1:00PM ET - October 16th, 2016
EverBank Field - Jacksonville, FL
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
Oct 16,
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (5-1, 3-0 Away)
21
14
7
10
52
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4, 1-3 Home)
0
3
0
0
3
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 440YDS, 4TD Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 29CAR, 121YDS, 3TD Receiving : C. Shorts III (IND) - 7REC, 175YDS, 2TD
JACKSONVILLE - It's hard to tell if the Jaguars are really bad, or if the AFC South has been put on notice. Probably more likely that Jacksonville isn't good, Blake Bortles is definitely not getting it done, this game was just an outright beating from the opening kickoff. The Colts were helped by the return of D'Qwell Jackson and Ricky Jean-Francois from injury, but they weren't really needed all that much.
Indianapolis' offense just blew this game away in the 1st quarter, the defense helped too, but Andrew Luck cut right through the Jaguars defense. Already up 7-0 Vontaze Burfict tallied a strip sack that gave Indianapolis the ball on the Jaguars' 20 yard line, one play later Luck hit Cecil Shorts III for a 20 yard TD pass.
The Colts poured it on in the 2nd, adding two more TDs while Jacksonville only managed a FG. After halftime the Colts' running game crushed the Jaguars and this game mercifully found it's end.
Burfict ate Bortles alive all day.
Bortles was horrible, even though his offensive line didn't do him any favors by allowing 8 sacks, though he was rather accurate. A 19/22 day was mostly built around running for his life and hitting people on underneath routes, but it ended in sacks more than anything else.
The Colts defense seems to be catching up with the offense, a home game against Detroit will be a better test of their progress. It's easy to stop Jacksonville, but Matthew Stafford will be a little harder to deal with.
1:00PM EST - October 2nd, 2016
NRG Stadium - Houston, TX
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
Oct 2, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (4-1, 2-0 Away)
17
24
0
7
48
Houston Texans (3-2, 2-1 Home)
3
7
3
0
13
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 529YDS, 4TD Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 26CAR, 170YDS, 2TD Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 10REC, 186YDS TD
HOUSTON - The Texans are much improved on offense this year, and no doubt remember the beatings they took from Indianapolis in 2015, but they haven't improved enough to get revenge. Houston went out during the offseason and landed Brian Hoyer and TE Jordan Cameron. Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, and Cameron should have been a nightmare for Indianapolis, but instead they were mostly toothless outside of a fantasy league.
Indianapolis jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Houston threatened to score, but a goal line stand forced a FG. It's hard to believe it, but things got worse very quickly. The Texans vaunted defense was more like a turnstile for the Colts' running game, which only made covering receivers harder. Indianapolis added three more scores, all touchdowns, before the Texans got into the endzone. A deep pass to Johnson ended in an 80 yard TD when Vontae Davis went for a pick and came up empty.
It's too easy!
The second half was rather quiet as the Colts went to their punishing ground game to finish things off. Hoyer's only option today was to throw, and boy did he throw to Johnson and Cameron. Arian Foster, normally an offensive force, was held to a sad 27 yards on 10 carries. The Colts defense simply ate the Texans alive, and the more Hoyer dropped back to throw the more they sacked him. In the end Indianapolis totalled 8 sacks and allowed a minuscule 25 rushing yards.
The ultimate humiliation came in the 4th quarter, with the Texans defense worn out and exhausted Ramsey broke loose for a 72 yard TD run that would cap the game off at 48-13. Indianapolis was basically on cruise control thanks to Luck having an amazing day. Luck finished 30/39 with 4TD an no interceptions, a really great way to win a game. The Colts have Week 6 off followed by a road game at Jacksonville in Week 7.
4:15PM ET - September 25th, 2015
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Sep 25, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
New England Patriots (2-2, 1-2 Away)
0
3
7
7
17
Indianapolis Colts (3-1, 2-1 Home)
14
14
0
14
42
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 416YDS, 3TD Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 21CAR, 128YDS, 2TD Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 12REC, 146YDS, 2TD
INDIANAPOLIS - Patriots first-year coach Jeff Fischer probably went over the Colts-Bears game tape and felt good coming into this game. Shane Vereen presented a similar run/catch threat which caused the Colts so many problems last week, and Tom Brady is significantly better than Josh Freeman. It isn't that hard to see where things went wrong, but this game was nothing like last week.
Andrew Luck threw three TD passes in the first half while Shayn Ramsey added a rushing score for a 28-3 lead. While Brady was accurate, the Patriots could barely move the ball. The best they could muster before the break was a 42 yard FG.
It's almost too easy for Luck.
New England started the 3rd quarter well, moving the ball down the field, but a long bomb to Roddy White found Vontae Davis instead. Brady managed to hit Rob Gronkowski with a short TD pass on the next drive, but the Colts came back with a rushing TD from Ramsey and another one from Justin Forsett. Down 42-10 the Patriots managed to score once more in the last few minutes of the game, but it was much too little too late.
Luck had a big day mostly thanks to the three headed monster at wideout. T.Y. Hilton, Cecil Shorts III, and Da'Rick Rogers all had more than 100 receiving yards and they nearly had 10 catches each. A 30:12 1st down advantage also helped Indianapolis crush the Patriots. Perhaps the early season struggles are over.
4:15 PM ET - September 18th, 2016
Soldier Field - Chicago, IL
Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears
Sep 18, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (2-1, 1-0 Away)
6
7
7
7
27
Chicago Bears (2-1, 1-1 Home)
10
7
7
24
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 404YDS, TD Rushing : M. Forte (CHI) - 19CAR, 135YDS, TD Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 14REC, 143YDS, TD
CHICAGO - Heavy winds coming off Lake Michigan made today's game interesting, but not as interesting as the early season struggles for the Colts. Indianapolis headed into a hostile environment to play a team armed with one of their weaknesses; elite receiving HB. Things would look bleak as late as the final 2:00 of the game, but the offense and defense would step up to pull this one out.
