Colts News
12-3-14:
The Colts dominated most of Sunday’s game against the visiting Washington Redskins. After the Redskins kicked a field goal early in the contest, Indianapolis bounced back to score three touchdowns before Washington scored another point. In the contest, Andrew Luck completed 19 of his 27 passing attempts for 370 yards and five touchdowns as the Colts won, 49-27, and moved their record to 8-4 on the season.
11-26-14: The Colts scored in all four quarters, including 14 points in their third quarter, en route to their blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Indianapolis allowed three points to the Jaguars in the first quarter and shut them out the rest of the way. The 7-4 Colts will host the Colt McCoy-led Washington Redskins on Sunday.
11-19-14: Although the Colts scored in all four quarters on Sunday night, they could not keep up with the New England Patriots in the second half as Indianapolis fell, 42-20. While Patriots running back Jonas Grey ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns, Ahmad Bradshaw was forced to the leave the game with a fractured fibula. He could be out for the season.
11-12-14: The top two teams in the AFC South were on bye in Week 10, but the 6-3 Colts have been able to separate from the 4-5 Houston Texans. Although Indianapolis dropped its contest in Pittsburgh in Week 8, the Colts are hoping their explosive offense continues to fire as they begin a three-game home stand, which begins on Sunday night against the New England Patriots.
11-5-14: Monday Night Football was a success for the Colts at MetLife Stadium. Andrew Luckthrew for 354 yards and four touchdowns, each of which was to a different receiver. The longest touchdown was a 40-yard one to Reggie Wayne. With a 6-3 record on the season, Indianapolis heads into its bye week.
10-30-14: Although Reggie Wayne was out due to an elbow injury, the Colts were strong on offense on Sunday. Andrew Luck led them to 34 points, as he threw for 400 yards and three touchdowns. However, Indianapolis let the Pittsburgh Steelers score 51 points. A week after the Colts shut out the Cincinnati Bengals, Ben Roethlisberger tore apart the Indianapolis secondary for 522 yards and six touchdowns.
10-21-14: Since the Colts lost the first two games of their season, they have won their last five contests. Sunday was Indianapolis’ best defensive effort of the season, as the team shutout the Cincinnati Bengals. It was the Colts’ first shutout since 2008. Andrew Luck threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns.
10-14-14: The Colts’ dominance of the AFC South continued on Thursday night as Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton destroyed the Houston Texans’ defense for a good portion of the game. Although the Texans made a comeback, Indianapolis was able to hold on to win its fourth consecutive game, breaking a tie with Houston atop the division.
10-8-14: The Indianapolis defense did not seem to miss starting safety LaRon Landry on Sunday after he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The Colts stopped the Ravens 10 times on third down and twice on fourth down in Indianapolis’ 20-13 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium.
10-1-14: Andrew Luck was at it again on Sunday. He completed 29 of his 41 passing attempts for 393 yards and four touchdowns to move the Colts’ record to 5-0 against the Tennessee Titans with him under center. After Indianapolis lost its first two games of the season, it has bounced back to go on a two-game winning streak, but the team’s schedule gets more difficult.
9-25-14: In a clash between two 0-2 teams, the Colts showed that they are much better than the Jacksonville Jaguars. Andrew Luck passed for 370 yards and four touchdowns in the 44-17 victory. Although T.Y. Hilton left the game with an ankle injury and missed the entire second half, he still caught five passes for a game-high 80 receiving yards, and it looks like he will be ready for the Colts’ Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans.
9-17-14: The Colts were expected to cruise to another AFC South title, but they have begun 2014 losing their first two games. Andrew Luck had an efficient contest on Monday as he threw for three touchdowns, but had a costly fourth-quarter interception, which helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the game. However, the Colts are a heavy favorite in Week 3 as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, so that game should get Indianapolis back on track.
9-10-14: Andrew Luck and the Colts fought hard to get back in Sunday night’s game against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, but fell just short. It does not get much easier for the Colts as they play another primetime game in Week 2. They host the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, but Indianapolis will be without linebacker Robert Mathis, who will miss the rest of season due to a torn Achilles tendon.
9-4-14: The Colts did not have the best week last week. Owner Jim Irsay was sentenced to one year’s probation and random drug testing along with getting a six-game suspension and $500,000 fine for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Unfortunately, his Colts also finished the preseason winless, and no team in the last two decades has won the Super Bowl after going winless in the preseason.
