2011 Indianapolis Colts season

59th season in franchise History August 2023 March 2026 Indianapolis Colts 2011 2–14 4th AFC South Jim Caldwell Jim Irsay Chris Polian Lucas Oil Stadium Did not qualify DE Dwight FreeneyDE Robert Mathis AFCS-2002-2011-Uniform-IND.png Colts seasons The 2011 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 28th in Indianapolis, their fourth playing their home games at Lucas Oil Stadium, and their third and final season under head coach Jim Caldwell. The Colts were coming off a 10–6 record in 2010 and a second consecutive AFC South championship, as well as a ninth consecutive playoff appearance. The Colts had placed their franchise tag on superstar quarterback Peyton Manning before the season started but he sat out the entire season due to neck surgery. Also, Manning was never placed on injured reserve, but instead was on the Colts inactive list for each game. The Colts turned to retired quarterback Kerry Collins and then to Curtis Painter, neither of whom could fill Manning's void.Mortensen Chris Werder Ed 2012-01-02 Peyton Manning: Firing 'very tough' https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7414912/polians-relieved-duties-indianapolis-colts-source-says 2024-11-11 ESPN.com Associated Press en The Colts' offense weakened rapidly in 2011. They were 30th in the league in yards gained (compared to 4th in 2010), 27th in passing yards (compared to 1st in 2010), 29th in receiving yards (compared to 2nd in 2010), 28th in scoring (compared to 4th in 2010), and 28th in total touchdowns (compared to 2nd in 2010). The Colts set a dubious NFL record on pass defense, by allowing 71.2% completed passes by opposing passers.Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1978 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by descending opp Pass Completion % as of 2011 season As early as the seventh week of the season, media discussion of whether the Colts might become the second team after the 2008 Detroit Lions to finish winless in a 16-game season began.Arthur Bruce October 29, 2011 69 The Colts, Rams and Dolphins Lead the Race to Draft a Can't-Miss QB National Post Toronto, Ontario, Canada With Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck regarded as a can't-miss franchise player in the upcoming draft, there was discussion of whether the Colts should "Suck for Luck" (aim to finish winless) in order to get the first overall pick and draft him. The Colts became even less competitive in the second half of the season,Arthur Bruce November 25, 2011 27 Colts Pursue Winless Season, also in Running for Worst Team Ever Edmonton Journal Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with some critics comparing them to the 2008 Lions.Morwick Rick December 13, 2011 Colts in Running for Worst Ever The Republic Columbus, Indiana 11, 13 The Colts finished the season with a 2–14 record, their worst record since 1991, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001. As of the 2024, this is the most recent season (and only since divisional realignment) the Colts have finished in last place in the AFC South. On January 2, 2012, one day after the final game of the season, Colts owner Jim Irsay fired team Vice Chairman Bill Polian and his son, team Vice President and general manager Chris Polian. Irsay stated that the fate of head coach Jim Caldwell was still under review. On January 17, 2012, Irsay announced the firing of Caldwell as the head coach of the Colts.2012-01-17 Colts fire coach Jim Caldwell https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7471905/indianapolis-colts-fire-jim-caldwell-nfl-worst-2-14-season 2025-01-11 ESPN.com Associated Press en On March 7, 2012, Manning was released by the Colts. These moves marked the first major rebuilding of the team since the Polians joined.Klemko Robert Colts to release Peyton Manning on Wednesday http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/03/report-colts-to-release-peyton-manning-wednesday/1#.T1aj73m2ZMg March 6, 2012 USA Today March 6, 2012Chase Chris Report: Peyton Manning will be cut by Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/report-peyton-manning-cut-colts-wednesday-231935941.html March 6, 2012 Yahoo! Sports March 6, 2012Perez Luis Colts part ways with Peyton Manning after 14 seasons http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2012/03/colts-to-release-peyton-manning-on-wednesday-report-says/ March 7, 2012 Houston Chronicle March 7, 2012 3 Offseason 2011 draft board 2011 NFL draft Round Selection Player Position College 1 22 Anthony Castonzo OT Boston College 2 49Jaguars trade [b] Ben Ijalana OT Villanova 3 87 Drake Nevis DT LSU 4 119 Delone Carter RB Syracuse 6 188 Chris Rucker CB Michigan State Justin Tryon trade [a] The Colts traded their seventh-round selection to the Washington Redskins in exchange for CB Justin Tryon. From Jaguars through Redskins trade [b] The Colts traded their second-round (fifty-fourth overall) selection and their fifth round (152nd overall) selection for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ second round (forty-ninth overall) selection. Coaching staff Indianapolis Colts 2011 staff Front office Owner/CEO – James Irsay Vice chairman – Bill Polian Vice president/general manager – Chris Polian Director of player personnel – Tom Telesco Director of football administration – Dennis Polian Associate director of pro personnel – Kevin Rogers Head coaches Head coach – Jim Caldwell Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Clyde Christensen Quarterbacks – Ron Turner Running backs – David Walker Wide receivers – Frank Reich Tight ends – Ricky Thomas Offensive line – Pete Metzelaars Assistant offensive line – Ron Prince Assistant to the offensive coordinator – Jim Bob Cooter Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Mike Murphy Defensive line – John Teerlinck Defensive backs – Alan Williams Special assistant to the defense – Rod Perry Defensive assistant – Bill Teerlinck Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Ray Rychleski Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Jon Torine Assistant strength and conditioning – Richard Howell Coaching assistants Devin Fitzsimmons Final roster 2011 Indianapolis Colts 53 15 7 18 Peyton Manning  6 Dan Orlovsky  7 Curtis Painter 29 Joseph Addai 31 Donald Brown running back 34 Delone Carter y 42 Jerome Felton FB 47 Ryan Mahaffey y FB 17 Austin Collie 12 Quan Cosby 85 Pierre Garçon 11 Anthony Gonzalez politician 87 Reggie Wayne 44 Dallas Clark 81 Brody Eldridge 83 Anthony Hill tight end 84 Jacob Tamme 74 Anthony Castonzo y T 71 Ryan Diem G 72 Jeff Linkenbach T 69 Quinn Ojinnaka T 78 Mike Pollak G/C 76 Joe Reitz G 61 Jamey Richard G/C 63 Jeff Saturday C 97 Mario Addison y DE 90 Jamaal Anderson DE 96 Tyler Brayton DE/DT 93 Dwight Freeney DE 92 Jerry Hughes DE 99 Antonio Johnson defensive tackle DT 98 Robert Mathis DE 91 Ricardo Mathews DT 95 Fili Moala DT 51 Pat