2010 Indianapolis Colts season
Encyclopedia
The 2010
Indianapolis Colts
season was the 58th season for the team in the National Football League
, the 27th in Indianapolis, and the second under head coach Jim Caldwell. Though the Colts failed to win 12 or more games for the first time since 2002
, the team did win the AFC South
division title for the seventh time in eight seasons, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
for a seventh–round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
.
in an AFC South duel against the Houston Texans
. Indianapolis started the season going 3-and-out on their first offensive possession of the new year. The Texans got good field position with a big punt return from Jacoby Jones
to set up a 30-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead. The offense continued to struggle throughout the first half, getting two first downs on the next drive, however, eventually having to punt. The Texans continued to show energy on both offense and defense by scoring two more time, a field goal and a touchdown, giving the Texans a 13–0 lead halfway through the second quarter. The Colts eventually got the offense going late in the second quarter by scoring on a touchdown reception by Reggie Wayne
, which broke the lead down to one possession. Adam Vinatieri
made a 20 yard field goal at the end of the first half and the Colts went into the half trailing 13–10. The momentum was seemingly shifting to Indianapolis, until Houston took almost eight minutes off the third quarter clock on a 15-play drive, 13 rushes, that resulted in one of Arian Foster's
rushing touchdowns on the day to give Houston a 20–10 lead. Peyton Manning
and the offense struggled throughout the third quarter with missed opportunities and continued to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties. With the start of the fourth quarter Houston scored another touchdown and broke the game open. The Colts would eventually score two touchdowns late in the game, only when there was no chance of a comeback.
With the final score 34–24, the Colts were 0–1 to start a season for the first time since 2008
, when they lost to the Chicago Bears
.
marked the second time that the two quarterback brothers of Peyton
and Eli Manning
met in a football game, the last coming in 2006. The game started out good early for the Colts with a running touchdown from Donald Brown
and two separate stops by the defense against the Giants. As the second quarter began the Colts kept rolling on the offensive side of the ball. Two touchdown passes during the second quarter and a field goal from Adam Vinateri helped the Colts extend a halftime lead of 24–0. With the start of the third quarter the Giants came out and scored early on a touchdown pass to Mario Manningham
from Eli Manning. With a 24–7 lead, the Colts continued to pound the giants on defense, forcing a fumble which was returned for a touchdown. The fourth quarter continued with a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne
while the Giants eventually scored their second touchdown in the last minutes of the quarter. The Colts won the ballgame 38–14 ending their three game regular season losing streak and improving their record on the season to 1–1.
. The game started with punts by both teams on their own opening drives. The Colts then drove down the field and scored on a 38 yard field goal by Adam Vinateri. After a defensive interception set the Colts up down field, Indianapolis was forced to kick another field goal to extend their lead to 6–0 at the end of the first quarter. The Colts offense did not stop firing with the start of the second quarter, Peyton Manning
threw to Austin Collie
for his first touchdown of the game and gave the Colts a 13–0 lead. With the start of the second quarter the Bronco offense came alive. However, many offensive mistakes and key plays caused Denver to get points only on a late field goal by Matt Prater
. At halftime, the Indianapolis Colts held the lead of 13–3. Denver received the ball first in the second half and was able to capitalize with a touchdown drive closing the game to a three point margin. After switching possession, the Colts were able to respond with a touchdown drive that included Blair White
, who was just signed from the practice squad prior to the game. Denver then scored a field goal late in the third quarter making the game a 20–13 contest heading into the fourth quarter. After defensive stops, the Colts were able to score a touchdown on another Austin Collie reception to take a commanding 27–13. The defense was able to stop the Broncos on their next possession allowing the Colts to win 27–13, and take their second straight game of the season, improving their record to 2–1.
, with added importance after the season opening loss to the Texans. With the first possession of the ballgame, the Colts drove down the field with a mix of pass and run plays, scoring the opening touchdown of the game. However, Jacksonville returned the favor by going 76 yards to tie the game up, and by the end of the first quarter the game was tied at 7–7. In the second quarter Maurice Jones-Drew
scored on a touchdown run giving the Jaguars their first lead of the day, with the Colts eventually responded and tying the up 14–14 going into halftime. With the beginning of the second half both teams failed to score on their next possessions, with the Colts punting to the Jaguars midway through the third quarter. David Garrard
their his first touchdown pass of the day giving the Jaguars a 21–14 lead towards the end of the third quarter. With the Colts behind the gun midway through the fourth quarter, Peyton Manning
drove the team down the field to score on a Joseph Addai
run. With the Jaguars responding and the Colts driving down the field to tie with 0:52 left, the game was a 28–28 with less than thirty seconds in the game. Jacksonville was able to get two big plays on their last drive of the game setting up Josh Scobee
for a 59 yard field goal, which was good. The Indianapolis Colts started 0–2 in the AFC South
for the first time following this loss, dropping out of first place and falling behind the Houston Texans.
to battle with an undefeated Kansas City Chiefs
team. The Chiefs head coach, Todd Haley
opened up the ballgame with an onside kick intended to give Kansas City the ball first. However, after it bounced less than 10 yards, the Colts received possession deep in Kansas City territory. Indianapolis was unable to capitalize on the good field position and forced Adam Vinatieri
to kick a 20 yard field goal. Throughout the first quarter both teams' offense were unable to get into a rhythm and by the end of the first quarter the Colts held a slim lead by the score of 3–0. With the start of the second quarter the offensive woes continued. The Colts were again unable to score a touchdown on good field position and were forced to kick their second field goal of the day. After a failed running play of fourth down by the Colts, the Chiefs were able to move down the field on good passes by Matt Cassel
and a penalty on the Colts and were able to kick a field goal. Going into halftime, the score was 6–3 Colts. The third quarter continued to prove to be a defensive struggle. The Colts kicked another field goal midway through, however the Chiefs drove down the field to score another field goal. A Peyton Manning
interception set up another field goal by the Chiefs which tied the game at 9–9. At the beginning of the fourth quarter the Colts continued their scoring ways of the day with a fourth field goal from Vinatieri. Finally with four minutes left in the ballgame, Mike Hart broke open an 11 yard run for the only touchdown of the day by both teams. The Colts won the game 19–9 and improved to 3–2 on the season. With the Chiefs loss they were not longer an undefeated team in the NFL
.
on Sunday night. Indianapolis delivered the game's opening punch as quarterback Peyton Manning
found wide receiver Pierre Garçon
on a 57-yard touchdown pass, but the Redskins answered with running back Ryan Torain
getting a 9-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, the Colts regained the lead as Manning hooked up with wide receiver Austin Collie
on a 5-yard touchdown pass, followed by kicker Adam Vinatieri
booting a 43-yard field goal.