8-26-14: Andrew Luck was not very efficient on Saturday as the Colts remained winless this preseason. On Wednesday, the Colts added some running back depth. With Vick Ballard out for the season and Ahmad Bradshaw just making his preseason debut this past weekend, Indianapolis acquired running back David Fluellen from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for kicker Cody Parkey.
8-19-14: Ahmad Bradshaw, who is on his way back from a neck injury, did not play in the preseason opener or this past weekend in the Colts’ 27-26 loss. Even without much of a running game, Andrew Luck looked strong against the visiting New York Giants as he completed 12 of his 18 pass attempts and completed a five-yard touchdown to Griff Whalen in the first quarter.
8-14-14: As the Colts were readying for their preseason opener against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, running back Trent Richardson said that he wants to gain more than 1,000 rushing yards this season. However, on Thursday, he rushed for only 13 yards on five carries in the Colts’ 13-10 loss. Richardson looks to improve on Saturday against the New York Giants.
8-5-14: Unfortunately, the Colts have lost left guard Donald Thomas for the entire season because he re-tore the same quad that he injured last season. Although Reggie Wayne will also miss the Colts’ preseason opener against the New York Jets, Chuck Pagano has been impressed with his receiver’s recovery from his torn ACL less than a year ago.
7-30-14: The Indianapolis Colts were dealt a health blow earlier in the week, as third-year running back Vick Ballard was lost for the second straight season due to a significant lower body injury. It was his Achilles this time, as Ballard is done for the year before he could even fully work his way back from last season’s knee injury. The loss of Ballard puts even more pressure on starter Trent Richardson to realize his potential in the offense, as only injury-prone Ahmad Bradshaw is behind him as insurance. Oddly enough, the pressure could be even greater with Richardson now dealing with a hamstring issue in camp. There’s good news out of Indy’s camp, too, as veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne is active and has apparently looked great in practice. Wayne returning to full strength should give Indy’s offense a huge boost, regardless of what happens with their running game.
7-15-14: Trent Richardson isn’t going to be given a long leash to start the 2014 season. The former Browns running back was sluggish in his first season with the Colts last year, but will have to produce this time around to start ahead of Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard. Bradshaw has made a successful return from neck surgery and will vie for a role, while Ballard is reportedly on track for Indy’s training camp, which kicks off on July 23rd. The Colts offense continues to work it’s way back to 100%, as veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne also continues to be on the mend from an ACL tear sustained last season. Wayne is also expected to be fully ready for camp.
6-5-14: Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has finally come to his sense, admitting that last year’s run-first offense didn’t work and the team may opt for a “score first” philosophy. In other words, Andrew Luck’s talent won’t be wasted and the Colts will look to set up the run with the pass, rather than the other way around. Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw join the positive news, as T-Rich has dropped his playing weight down to a lighter 225 pounds and Bradshaw (neck) has been cleared to play again. Veteran possession receiver Reggie Wayne continues to work his way back from a torn ACL, but has not yet participated in Indy’s OTAs.
5-19-14: The Indianapolis Colts had the task of having an effective 2014 NFL Draft without the use of a first round pick - one in which they shipped off to the Browns last year in a trade for running back Trent Richardson. Let’s see how they managed after getting the ball rolling in round two:
Round 2. Pick 27 Jack Mewhort, OL, Ohio St.
Round 3. Pick 26 Donte Moncrief, WR, Mississippi
Round 5. Pick 26 Jonathan Newsome, DE, Ball St.
Round 6. Pick 27 Andrew Jackson, ILB, Western Kentucky
Round 7. Pick 17 Ulrick John, OT, Georgia St.
Obviously Indy didn’t have much to work with there, either in round one, or overall. They still made good use of their picks, though, as they grabbed a big offensive lineman to help shore up the blocking for their rushing attack, while also landing a potential stud wide receiver in Donte Moncrief. Reggie Wayne is nearing the end and Hakeem Nicks is only signed to a one-year deal, so the selection of Moncrief is potentially huge.
Indy continued to add solid pieces for their second season of a base 3-4 defensive scheme, as well, with Jonathan Newsome and Andrew Jackson as decent depth additions.
5-9-14: The Indianapolis Colts were one of two teams that didn’t have the luxury of drafting a player in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Thanks to a week-two trade last season that landed them running back Trent Richardson, the Colts’ first pick of the draft will come in round two this year. There they will likely take a look at the safety talent that remains, in an effort to find a replacement for the departed Antoine Bethea. Indy might also take a gander at some wide receiver help, as Hakeem Nicks is signed to just a one-year deal and Reggie Wayne is nearing the end.