The best Indianapolis could do in the 1st quarter was two field goals in the swirling winds, and boy were they glad they took the points. It didn't take long for Indianapolis to see they were going to have problems with Matt Forte, who was an immediate match up nightmare in passing situations. Things tipped Indianapolis' way when a goal line stand forced the Bears into a 26 yard FG attempt.
Chicago came right back with another scoring drive, this time a 2 yard TD run on 3rd & 2 from the 2, and then Cecil Shorts III fumbled away with ball with just 2:10 to play in the 1st half. Even though the Bears got the ball on the Indianapolis 49 yard line, they went three-and-out to give the Colts a chance. Andrew Luck stepped up to lead a seven play 78 yard drive in just 1:30 for a Shayn Ramsey 1 yard TD run. With the score just 13-10, and Forte causing serious problems, the second half would be close.
The 3rd quarter did not start or end well for the Colts. Forte broke off a 48 yard TD run to give Chicago the lead, and T.Y. Hilton would leave the game during the next drive with an ankle injury. Hilton would come back on the next possession to catch a short TD and give the Colts the lead again, but the Bears would stun Indianapolis by converting a 4th & 3 with a fake punt.
The Bears' fake punt rolled into a possession that lasted into the 4th quarter and ended with a 7 yard TD pass to Forte on a screen pass. The Colts just didn't have an answer for Forte and the Bears used him so well when Vontaze Burfict or Bjoern Werner were sent on blitzes. Josh Freeman seemed to have an emergency escape button in the shape of Forte whenever the pass rush got to him, and the draw play was killer whenever Indianapolis came out in a Dime or Nickel defense.
Forte was a nearly unstoppable force.
Despite everything that happened, the Colts came up big and showed why they won it all last year. A dominating drive ended with a 24 yard TD run by Ramsey to give the Colts a 27-24 lead, and then a three-and-out possession by Chicago gave the Colts another chance. Indianapolis tried to run out the clock, but found themselves looking at a long 4th down or a 42 yard FG try. Coach Pagano sent out the kicking team, but Taylor Reyes couldn't handle the wind and the ball went wide right and short to give the Bears the ball back on their own 27 with 1:52 left to play. The Bears drove down the field, but Freeman found Colts FS Branch Daniels for his second INT of the game which gave Indianapolis the ball back with 0:39 left to play. A kneel down later and the Colts escaped with a win.
Even though he only threw one TD pass, the game ball goes to Luck. Luck went into halftime 11/24 for 200 yards, but came out in the second half and burned down the Bears secondary with a 22/25 204 yard performance that helped set up the win. The Colts also finished with three 100+ yard receiver in Hilton (143), Da'Rick Rogers (122), and the oft-injured Shorts (108) while limiting the Bears' Brandon Marshall to only 58 yards on 5 catches.
8:20PM ET - September 11th, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts
Sep 11, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Minnesota Vikings (0-1-1, 0-1 Away)
7
10
0
0
17
Indianapolis Colts (1-1, 1-1 Home)
7
14
14
7
42
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 340YDS, 4TD Rushing : S. Ramsey (IND) - 28CAR, 116YDS, TD Receiving : C. Shorts III (IND) - 7REC, 135YDS, TD
INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts opened their season with a real dud, but after a bit of trouble they made good on their second try at home. With D'Qwell Jackson and Ricky Jean-Francois out until Week 6, the Colts defense would be thinner than usual on the defensive line.
Thing started to go poorly on the first play of the game, and things started out looking like last week's loss to Denver. Donte Moncrief was hit hard on the opening kickoff and fumbled the ball, the Vikings recovered it and started the game on the Indianapolis 20 yard line. A few plays later Teddy Bridgewater ran into the endzone from 3 yards out, afterwards he had a chuckle with a Colts fan waving a 'Bridewater' sign. Indianapolis scored on their next drive to make the game 7-7, and then things really started to turn against the Vikings.
In the closing second of the 1st quarter the Vikings found themselves in 4th & inches on their own 48 and decided to go for it. Adrian Peterson, already struggling against the Colts run defense, was stoned for no gain and the Colts had a short field. A few plays later Andrew Luck hit T.Y. Hilton in the endzone for a short TD pass, but the Vikings had a little more fight in them. A brilliant drive from Bridgewater, on his way to a 24/30 day, and a 12 yard TD pass to Peterson would pull the score even at 14-14.
Hilton celebrates his second TD.
Minnesota looked like they were going to flip the script on Indianapolis after a 3-and-out drive from the Colts resulted in another good Vikings drive. From 15 yards out it looked like Bridgewater was going to take the lead, but the entire game started to come crashing down. Aerion Mims picked off Bridgewater in the endzone, Luck would hit Cecil Shorts III for a 44 yard TD pass, and the Colts basically never looked back.
Indianapolis started to pour it on in the 3rd quarter with TD passes to Hilton and Da'Rick Rogers, and with a hefty lead the Vikings had to play right into the Colts hands. Mims, already with one INT, picked off Bridgewater for a TAINT (Touchdown After INT) from 28 yards out. Vernon Davis added to the Vikings misery with an INT as well, and Branch Daniels tallied one as well on a deep bomb to Cordarrelle Patterson. Considering that Bridgewater threw 4INT, his 24/30 performance was very impressive.
