, the Colts opened the next possession with an 80 yard TD strike to Rogers which pushed him over 200 receiving yards.

A record breaking performance helped crush Houston.

Houston's rushing defense never gave up, stoning the Colts three times inside the 5 yard line during the 4th quarter. Luck lowered his shoulder and punched it in on 4th down and nearly completed Houston's humiliation. Two times in the 4th quarter the Colts were staring at a 3rd and long after Ramsey couldn't move the ball, and both times a play-action pass to Rogers netting massive gains. When the dust had settled Rogers finished with an NFL record 381 receiving yards.

Today's complete demolition of the Texans sets up the Colts for an incredibly easy run of games. Add in the 3-game cushion on Houston and Indianapolis is almost a lock to repeat as AFC South champs.

2016 Colts - Week 9

8:30PM ET - October 30th, 2016
Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego, CA

Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers
Oct 30, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (7-1, 4-0 Away)	14	10	3	14	41
San Diego Chargers (3-5, 1-4 Home)	3	10	9	0	22

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 409YDS, 3TD
Rushing : D. Woodhead (SD) - 19CAR, 123YDS, TD
Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 7REC, 156YDS, TD

SAN DIEGO - After giving up 33 point to the Lions last week, the big storyline this week would be if the Colts defense could turn things around. San Diego, not the best team, would be a bad offense to face coming off the Detroit game. The presence of Danny Woodhead would keep the coaches up late at night, covering him out of the backfield would be a serious concern.

As it turned out Indianapolis wouldn't need to worry for very long, but Woodhead would gash them on the ground. From the very beginning the Colts favored Cover 2 and Dime defensive coverages to force the Chargers to run. Chuck Pagano was obviously confident that Christian Ponder wouldn't be able to throw the ball well enough to win, but the Colts probably had no idea how poorly they would play on defense.

Indianapolis really poured it on, but it wasn't without an enormous amount of trouble. Andrew Luck did not look like himself with passes flying off randomly and finding the turf more often than a receiver. Despite those issues the Colts managed to put up 24 points before the Chargers scores a TD thanks to a 42 yard run by rookie HB Andrew Hale. Hale broke a number of tackles on his way to the endzone, and Pagano could be seen exploding on his defensive unit on the sidelines.

Hilton made the most out of his seven catches.

After the half Pagano had another reason to unload on his players after Woodhead went 64 yards for a TD. The Chargers 2PT attempt failed, and that was basically the end of the game. The Colts went to their running game and put 17 more points on the board in the second half to blow out San Diego.

Even with Luck having a terrible 26/40 day the Colts won and head into a home game with Houston before an incredibly easy run of games. It won't be until Week 15 that Indianapolis will face an elite team, the currently 8-0 Green Bay Packers, but by that time they could have their division all but clinched.

2016 Colts - NFL Standings (Week 8)

NFL Standings - Updated: Oct 24, 2016
NFC EAST	W	L	T
Philadelphia	5	2
Dallas	3	4
NY Giants	1	7
Washington	0	7	1
NFC NORTH	W	L	T
Green Bay	7	0
Chicago	4	4
Detroit	3	4
Minnesota	2	4	1
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T
Carolina	4	3
New Orleans	3	4
Tampa Bay	2	5
Atlanta	2	6
NFC WEST	W	L	T
Seattle	6	1
San Francisco	5	2
Arizona	5	3
Toronto	3	4
AFC EAST	W	L	T
NY Jets	6	1
New England	5	2
Miami	4	3
Buffalo	1	7
AFC NORTH	W	L	T
Cleveland	6	1
Baltimore	4	3
Cincinnati	3	5
Pittsburgh	2	6
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T
Indianapolis	6	1
Houston	5	2
Jacksonville	4	3
Tennessee	1	7
AFC WEST	W	L	T
Denver	6	1
Oakland	3	4
San Diego	3	4
Kansas City	2	6

2016 Colts - Week 8

8:30PM ET - October 24th, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts
Oct 24, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Detroit Lions (3-4, 1-3 Away)	7	17	3	6	33
Indianapolis Colts (6-1, 3-1 Home)	14	14	14	14	56

Top Performers

Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 484YDS, 4TD
Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 24CAR, 159YDS, 4TD
Receiving : C. Shorts III (IND) - 11REC, 201YDS, TD

INDIANAPOLIS - If you tuned in to Monday Night Football, you ended up watching one of the most explosive games of the year. Coming in the Colts faithful were definitely scratching their heads as GM Phil Emery announced that LG Donald Thomas had been traded to Pittsburgh for a 4th and 7th round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Colts offensive line has been amazing, but losing some depth is definitely a concern.

Indianapolis was looking at an elite QB (Matthew Stafford) and an old nemesis at HB (DeMarco Murray), the defense would definitely be tested by Stafford's arm and Murray catching passes in the flats. As it turned out, it was the Lions' defense that would be in dire straits right from the start.

The Colts were already up 14-0 in the 1st quarter when LaRon landry whiffed on an attempt to pick off Stafford and allowed Golden Tate to scamper 53 yards for a TD. Detroit started off with a more balanced approach, but they saw an opening in the Indianapolis secondary and tried to test Landry all night.

Luck is on pace to crush just about every passing record.

Shayn Ramsey ran one in from 2 yards out to start the 2nd quarter, but Detroit came roaring back with a TD pass and a TD run by Murray. The Colts had the ball with less than 2:00 to go, which turned out to be plenty of time as Andrew Luck hit T.Y. Hilton for a 49 yard TD pass that left Detroit 1:30. The Lions were able to move the ball, but the Colts defense came up big and forced a 43 yard Blair Walsh FG. The teams went into the locker room with a 28-24 score, and the Lions were threatening to hand the Colts their second loss.

It isn't clear what each head coach said in the locker room at halftime, but what ever Chuck Pagano said worked really well. Indianapolis' adjustments were so good that they might have been spying on the Lions' locker room. Murray found himself unable to get more than a yard or two and Stafford had to force balls to Tate for 1st downs. Detroit's first drive of the 3rd quarter ended in another FG, and then the Colts took over.

Hilton caught a 71 yard pass only to be tackled on the 3 yard line, but it wasn't all bad at Ramsey punched it in on the next play. Hilton got his due on the next Colts possession, which came thanks to Stafford's first INT of the game, with a 29 yard strike for his second TD of the game. The game moved into the 4th and Stafford threw another INT, this time to FS Branch Daniels, and Indianapolis converted it into a 7 yard TD run by Ramsey.

Now down 49-27 the Lions had no choice but to throw the ball, and in the waning minutes of the game the Colts defense took advantage. Even though the drive ended in a short TD pass, the Colts sacked Stafford three times to bring their total up to six. They failed to convert a 2PT attempt, and their onside kick found Jacob Tamme to basically finish the games. The Colts went to their run game and the tired Lions defenders couldn't stop them. The game mercifully ended after Ramsey ran in for his fourth TD of the day.

If Indianapolis can play like this every week, nobody will be able to stop them. They face a tricky road game at San Diego next week, but they head into an easy stretch of games after that with Houston, Jacksonville, Oakland, and Tennessee at home. The Colts could easily be 11-1 coming out of that stretch with another game against the Titans waiting for Week 16. It's going to be hard to keep the Colts out of the playoffs this year.