2001 Indianapolis Colts season
Encyclopedia
The 2001
Indianapolis Colts
season
was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League
and 18th in Indianapolis
. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League
's 2001 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses, and finished fourth in the AFC
East
division. This was the last time until 10 years later they missed the playoffs.
's career. After opening with dominant wins over the Jets and Buffalo, the Colts were crushed twice in three games by the Patriots to go with a loss to Oakland. Two more wins followed but the season fell apart with losses in seven of the season's final nine games; a 40–21 rout by the San Francisco 49ers
on national television set off an infamous postgame press conference rant by coach Jim Mora
in which he harped on four Manning interceptions, repeatedly noting one was returned (by the Niners' Zack Bronson
) for a touchdown and the others set up San Francisco scores, and a fumble; he angrily scoffed at a reporter's question about the Colts' playoff chances when he barked, "Ah, p-p-p-Playoffs?!? Don't talk about...playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!" Mora was fired after the season.
Manning threw 23 interceptions during the season, the highest number of his career following his rookie season. He was sacked a career-high 29 times.
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
season
Indianapolis Colts seasons
The Indianapolis Colts, formerly the Baltimore Colts, are an American football team playing in the National Football League . The list documents the season-by-season records of the Colts franchise from to present, including postseason records and league awards for individual players or head coaches...
was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and 18th in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's 2001 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses, and finished fourth in the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
division. This was the last time until 10 years later they missed the playoffs.
Staff
| 2001 Indianapolis Colts staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV Time | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9, 2001 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 45–24 | 1–0 | The Meadowlands Giants Stadium Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 2 | September 23, 2001 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 42–26 | 2–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 3 | September 30, 2001 | at New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
L 13–44 | 2–1 | Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 4 | Bye | |||||||
| 5 | October 14, 2001 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 18–23 | 2–2 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
ESPN 8:30 pm | |
|
| 6 | October 21, 2001 | New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
L 17–38 | 2–3 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 7 | October 25, 2001 | at Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
W 35–28 | 3–3 | Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.... |
ESPN 8:30 pm | |
|
| 8 | November 4, 2001 | at Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 30–14 | 4–3 | Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 9 | November 11, 2001 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24–27 | 4–4 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 10 | November 18, 2001 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 20–34 | 4–5 | Louisiana Superdome | CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 11 | November 25, 2001 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 21–40 | 4–6 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
FOX 1:00 pm | |
|
| 12 | December 2, 2001 | at Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... |
L 27–39 | 4–7 | PSINet Stadium M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 13 | December 10, 2001 | at Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 6–41 | 4–8 | Pro Player Stadium | ABC 9:00 pm | |
|
| 14 | December 16, 2001 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 41–27 | 5–8 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
FOX 1:00 pm | |
|
| 15 | December 23, 2001 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–29 | 5–9 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
ESPN 8:30 pm | |
|
| 16 | December 30, 2001 | at St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
L 17–42 | 5–10 | Trans World Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
| 17 | January 6, 2002 | Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 29–10 | 6–10 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
CBS 1:00 pm | |
|
Season summary
The Colts suffered only the second losing season of Peyton ManningPeyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
's career. After opening with dominant wins over the Jets and Buffalo, the Colts were crushed twice in three games by the Patriots to go with a loss to Oakland. Two more wins followed but the season fell apart with losses in seven of the season's final nine games; a 40–21 rout by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
on national television set off an infamous postgame press conference rant by coach Jim Mora
Jim E. Mora
James Earnest Mora is the former head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He played football at Occidental College where he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. His son Jim L...
in which he harped on four Manning interceptions, repeatedly noting one was returned (by the Niners' Zack Bronson
Zack Bronson
Robert Zack Bronson is a former professional American football safety in the NFL. He played for the San Francisco 49ers his entire NFL career from 1997 to 2003, but suffered a neck injury that hampered his performance and eventually led to his retirement. He attended McNeese State University....
) for a touchdown and the others set up San Francisco scores, and a fumble; he angrily scoffed at a reporter's question about the Colts' playoff chances when he barked, "Ah, p-p-p-Playoffs?!? Don't talk about...playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!" Mora was fired after the season.
Manning threw 23 interceptions during the season, the highest number of his career following his rookie season. He was sacked a career-high 29 times.
See also
- Chiefs-Colts rivalry
- Colts-Patriots rivalry
- History of the Indianapolis ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
- Indianapolis Colts seasonsIndianapolis Colts seasonsThe Indianapolis Colts, formerly the Baltimore Colts, are an American football team playing in the National Football League . The list documents the season-by-season records of the Colts franchise from to present, including postseason records and league awards for individual players or head coaches...