Peterson finished the day with 30 yards on 20 carries, and the Colts managed to total 5 sacks. The Colts showed some of that dominance that helped them win the Superbowl, but they will need to be more consistent on both sides of the ball if they are going to repeat. The Colts also need to start worrying about injuries as the team announced Shorts left the game suffering shoulder soreness. With a steep drop off at TE, the team could be in trouble if they lose Shorts for an extended period of time.
8:30PM ET - September 8th, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Sep 8, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Denver Broncos (1-0, 1-0 Away)
0
14
14
6
34
Indianapolis Colts (0-1, 0-1 Home)
0
14
7
0
21
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 427YDS, TD Rushing : M. Ball (DEN) - 16CAR, 90YDS Receiving : C. Shorts III (IND) - 11REC, 161YDS
INDIANAPOLIS - Well, the 1972 Miami Dolphins don't have to worry about the 2016 Colts anymore, and they didn't even have to wait until Sunday. The NFL's first Thursday Night game of the year didn't disappoint, unless you are a Colts fan, but the rest of the league might feel better knowing they aren't invincible.
The Broncos strolled into Indianapolis without Peyton Manning, and did to the Colts what the Colts did to other teams all last year. Perhaps learning behind Manning helped Zach Dysert get ready to take over, and his debut couldn't have gone any better.
Nothing went well for Indianapolis, starting with a strip sack of Andrew Luck during the 1st quarter. The Colts just couldn't get going on offense, especially on the ground, and everything broke Denver's way. Neither team scored until the 2nd quarter when each team scored 14, but the Colts went into the half bruised and battered. Cecil Shorts III was taken out for about half a quarter with a shoulder injury, and D'Qwell Jackson left for good after breaking his collarbone.
Ramsey was almost on lockdown all game.
The Broncos' approach really paid off in the second half, and the Colts' inexperienced secondary was exposed by Demaryius Thomas. Thomas opened the scoring with a 69 yard TD catch after Kian Sampson blew his coverage and LaRon Landry forgot how to tackle. Shayn Ramsey finally broke a long run for a TD, finding the endzone from 14 yards out, but that was the last time he would gain that many yards.
With the run game under Denver's control, the Colts did the only thing they could; throw. Luck finished the game 44/61, but his single TD pass to T.Y. Hilton in the 2nd quarter was all they could manage. Without being able to run the Colts couldn't use their deadly play action passing plays and Luck struggled to get the offense going. Ramsey finished with a disappointing 52 yards on 14 carries and Indianapolis never came close to scoring in the 4th.
Denver added two field goals in the 4th quarter to seal the deal and the Superbowl Champions had to walk off the field 0-1 to start 2016. The Colts aren't really in a panic, even with Ricky Jean-Francois breaking his collarbone as well, but another game like this will make a repeat title an issue.
Indianapolis Colts (14-2) : Being projected to win 14 games is pretty rare, but some of the advanced numbers actually have them winning that many games. Football Outsiders has their projected win total at 14.1 games, and predicts they will once again have the highest offensive DVOA in the NFL. Constantly unloading on teams is a great way to get to 14 wins, and their defense is probably going to be very good again so the rest of the division is in trouble.
Has Luck even reached his ceiling yet? Does he have one?!
Houston Texans (10-6) : The poor Texans are stuck behind the Colts in this scenario. Each of the past few seasons they have done well and made the playoffs. The problem is dropping two games to the Colts and fighting for a wild card. They have some serious issues at QB, but their offensive line and running game are strong. Just like the past few years, this teams has a really good defense, but their struggles on offense have relegated them to one-and-done status in the playoffs.
Watt continues to destroy offensive lines.
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10) : The Jaguars are not that bad, in fact they do have a very solid shot at going 6-6 or better outside of their Indianapolis-Houston matchups. They are like a very poor man's Houston at this point, their offense has issues but their defense plays well enough to beat bad teams. Blake Bortles has not developed as expected under center, and he may find himself out of a starting job if things don't improve. The best thing going for them in the division it that they could easily beat Tennessee twice.
Jeffrey is Jacksonville's only weapon.
Tennessee Titans (4-12) : Projecting 4 wins for this team is really hard, especially when Football Outsiders has their expected win total at 2.6. The Titans are probably the worst team in football, a classic example of constantly drafting high gone wrong. Their QB only have one year of experience, their offense is bereft of impact talent, and their defense is basically Jurrell Casey and Brandon Spikes trying to prop up everyone. It's going to be a long year for the Titans, it will probably be Ken Wisenhunt's last if they don't make the playoffs.
Spikes goes from first to worst in exchange for a huge paycheck.
INDIANAPOLIS - The 2016 season is about to start, and thanks to the pre-season we can see how the 2016 Colts are going to be moving forward. Indianapolis will be the favorite to win it all, as they should be, but this season they didn't have a massive influx of free agents to fill positions of need. Phil Emery still looks like the best GM in football after pulling off a great draft class, but this team is hardly perfect. If the Colts can repeat after basically taking a nap during free agency, this team could be a juggernaut in 2018.