Washington began the third quarter with Torain's 1-yard touchdown run, yet Indianapolis replied with running back Joseph Addai
's 13-yard touchdown run. The Redskins would continue to remain close as kicker Graham Gano
got a 39-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Colts continued to add onto their lead as Vinatieri got a 33-yard field goal. Washington tried to rally as quarterback Donovan McNabb
completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to running back Keiland Williams
, yet Indianapolis' defense held tough to preserve the victory. With the win, the Colts improved to 4–2 and remained in a tie atop the AFC South division.
touchdown, giving the Colts a 7–0 lead. Going into the second quarter, the Indianapolis offense and defense proved too much for the Texans. Kelvin Hayden
took a 25 yard interception to the end zone and gave Indianapolis a 14–0 lead. On the following drive, Houston went down into Colts territory, however was only able to score a field goal ending the Indianapolis shutout. An Adam Vinatieri
field goal gave the Colts a 17–3 lead going into halftime. Houston came out of the locker room improved, however Peyton Manning
and the Indianapolis offense continued to be productive scoring a touchdown on a Reggie Wayne
reception in the beginning of the first half. Following a Matt Schaub
touchdown and another Vinatieri field goal, the Colts held a 27–10 lead going into the fourth quarter. With the Houston offense looking improved and the Indianapolis defense struggling, the Texans were able to score a touchdown on an Arian Foster
run, while the Colts scored another field goal. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, a fumble by Schaub sealed the game with the final score being 30–17. With the win, Indianapolis moved to 5–2 on the season and held sole possession of first place for the first time in the 2010 season.
, the Indianapolis Colts played a NFC opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time since the 2006 season. The game did not start well for the Colts who allowed the Eagles to score a quick touchdown on only 3 plays covering 72 yards. A Peyton Manning
interception caused more concern as the Colts now found themselves under the gun halfway through the first quarter. Two key defensive stops allowed the Eagles to only score two field goals making it a 13–0 Eagles lead heading into the second quarter. A touchdown pass from Manning to Jacob Tamme
allowed the Colts to get back into the game trailing the Eagles only 13–7. A Philadelphia field goal from David Akers
added to the lead, however the Colts continued chipping away. A hard hit on wide receiver Austin Collie
, who was returning from injury that week, caused a 10 minute delay in the game in which he was strapped to a stripper and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion. The Colts, playing with passion, drove down the field and scored a touchdown and field goal within the final two minutes of the half, giving them a 17–16 lead at halftime. The offensive production seen by the Colts in the second quarter was nowhere to be found in the third. The Colts began the third quarter with two three-and-outs while the Eagles got the lead back with a 44 yard field goal halfway through the quarter. Going into the fourth quarter, the Eagles were driving down into scoring position where a 1 yard run by Michael Vick
gave the Eagles a 26–17 lead over the Colts. A continued lack of offensive production gave the Eagles the ball back and time to milk the clock. The Colts received the ball back with less than four minutes remaining in the game, trailing by two scores and drove down to score a touchdown. Jim Caldwell elected to kick the ball away to Philadelphia with 1:50 left, a first down and a defensive stop gave the Colts the ball back with less than 0:50 seconds in the game. After driving to midfield, Manning threw his second interception of the game and sealed the Indianapolis Colts third loss of the season.
with a chance to regain the lead in the AFC South. Indianapolis came out energized in the first quarter where the Colts picked up a field goal with three minutes remaining in the quarter, and a Kelvin Hayden
interception returned for a touchdown. The second quarter continued to see Colts dominance with a Javarris James
touchdown run, extending the Colts lead to 17–0. However as the quarter wore on the defense began to allow larger gains and the Bengals were able to score a touchdown and a field goal in the last ten minutes of the half. However, an Adam Vinatieri
field goal gave the Colts a 20–10 lead going into halftime. The Colts came out in the third quarter sluggish and both teams exchanged the ball throughout the rest of the quarter. Another Vinatieri field goal gave the Colts a 23–10 lead. With everything seeming secure, the Bengals were able to pick up a touchdown on a 19 yard pass from Carson Palmer
making it a six point game. The Bengals onside kick attempt was successful with a late penalty by the Colts, giving the Bengals the ball at the Colts 40-yard line. A fumble, the fifth turnover by the Bengals on the day, gave the Colts the ability to hold on to the lead and win the game 23–17, going to 6–3 on the season and taking first place in the AFC South
by one game.
made a 22-yard TD pass to WR Wes Welker
. This was followed in the second quarter by Brady throwing an 8-yard TD pass to TE Aaron Hernandez
. The Colts narrowed the lead with QB Peyton Manning
completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Gijon Robinson
, but the Patriots responded with a 5-yard TD run by RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis
. The Colts tried to close the gap after Manning found WR Reggie Wayne
on an 11-yard TD pass. The Colts struggled further in the 3rd quarter with RB Danny Woodhead
getting a 36-yard TD run, followed in the fourth quarter by kicker Shayne Graham
nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Colts tried to close the gap after Manning made a 5 and an 18-yard TD pass to WR Blair White
, but his final pass was intercepted, giving the Colts a loss.
With the loss, the Colts fell to 6–4.
made a 4-yard TD pass to TE Jacob Tamme
. They had a problem maintaining this lead after kicker Nate Kaeding
made a 28-yard field goal, followed by ILB Kevin Burnett
returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, and then with Kaeding hitting a 33 and a 50-yard field goal. They tried to cut the lead as Manning made a 6-yard TD pass to WR Blair White
, but the Chargers controlled the second half with Kaeding getting a 30-yard field goal, which was shortly followed by FS Eric Weddle
returning an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, then with FB Mike Tolbert
getting a 3-yard TD run, and Kaeding making a 20-yard field goal, settling both records to 6–5.
got a 20-yard TD run, followed by kicker David Buehler
hitting a 40-yard field goal. The offense had problems too as QB Peyton Manning
's pass was intercepted by SS Orlando Scandrick
and returned 40 yards for a touchdown. They responded with Manning getting a 13 and a 34-yard TD pass to WR Pierre Garcon
and WR Reggie Wayne
. The Cowboys increased their lead after Buehler made a 46-yard field goal, and with LB Sean Lee
returning an interception 31 yards for a TD. The Colts got a slight lead with RB Javarris James
getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by WR Taj Smith
returning a blocked punt 2 yards for a touchdown. They trailed again with QB Jon Kitna
completing a 2-yard TD pass to TE Jason Witten
(With a successful 2-point conversion as Kitna passed to WR Roy E. Williams). They managed to tie the game after James made a 2-yard TD run. The decision was made in overtime when Buehler successfully made a 38-yard field goal to give the Colts a three game losing streak, for the first time since 2002.
With the loss, the Colts fell to 6–6.
for a Week 14 AFC South duel with the Tennessee Titans
on Thursday night. Indianapolis delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from rookie running back Javarris James
. The Colts would add onto their lead in the second quarter as quarterback Peyton Manning
found wide receiver Pierre Garçon
on a 1-yard and a 19-yard touchdown pass. The Titans responded with running back Chris Johnson
getting a 1-yard touchdown run.
Tennessee began to cut away at their deficit in the third quarter as quarterback Kerry Collins
completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Craig Stevens
, yet Indianapolis responded with a 21-yard field goal from kicker Adam Vinatieri
. The Colts added onto their lead in the fourth quarter with a 28-yard field goal from Vinatieri. The Titans tried to rally as Collins completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bo Scaife
, yet Indianapolis rose to the challenge with Vinatieri booting a 47-yard field goal. Tennessee closed out the game with Collins completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Scaife.