Angerer MLB 57 Kevin Bentley OLB 53 Kavell Conner OLB 54 Zac Diles OLB 52 A. J. Edds OLB 56 Scott Lutrus y MLB 55 Ernie Sims OLB 41 Antoine Bethea FS 30 David Caldwell safety SS 26 Jermale Hines y FS 20 Mike Holmes cornerback y CB 37 Brandon King cornerback CB 27 Jacob Lacey CB 35 Joe Lefggred SS/RS 36 Chris Rucker y CB 21 Kevin Thomas cornerback, born 1986 CB  1 Pat McAfee P 48 Justin Snow LS  4 Adam Vinatieri K 58 Gary Brackett MLB IR 28 Stevie Brown FS IR 33 Melvin Bullitt SS IR  5 Kerry Collins QB IR 68 Eric Foster American football DT IR 49 Chris Gronkowski FB IR 79 Ben Ijalana y G/T IR 23 Terrence Johnson American football CB IR 94 Drake Nevis y DT IR 73 Seth Olsen G IR 25 Jerraud Powers CB IR -- Jaimie Thomas G IR 50 Philip Wheeler OLB IR 15 Blair White WR IR -- James Williams offensive tackle T IR  3 Jarrett Brown QB 32 Darren Evans y RB 16 Jarred Fayson y WR 60 Matt Murphy American football guard y G 64 Ollie Ogbu y DT 10 Jeremy Ross y WR 67 Mike Tepper T Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 13, 2011 at St. Louis Rams L 10–33 0–1 Edward Jones Dome Recap 2 August 19, 2011 Washington Redskins L 3–16 0–2 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 3 August 26, 2011 Green Bay Packers L 21–24 0–3 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 4 September 1, 2011 at Cincinnati Bengals W 17–13 1–3 Paul Brown Stadium Recap Regular season Schedule In addition to their regular games with AFC South division rivals, the Colts played games against the AFC North and NFC South according to the NFL's schedule rotation, and also played games against the Patriots and the Chiefs based upon finishing positions from 2010. Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 11 at Houston Texans L 7–34 0–1 Reliant Stadium Recap 2 September 18 Cleveland Browns L 19–27 0–2 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 3 September 25 Pittsburgh Steelers L 20–23 0–3 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 4 October 3, 2011 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 17–24 0–4 Raymond James Stadium Recap 5 October 9 Kansas City Chiefs L 24–28 0–5 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 6 October 16 at Cincinnati Bengals L 17–27 0–6 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 7 October 23 at New Orleans Saints L 7–62 0–7 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 8 October 30 at Tennessee Titans L 10–27 0–8 LP Field Recap 9 November 6 Atlanta Falcons L 7–31 0–9 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 10 November 13 Jacksonville Jaguars L 3–17 0–10 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 11Bye 12 November 27 Carolina Panthers L 19–27 0–11 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 13 December 4 at New England Patriots L 24–31 0–12 Gillette Stadium Recap 14 December 11 at Baltimore Ravens L 10–24 0–13 M&T Bank Stadium Recap 15 December 18 Tennessee Titans W 27–13 1–13 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 16 December 22, 2011 Houston Texans W 19–16 2–13 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 17 January 1 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 13–19 2–14 EverBank Field Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: at Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary September 11 1:00 p.m. EDT Colts 0 0 0 7 Texans 17 17 0 0 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,444 None (retractable roof closed) Walt Coleman CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf Recap First quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal, 4:27. Texans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:32. HOU – Derrick Ward 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 2:56. Texans 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:41. HOU – Ben Tate 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:41. Texans 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:08. Second quarter HOU –Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 6:57. Texans 24–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:54. HOU – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 1:34. Texans 27–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:51. HOU – Jacoby Jones 79-yard punt return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:54. Texans 34–0. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter IND – Reggie Wayne 6-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:17. Texans 34–7. Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 1:10. Top passers IND – Kerry Collins – 16/31, 197 yards, TD HOU – Matt Schaub – 17/24, 220 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers IND – Joseph Addai – 8 rushes, 39 yards HOU – Ben Tate – 24 rushes, 116 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Reggie Wayne – 7 receptions, 106 yards, TD HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 95 yards, TD The Indianapolis Colts began their 2011 season at Reliant Stadium against the Houston Texans. For the first time since the 1997 season, Peyton Manning was not under the helm at quarterback; recently acquired Kerry Collins took his position. The game started very well for the Colts, opening up with an interception by Melvin Bullitt that allowed the Colts to take control. However, a three and out from the offense quickly gave the Texans the ball to drive down and score a field goal and take a 3–0 lead. Collins and the Colts offense was out of sync for much of the first quarter, fumbling two snaps and giving Houston great field position inside of the Indianapolis 40-yard line. After the first quarter, the Texans held a commanding 17–0 lead and were firing on all cylinders. The second quarter continued Houston's dominance, with all three teams of the Colts failing to stop or to execute against the Texans. At halftime, the Colts trailed Houston 34–0, the largest deficit in the entire 58-year history of the franchise. The second half saw little action with both teams taking shorter drives and in some senses, running down the clock. The Colts scored their first and the only points scored in the second half with a Reggie Wayne touchdown from Collins in the fourth quarter. The Colts went on to lose to the Texans 34–7, their second straight season starting 0–1. Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary September 18 1:00 p.m. EDT Browns 0 14 0 13 Colts 3 6 3 7 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 65,035 None (retractable roof closed) Gene Steratore CBS Marv Albert and Rich Gannon Recap First quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 39-yard field goal, 10:36. Colts 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:29. Second quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 27-yard field goal, 14:20. Colts 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:40. CLE – Evan Moore 16-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Phil Dawson kick), 8:01. Browns 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 6:22. IND – Adam Vinatieri 52-yard field goal, 3:58. Colts 9–7. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 4:00. CLE – Peyton Hillis 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 0:15. Browns 14–9. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:38. Third quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 6:57. Browns 14–12. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 3:52. Fourth quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 20-yard field goal, 10:57. Browns 17–12. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:49. CLE – Peyton Hillis 24-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 3:55. Browns 24–12. Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 0:55. CLE – Phil Dawson 23-yard field goal, 2:59. Browns 27–12. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:24. IND – Dallas Clark 6-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:24. Browns 27–19. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 2:35. Top passers CLE – Colt McCoy – 22/32, 211 yards, TD IND – Kerry Collins – 19/38, 191 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Peyton Hillis – 27 rushes, 94 yards, 2 TD IND – Joseph Addai – 14 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers CLE – Mohamed Massaquoi – 3 receptions, 45 yards IND – Reggie Wayne – 4 receptions, 66 yards The Indianapolis Colts had their 2011 home opener against the 0–1 Cleveland Browns. The first quarter saw both teams getting into offensive and defensive rhythms and ended with the Colts holding only a 3–0 lead on an Adam Vinatieri field goal. Heading to the second quarter, the Colts offense began to pick up behind Kerry Collins, rookie Delone Carter, and Joseph Addai. However much of the success faded once Indianapolis reached the red zone, and were only able to come away with two field goals during the quarter. Cleveland, however, was able to capitalize on the Colts defense, and saw a touchdown pass from Colt McCoy and a touchdown run from Peyton Hillis. Cleveland went into halftime with a 14–9 lead. The Indianapolis defense was able to stop Cleveland for most of the third quarter, and allowed the struggling offensive to close the gap with a fourth Vinatieri field goal, with Cleveland still holding a 14–12 lead into the fourth quarter. Cleveland quickly drove down the field and started the quarter with a Phil Dawson field goal, allowing the Colts to remain in contention for the victory. However, after turnovers and an inability to produce on offense, Cleveland broke the game open with a Hillis touchdown run, along with another Dawson field goal with 2:59 remaining in the game. With Cleveland holding a 27–12 lead, Indianapolis was able to score their first touchdown of the game, allowing them to try an onside kick to preserve any chance of a comeback, which they were not able to convert. Cleveland finished the game and the Colts by winning 27–19, their first victory over the Colts since 1994, and the Colts' first 0–2 start since the 1998 season. Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary September 25 8:20 p.m. EDT Steelers 10 0 0 13 Colts 0 13 0 7 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 66,309 None (retractable roof closed) Terry McAulay NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap First quarter PIT – Shaun Suisham 48-yard field goal, 12:48. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:17. PIT – Mike Wallace 81-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 3:40. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:53. Second quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 21-yard field goal, 10:36. Steelers 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 5:44. IND – Jamaal Anderson 47-yard fumble return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:01. Tied 10–10. IND – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 0:18. Colts 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:19. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter PIT – Shaun Suisham 48-yard field goal, 12:15. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:40. PIT – Troy Polamalu 47-yard fumble return (Shaun Suisham kick), 5:21. Steelers 20–13. IND – Joseph Addai 6-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:15. Tied 20–20. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:38. PIT – Shaun Suisham 38-yard field goal, 0:08. Steelers 23–20. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 2:05. Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 25/37, 364 yards, TD, INT IND – Kerry Collins – 13/29, 93 yards Top rushers PIT – Rashard Mendenhall – 18 rushes, 37 yards IND – Joseph Addai – 17 rushes, 86 yards, TD Top receivers PIT – Mike Wallace – 5 receptions, 144 yards, TD IND – Pierre Garçon – 6 receptions, 82 yards Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Indianapolis Colts remained at home for a week three intra-conference matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. Indianapolis trailed early in the first quarter as Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham got a 48-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completing an 81-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace. The Colts answered in the second quarter with a 21-yard field goal from kicker Adam Vinatieri, followed by defensive end Jamaal Anderson returning a fumble, forced by Dwight Freeney, 47 yards for a touchdown. Another defensive turnover allowed the Colts and Vinatieri to score a 25-yard field goal, giving them a 13–10 lead at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Pittsburgh took the lead in the fourth quarter with a Suisham 44-yard field goal, followed by safety Troy Polamalu returning a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown. Indianapolis tied the game again on running back Joseph Addai's 6-yard touchdown run with 2:15 remaining in the game. However, the Steelers were able to capture the win with a final 38-yard field goal from Suisham, dropping the Colts to 0–3. Week 4: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary October 3 8:30 p.m. EDT Colts 3 7 7 0 Buccaneers 0 7 10 7 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 63,972 Clear, 80 °F 1 or Ron Winter ESPN Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Wendi Nix Recap First quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal, 10:31. Colts 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:34. Second quarter IND – Pierre Garçon 87-yard pass from Curtis Painter (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:01. Colts 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 98 yards, 1:27. TB – Josh Freeman 1-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 4:00. Colts 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 4:53. Third quarter TB – Connor Barth 46-yard field goal, 10:31. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 5:17. IND – Pierre Garçon 59-yard pass from Curtis Painter (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:22. Colts 17–10. Drive: 1 play, 59 yards, 0:12. TB – Preston Parker 13-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 0:22. Tied 17–17. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:56. Fourth quarter TB – LeGarrette Blount 35-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 3:26. Buccaneers 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:32. Top passers IND – Curtis Painter – 13/30, 281 yards, 2 TD TB – Josh Freeman – 25/39, 287 yards, TD Top rushers IND – Joseph Addai – 11 rushes, 41 yards TB – LeGarrette Blount – 25 rushes, 127 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Pierre Garçon – 2 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TD TB – Preston Parker – 5 receptions, 70 yards, TD Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Steelers, the Colts flew to Raymond James Stadium for a Week 4 Monday night duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With quarterback Kerry Collins recovering from concussion, quarterback Curtis Painter made his first career start. Indianapolis delivered the game's opening punch in the first quarter with a 45-yard field goal from kicker Adam Vinatieri. The Colts added to their lead in the second quarter with Painter finding wide receiver Pierre Garçon on an 87-yard touchdown pass, yet the Buccaneers answered with quarterback Josh Freeman getting a 1-yard touchdown run. Tampa Bay tied the game in the third quarter with kicker Connor Barth getting a 46-yard field goal, yet Indianapolis came right back with Painter hooking up Garçon again on a 59-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, the Buccaneers tied the game with Freeman completing a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Preston Parker. Tampa Bay took the lead in the fourth quarter with running back LeGarrette Blount getting a 35-yard touchdown run. From there, the defense prevented any comeback from the Colts' offense. With the loss, the Colts dropped to 0–4. Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary October 9 1:00 p.m. EDT Chiefs 0 14 7 7 Colts 7 17 0 0 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 65,088 Sunny, 72 °F 1 or Carl Cheffers CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots First quarter IND – Pierre Garçon 6-yard pass from Curtis Painter (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:36. Colts 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:24. Second quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 53-yard field goal, 12:23. Colts 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 2:29. IND – Pierre Garçon 67-yard pass from Curtis Painter (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:13. Colts 17–0. Drive: 1 play, 67 yards, 0:10. KC – Dwayne Bowe 41-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 5:11. Colts 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:57. IND – Delone Carter 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:09. Colts 24–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:02. KC – Steve Breaston 16-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 0:13. Colts 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 0:56. Third quarter KC – Dwayne Bowe 5-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 0:40. Colts 24–21. Drive: 3 plays, 98 yards, 1:27. Fourth quarter KC – Steve Breaston 11-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 5:15. Chiefs 28–24. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:39. Top passers KC – Matt Cassel – 21/29, 257 yards, 4 TD IND – Curtis Painter – 15/27, 277 yards, 2 TD Top rushers KC – Jackie Battle – 19 rushes, 119 yards IND – Donald Brown – 8 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers KC – Dwayne Bowe – 7 receptions, 128 yards, 2 TD IND – Pierre Garçon – 5 receptions, 125 yards, 2 TD After dropping their first four games of the season, the Indianapolis Colts came back to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. The game opened well for the Colts, who scored on their opening drive with a Curtis Painter to Pierre Garçon touchdown reception. In the second quarter, the Colts scored with an Adam Vinatieri field goal and another Painter to Garçon touchdown, giving Indianapolis a 17–0 lead midway through the second quarter. A Kansas City touchdown pass from Matt Cassel ended the shutout but Indianapolis scored another touchdown later. A late Kansas City touchdown allowed the Colts to go into halftime with a 24–14 lead. Two touchdown passes from Cassel, to Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston respectively, gave the Chiefs 21 unanswered points and completed the comeback, winning the game 28–24, dropping the Colts to 0–5 on the season. Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary October 16 1:00 p.m. EDT Colts 0 7 0 10 Bengals 7 3 10 7 Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 52,068 Sunny, 71 °F 1 or John Parry CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots Recap First quarter CIN – A. J. Green 11-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 9:19. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:16. Second quarter IND – Donald Brown 18-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:14. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:08. CIN – Mike Nugent 20-yard field goal, 0:00. Bengals 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 5:56. Third quarter CIN – Cedric Benson 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 10:27. Bengals 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:59. CIN – Mike Nugent 43-yard field goal, 2:20. Bengals 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 6:00. Fourth quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 14:56. Bengals 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 2:24. IND – Dallas Clark 1-yard pass from Curtis Painter (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:33. Bengals 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:14. CIN – Carlos Dunlap 35-yard fumble return (Mike Nugent kick), 2:22. Bengals 27–17. Top passers IND – Curtis Painter – 23/34, 188 yards, TD, INT CIN – Andy Dalton – 25/32, 264 yards, TD Top rushers IND – Delone Carter – 14 rushes, 45 yards CIN – Cedric Benson – 16 rushes, 57 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Reggie Wayne – 5 receptions, 58 yards CIN – Jerome Simpson – 6 receptions, 101 yards With the Colts losing five consecutive games starting the 2011 season, Indianapolis looked to win their first game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati opened up the game well, with a 1-yard touchdown run from Cedric Benson. With both defenses performing well throughout the remainder of the first half with the only other scores coming on a Donald Brown touchdown run for the Colts, and a