No surprises, the Colts won most of their games, though pre-season results hardly have any effect on the regular season. Most of the competition was between rookies and average vets for a small handful of starting spots. The coaches were very focused on helping depth players get some game experience.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
Indianapolis Colts Depth Chart - 2016
Regular Offense
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
WR
T.Y. Hilton
D. Rogers
TE
J. Tamme
B. Pettigrew
LT
A. Castonzo
J. Mewhort
LG
J. Mewhort
D. Thomas
C
K. Holmes
H. Thornton
RG
B. Fusco
K. Finley (R)
RT
W. Vega (R)
D. Thomas
WR
C. Shorts III
D. Moncrief
QB
A. Luck
J. Palmer
FB
S. Havili
HB
S. Ramsey (R)
J. Forsett
M. Lattimore
Base 3-4 Defense
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
LDE
D. Browning
R. Jean-Francois
NT
T. Knighton
R. Jean-Francois
RDE
B. Vaughn (R)
R. Jean-Francois
LOLB
B. Werner
E. Walden
LILB
A. Dent
A. Jackson
RILB
D. Jackson
K. Sheppard
ROLB
V. Burfict
E. Walden
CB
V. Davis
A. Mims (R)
SS
L. Landry
E. Agurs (R)
FS
B. Daniels
E. Agurs (R)
CB
K. Sampson (R)
A. Kilgore
Special Teams
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
K
T. Reyes (R)
P
P. McAfee
H
J. Palmer
PR
D. Moncrief
KR
D. Moncrief
LS
D. Thomas
OTA / PRE-SEASON ANSWERS Andrew Luck, MVP : What else is there to say about Andrew Luck? After two consecutive MVP awards, and now a Superbowl ring, he has entered the conversation as the best QB in the NFL. With the running game a little bit of an issue, and the offense moving to more formations out of the shotgun, Luck could make an assault on some NFL passing records this season. After throwing for 4735 yards and 44TD in a balanced offense that often salted opponents away in the 2nd half with a crushing running game, it's frightening to think of what could happen if they throw the ball more.
Offensive Line Dominance : The rich get richer, and the great get greater. The Colts line was amazing last year, and it could be even better this year. Rookie RT Wayne Vega came into camp and just crushed everyone in his path, he was so good the Colts moved their line around to start him at RT. Brandon Fusco moved inside to RG and pushed Pro-Bowler Donald Thomas into a backup role. The Colts offense figures to be the best in football, and this unit is one reason why. Starting HB : Coming into the NFL Draft the team was set to start Justin Forsett, but the preseason changed their minds. Rookie HB Shayn Ramsey impressed coaches with his pass blocking and ability to hold on to the ball. He's a bigger back than Forsett, but he isn't all that fast and doesn't provide the best receiving option. Despite all of that, Hamilton and the Colts tabbed him to be their starter.
Can Ramsey fill Richardson's shoes?
FALL QUESTIONS Defensive Line (Again) : Donavon Browning was really good in his rookie year, and he figures to improve going forward, but this group is really thin. Snagging Terrance Knighton on a 1-year deal was a good move, but he can't play every down. Arthur Jones and Ricky Jean-Francois are backing up the ends and DT, which is not an ideal situation. Rookie Brieon Vaughn won the starting job at RE, but it wasn't that hard to win over the other options. This line is going to be very reliant on the linebackers, otherwise it's going to be hard to repeat their 2015 performance.
Tight End : After having what might have been the most dynamic TE situation in the NFL, the Colts suddenly find themselves starting two guys who are average at best. In fact, the TE situation has influenced Hamilton to make a bit of a shift in their offensive philosophy. Based on the preseason, the Colts are backing away from two-TE situations and starting to run more plays out of the shotgun. Jacob Tamme and Brandon Pettigrew, both signed on 1-year deals, are blocking TE types who might be possession receivers at best. It will be interesting to see how Luck and the offense adjust after a huge season from Dwayne Allen.
Secondary Depth : Team management tried hard to upgrade the secondary in the draft, but with LaRon Landry back in the starting lineup it still has some issues. Three of the four starters look to be solid, with Kian Sampson looking like a great draft pick, but nickel/dime/quarters defense will be a problem. There are a lot of rookies and below-average guys backing up the starters, an injury or two could kill the Colts' ability to defend the pass.
MIAMI - The NFL Draft tour continues with South Florida as the new backdrop, a much warmer venue than past host cities. With the Colts basically sitting on their wallets during free agency, a number of holes to fill, and a few extra draft picks, this draft promised to be very eventful. GM Phil Emery would head into this draft looking to build for the future and prepare for another run at the Superbowl.
Tennessee took ROLB Boris Ferguson out of Wisconsin #1 overall, and the New York Giants took RE Mario Devito out of Alabama at #2. The theme of this draft was defensive talent, with the 1st round filled with mostly defenders as teams try to counteract the NFL's offensive explosion. The Colts enjoyed extra picks in the 2nd and 7th round thanks to trades with Pittsburgh (52nd) and the New York Jets (200th).
2016 NFL Draft - Indianapolis Colts
Pick
Player
College
Pos
Ht
Wt
1 (32)
Kian Sampson
California
CB
6'-1"
200
2 (52)
Shayn Ramsey
Pittsburgh
HB
6'-1"
220
2 (64)
Kendrick Finley
Michigan State
LG
6'-4"
315
3 (96)
Wayne Vega
Missouri
RT
6'-7"
335
4 (128)
Aerion Mims
Tulane
CB
6'-0"
195
5 (160)
Brieon Vaughn
Texas
RE
6'-3"
295
6 (192)
Eddie Agurs
Utah
FS
6'-2"
205
7 (200)
Malcom Garner
Florida
DT
6'-3"
310
7 (224)
Taylor Reyes
Mississippi State
K
5'-11"
180
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Best Pick(s) : CB Kian Sampson, RT Wayne Vega
Emery must have been elated to have Sampson fall to the final pick of the 1st round. The Cal corner was one of the fastest and most fluid defenders available, and he fills a position of need. The Colts lost one of their starting CB in Prince Amukamara, and Sampson looks like he may be able to step right in and take his place. Vega may be the steal of the draft, the 6'-7" mauler was overlooked a little coming out of Missouri, but the Colts didn't hesitate to call his name in the 3rd round. Vega has elite size and showed good footwork, but he found himself slotted behind a number of other tackles. The Colts already have an established offensive line, so Vega and fellow draft pick Kendrick Finley will have time to develop.