With the win, the Colts improved to 7–6.
threw a 7-yard TD pass to Austin Collie
. The lead was narrowed with a 22-yard field goal from kicker Josh Scobee
, but the Colts scored again as Manning found Collie again on a 27-yard TD pass. They conceded their first touchdown of the game when Mike Thomas
returned a punt 78 yards to the endzone. After that, the Colts extended their lead with RB Donald Brown
getting a 43-yard TD run, followed by kicker Adam Vinatieri
nailing a 34-yard field goal. The lead was cut down with QB David Garrard completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR Mike Sims-Walker, but the Colts increased their lead with Vinatieri making a 37-yard field goal. The Jaguars tried to come back with Garrard finding Sims-Walker on a 1-yard TD pass. After that, the Colts soon pulled away with Tyjuan Hagler
returning a failed onside kick 41 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, the Colts improved to 8–6.
. They soon took the lead with RB Joseph Addai
getting a 6-yard TD run, followed by kicker Adam Vinatieri
getting a 30-yard field goal. They trailed again after kicker Sebastian Janikowski
hit a 59 and a 38-yard field goal, but responded to take the lead back with QB Peyton Manning
completing an 18-yard TD pass to TE Jacob Tamme
. The lead was narrowed with Janikowski nailing a 51-yard field goal, but the Colts extended their lead with Manning getting a 4-yard TD pass to WR Blair White
. The Raiders tried to keep up with Janikowski making a 45-yard field goal, but the Colts kept going with Manning completing a 7-yard TD pass to WR Pierre Garcon
. The Raiders tried to come back after QB Jason Campbell
threw a 6-yard TD pass to TE Zach Miller
, but Manning ran for a first down on the Colts ensuing possession to seal the game.
With the win, Indianapolis improved to 9–6.
made a 48-yard field goal, with the Titans replying as kicker Rob Bironas
nailed a 26-yard field goal. The Colts scored again with Vinatieri making a 44-yard field goal, but the Titans re-tied the game with Bironas hitting a 42-yard field goal. The Colts tried to pull away with QB Peyton Manning
completing a 7-yard TD pass to WR Reggie Wayne
, but the Titans kept the score level as QB Kerry Collins
made a 30-yard TD pass to WR Kenny Britt
. The Colts still tried to pull away with Manning completing a 30-yard TD pass to WR Pierre Garcon
, but the Titans re-tied the game for the fourth time as Collins threw a 15-yard TD pass to RB Chris Johnson
. The Colts got away in the fourth quarter as Vinatieri got a 43-yard field goal.
With the win, the Colts finish on a 10–6 record and successfully clinched a play-off spot. As the New Orleans Saints
also clinched a playoff spot, the 2010 season marked the first time in 10 years that both defending conference champions made the playoffs in the same season.
Entering the playoffs as the AFC #3 seed, the Colts began their playoff run at home in the AFC Wild Card round against the #6 New York Jets
in a rematch of the 2009–10 AFC Championship Game
. After a scoreless first quarter, the Colts delivered the game's opening strike in the second quarter as quarterback Peyton Manning
found wide receiver Pierre Garçon
on a 57-yard touchdown pass.
The Jets answered in the third quarter with running back LaDainian Tomlinson
getting a one-yard touchdown run, yet Indianapolis regained the lead with a 47-yard field goal from kicker Adam Vinatieri
. New York took the lead in the fourth quarter with Tomlinson getting another one-yard touchdown run. The Colts regained the lead with a 32-yard and a 50-yard field goal from Vinatieri, but the Jets' Nick Folk
kicked the game-winning 32-yard field goal.
With the loss, Indianapolis' season came to an end with an overall record of 10–7.
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
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 was the 58th 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...
, the 27th in Indianapolis, and the second under head coach Jim Caldwell. Though the Colts failed to win 12 or more games for the first time since 2002
2002 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2002 Indianapolis Colts season was the 50th season for the team in the National Football League and 19th in Indianapolis.The 2002 season marked the first for the Colts in the new AFC South after competing for 32 seasons in the AFC East....
, the team did win the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
division title for the seventh time in eight seasons, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Additions
| Pos. | Player | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | Andy Alleman Andy Alleman Andrew "Andy" Alleman is an American football guard. Alleman last played for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in 2010. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft... |
March 6, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| OL | Gerald Cadogan Gerald Cadogan Gerald Anthony Cadogan is an American football offensive tackle who currently plays for the Calgary Stampeders. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2009... |
January 20, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| DL | John Chick John Chick John Chick is a gridiron football defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Utah State. He spent 2008-2009 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders... |
January 8, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| WR | Dudley Guice Dudley Guice, Jr. Dudley Guice, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2009... |
January 6, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| DL | Mitch King Mitch King Mitch King is an American football defensive tackle who plays for the New Orleans Saints . He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Iowa.-Early years:... |
January 23, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| CB | Terrail Lambert | February 14, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| WR | John Matthews John Matthews (American football) John Matthews is an American football wide receiver of the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2009... |
February 14, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| RB | Devin Moore Devin Moore (American football) Devin Moore is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2009... |
January 14, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| LB | Brandon Renkart Brandon Renkart Brandon Renkart is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008... |
February 14, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| DE | J. D. Skolnitsky | March 9, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| WR | Taj Smith Taj Smith Tajiddin M. Smith-Wilson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008... |
February 14, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| OT | Adam Terry Adam Terry Adam Terry is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft... |
March 12, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| OL | Jaimie Thomas Jaimie Thomas Jaimie Thomas is an American football guard for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Maryland.-Early years:... |
February 14, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
| QB | Drew Willy Drew Willy Drew Willy is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009... |
February 14, 2010 | Signed with Colts |
Departures
| Pos. | Player | Date released | Date signed | 2010 team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DT | Raheem Brock Raheem Brock Raheem Fukwan Brock is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft... |
March 5, 2010 | August 12, 2010 | Seahawks | Released by Colts, later signed by Seahawks. |
| WR | Roy Hall Roy Hall Roy Hall is an American football wide receiver for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... |
May 3, 2010 | May 12, 2010 | Saints | Released by Colts, later signed by Saints. |
| DE | Rudolph Hardie | May 4, 2010 | Released by Colts. | ||
| G | Ryan Lilja Ryan Lilja Ryan Matthew Lilja is an American football guard for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2004... |
March 8, 2010 | March 16, 2010 | Chiefs | Released by Colts, later signed by Chiefs. |
| TE | Jamie Petrowski Jamie Petrowski James Stanley Petrowski is an American football tight end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2006... |
May 4, 2010 | May 18, 2010 | Panthers | Released by Colts, later signed by Panthers. |
| RB | Chad Simpson Chad Simpson Chad Simpson is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2008... |
April 10, 2010 | May 11, 2010 | Bills | Released by Colts, later signed by Bills. |
| QB | Jim Sorgi Jim Sorgi James Joseph "Jim" Sorgi, Jr. is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
March 5, 2010 | March 9, 2010 | Giants | Released by Colts, later signed by Giants. |
Free agents
| Pos. | Player | Free agency Free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise.... tag | Date signed | 2010 team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | Hank Baskett Hank Baskett Henry Randall "Hank" Baskett III is a wide receiver who is currently a free agent. Baskett has played for three NFL teams, the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts.... |
UFA | March 12, 2010 | Eagles | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Eagles. |
| FS | Antoine Bethea Antoine Bethea Antoine Bethea is a professional American football safety for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Colts... |
RFA | June 11, 2010 | Colts | Colts offered a first–round tender. Re-signed with Colts. |
| LB | Gary Brackett Gary Brackett Gary Lawrence Brackett is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Brackett attended Glassboro High School in Glassboro, New Jersey.... |
UFA | March 5, 2010 | Colts | Re–signed with Colts. |
| SS | Melvin Bullitt Melvin Bullitt Melvin Terry Bullitt is an American football defensive back for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.-Early years:... |
RFA | April 14, 2010 | Colts | Colts offered a second–round tender. Re–signed with Colts. |
| OL | Daniel Federkeil Daniel Federkeil Daniel Hubert Federkeil is a retired American football offensive tackle. He was originally signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2006.- Professional career :... |
UFA | Colts declined to tender an offer. | ||