Mike Nugent field goal. Going into halftime, the Bengals led the Colts 10–7. Cincinnati dominated the third quarter on both fronts, with another Benson touchdown run and Nugent field goal, quickly running the lead up to 20–7 heading into the fourth quarter. The Colts were able to strike on an Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, narrowing the score to 20–10. A Dallas Clark touchdown reception from Curtis Painter allowed the Colts to cut the game to a 20–17 affair with 9:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. After a missed Nugent field goal, with the Colts driving, Pierre Garçon fumbled the football, giving it to Carlos Dunlap who took the ball in for a touchdown and the game's last score, with the Bengals winning the game 27–17, giving the Colts an 0–6 record on the season. It was the first time the Colts had lost to the Bengals since 1997, one year before the Colts drafted Peyton Manning. The Colts never lost to the Bengals with Manning as their starter. Week 7: at New Orleans Saints Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints – Game summary October 23 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT Colts 0 7 0 0 Saints 21 13 14 14 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,012 None (played indoors) Scott Green NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya First quarter NO – Marques Colston 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 9:02. Saints 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 2:59. NO – Marques Colston 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 5:31. Saints 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 1:39. NO – Darren Sproles 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 0:42. Saints 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 22 yards, 3:42. Second quarter NO – Jed Collins 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 10:39. Saints 28–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:51. NO – John Kasay 23-yard field goal, 4:20. Saints 31–0. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 5:28. IND – Delone Carter 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:56. Saints 31–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:24. NO – John Kasay 47-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 34–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 1:56. Third quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 9:16. Saints 41–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:44. NO – Jimmy Graham 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 1:41. Saints 48–7. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 6:05. Fourth quarter NO – Darren Sproles 16-yard run (John Kasay kick), 12:26. Saints 55–7. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:58. NO – Leigh Torrence 42-yard interception return (John Kasay kick), 12:12. Saints 62–7. Top passers IND – Curtis Painter – 9/17, 67 yards, INT NO – Drew Brees – 31/35, 325 yards, 5 TD Top rushers IND – Delone Carter – 10 rushes, 89 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 rushes, 91 yards Top receivers IND – Reggie Wayne – 3 receptions, 36 yards NO – Marques Colston – 7 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD In a rematch of Super Bowl XLIV on SNF, the Colts traveled to New Orleans to take on the Saints. The Saints quickly got on the board as Drew Brees threw 3 touchdown passes in the first quarter alone, twice to Marques Colston from 14 and 4 yards out for 7–0 and 14–0 leads and once to Darren Sproles for a 21–0 lead. They eventually moved ahead 31–0 in the 2nd quarter as Jed Collins ran for a 1-yard touchdown followed by John Kasay nailing a 23-yard field goal. The Colts finally got on the board as Delone Carter ran for a touchdown from 2 yards out, making the score 31–7. Kasay then kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Saints a 34–7 lead at halftime. In the 2nd half, the Saints scored 4 consecutive touchdowns with Brees hooking up with Jimmy Graham on 4-yard and 2-yard scores to increase their lead to 41–7 and then 48–7 in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter, Sproles ran for a 16-yard touchdown, making the score 55–7, while Leigh Torrence returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown for a final score of 62–7. The Colts' loss was the most lopsided game of the 2011 NFL season and the first time a team had allowed 60 or more points since January 2000, when the Jacksonville Jaguars humiliated the Miami Dolphins by the same score in the divisional round playoffs. It was the worst loss in franchise history in terms of margin (55) and points allowed (62).Associated Press Colts try to recover after humbling loss to Saints Deseret News 2011-10-24 https://www.deseret.com/2011/10/24/20225515/colts-try-to-recover-after-humbling-loss-to-saints/ 2025-01-11Biggest Blowouts in NFL History: Record-Setting Wins Hudson Reporter 2024-11-17 https://hudsonreporter.com/sports/the-greatest-blowouts-in-nfl-history/ 2025-01-11 With this loss, the Colts dropped to 0–7. Week 8: at Tennessee Titans Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans – Game summary October 30 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Colts 0 0 3 7 Titans 3 17 0 7 LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee 69,143 Sunny, 62 °F 1 or Jerome Boger CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots First quarter TEN – Rob Bironas 51-yard field goal, 7:01. Titans 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 5:09. Second quarter TEN – Jason McCourty blocked punt recovery in end zone (Rob Bironas kick), 9:52. Titans 10–0. TEN – Rob Bironas 50-yard field goal, 2:31. Titans 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 2:28. TEN – Nate Washington 3-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 0:22. Titans 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:28. Third quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 22-yard field goal, 7:41. Titans 20–3. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 5:25. Fourth quarter IND – Donald Brown 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:29. Titans 20–10. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:44. TEN – Nate Washington 14-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 5:20. Titans 27–10. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:58. Top passers IND – Curtis Painter – 26/49, 250 yards, 2 INT TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 23/33, 224 yards, TD Top rushers IND – Curtis Painter – 7 rushes, 79 yards TEN – Javon Ringer – 14 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers IND – Dallas Clark – 6 receptions, 77 yards TEN – Damian Williams – 4 receptions, 60 yards After a huge loss at the Saints, the Colts traveled to Nashville to take on the Titans. The Titans scored 20 unanswered points in the first half as Rob Bironas kicked a 51-yard field goal for a 3–0 lead in the first quarter, and in the 2nd quarter, Jason McCourty recovered a blocked punt in the end zone, sending the game to 10–0, followed up by Bironas nailing a 50-yard field goal for 13–0, and the eventual halftime lead of 20–0 when Nate Washington ran for a 3-yard touchdown. The Colts managed to get on the board as Adam Vinatieri kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 20–3 score. Donald Brown managed to increase the Colts' points with a 4-yard touchdown run for a 20–10 score. The Titans however wrapped the game up when Washington ran for a 14-yard touchdown, making the final score 27–10. With the loss, the Colts fell to 0–8. Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary November 6 1:00 p.m. EST Falcons 14 7 7 3 Colts 0 7 0 0 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 65,218 Sunny, 57 °F 1 or (retractable roof open) Mike Carey Fox Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr. First quarter ATL – Michael Turner 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:38. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:38. ATL – Julio Jones 50-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:51. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:34. Second quarter ATL – Julio Jones 80-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:55. Falcons 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 87 yards, 1:34. IND – Jerraud Powers 6-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:47. Falcons 21–7. Third quarter ATL – Tony Gonzalez 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:50. Falcons 28–7. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 7:32. Fourth quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 10:15. Falcons 31–7. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:49. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 14/24, 275 yards, 3 TD, INT IND – Curtis Painter – 13/27, 98 yards, INT Top rushers ATL – Michael Turner – 19 rushes, 71 yards, TD IND – Donald Brown – 16 rushes, 70 yards Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 3 receptions, 131 yards, 2 TD IND – Austin Collie – 4 receptions, 32 yards After 2 straight losses on the road, the Colts returned home to take on the Falcons. The Falcons dominated, scoring 21 unanswered points as Michael Turner ran for a 1-yard touchdown for a 7–0 lead. Matt Ryan then found Julio Jones on a 50-yard touchdown pass, taking the game to 14–0 in the first quarter. In the 2nd quarter, Ryan and Jones hooked up again on an 80-yard pass, making the score 21–0. The Colts finally got on the board as Jerraud Powers returned an interception 6-yards for a touchdown, making the halftime score 21–7. In the 3rd quarter, Ryan hooked up with Tony Gonzalez for a 1-yard pass, increasing the Falcons' lead to 28–7. In the 4th quarter, Matt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal to give his team a final score of 31–7. With the loss, the Colts fell to 0–9, giving them their first losing season since 2001. With the Dolphins' win over the Chiefs that same week, the Colts became the league's only team without a win. Week 10: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary November 13 1:00 p.m. EST Jaguars 3 0 7 7 Colts 0 3 0 0 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 64,619 None (retractable roof closed) Jeff Triplette CBS Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein First quarter JAX – Josh Scobee 44-yard field goal, 2:44. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 4:44. Second quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 42-yard field goal, 14:20. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:24. Third quarter JAX – Jarett Dillard 11-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Josh Scobee kick), 1:49. Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 9:40. Fourth quarter JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew 3-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), 3:52. Jaguars 17–3. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 0:56. Top passers JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 14/21, 118 yards, TD, INT IND – Curtis Painter – 13/19, 94 yards, 2 INT Top rushers JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 25 rushes, 114 yards, TD IND – Donald Brown – 14 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers JAX – Chastin West – 3 receptions, 39 yards IND – Jacob Tamme – 6 receptions, 75 yards The Colts stayed home and took on the Jaguars. The Jags managed to score early in the 1st quarter as Josh Scobee kicked a 44-yard field goal for a 3–0 lead. In the 2nd quarter, the Colts got on the board as Adam Vinatieri tied the game 3–3 with a 42-yard field goal. This was eventually the halftime score. Once again, the Colts found themselves being overpowered in the 2nd half of a game as Blaine Gabbert hooked up with Jarett Dillard on an 11-yard touchdown pass to send the game to a 10–3 score in the 3rd quarter followed up by Maurice Jones-Drew running for a 3-yard touchdown to make the final score 17–3. With the loss, the Colts entered their bye week at 0–10. Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary November 27 1:00 p.m. EST Panthers 3 7 7 10 Colts 0 10 3 6 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 63,928 None (retractable roof closed) Tony Corrente Fox Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio First quarter CAR – Olindo Mare 40-yard field goal, 4:07. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 5:18. Second quarter CAR – Cam Newton 14-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 14:03. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:08. IND – Donald Brown 17-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:08. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:55. IND – Adam Vinatieri 43-yard field goal, 1:46. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 2:27. Third quarter CAR – DeAngelo Williams 25-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 9:13. Panthers 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 4:16. IND – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 0:32. Panthers 17–13. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 4:20. Fourth quarter CAR – DeAngelo Williams 2-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 10:23. Panthers 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 5:09. IND – Reggie Wayne 56-yard pass from Curtis Painter (pass failed), 8:16. Panthers 24–19. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:07. CAR – Olindo Mare 41-yard field goal, 5:53. Panthers 27–19. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 2:23. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 20/27, 208 yards IND – Curtis Painter – 15/29, 226 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 10 rushes, 70 yards IND – Donald Brown – 14 rushes, 80 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 3 receptions, 68 yards IND – Reggie Wayne – 5 receptions, 122 yards, TD After a good rest on their bye week, the Colts stayed home for a game against the Panthers. In the first quarter the Panthers jumped to an early lead as Olindo Mare kicked a 30-yard field goal for a leading score of 3–0. They made it 10–0 in the 2nd quarter when Cam Newton ran for a touchdown from 14 yards out. The Colts got on the board when Donald Brown ran for a 17-yard touchdown, coming within 3 at 10–7. Following an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 43 yards out, the game was tied at halftime 10–10. In the 3rd quarter, the Panthers moved back into the lead as De'Angelo Williams ran for a touchdown from 25-yards out, taking a 17–10 lead. The Colts came within 4 points as Vinatieri kicked a 30-yard field goal for a 17–13 game. In the 4th quarter, the Panthers moved ahead by double digits as Williams ran for a 2-yard touchdown for a 24–13 game. The Colts managed to move within 5 points as Curtis Painter found Reggie Wayne on a 56-yard pass (with a failed 2-point conversion) for a 24–19 game. The Panthers wrapped up the game when Mare kicked a 41-yard field goal, making the final score 27–19. With the loss, the Colts dropped down to 0–11. Week 13: at New England Patriots Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots – Game summary December 4 1:00 p.m. EST Colts 0 3 0 21 Patriots 3 14 14 0 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 68,756 Cloudy, 51 °F 1 or Ron Winter CBS Marv Albert and Rich Gannon First quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 9:30. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:13. Second quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 14:11. Tied 3–3. Drive: 19 plays, 71 yards, 10:19. NE – Rob Gronkowski 11-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:57. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 16 plays, 94 yards, 6:40. NE – BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:13. Patriots 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:21. Third quarter NE – Rob Gronskowski 21-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:16. Patriots 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 2:44. NE – Rob Gronskowski 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:13. Patriots 31–3. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:59. Fourth quarter IND – Donald Brown 5-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:24. Patriots 31–10. Drive: 15 plays, 88 yards, 8:49. IND – Pierre Garçon 33-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:21. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 4:15. IND – Pierre Garçon 12-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:36. Patriots 31–24. Drive: 5 plays, 90 yards, 1:07. Top passers IND – Dan Orlovsky – 30/37, 353 yards, 2 TD, INT NE – Tom Brady – 29/38, 289 yards, 2 TD Top rushers IND – Donald Brown – 14 rushes, 41 yards, TD NE – Stevan Ridley – 8 rushes, 33 yards Top receivers IND – Pierre Garçon – 9 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD NE – Wes Welker – 11 receptions, 110 yards Despite putting up 21 points in the fourth quarter with Dan Orlovsky under center, the Colts again lost on the road to the New England Patriots. With the loss, the Colts fell to 0–12 and became the ninth team in NFL history to start 0–12, and the third franchise after the Lions and Buccaneers to suffer this ignominy twice. Week 14: at Baltimore Ravens Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary December 11 1:00 p.m. EST Colts 0 3 0 7 Ravens 10 7 7 0 M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 71,187 Sunny, 43 °F °C 1 or Clete Blakeman CBS Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker First quarter BAL – Torrey Smith 8-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 10:09. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 3:23. BAL – Billy Cundiff 36-yard field goal, 1:20. Ravens 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 6:40. Second quarter BAL – Ray Rice 6-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 10:07. Ravens 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:39. IND – Adam Vinatieri 22-yard field goal, 3:06. Ravens 17–3. Drive: 13 plays, 29 yards, 7:01. Third quarter BAL – Dennis Pitta 7-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 3:41. Ravens 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:26. Fourth quarter IND – Jacob Tamme 13-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:00. Ravens 24–10. Drive: 12 plays, 29 yards, 2:18. Top passers IND – Dan Orlovsky – 17/37, 136 yards, TD, INT BAL – Joe Flacco – 23/31, 227 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers IND – Donald Brown – 9 rushes, 28 yards BAL – Ray Rice – 26 rushes, 103 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Pierre Garçon – 5 receptions, 46 yards BAL – Anquan Boldin – 5 receptions, 57 yards With this loss, the Colts fell to 0–13 and became the sixth team in NFL history to start a season at 0–13,https://archive.today/20130111025323/http://www.footballgeography.com/?p=3261 Last Winless NFL Team and the first franchise to suffer this ignominy on multiple occasions.The previous five had been the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 1980 New Orleans Saints, the 1986 Indianapolis Colts, the 2007 Miami Dolphins, and the 2008 Detroit Lions. They would later on be joined by the 2016 and 2017 Browns, and the 2020 Jets. Week 15: vs. Tennessee Titans Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary December 18 1:00 p.m. EST Titans 0 6 0 7 Colts 3 0 14 10 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 64,271 None (retractable roof closed) Pete Morelli CBS Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts First quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 1:11. Colts 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:47. Second quarter TEN – Rob Bironas 53-yard field goal, 5:37. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:23. TEN – Rob Bironas 21-yard field goal, 0:25. Titans 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:17. Third quarter IND – Reggie Wayne 18-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:45. Colts 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:51. IND – Jacob Lacey 32-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:41. Colts 17–6. Fourth quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 12:59. Colts 20–6. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:40. TEN – Nate Washington 7-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), 3:48. Colts 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:30. IND – Donald Brown 80-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:43. Colts 27–13. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:17. Top passers TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 27/40 223 yards, 2 INT IND – Dan Orlovsky – 11/17 82 yards, TD Top rushers TEN – Chris Johnson – 15 rushes, 55 yards IND – Donald Brown – 16 rushes, 161 yards, TD Top receivers TEN – Jared Cook – 9 receptions, 103 yards IND – Reggie Wayne – 3 receptions, 33 yards, TD After starting 0–13 and looking most likely to become the second team in NFL history to go 0–16 after the 2008 Detroit Lions, the Colts finally won a game. Having a career day, Donald Brown and a strong defense denied Tennessee any hope of a win as the team improved to 1–13, allowing them to avoid becoming the third team in post-merger NFL history to finish a season winless, after the 2008 Lions and the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The victory also ended the possibility of the 2011 season becoming the first in NFL history to feature both an undefeated and winless team in one season,The 1934 and 1942 NFL seasons featured both a winless team (the 1934 Cincinnati Reds and 1942 Detroit Lions) and an undefeated regular season (the Chicago Bears in both cases); however on both occasions the Bears lost the NFL Championship game to miss a perfect season. as the Green Bay Packers lost the same day to the Kansas City Chiefs after a 13–0 start. Week 16: vs. Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary December 22 8:20 p.m. EST Texans 10 0 3 3 Colts 3 3 3 10 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 64,159 None (retractable roof closed) Jerome Boger NFLN Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan Recap First quarter HOU - (14:11) Arian Foster 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 0–7, Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, :45. IND - (4:43) Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, Texans 3–7, Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:36. HOU - (2:06) Neil Rackers 44-yard field goal, Texans 3–10, Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:37. Second quarter IND - (3:41) Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, Texans 6–10, Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:39. Third quarter HOU - (10:30) Neil Rackers 35-yard field goal, Texans 6–13, Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:35. IND - (:59) Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, Texans 9–13, Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 5:11. Fourth quarter IND - (6:52) Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, Texans 12–13, Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 6:08. HOU - (2:00) Neil Rackers 31-yard field goal, Texans 12–16, Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:52. IND - (:24) Reggie Wayne 1-yard reception from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), Colts 19–16, Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 1:37. Top passers HOU – T. J. Yates – 13/16 132 yards IND – Dan Orlovsky – 23/41 244 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 23 rushes, 158 yards, TD IND – Joseph Addai – 19 rushes, 59 yards Top receivers HOU – Joel Dreessen – 4 receptions, 38 yards IND – Reggie Wayne – 8 receptions, 106 yards, TD With the win, the Colts improved to 2–13 and retained their perfect 10–0 record against the Texans at home. Week 17: at Jacksonville Jaguars Indianapolis Colts 2011 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary January 1 1:00 p.m. EST Colts 0 3 3 7 Jaguars 7 3 6 3 EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida 62,481 Chance of rain, 70 °F 1 or John Parry CBS Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein First quarter JAX – Chastin West 23-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Josh Scobee kick), 3:10. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 3:19. Second quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 48-yard field goal, 12:03. Jaguars 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 54 yards, 6:07. JAX – Josh Scobee 25-yard field goal, 1:01. Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:49. Third quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 20-yard field goal, 9:07. Jaguars 10–6. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 5:53. JAX – Josh Scobee 32-yard field goal, 7:33. Jaguars 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:34. JAX – Josh Scobee 47-yard field goal, 5:52. Jaguars 16–6. Drive: 4 plays, -10 yards, 0:48. Fourth quarter JAX – Josh Scobee 39-yard field goal, 6:35. Jaguars 19–6. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 4:08. IND – Austin Collie 12-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:22. Jaguars 19–13. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 3:08. Top passers IND – Dan Orlovsky – 27/40, 264 yards, TD, 2 INT JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 11/19, 92 yards, TD Top rushers IND – Donald Brown – 8 rushes, 24 yards JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 25 rushes, 169 yards Top receivers IND – Austin Collie – 9 receptions, 96 yards, TD JAX – Marcedes Lewis – 3 receptions, 33 yards With the loss, the Colts finished the season at 2–14 and were swept by the Jaguars for the first time in franchise history. The Jaguars became the first division rival to sweep the Colts since the Tennessee Titans did so in 2002. This was the first season ever when the Jaguars swept the Colts as division rivals, and became the only team to do so this season after the Colts gained their only two wins for the season at home against the Texans (who were 0–10 in Indianapolis by 2011) and Titans. Since the NFL moved to a sixteen-game season in 1978, the Colts had now suffered the most seasons with three or fewer wins (six, in 1981, 1986, 1991, 1997, 1998 and 2011, plus a winless strike-shortened season in 1982) of any NFL franchise.The Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had previously shared their record of five seasons since 1978 with three or fewer wins. The Buccaneers would tie the Colts' record with their 2–14 2014 season, then with their 4–44 three-season record from 2015 to 2017, the Cleveland Browns subsequently tied the Colts’ unwanted record, having previously finished 3–13 or worse in 1990, 1999 and 2000. The Colts also had the worst record of any AFC team since the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. With this final loss, the Colts ended their 2011 season tied with the St. Louis Rams for the worst record in the NFL, thereby earning the right to the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft due to a tiebreaker.Colts secure top pick in 2012 NFL Draft with loss to Jaguars NFL.com 2012-01-01 https://www.nfl.com/news/colts-secure-top-pick-in-2012-nfl-draft-with-loss-to-jaguars-09000d5d8259d01c 2024-11-11 This pick was the highest draft pick the Colts had had since 1998, when they selected Peyton Manning with the first overall pick, and the fourth time the Indianapolis-era Colts had the first overall pick. Standings Division Conference Notes note References Indianapolis Category:Indianapolis Colts seasons Colts