Worst Pick(s) : DT Malcom Garner, FS Eddie Agurs
It's easy to point at a late 6th and 7th round pick and call it a bad pick, but these were confusing picks for a team that desperately needs a DT and has no TE on it's roster. Garner did play in the SEC, and he's a prototypical DT, but he is definitely not an immediate starter. Why Emery went with a FS when the team needs a TE, and when they have a stud FS already, nobody will ever know. The Agurs pick seems like a waste, unless he moves to SS and turns out to be better than scouted.
Sleeper Pick(s) : RE Brieon Vaughn, CB Aerion Mims
These were also easy to pick out, and on some level it's hard to believe these two fell as far as they did. Vaughn was the biggest surprise as a pass rusher out of a 3-4 system in college with elite size and strength, it looks like he was knocked down by his lack of production at Texas where he only registered 12 sacks during his three years as a starter. The Colts are more interested in lineman who can play the run, and many teams pegged Vaughn as a bit of a tweener when it came to DE-NT and he lacks the finer details you would want out of a DE like a quick burst and a knack for pursuit. He has the physical tools to be good, and considering the Colts issues on the defensive line he may be an immediate starter. Mims, another speedy corner, shows elite athleticism but lacks the finer points of pass coverage. He has shown the ability to be an above average defender in zone coverage, but he can be exploited in man coverage. His incredible speed, 4.28 40-yard dash, allowed him to paper over these cracks at times in college, but better receivers showed his deficiencies. Mims doesn't need to start immediately, he will have time to develop, and if the coaching staff can work their magic he has the potential to be a starting CB in the NFL.
Draft Grade : A-
It's definitely too early to make any definitive calls, but early reports have the Colts winning here as well. Emery was able to land some win-now talent (Sampson) and build for the future at the same time. The only knock on this class would be a lack of high-impact talent and Indianapolis' failure to draft a TE or DT capable of starting. None of these prospects made anyone jump for joy, but they will help the Colts make a run at a second Superbowl in 2016.
INDIANAPOLIS - Free agency started and went with barely a wimper at the Colts offices. It's hard to tell, and nobody would confirm it, but management didn't even come in to the office until it was time to start talking about the draft. Ownership can rest knowing they are the champions, but things are going to get tough financially.
PRE-FREE AGENCY NEGOTIATIONS
After splurging on free agent last year, the Colts found themselves in a situation where they would need to show some serious restraint, but they also ended up in a sticky situation. Due to financial concerns, an enormous number of starters were allowed to leave without receiving an offer from the Colts. It was hard, but necessary, and GM Phil Emery wasn't happy to see them go.
Indianapolis decided to part ways with Trent Richardson, Dwayne Allen, Prince Amukamara, Brandon Spikes, William Moore, Coby Fleener, Vick Ballard, and Darius Butler. The saddest, and hardest, move was letting Reggie Wayne walk. The long-time Colts favorite is just not part of their future plans, so they had to make the decision to let him either retire or sign on elsewhere.
The only players to sign new contracts were T.Y. Hilton and Andrew Luck... in a sense. Thanks to the financial situation, the Colts were not able to come up with the money for a long-term contract with Luck, so the team was forced to use the franchise tag in the hopes that next season will allow them to lock him up.
FREE AGENCY
Indianapolis, as expected, was basically inactive during free agency. With Ballard leaving town the team needed to look for some HB depth, so they landed on a short term contract with Marcus Lattimore. He figures to be the 2nd HB on the depth chart behind Justin Forsett.
It was smart of Emery to let so many guys walk, as they landed some hefty contracts elsewhere. Richardson ended up signing a 5-year $25.8 million contract with the Giants, Amukamara signed a 5-year $56 million deal with the Dolphins, and Allen cashed in big time by signing a 7-year $61 million deal with Washington.
The Colts have a number of holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but they just didn't have the cap space to take care of it now. The draft will have to be their source of salvation.
3:00PM ET - January 24th, 2016
Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, FL
Indianapolis Colts at Philadelphia Eagles
Jan 24, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (#1 15-1, 7-1 Away)
10
14
7
7
38
Philadelphia Eagles (#1 14-2, 7-1 Home)
3
0
0
7
10
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 288YDS, 3TD Rushing : T. Richardson (IND) - 17CAR, 181YDS, 2TD Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 12REC, 104YDS
TAMPA - After a week of stories, interviews, hype, and more hype, the Superbowl was finally here. Fans couldn't have wished for a better matchup, both #1 seeds made it to Tampa to face off for the title. The Colts and Eagles dropped 3 games between them, but one team would leave this game wondering how they ever lost at all.
It's hard to say this was an outright beating, because the Eagles played so well, but the Colts scored on the first offensive play of the game and never looked back. Trent Richardson took a handoff and ran 80 yards for a TD, giving Indianapolis a 7-0 lead that would keep them ahead for the rest of the day.
Richardson essentially put this one away on the very first play.
The Eagles defense came prepared today, and opened the game with a solid showing in the 1st quarter. Aside from the 80 yard rushing score, the Colts had issues moving the ball. Both teams swapped FG and the 2nd quarter started with a reasonable 10-3 score. Nick Foles struggled, but the Eagles had the Colts number with LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. McCoy ran well, and the two caused headaches out of the back field, which has been a problem for the Colts all season.