| FS | Aaron Francisco Aaron Francisco Aaron Francisco is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2005... |
UFA | April 12, 2010 | Panthers | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Panthers. Re-signed by Colts as SS. |
| LB | Tyjuan Hagler Tyjuan Hagler Tyjuan Cedric Hagler is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... |
UFA | August 10, 2010 | Seahawks | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Seahawks. |
| CB | Marlin Jackson Marlin Jackson -Indianapolis Colts:Jackson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 29th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. As an NFL rookie he had 52 tackles and one interception. Marlin played mostly in passing situations with one start in 15 games. In his second season, he had 82 tackles and 1... |
UFA | March 10, 2010 | Eagles | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Eagles. |
| CB | Tim Jennings Tim Jennings Tim Jennings is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia.... |
UFA | March 16, 2010 | Bears | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Bears. |
| DT | Antonio Johnson | RFA | April 17, 2010 | Colts | Colts offered a second–round tender. Re–signed with Colts. |
| OT | Charlie Johnson Charlie Johnson (offensive tackle) Charlie Johnson is an American football offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
RFA | April 21, 2010 | Colts | Colts offered a second–round tender. Re–signed with Colts. |
| LB | Freddy Keiaho | UFA | April 27, 2010 | Jaguars | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Jaguars. |
| DT | Daniel Muir Daniel Muir -Green Bay Packers:Muir was undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft but was signed by the Green Bay Packers on May 4, 2007. In 2007, he played in three games, after becoming the only undrafted rookie to make the roster out of training camp. He recorded eight tackes, four solo for the season. He played for... |
RFA | April 14, 2010 | Colts | Colts offered a second–round tender. Re–signed with Colts. |
| CB | T. J. Rushing T. J. Rushing Terrall Brent "T. J." Rushing is a free agent American football cornerback and return specialist who last played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
UFA | August 18, 2010 | Lions | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Lions. |
| K | Matt Stover Matt Stover John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore... |
UFA | Colts declined to tender an offer. | ||
| OT | Michael Toudouze Michael Toudouze John Michael Toudouze is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
UFA | August 10, 2010 | Titans | Colts declined to tender an offer. Later signed by Titans. |
| UFA: Unrestricted free agent; RFA: Restricted free agent; ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent | |||||
2010 NFL Draft
Having finished the season as the runner–up in the Super Bowl, the Colts held the 31st pick in each round. They had previously traded their sixth–round pick to the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a seventh–round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
.
| Draft order | Player | Position | Height | Weight | College | Contract | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Choice | Overall | |||||||
| 1 | 31 | 31 | Jerry Hughes Jerry Hughes -2011 season:During the week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans Hughes missed a block on a punt by Pat McAfee. The punt was blocked and the Titans scored a touchdown. This was the first blocked punt of McAfee's career.-External links:*... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | TCU Texas Christian University Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ... |
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| 2 | 31 | 63 | Pat Angerer Pat Angerer Patrick Aaron "Pat" Angerer is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League... |
ILB Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Iowa University of Iowa The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees... |
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| 3 | 30 | 94 | Kevin Thomas Kevin Thomas (cornerback b. 1986) Kevin Thomas is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, after being selected in the third round of the NFL Draft... |
CB Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | USC University of Southern California The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university... |
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| 4 | 31 | 129 | Jacques McClendon Jacques McClendon Jacques McClendon is an American football guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee. He holds UT bench press record lifting 645 pounds.-External links:**... |
G Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 324 lb (147 kg) | Tennessee University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States... |
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| 5 | 31 | 162 | Brody Eldridge Brody Eldridge Brody Eldridge is an American football Tight End for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft... |
TE Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... |
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Oklahoma University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its... |
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| 6 | 31 | 200 | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
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| 7 | 31 | 238 | Ricardo Mathews Ricardo Mathews Ricardo Eugene Mathews is an American football Defensive Tackle who is currently on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Cincinnati... |
DL | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 294 lb (133 kg) | Cincinnati University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio.... |
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| 7 | 33 | 240 | Kavell Conner Kavell Conner Kavell Conner is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.-External links:**... |
OLB Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 240 lb (109 kg) | Clemson Clemson University Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States.... |
Compensatory selection | |
| 7 | 39 | 246 | Ray Fisher | CB Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... /KR Kick returner In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the... |
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Indiana Indiana University Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000... |
Compensatory selection | |
Staff
| Indianapolis Colts 2010 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
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Final roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Game Site | TV | NFL Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | August 15 | 1:00 PM EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
San Francisco 49ers 2010 San Francisco 49ers season The 2010 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 65th season, and the second full year with Mike Singletary as the head coach. The 49ers were looking to build upon their 8–8 season in 2009 that ended their streak of seven consecutive losing seasons and to get into the postseason for the... |
L 17–37 | 0–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
WTTV WTTV WTTV is a CW-affiliated television station licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, serving the Indianapolis television market. WTTV is owned by the Tribune Company, and is one-half of a duopoly with WXIN , the market's Fox affiliate. The two stations share a studio at 6910 Network Place on the northwest... |
Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | 7:30 PM EDT | at Buffalo Bills 2010 Buffalo Bills season The 2010 Buffalo Bills season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League, and their 51st overall. It was Buffalo's first season with Buddy Nix in the role of general manager and head coach Chan Gailey.... |
L 21–34 | 0–2 | Rogers Centre Rogers Centre Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League... |
WTTV WTTV WTTV is a CW-affiliated television station licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, serving the Indianapolis television market. WTTV is owned by the Tribune Company, and is one-half of a duopoly with WXIN , the market's Fox affiliate. The two stations share a studio at 6910 Network Place on the northwest... |
Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | 8:00 PM EDT | at Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... |
L 24–59 | 0–3 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming.... |
Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | 7:00 PM EDT | Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League , and their 43rd overall. The Bengals looked to improve on their 10–6 record in 2009, during which they swept the AFC North for the first time in team history and made the playoffs as division... |
L 28–30 | 0–4 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
WTTV WTTV WTTV is a CW-affiliated television station licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, serving the Indianapolis television market. WTTV is owned by the Tribune Company, and is one-half of a duopoly with WXIN , the market's Fox affiliate. The two stations share a studio at 6910 Network Place on the northwest... |
Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Game Site | TV | NFL Recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||||||
| 1 | September 12 | 1:00 PM EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
at Houston Texans 2010 Houston Texans season The 2010 Houston Texans season was the team's 9th season in the National Football League. The Texans claimed their first winning season in franchise history, with a 9–7 record in 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs. The Texans selected Kareem Jackson CB from Alabama, with the 20th overall all... |
L 24–34 | 0–1 | Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface.... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 2 | September 19 | 8:20 PM EDT | New York Giants 2010 New York Giants season The 2010 New York Giants season was the 86th season for the team in the National Football League and the team's inaugural season in New Meadowlands Stadium. The Giants improved on their 8–8 2009 record by finishing 10–6 and second place in the NFC East... |
W 38–14 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