4-28-14: Andrew Luck and co. have registered back to back 11-5 seasons and even won the AFC South in 2013. Needless to say, they’re a team looking to ascend. To keep rising, though, the Colts will need to keep adding talent to their 3-4 defense, while also sporadically finding the right pieces on offense. For now, it seems like Indy is good to go on offense, though, which gives them the luxury of mainly going after top shelf defensive talent. The Colts don’t have a first round draft pick after trading for Trent Richardson last year, but can still do some damage from the second round on. Safety jumps out as a need for Indy, as does outside linebacker. Indy would do itself a favor if it can snag a play-making safety like LaMarcus Joyner in round two, while also looking for another pass-rusher that can slide into their rotation.
4-18-14: Andrew Luck has two straight playoff appearances on his NFL resume and he’ll look to get a third in 2014. The journey starts on the road against the New York Jets in week one, while the Indianapolis Colts preseason schedule really takes off in week two against Eli Manning and the New York Giants at home. This week two battle should be Indy’s first major look at the starters, while the potential back and forth battle between Luck and Manning will be fun to watch in the first half. Week three should see even more time on the field for the key starters, as they try to work themselves into midseason form in a huge home clash with the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees comes into town for an even more thrilling showdown with Luck, giving the Colts and Saints both a nice measuring stick before they get ready for week one of the regular season. Indy wraps up their 2014 preseason schedule in Cincinnati, where Colts fans will see a limited battle between Luck and Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton.
4-7-14: The Indianapolis Colts made sure Andrew Luck would have the weapons he needs to succeed in 2014, adding former Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks to the passing game in free agency. With the offense seemingly mostly set, the Colts concentrated largely on defense throughout the offseason, as they improved at interior linebacker with the addition of D’Qwell Jackson, stole stud defensive lineman Arthur Jones from the Baltimore Ravens and retained stud corner Vontae Davis. Indy did create a hole at safety with Antoine Bethea leaving for San Francisco, but otherwise had a very solid overall showing in free agency.
3-21-14: The Colts thrilled fans in Indianapolis with an insane comeback win at home in the playoffs last year, and after two straight 11-5 seasons appear to be a permanent playoff contender. Going into the offseason, their mission was to simply stay at that level, while also filling some holes. Landing Hakeem Nicks aided that plan, as Indy’s passing attack suffered once possession receiver Reggie Wayne went down (ACL) last season. With Nicks on board, the passing game should be as good as it’s been since Andrew Luck was drafted - if not better. Indy also lost running back Donald Brown and safety Antoine Bethea, but salvaged their free agency stand with big signings in inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson and the re-signing of cornerback Vontae Davis. If Jackson can be the force the Colts expect him to be in the middle, their 3-4 defensive scheme could ascend to the next level and help make the Colts a Super Bowl contender.
1-15-14: A week after a thrilling, 45-44 comeback win at home over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Indianapolis Colts once again looked like they might give a favored opponent a run for their money. Andrew Luck held steady in the first half and had his Colts very much in a battle with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, but four interceptions ultimately doomed the offense in a tough 43-22 loss. Two of the picks were on Luck’s wide receivers, but his recklessness with the football still shined through - showing that he and the Colts still have some things to improve on if they want to make a serious playoff run.
With that said, a bigger reason why Indy fell in the divisional round was because of LeGarrette Blount and the Pats’ rushing attack. Blount helped keep the ball out of Luck’s hands for much of the final two quarters, pounding the rock for 166 rushing yards and a ridiculous four touchdowns. It was a tough loss to swallow, but Indy at least made progress bye earning its first playoff win in the Luck era and will head into next season with more confidence than ever.
1-7-14: Andrew Luck and the Colts were done. The Kansas City Chiefs had marched into Indianapolis and over powered them en route to a 38-10 half-time lead. Then some magic happened. Luck started a furious comeback that would never end, as he overcame three interceptions to pass for over 400 yards and four touchdowns in a thrilling 45-44 home win. Indy was aided by some untimely Kansas City injuries, as well as the fact that the Chiefs played extremely conservative throughout the second half.
Regardless, it’s a mammoth-sized win for the Colts, who get their first playoff victory in the Andrew Luck era and move on to New England to take on the Patriots in round two of the NFL playoffs.
12-31-13: Indy couldn’t do much on the ground in week 17, but Andrew Luck got the job done through the air with 282 passing yards and a touchdown, as the Colts topped the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, 30-10. Trent Richardson added on 42 total yards and a touchdown as Indy secured their second straight 11-5 finish.