Despite having some success on the ground and passing to the flats, Foles just couldn't hit anyone down field and couldn't get the Eagles into the endzone in the first half. Andrew Luck hit Cecil Shorts III and Reggie Wayne for TD passes in the 2nd quarter and the Colts went into halftime up 24-3. As expected, with Richardson and Vick Ballard just waiting to grind the Eagles down, this game looked out of reach.
Richardson added his second TD run in the 3rd quarter, and he teamed up with Ballard to crush Philadelphia's hopes of a comeback. Luck hit DaRick Rogers for his third TD pass, and Foles shot back with one to Pierre Garcon, but the game was already well out of hand. The Eagles had one more shot at a score, with the clock ticking down, but a sack on 4th & Goal from the 4 ended any hopes of salvaging some respect.
Foles was outclassed and outplayed by Luck.
Indianapolis' turnaround was now complete, a resounding victory after a 2014 season filled with utter disappointment. Luck, going 41/46 with 3TD passes, was named Superbowl MVP. With the way this team is built, he could be looking at more in seasons to come.
GLENDALE - With the Superbowl matchup decided it was time to reveal the Pro Bowl selections. As expected, with the best offense in the league, an avalanche of Colts players were selected. While the Colts defense has been excellent as a whole, one one Colts defender would make his way to Arizona.
OFFENSE
QB Andrew Luck
HB Trent Richardson
WR T.Y. Hilton
WR Cecil Shorts III
TE Dwayne Allen
LT Anthony Castonzo
LG Jack Mewhort
C Khalid Holmes
RG Donald Thomas
RT Brandon Fusco
DEFENSE
CB Prince Amukamara
P Pat McAfee
No surprises on offense, everyone selected was dominant all season. The Colts offensive line was so solid, you can't have the league's best passing and rushing offense without an offensive line that plays at an elite level. The rest of the league should be frightened as this group should be together for some time.
Defensively there were probably some deserving of an invitiation, specfically Vontaze Burfict, but only Prince Amukamara made it. Amukamara snagged 9 interceptions, so it was hard to ignore him. Hopefully next year will see more Colts defenders.
3:00PM ET - January 10th, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Jan 10, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Denver Broncos (#2 13-3, 6-2 Away)
0
7
0
0
7
Indianapolis Colts (#1 15-1, 8-0 Home)
14
21
0
10
45
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 278YDS, 2TD Rushing : T. Richardson (IND) - 30CAR, 198YDS, 2TD Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 11REC, 124YDS, TD
INDIANAPOLIS - The build up for the AFC Title game was just too much. The story lines and talking points were too perfect, they basically wrote themselves. NFL fans might have gone into this week thinking this was the Superbowl, but they would have been wrong and very disappointed with the result.
The return of Peyton Manning to Indianapolis could have fueled an entire month of speculation, add in the fact that this could be Manning's final season and the excitement hit a fever pitch. The Broncos, coming into this game at 13-3, were also an excellent team with the tools to take down Indianapolis. Unfortunately for the Broncos and Manning, they found themselves on the wrong end of a Colts beat down.
Manning had serious issues staying upright in the pocket.
The game opened up looking like the Broncos had the magic. They were very aggressive on their first drive and went for it on a 4th and 2 which resulted in a huge 45 yard gain thanks to an equally aggressive Colts defense. Nothing came of it, and Indianapolis went up 7-0 on a Trent Richardson rushing TD.
Things only got worse from there for Denver. Prince Amukamara picked off Manning one play after a big pass to Cody Latimer put the Broncos back on the offensive. Andrew Luck made it 14-0 with a short TD pass to Richardson, and the blowout was on. Luck hit Dwayne Allen and T.Y. Hilton in the 2nd quarter to make it 28-0 before a short TD run by Ronnie Hillman put Denver on the board. Vick Ballard ran it in from a yard out after an 11 play 83 yard drive to make it 35-7 and close out the 1st half.
Richardson carried the Colts into the Superbowl.
The Colts came out after halftime and put their running game and defense to work. The Broncos had no hope against the Indianapolis secondary, they knew Denver had to throw and lived out of a Dime/Quarters formation to shut them out. Ballard and Richardson combined to eat up the clock and keep the ball out of Manning's hand. A second Ballard TD run and a FG would be the only scoring, completing the victory.
Ballard and Richardson split 48 carries between them for 290 yards and 4TD on the ground. Whoever faces Indianapolis in the Superbowl is going to have to find a way to at least slow down their punishing run game. Thanks to their ability to run, Luck barely had to throw the ball. Luck went 23/25, the fear of a run game made it all too easy to complete passes.
1:00PM ET - January 3rd, 2016
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
Jan 3, 2016
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Baltimore Ravens (#6 9-7, 3-5 Away)
0
6
3
0
9
Indianapolis Colts (#1 15-1, 8-0 Home)
14
7
14
3
38
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 261YDS, 3TD Rushing : T. Richardson (IND) - 30CAR, 138YDS, 2TD Receiving : T.Y. Hilton (IND) - 11REC, 82YDS, TD
INDIANAPOLIS - After stunning the Patriots in the Wild Card round, the Ravens drew the short straw for a trip to Indianapolis. The Colts were not in their juggernaut form, but the Ravens did little to take advantage of the few mistakes the Colts made. Baltimore barely had possession of the ball, and the Colts running game wasn't going to give them any more.