NBC NBC Sunday Night Football NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color... |
Recap | |
| 3 | September 26 | 4:15 PM EDT | at Denver Broncos 2010 Denver Broncos season The Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st overall and the 10th playing their home games at INVESCO Field at Mile High... |
W 27–13 | 2–1 | INVESCO Field at Mile High INVESCO Field at Mile High Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 4 | October 3 | 4:05 PM EDT | at Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars, who are in their second year of "rebuilding" under general manager Gene Smith, improved upon their 7–9 record from 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs with an 8–8 record... |
L 28–31 | 2–2 | EverBank Field | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 5 | October 10 | 1:00 PM EDT | Kansas City Chiefs 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st overall and the second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Todd Haley and Scott Pioli. The team improved on its 4–12 record from 2009, and won their first AFC West division title... |
W 19–9 | 3–2 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 6 | October 17 | 8:20 PM EST | at Washington Redskins 2010 Washington Redskins season The 2010 Washington Redskins season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League , and their first under new head coach Mike Shanahan, who also began his term as the team's Vice President of Football Operations... |
W 27–24 | 4–2 | FedEx Field | NBC NBC Sunday Night Football NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color... |
Recap | |
| 7 | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
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| 8 | November 1 (Monday) | 8:30 PM EST | Houston Texans 2010 Houston Texans season The 2010 Houston Texans season was the team's 9th season in the National Football League. The Texans claimed their first winning season in franchise history, with a 9–7 record in 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs. The Texans selected Kareem Jackson CB from Alabama, with the 20th overall all... |
W 30–17 | 5–2 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
ESPN Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
Recap | |
| 9 | November 7 | 4:15 PM EST | at Philadelphia Eagles 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League , who looked to improve on their 11–5 record from 2009. They finished with a 10–6 record, but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card playoffs. For head coach Andy Reid, this was his 12th... |
L 24–26 | 5–3 | Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 10 | November 14 | 1:00 PM EST | Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League , and their 43rd overall. The Bengals looked to improve on their 10–6 record in 2009, during which they swept the AFC North for the first time in team history and made the playoffs as division... |
W 23–17 | 6–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 11 | November 21 | 4:15 PM EST | at New England Patriots 2010 New England Patriots season The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets... |
L 28–31 | 6–4 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 12 | November 28 | 8:20 PM EST | San Diego Chargers 2010 San Diego Chargers season The 2010 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, and their 51st overall. After a 13–3 record dissolved into a disappointing loss to the New York Jets in the divisional round of the 2009-10 NFL Playoffs, the Chargers had high hopes of winning their... |
L 14–36 | 6–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
NBC NBC Sunday Night Football NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color... |
Recap | |
| 13 | December 5 | 4:15 PM EST | Dallas Cowboys 2010 Dallas Cowboys season The 2010 Dallas Cowboys season is the 51st season for the team in the National Football League, and the second season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium... |
L 35–38 (OT) | 6–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap | |
| 14 | December 9 (Thursday) | 8:20 PM EST | at Tennessee Titans 2010 Tennessee Titans season The 2010 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League, their 51st overall and their 14th season in Tennessee... |
W 30–28 | 7–6 | LP Field LP Field LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.... |
NFLN NFL Network NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation... |
Recap | |
| 15 | December 19 | 1:00 PM EST | Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars, who are in their second year of "rebuilding" under general manager Gene Smith, improved upon their 7–9 record from 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs with an 8–8 record... |
W 34–24 | 8–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 16 | December 26 | 4:05 PM EST | at Oakland Raiders 2010 Oakland Raiders season The 2010 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League and their 51st overall. It also marked the last full season under the ownership of Al Davis, who died in October 2011. The Raiders had improved from a five-win season, their first since 2002, and achieved... |
W 31–26 | 9–6 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| 17 | January 2, 2011 | 4:15 PM EST | Tennessee Titans 2010 Tennessee Titans season The 2010 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League, their 51st overall and their 14th season in Tennessee... |
W 23–20 | 10–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap | |
| NOTES: Division games are in bold text. All game dates are on Sunday unless indicated otherwise. |
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Postseason
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Game Site | TV | NFL Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| WC | January 8 | 8:30 PM EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
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 16–17 | 10–7 | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to... |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... |
|
Week 1: at Houston Texans
The Colts began their season at Reliant StadiumReliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
in an AFC South duel against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Indianapolis started the season going 3-and-out on their first offensive possession of the new year. The Texans got good field position with a big punt return from Jacoby Jones
Jacoby Jones
Jacoby Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Lane College....
to set up a 30-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead. The offense continued to struggle throughout the first half, getting two first downs on the next drive, however, eventually having to punt. The Texans continued to show energy on both offense and defense by scoring two more time, a field goal and a touchdown, giving the Texans a 13–0 lead halfway through the second quarter. The Colts eventually got the offense going late in the second quarter by scoring on a touchdown reception by Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
, which broke the lead down to one possession. Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
made a 20 yard field goal at the end of the first half and the Colts went into the half trailing 13–10. The momentum was seemingly shifting to Indianapolis, until Houston took almost eight minutes off the third quarter clock on a 15-play drive, 13 rushes, that resulted in one of Arian Foster's
Arian Foster
Arian Foster , is an American football running back for the Houston Texans. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and was added to their active roster from the practice squad on November 17, 2009. He played college football at Tennessee...
rushing touchdowns on the day to give Houston a 20–10 lead. Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
and the offense struggled throughout the third quarter with missed opportunities and continued to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties. With the start of the fourth quarter Houston scored another touchdown and broke the game open. The Colts would eventually score two touchdowns late in the game, only when there was no chance of a comeback.
With the final score 34–24, the Colts were 0–1 to start a season for the first time since 2008
2008 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2008 Indianapolis Colts season was the 56th season for the team in the National Football League and the 25th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not win the AFC South title. However, after a 3–4 start on the season Peyton Manning led the Colts to a nine-game...
, when they lost to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Week 2: vs. New York Giants
The 2010 meeting between the Indianapolis Colts and the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
marked the second time that the two quarterback brothers of Peyton
Peyton 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...
and Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
met in a football game, the last coming in 2006. The game started out good early for the Colts with a running touchdown from Donald Brown
Donald Brown (American football)
Donald Eugene Brown II is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2006 to 2008.-High school career:Brown attended Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New...
and two separate stops by the defense against the Giants. As the second quarter began the Colts kept rolling on the offensive side of the ball. Two touchdown passes during the second quarter and a field goal from Adam Vinateri helped the Colts extend a halftime lead of 24–0. With the start of the third quarter the Giants came out and scored early on a touchdown pass to Mario Manningham
Mario Manningham
Mario Cashmere Manningham is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
from Eli Manning. With a 24–7 lead, the Colts continued to pound the giants on defense, forcing a fumble which was returned for a touchdown. The fourth quarter continued with a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
while the Giants eventually scored their second touchdown in the last minutes of the quarter. The Colts won the ballgame 38–14 ending their three game regular season losing streak and improving their record on the season to 1–1.
