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.

2016 Colts - Week 7

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.

2016 Colts - Week 5

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.

2016 Colts - Week 4

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.

2016 Colts - Week 3

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.

2016 Colts - Week 2

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.

2016 Colts - Week 1

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.

2015 Colts - Week 17

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.

2015 Colts - Week 16

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.