12-24-13: Andrew Luck and Donald Brown both played extremely efficient and effective football as the Colts marched into Kansas City and took down the Chiefs in week 16, 23-7. Luck completed over 70% of his passes and had zero turnovers, while Brown piled on 100+ yards and two scores in the big win.
12-17-13: Andrew Luck tossed two touchdowns and running back Trent Richardson had arguably his best game as a Colt in a 25-3 home win over the hapless Houston Texans. Richardson caught a touchdown and totaled 100+ yards on the day as Indy got their ninth win of the year.
12-10-13: Clearly a fan of massive holes, the Colts once again fell behind early, down as big as 21-0 in the first half to the home team Cincinnati Bengals. Andrew Luck fired four touchdown passes and Indy made this one interesting, but it ended up being too little, too late, as Cincy secured the 42-28 home win.
12-3-13: Colts fans expected Andrew Luck and co. to get off to a hot start against an average Tennessee Titans team in week 13, after struggling to do so the past several weeks. That didn’t happen, but kicker Adam Vinatieri helped out a struggling Colts offense by nailing all five of his field goal tries as Indy escaped with a 22-14 home victory.
11-26-13: Indianapolis got off to a horribly slow start for the fourth straight game, and for the second time in four weeks, they couldn’t bounce back from it. Andrew Luck managed just 163 passing yards and tossed an interception as the Colts were grounded by an aggressive Arizona Cardinals defense in a horrific 40-11 loss in the desert.
11-19-13: Andrew Luck scored his only touchdown on the ground and Donald Brown - not Trent Richardson - shredded the Titans for 80+ rushing yards and two scores in a 30-27 road win. Tight end Coby Fleener established career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yardage (107) as Indy worked it’s way out of an early 14-0 hole to get the win and improve to 7-3.
11-12-13: The Colts weren’t ready for Tavon Austin. Or just simply, they weren’t ready, in general. Andrew Luck and the Colts struggled all day to finish drives, turning the ball a remarkable four times in a terrible 38-8 loss in front of their home crowd. As bad as Indy’s offense was, their defense was arguably even worse. The Colts managed just one turnover on the day on defense, while letting Tavon Austin take two receptions to the house and a punt return for a score.
10-22-13:
Andrew Luck played perfect football and won the battle of past and future quarterback legends, as he and his Colts were the better team in a 39-33 win over the visiting Denver Broncos. Luck matched Peyton Manning’s three touchdown passes and ran for another, and watched his defense rack up four sacks and register three key turnovers to help Indy build a big 33-14 lead before holding onto a 39-33 win in week seven.
10-15-13: The Indianapolis Colts appeared to be becoming one of the better teams in the NFL. At 4-1 and riding high after two straight wins over some of the NFC’s best, Andrew Luck and co. were expected to match into San Diego and throw all over the Chargers in a rout. Instead, San Diego played ball control offense and kept the Colts off the field for over half of the game. Thanks to drops and failed third down conversions the rest of the way, Indy could muster up just three field goals. A late interception sealed this one at 19-9, with the Colts possibly looking ahead to a week seven showdown with Peyton Manning.
10-8-13: The Indianapolis Colts were probably looking at a blowout loss at home against the Seattle Seahawks. Instead of letting the mighty Seahawks walk all over them, though, the Colts nailed a 73-yard touchdown thanks to T.Y. Hilton and made a game of it. From there, Indy’s defense forced two turnovers, while the Colts offense picked it’s spots and kept itself within striking distance until the middle of the fourth quarter, when a three yard touchdown run by Donald Brown put them up for the first time - and for good. The Colts would tack on a field goal late and held on at home for an impressive 34-28 win over the previously undefeated Seahawks.
10-1-13: The Indianapolis Colts took the league by surprise by beating the San Francisco 49ers on the road a week ago. This week they didn’t surprise anyone - in a good way. Very much the favorites on the road against the winless Jacksonville Jaguars, Andrew Luck and co. played extremely effective football en route to a dominant 37-3 win to send the Colts to an impressive 3-1 start. Trent Richardson surprisingly found running lanes to be few and far between against a normally soft Jaguars run defense, but managed to find the end-zone, while Luck passed for 260 yards and two scores in the blowout win.