Week 3: at Denver Broncos
The Colts traveled to Denver, Colorado for an AFC conference matchup with the Denver BroncosDenver 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...
. The game started with punts by both teams on their own opening drives. The Colts then drove down the field and scored on a 38 yard field goal by Adam Vinateri. After a defensive interception set the Colts up down field, Indianapolis was forced to kick another field goal to extend their lead to 6–0 at the end of the first quarter. The Colts offense did not stop firing with the start of the second quarter, Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
threw to Austin Collie
Austin Collie
Austin Kirk Collie is a Canadian-American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Draft...
for his first touchdown of the game and gave the Colts a 13–0 lead. With the start of the second quarter the Bronco offense came alive. However, many offensive mistakes and key plays caused Denver to get points only on a late field goal by Matt Prater
Matt Prater
Matt Prater is an American football placekicker who plays for the Denver Broncos. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of Central Florida, where he majored in psychology.-High school career:Prater attended...
. At halftime, the Indianapolis Colts held the lead of 13–3. Denver received the ball first in the second half and was able to capitalize with a touchdown drive closing the game to a three point margin. After switching possession, the Colts were able to respond with a touchdown drive that included Blair White
Blair White
Blair White is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:...
, who was just signed from the practice squad prior to the game. Denver then scored a field goal late in the third quarter making the game a 20–13 contest heading into the fourth quarter. After defensive stops, the Colts were able to score a touchdown on another Austin Collie reception to take a commanding 27–13. The defense was able to stop the Broncos on their next possession allowing the Colts to win 27–13, and take their second straight game of the season, improving their record to 2–1.
Week 4: at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Indianapolis Colts came into a crucial divisional matchup with the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, with added importance after the season opening loss to the Texans. With the first possession of the ballgame, the Colts drove down the field with a mix of pass and run plays, scoring the opening touchdown of the game. However, Jacksonville returned the favor by going 76 yards to tie the game up, and by the end of the first quarter the game was tied at 7–7. In the second quarter Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew is a professional American football player who currently plays running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
scored on a touchdown run giving the Jaguars their first lead of the day, with the Colts eventually responded and tying the up 14–14 going into halftime. With the beginning of the second half both teams failed to score on their next possessions, with the Colts punting to the Jaguars midway through the third quarter. David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
their his first touchdown pass of the day giving the Jaguars a 21–14 lead towards the end of the third quarter. With the Colts behind the gun midway through the fourth quarter, Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
drove the team down the field to score on a Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
run. With the Jaguars responding and the Colts driving down the field to tie with 0:52 left, the game was a 28–28 with less than thirty seconds in the game. Jacksonville was able to get two big plays on their last drive of the game setting up Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
for a 59 yard field goal, which was good. The Indianapolis Colts started 0–2 in the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
for the first time following this loss, dropping out of first place and falling behind the Houston Texans.
Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
After losing the previous week to Jacksonville, the Indianapolis Colts came back home to Lucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
to battle with an undefeated Kansas City Chiefs
2010 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st overall and the second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Todd Haley and Scott Pioli. The team improved on its 4–12 record from 2009, and won their first AFC West division title...
team. The Chiefs head coach, Todd Haley
Todd Haley
Todd Haley is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . Prior to joining the Chiefs, Haley served as the Arizona Cardinals' offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008, and was the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys.-Early...
opened up the ballgame with an onside kick intended to give Kansas City the ball first. However, after it bounced less than 10 yards, the Colts received possession deep in Kansas City territory. Indianapolis was unable to capitalize on the good field position and forced Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
to kick a 20 yard field goal. Throughout the first quarter both teams' offense were unable to get into a rhythm and by the end of the first quarter the Colts held a slim lead by the score of 3–0. With the start of the second quarter the offensive woes continued. The Colts were again unable to score a touchdown on good field position and were forced to kick their second field goal of the day. After a failed running play of fourth down by the Colts, the Chiefs were able to move down the field on good passes by Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
and a penalty on the Colts and were able to kick a field goal. Going into halftime, the score was 6–3 Colts. The third quarter continued to prove to be a defensive struggle. The Colts kicked another field goal midway through, however the Chiefs drove down the field to score another field goal. A Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
interception set up another field goal by the Chiefs which tied the game at 9–9. At the beginning of the fourth quarter the Colts continued their scoring ways of the day with a fourth field goal from Vinatieri. Finally with four minutes left in the ballgame, Mike Hart broke open an 11 yard run for the only touchdown of the day by both teams. The Colts won the game 19–9 and improved to 3–2 on the season. With the Chiefs loss they were not longer an undefeated team in the NFL
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...
.
Week 6: at Washington Redskins
Coming off their home win over the Chiefs, the Colts flew to FedEx Field for a Week 6 interconference duel with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on Sunday night. Indianapolis delivered the game's opening punch as quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
found wide receiver Pierre Garçon
Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garçon is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Garcon is of Haitian descent.- High school career...
on a 57-yard touchdown pass, but the Redskins answered with running back Ryan Torain
Ryan Torain
Ryan Devon Torain is an American football running back for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.-Early years:...
getting a 9-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, the Colts regained the lead as Manning hooked up with wide receiver Austin Collie
Austin Collie
Austin Kirk Collie is a Canadian-American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Draft...
on a 5-yard touchdown pass, followed by kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
booting a 43-yard field goal.
Washington began the third quarter with Torain's 1-yard touchdown run, yet Indianapolis replied with running back Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
's 13-yard touchdown run. The Redskins would continue to remain close as kicker Graham Gano
Graham Gano
Graham Gano is an American football placekicker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Florida State...
got a 39-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Colts continued to add onto their lead as Vinatieri got a 33-yard field goal. Washington tried to rally as quarterback Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to running back Keiland Williams
Keiland Williams
Keiland Terrell Williams is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
, yet Indianapolis' defense held tough to preserve the victory. With the win, the Colts improved to 4–2 and remained in a tie atop the AFC South division.
Week 8: vs. Houston Texans
In a rematch of the opening game of the season, where the Houston Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34–24, the Colts looked for revenge in their first Monday night game in Indianapolis since 2006. Both defenses came out strong in the beginning with both teams punting on their first drives. On the Colts second possession of the game, Indianapolis drove down the field for a Jacob TammeJacob Tamme
Jacob Tamme is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.-High school:...
touchdown, giving the Colts a 7–0 lead. Going into the second quarter, the Indianapolis offense and defense proved too much for the Texans. Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Darnell Hayden, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. He returned a Rex Grossman interception 56 yards for a...
took a 25 yard interception to the end zone and gave Indianapolis a 14–0 lead. On the following drive, Houston went down into Colts territory, however was only able to score a field goal ending the Indianapolis shutout. An Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
field goal gave the Colts a 17–3 lead going into halftime. Houston came out of the locker room improved, however Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
and the Indianapolis offense continued to be productive scoring a touchdown on a Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
reception in the beginning of the first half. Following a Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
touchdown and another Vinatieri field goal, the Colts held a 27–10 lead going into the fourth quarter. With the Houston offense looking improved and the Indianapolis defense struggling, the Texans were able to score a touchdown on an Arian Foster
Arian Foster
Arian Foster , is an American football running back for the Houston Texans. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and was added to their active roster from the practice squad on November 17, 2009. He played college football at Tennessee...
run, while the Colts scored another field goal. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, a fumble by Schaub sealed the game with the final score being 30–17. With the win, Indianapolis moved to 5–2 on the season and held sole possession of first place for the first time in the 2010 season.