The Colts jumped out to a 21-0 lead before things really started to go bad for Baltimore. Ray Rice was basically unable to get more than 1-2 yards a carry, but the Ravens weren't ready to abandon the run. Things really turned against the Ravens after a crazy series of possessions that started with William Moore picking off a toothless Joe Flacco in the 2nd quarter. A quick pass to T.Y. Hilton on the next drive resulted in a fumble after a big hit, giving the Ravens the ball on the Indianapolis 32 yard line. Flacco drove the team closer, looking to make it 21-7, but a Bjoern Werner sack would force a 4th & Goal situation and make Baltimore kick a FG.
Richardson shoulders the load against Baltimore.
Not long after breaking the shutout the Ravens would use a killer punt return to get them in FG range again. The Colts defense held them and Justin Tucker hit his second FG of the game. He would add one more after the half, but that was it for the Ravens.
The Colts would add two more scores to really put the game away, their punishing run game would make things hellish for Baltimore. Richardson would fumble the ball away on the 17, but Baltimore would be pinned in and nothing came of it.
Andrew Luck would be his usual self, going 29/33, and he didn't need to be much more thanks to the Colts defense and running game. It seemed like the Colts were saving their best for next week, and after the remainder of the games played out they would need it.
The Denver Broncos would crush the Bengals 25-3 for a date with the Colts next week. Philadelphia topped Green Bay 28-6, and San Francisco trounced New Orleans 35-13.
INDIANAPOLIS - With the Colts at home and the regular season over the playoff picture is complete, and the Divisional round matchups are set. Indianapolis is the favorite to win the Superbowl, but there are a number of teams poised to knock them off. Denver is a very good team, and if they make it to Tampa Bay they will probably have to go through Philadelphia or San Francisco.
NFL Standings - Updated: Dec 21, 2015
NFC EAST
W
L
T
Philadelphia-Z
14
2
0
NFC NORTH
W
L
T
Minnesota-Y
11
5
0
NFC SOUTH
W
L
T
New Orleans-Y
10
5
1
NFC WEST
W
L
T
San Francisco-Y
13
3
0
NFC WILD CARD RACE
W
L
T
Seattle-X
12
4
0
Green Bay-X
9
7
0
AFC EAST
W
L
T
New England-Y
12
4
0
AFC NORTH
W
L
T
Cincinnati-Y
10
6
0
AFC SOUTH
W
L
T
Indianapolis-Z
15
1
0
AFC WEST
W
L
T
Denver-Y
13
3
0
AFC WILD CARD RACE
W
L
T
Houston-X
10
6
0
Baltimore-X
9
7
0
The wildcard weekend wrapped up with a few surprises as underdogs knocked off heavy favorites. Baltimore stunned New England 19-10 at Foxborough, and Seattle lost a close one 14-15 at New Orleans. The Bengals were bailed out by Baltimore, who now has to face the Colts, but a trip to Denver is their consolation prize.
The week off gave the Colts time to recover and deal with the avalanche of awards and accolades on both sides of the ball. Andrew Luck would take home his second straight MVP Award, and Chuck Pagano won his first Coach of the Year award thanks to their 15-1 turnaround. Pagano was awarded the 2013 George Halas Award, but this year could be even bigger.
NFL Award Winners
Award
Player
Pos
Team
Most Valuable Player
Andrew Luck (2nd)
QB
Indianapolis Colts
Coach of the Year
Chuck Pagano (1st)
HC
Indianapolis Colts
Offensively the Indianapolis Colts were dominant, and perhaps dominant isn't a good word when describing how good they were. Luck finished #1 in passing yards (4735) and TD passes (44), Trent Richardson finished #1 in rushing yards (1696) and TDs (20), T.Y. Hilton finished #1 in receiving yards (1669) and receiving TDs (16), and Cecil Shorts III capped it off by finishing #2 in yards (1384) and receiving TDs (11). As a whole, the Colts offensive finished #1 in 1st Downs, Total Yards, Passing Yards, Rushing Yards, and Points Per Game. With stunning numbers like that the Colts are bound to send numerous players to the Pro Bowl.
Defensively the Colts showed incredible levels of improvement. The rebuilding of this defense by GM Phil Emery has really paid off. Indianapolis finished #3 in Total Yards Allowed and Points Allowed, #2 in Interceptions, and #1 in Sacks and Rushing Yards Allowed. Hard to beat a team with those kinds of numbers.
Despite all of the awards and pending Pro Bowl selections, the only award that matters to this team now is the Super Bowl trophy. Three more wins and it will be theirs.
1:00PM ET - December 20th, 2015
MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ
Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets
Dec 20, 2015
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (15-1, 7-1 Away)
7
14
3
10
34
New York Jets (5-10-1, 2-6 Home)
0
0
0
8
8
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 279YDS, 2TD Rushing : V. Ballard (IND) - 28CAR, 149YDS, TD Receiving : D. Rogers (IND) - 16REC, 110YDS, 2TD
EAST RUTHERFORD - With essentially nothing left to play for in terms of the standing the Colts rested their veteran starters today against the Jets. Trent Richardson, T.Y. Hilton, and Reggie Wayne would watch the game from the sidelines to avoid any potential injuries. All three of them have missed some time this year, so it would be important that they be healthy for the playoffs.
Indianapolis could thank to heavy wind and freezing temperatures, but mostly they could thanks the hapless Jets offense. This game mostly looked like a warm up for the Divisional round, but it also served as proof that the Colts could play well away from the safety of the Lucas Oil Stadium Dome.
The Colts took their time today, going up 21-0 by half time, and once Luck had two passing touchdowns they relied on the running game to score. The Jets threatened to score in the first half with a Nick Folk 56 yard FG, but the heavy winds prevented it from being successful.