9-20-13: Ryan Tannehill and Andrew Luck went against each other in this one, a battle of 1-0 teams lead by young, second-year quarterbacks. Both teams were graced by the presence of suddenly lively rushing attacks on offense, as second-year back Lamar Miller ran for nearly 70 yards and a touchdown for Miami and veteran back Ahmad Bradshaw stepped up in the wake of an injury to Vick Ballard for the Colts. The visiting Tannehill would end up exiting with the victory, however, as he completed nearly 68% of his passes and connected with tight end Charles Clay with under five minutes left for the go-ahead score. Andrew Luck started a drive late that could have won the game for the Colts, but couldn’t finish with the win at home, as Indy dropped this one, 24-20.
9-10-13: Andrew Luck started the game off with 11 straight completions for Indy as the Colts took their opener against the Raiders. For the day, Luck was 18 of 23 passing for 178 yards, two passing touchdowns, and a 19-yard touchdown scamper late in the fourth quarter to seal the win. The Raiders had a chance to finish off a surprise performance with some late-game heroics, but ultimately came up short, as the Colts were able to hold on 21-17. Next week, the Colts host the Dolphins looking to improve to 2-0.
9-4-13: Colts final roster cuts: OLB, Daniel Adongo, S Larry Asante, C Thomas Austin, CB Marshay Green, DE Lawrence Guy, QB Chandler Harnish, FB Robert Hughes, T Ben Ijalana, TE Dominique Jones, WR Jeremy Kelley, Lb Josh McNary, DT Drake Nevis, CB Sheldon Price, WR Jabin Sambrano, WR Lanear Sampson, LB Monte Simmons, OT Bradley Sowell, NT Martin Tevaseu, OL Lee Ziemba.
8-21-13: Indianapolis evened up their preseason record with a 20-12 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Andrew Luck completed 9 of 13 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also carried it once for 14 yards. The two scores came on back-to-back series; One was a 28-yard strike to Reggie Wayne, the other an 18-yarder to T.Y. Hilton. The Colts would score on a third straight series on an Adam Vinatieri 52-yard field goal. Next Saturday the Colts come back home to host the Browns.
8-11-13: The Colts dropped their preseason opener 44-20 to the Buffalo Bills. Andrew Luck played just two series and completed 4 of 6 passes for 51 yards. Backup Matt Hasselbeck played just three series and completed 4 of 6 for 75 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception. Chandler Harnish took the most snaps behind the center and completed 14 of 33 for 109 yards and an interception.
7-10-13: The transition from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck was almost seamless in 2012, and the Colts could be even better on offense in 2013 with the addition of running back Ahmad Bradshaw. Matching their solid 11-5 record of a year ago will be awfully difficult if their current personnel can’t improve in their rough transition to a 3-4 defensive scheme, however.
6-25-13: The Indianapolis Colts went from worst to first in one year, thanks to number one overall draft pick Andrew Luck.
The team also rallied behind head coach Chuck Pagano, who battled cancer during the season, but with such a heavy reliance on Luck in the vertical passing game, they were also regularly an elite offense.
Luck should be even better and more consistent in 2013. In addition, if the Colts’ 3-4 defense can continue improving within their scheme transition, Indy could have a very solid chance at making back-to-back playoff appearances, and could even compete for the AFC South title, as well.
2013 Colts Draft Overview:
Round 1, Pick 24: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
Round 3, Pick 24: Hugh Thornton, OG, Illinois
Round 4, Pick 24: Khaled Holmes, C, Southern California
Round 5, Pick 6 (from Cleveland): Montori Hughes, DT, Tennessee-Martin
Round 6, Pick 24: John Boyett, SS, Oregon
Round 7, Pick 24: Kerwynn Williams, RB, Utah State
Round 7, Pick 48 (Compensatory Selection): Justice Cunningham, TE, South Carolina
1-9-13: Andrew Luck is the leading candidate for rookie of the year, rightfully so. After a dismal and injury plagued 2011 which brought only two wins to the franchise all season Luck and the Colts finished second in their division, winning 11 games. It was a great ride until it ended against Baltimore in the AFC wild card game last week. Luck and his offense was held to just 9 points in a game that wasn’t as lopsided as the score implies. With Luck leading this team for the foreseeable future, the results seem extremely promising. This first playoff loss should be used as a lesson, look for the Colts to be perennial contenders in the near future.
12-4-12: Behind rookie sensation Andrew Luck the colts have strung together a couple of dramatic wins. Luck’s numbers aren’t staggering but his poise on key drives has been remarkable for a rookie. At 8-4 and riding high off of last week’s comeback win in Detroit, the Colts will head into battle with the Titans at home. Following that matchup, they will play the Houston Texans twice along with the Kansas City Chiefs.