Week 9: at Philadelphia Eagles
On the road at Lincoln Financial FieldLincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, the Indianapolis Colts played a NFC opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time since the 2006 season. The game did not start well for the Colts who allowed the Eagles to score a quick touchdown on only 3 plays covering 72 yards. A Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
interception caused more concern as the Colts now found themselves under the gun halfway through the first quarter. Two key defensive stops allowed the Eagles to only score two field goals making it a 13–0 Eagles lead heading into the second quarter. A touchdown pass from Manning to Jacob Tamme
Jacob Tamme
Jacob Tamme is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.-High school:...
allowed the Colts to get back into the game trailing the Eagles only 13–7. A Philadelphia field goal from David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
added to the lead, however the Colts continued chipping away. A hard hit on wide receiver Austin Collie
Austin Collie
Austin Kirk Collie is a Canadian-American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Draft...
, who was returning from injury that week, caused a 10 minute delay in the game in which he was strapped to a stripper and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion. The Colts, playing with passion, drove down the field and scored a touchdown and field goal within the final two minutes of the half, giving them a 17–16 lead at halftime. The offensive production seen by the Colts in the second quarter was nowhere to be found in the third. The Colts began the third quarter with two three-and-outs while the Eagles got the lead back with a 44 yard field goal halfway through the quarter. Going into the fourth quarter, the Eagles were driving down into scoring position where a 1 yard run by Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
gave the Eagles a 26–17 lead over the Colts. A continued lack of offensive production gave the Eagles the ball back and time to milk the clock. The Colts received the ball back with less than four minutes remaining in the game, trailing by two scores and drove down to score a touchdown. Jim Caldwell elected to kick the ball away to Philadelphia with 1:50 left, a first down and a defensive stop gave the Colts the ball back with less than 0:50 seconds in the game. After driving to midfield, Manning threw his second interception of the game and sealed the Indianapolis Colts third loss of the season.
Week 10: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Following their third loss of the season, the Indianapolis Colts entered their home game against the Cincinnati Bengals2010 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League , and their 43rd overall. The Bengals looked to improve on their 10–6 record in 2009, during which they swept the AFC North for the first time in team history and made the playoffs as division...
with a chance to regain the lead in the AFC South. Indianapolis came out energized in the first quarter where the Colts picked up a field goal with three minutes remaining in the quarter, and a Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Darnell Hayden, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. He returned a Rex Grossman interception 56 yards for a...
interception returned for a touchdown. The second quarter continued to see Colts dominance with a Javarris James
Javarris James
Javarris James is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at the University of Miami....
touchdown run, extending the Colts lead to 17–0. However as the quarter wore on the defense began to allow larger gains and the Bengals were able to score a touchdown and a field goal in the last ten minutes of the half. However, an Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
field goal gave the Colts a 20–10 lead going into halftime. The Colts came out in the third quarter sluggish and both teams exchanged the ball throughout the rest of the quarter. Another Vinatieri field goal gave the Colts a 23–10 lead. With everything seeming secure, the Bengals were able to pick up a touchdown on a 19 yard pass from Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
making it a six point game. The Bengals onside kick attempt was successful with a late penalty by the Colts, giving the Bengals the ball at the Colts 40-yard line. A fumble, the fifth turnover by the Bengals on the day, gave the Colts the ability to hold on to the lead and win the game 23–17, going to 6–3 on the season and taking first place in the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
by one game.
Week 11: at New England Patriots
The Colts' tenth game was an AFC duel against the Patriots. In the first quarter the Colts trailed early as QB Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
made a 22-yard TD pass to WR Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
. This was followed in the second quarter by Brady throwing an 8-yard TD pass to TE Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez
-New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop...
. The Colts narrowed the lead with QB Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Gijon Robinson
Gijon Robinson
Gijon Robinson is an American football tight end and fullback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Missouri Western State. He currently resides in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and attended high...
, but the Patriots responded with a 5-yard TD run by RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
. The Colts tried to close the gap after Manning found WR Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
on an 11-yard TD pass. The Colts struggled further in the 3rd quarter with RB Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
getting a 36-yard TD run, followed in the fourth quarter by kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Colts tried to close the gap after Manning made a 5 and an 18-yard TD pass to WR Blair White
Blair White
Blair White is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:...
, but his final pass was intercepted, giving the Colts a loss.
With the loss, the Colts fell to 6–4.
Week 12: vs. San Diego Chargers
The Colts' eleventh game was an AFC duel against the Chargers. They took the lead in the first quarter after QB 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...
made a 4-yard TD pass to TE Jacob Tamme
Jacob Tamme
Jacob Tamme is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.-High school:...
. They had a problem maintaining this lead after kicker Nate Kaeding
Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
made a 28-yard field goal, followed by ILB Kevin Burnett
Kevin Burnett
Kevin Bradley Burnett is an American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, and then with Kaeding hitting a 33 and a 50-yard field goal. They tried to cut the lead as Manning made a 6-yard TD pass to WR Blair White
Blair White
Blair White is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:...
, but the Chargers controlled the second half with Kaeding getting a 30-yard field goal, which was shortly followed by FS Eric Weddle
Eric Weddle
Eric Steven Weddle is an American football safety for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League.-Early years:...
returning an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, then with FB Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert is an American football Running Back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
getting a 3-yard TD run, and Kaeding making a 20-yard field goal, settling both records to 6–5.
Week 13: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Hoping to break a two game losing streak the Colts played on home ground for an Interconference duel with the Cowboys. In the first quarter the Colts caused problems with their defense after RB Tashard ChoiceTashard Choice
Tashard J. Choice , is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.Choice began his collegiate career at The University of Oklahoma but...
got a 20-yard TD run, followed by kicker David Buehler
David Buehler
-Dallas Cowboys:He was drafted in the 5th round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2009 NFL Draft, and the first kicker taken. He was the first USC kicker to be drafted since Cole Ford in 1995. He handles the team's kickoffs and missed his only field goal attempt in the Cowboys' opening regular season...
hitting a 40-yard field goal. The offense had problems too as QB Peyton Manning
Peyton 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 pass was intercepted by SS Orlando Scandrick
Orlando Scandrick
Orlando Scandrick is an American football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and returned 40 yards for a touchdown. They responded with Manning getting a 13 and a 34-yard TD pass to WR Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garçon is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Garcon is of Haitian descent.- High school career...
and WR Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
. The Cowboys increased their lead after Buehler made a 46-yard field goal, and with LB Sean Lee
Sean Lee
Sean Patrick Lee is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Penn State.-Early life:...
returning an interception 31 yards for a TD. The Colts got a slight lead with RB Javarris James
Javarris James
Javarris James is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at the University of Miami....
getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by WR Taj Smith
Taj Smith
Tajiddin M. Smith-Wilson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
returning a blocked punt 2 yards for a touchdown. They trailed again with QB Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
completing a 2-yard TD pass to TE Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
(With a successful 2-point conversion as Kitna passed to WR Roy E. Williams). They managed to tie the game after James made a 2-yard TD run. The decision was made in overtime when Buehler successfully made a 38-yard field goal to give the Colts a three game losing streak, for the first time since 2002.