Rogers filled in well for T.Y. Hilton.
The real problem for New York was Geno Smith, who was just downright awful. Smith finished the day 8/14, and most of the incompletions weren't even close. Smith also tallied a pitiful 68 passing yards, but did manage to find Eddie Royal in the endzone to end the shutout. The Jets were basically a three-and-out machine today, not a way to win against a red hot Colts defense.
Vick Ballard shouldered the load today, carrying the ball 28 times, but Justin Forsett also saw the field quite a bit. The Colts used the ground game to end this game at halftime, they didn't need to do much in the second half to hold on to the win.
Indianapolis gets a week off to recover and prepare for the Divisional round. Whoever comes into Lucas Oil Stadium is going to be an underdog, but all bets are off in the playoffs.
1:00PM ET - December 13th, 2015
Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts
Dec 13, 2015
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Atlanta Falcons (4-10-1, 1-7 Away)
0
6
7
7
20
Indianapolis Colts (14-1, 8-0 Home)
14
17
7
7
45
Top Performers Passing : M. Ryan (ATL) - 376YDS, 2TD Rushing : T. Richardson (IND) - 12CAR, 166YDS, TD Receiving : C. Shorts III (IND) - 19REC, 196YDS
INDIANAPOLIS - Well, so much for taking their foot off the pedal. The Colts completed their undefeated record at home with a walloping of the woeful Falcons today and clinched the #1 seed. This game stood as a warning to any potential playoff teams as the Colts showed how well their Balanced Offense blueprint works, and what happens when you are down in the second half.
The Falcons horrible defense, and it was truly horrible, managed to disguise a storyline that has been building all season; Andrew Luck's MVP repeat campaign. Luck went 32/35 for 308 yards and 3TD with no interceptions and now sits well ahead of the league statistically. His 119.4 QB Rating, 4456 passing yards, and 42TD leads the league, and he's only thrown 5INT. To put that in perspective, Peyton Manning is #2 with 95.4 QB rating and 3639 passing yards with 27TD to 10INT. If Luck doesn't win the MVP award it will be a travesty.
There wasn't much to see in this game as far as a competitive game goes, fans of poor tackling and long TD passes and runs would have loved it. Atlanta gave up TD passes of 22, 28, and 44 yards and Trent Richardson broke a 72 yard TD run that the Falcons could have easily stopped.
Richardson holds onto the rushing yardage lead thanks to Atlanta's tackling.
Atlanta's biggest problem on offense was running the ball, and that tilted the game in Indianapolis' favor. Mark Ingram only managed 25 yards on 11 carries, all the Falcons could do was chuck the ball down field to Julio Jones. Jones had a great day with 12 receptions for 160 yards and 2TD, but it was all too little too late.
Indianapolis was up 31-6 at halftime and the Richardson-Vick Ballard duo took over, crushing the Falcons defense for 272 rushing yards and 3TD combined. This game could have been much worse, but the Colts ground the Falcons down and put them away like prospective champions.
Indianapolis finishes their regular season next week at the New York Jets, perhaps a freezing Meadowlands visit is just the thing to put their starters on the bench. Win or lose, the Colts go into the post-season as Superbowl favorites.
1:00PM ET - December 6th, 2015
Mercedes-Benz Superdome - New Orleans, LA
Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints
Dec 6, 2015
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (13-1, 6-1 Away)
7
17
7
10
41
New Orleans Saints (9-4-1, 4-2 Home)
3
3
7
3
16
Top Performers Passing : A. Luck (IND) - 339YDS, 3TD Rushing : V. Ballard (IND) - 20CAR, 115YDS, 2TD Receiving : C. Shorts III (IND) - 17REC, 168YDS, TD
NEW ORLEANS - Indianapolis headed into today's game with a solid shot at locking up the AFC South and getting one step closer to a 1st round bye. It would also be a test of their offensive depth with Trent Richardson sitting out with hamstring soreness. Vick Ballard has been good in mop up duty so far, but today would be his first start.
As it turned out the Colts offense wouldn't need to do all that much against a porous Saints defense because their offense was not firing at all. The Saints came into this game looking like a solid playoff team, but walked out looking shaken. Offensively they couldn't run the ball against an aggressive Colts front, and defensively they couldn't do anything about Cecil Shorts III.
The Colts came out fast and basically put the Saints away early, going up 24-6 by halftime, and stomping them out late. The only bit of drama came during the 4th quarter after an Alex Henery FG made it 38-16 and Sean Payton dialed up an onside kick. The kick dribbled 10 yards and a Saints player touched the ball but a Colts player scooped it up, yet the refs called it New Orleans' ball. Chuck Pagano went ballistic on the officiating crew, in fact he just kept going until he drew a penalty. It didn't really matter as Drew Brees threw his first of two INT to FS Branch Daniels to give Indianapolis the ball back.
Shorts is having a huge second half to 2015.
The story of the day, aside from clinching the AFC South, was Cecil Shorts III abusing Saints CB Corey White. White just could not cover Shorts, and the Colts knew it, which led to Shorts catching 17 passes for a whopping 168 yards. Fantasy Football players with Shorts in a PPR league were very happy.
Indianapolis heads into the final two games of the season looking at two opponents gunning for a Top 5 draft pick. The Atlanta Falcons (4-8-1) are terrible on the road (1-6) and the New York Jets (4-9-1) are terrible at home (2-5), so finishing 15-1 is a reality. A win next week would put the Broncos (12-2) and Patriots (11-3) out of #1 seed contention, so it's possible Indianapolis rests their starters for the final week.