With the loss, the Colts fell to 6–6.
Week 14: at Tennessee Titans
Trying to snap a three-game losing streak, the Colts flew to LP FieldLP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
for a Week 14 AFC South duel with the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
on Thursday night. Indianapolis delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from rookie running back Javarris James
Javarris James
Javarris James is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at the University of Miami....
. The Colts would add onto their lead in the second quarter as quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
found wide receiver Pierre Garçon
Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garçon is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Garcon is of Haitian descent.- High school career...
on a 1-yard and a 19-yard touchdown pass. The Titans responded with running back Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
getting a 1-yard touchdown run.
Tennessee began to cut away at their deficit in the third quarter as quarterback Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Craig Stevens
Craig Stevens (American football)
Craig Chase Stevens is an American football tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Titans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at California....
, yet Indianapolis responded with a 21-yard field goal from kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
. The Colts added onto their lead in the fourth quarter with a 28-yard field goal from Vinatieri. The Titans tried to rally as Collins completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bo Scaife
Bo Scaife
Oliver Edward "Bo" Scaife, III is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, yet Indianapolis rose to the challenge with Vinatieri booting a 47-yard field goal. Tennessee closed out the game with Collins completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Scaife.
With the win, the Colts improved to 7–6.
Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Coming off their win over the Titans the Colts played on home ground for an AFC South rivalry rematch against the Jaguars. In the first quarter the Colts took the lead as QB 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...
threw a 7-yard TD pass to Austin Collie
Austin Collie
Austin Kirk Collie is a Canadian-American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round in the 2009 NFL Draft...
. The lead was narrowed with a 22-yard field goal from kicker Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
, but the Colts scored again as Manning found Collie again on a 27-yard TD pass. They conceded their first touchdown of the game when Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas (wide receiver)
-Jacksonville Jaguars:Thomas was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. As a rookie he started four of the 14 games in which he played, and had 48 receptions for 453 yards and a touchdown. His 48 receptions were tied with Michael Crabtree for fourth among all...
returned a punt 78 yards to the endzone. After that, the Colts extended their lead with RB Donald Brown
Donald Brown (American football)
Donald Eugene Brown II is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was the starting running back for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2006 to 2008.-High school career:Brown attended Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New...
getting a 43-yard TD run, followed by kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
nailing a 34-yard field goal. The lead was cut down with QB David Garrard completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR Mike Sims-Walker, but the Colts increased their lead with Vinatieri making a 37-yard field goal. The Jaguars tried to come back with Garrard finding Sims-Walker on a 1-yard TD pass. After that, the Colts soon pulled away with Tyjuan Hagler
Tyjuan Hagler
Tyjuan Cedric Hagler is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
returning a failed onside kick 41 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, the Colts improved to 8–6.
Week 16: at Oakland Raiders
Coming off their win over the Jaguars the Colts flew to Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for an AFC duel with the Raiders. In the first quarter the Colts trailed immediately after a 99-yard kickoff return was made by Jacoby FordJacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He is also an accomplished track and field athlete. He played college football as a wide receiver and return specialist for the Clemson Tigers at Clemson University...
. They soon took the lead with RB Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
getting a 6-yard TD run, followed by kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
getting a 30-yard field goal. They trailed again after kicker Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
hit a 59 and a 38-yard field goal, but responded to take the lead back with QB Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
completing an 18-yard TD pass to TE Jacob Tamme
Jacob Tamme
Jacob Tamme is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.-High school:...
. The lead was narrowed with Janikowski nailing a 51-yard field goal, but the Colts extended their lead with Manning getting a 4-yard TD pass to WR Blair White
Blair White
Blair White is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:...
. The Raiders tried to keep up with Janikowski making a 45-yard field goal, but the Colts kept going with Manning completing a 7-yard TD pass to WR Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garçon is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Garcon is of Haitian descent.- High school career...
. The Raiders tried to come back after QB Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
threw a 6-yard TD pass to TE Zach Miller
Zach Miller
Zachary Joseph Miller is an American football tight end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Arizona State.-Early years:Miller Attended Desert Vista High School in...
, but Manning ran for a first down on the Colts ensuing possession to seal the game.
With the win, Indianapolis improved to 9–6.
Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans
Hoping to clinch a playoff spot the Colts played on home ground for a division rivalry rematch against the Titans. In the first quarter the Colts took the lead as kicker Adam VinatieriAdam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
made a 48-yard field goal, with the Titans replying as kicker Rob Bironas
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro...
nailed a 26-yard field goal. The Colts scored again with Vinatieri making a 44-yard field goal, but the Titans re-tied the game with Bironas hitting a 42-yard field goal. The Colts tried to pull away with QB Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
completing a 7-yard TD pass to WR Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
, but the Titans kept the score level as QB Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
made a 30-yard TD pass to WR Kenny Britt
Kenny Britt
-Tennessee Titans:Kenny Britt was drafted in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He was Rutgers' first ever first-round pick. This was a surprising pick because many thought that he would be selected by the New York Giants with the pick immediately before the Titans picked...
. The Colts still tried to pull away with Manning completing a 30-yard TD pass to WR Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garçon is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Garcon is of Haitian descent.- High school career...
, but the Titans re-tied the game for the fourth time as Collins threw a 15-yard TD pass to RB Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
. The Colts got away in the fourth quarter as Vinatieri got a 43-yard field goal.
With the win, the Colts finish on a 10–6 record and successfully clinched a play-off spot. As the 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 ....
also clinched a playoff spot, the 2010 season marked the first time in 10 years that both defending conference champions made the playoffs in the same season.
AFC Wild Card Game vs. New York Jets
| AFC Wild Card: New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading passers
Leading rushers
Leading receivers
Leading tacklers
|
Entering the playoffs as the AFC #3 seed, the Colts began their playoff run at home in the AFC Wild Card round against the #6 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...
in a rematch of the 2009–10 AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
. After a scoreless first quarter, the Colts delivered the game's opening strike in the second quarter as quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton 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...
found wide receiver Pierre Garçon
Pierre Garcon
Pierre Garçon is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Garcon is of Haitian descent.- High school career...
on a 57-yard touchdown pass.
The Jets answered in the third quarter with running back LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
getting a one-yard touchdown run, yet Indianapolis regained the lead with a 47-yard field goal from kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
. New York took the lead in the fourth quarter with Tomlinson getting another one-yard touchdown run. The Colts regained the lead with a 32-yard and a 50-yard field goal from Vinatieri, but the Jets' Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
kicked the game-winning 32-yard field goal.
With the loss, Indianapolis' season came to an end with an overall record of 10–7.