2004 Indianapolis Colts season

52nd season in franchise history August 2023 March 2026 Indianapolis Colts 2004 12–4 1st AFC South Tony Dungy Bill Polian Jim Irsay RCA Dome Won Wild Card Playoffs(vs. Broncos) 49–24Lost Divisional Playoffs(at Patriots) 3–20 QB Peyton ManningRB Edgerrin JamesWR Marvin HarrisonOT Tarik GlennDE Dwight Freeney AFCS-2002-2011-Uniform-IND.png Colts seasons The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance further into the playoffs. The Colts finished the season 12–4, and defeated the Denver Broncos for the second straight time in the playoffs, but they were halted in the Divisional round by the defending and eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, their second straight loss in the playoffs to them. Peyton Manning had one of the best seasons ever by an NFL quarterback (and the best season of his Indianapolis career), throwing 49 touchdown passes and breaking the previous record of 48 held by Dan Marino. At season's end, Peyton Manning was named the NFL MVP. For the season the Colts set an NFL record with 51 total touchdown passes. The Colts led the NFL with 522 points scored. The Colts tallied more points in the first half of each of their games of the 2004 season (277 points) than seven other NFL teams managed in the entire season.Numbelievable! 35 Michael X. Ferraro John Veneziano Triumph Books Chicago 2007 978-1-57243-990-0 Despite throwing 49 touchdown passes, Peyton Manning attempted fewer than 500 passes for the first time in his NFL career.Numbelievable! 146 Michael X. Ferraro John Veneziano Triumph Books Chicago 2007 978-1-57243-990-0 Sports statistics site Football Outsiders calculates that Manning had the best-ever season by a quarterback, play-for-play, in 2004.Football Outsiders: QUARTERBACKS 2004Football Outsiders: Final 2011 DVOA Ratings https://web.archive.org/web/20210926153605/https://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2012/final-2011-dvoa-ratings September 26, 2021 Stats calculated from 1992–2011 The 2004 Colts are the only team in NFL history to convert five or more passing touchdowns in a game four different times during the regular season.Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the NFL, in the regular season, requiring Passing TD >= 5, sorted by most games in season matching criteria. 2 Offseason Free Agency During Free Agency, the Colts failed to re-sign linebacker Marcus Washington and cornerback Walt Harris. Both signed with the Washington Redskins in free agency. NFL draft 2004 NFL draft 2004 Indianapolis Colts 2 44 Bob Sanders Safety Iowa from Pittsburgh yes yes 3 68 Ben Hartsock Tight end Ohio State from Cleveland no yes 3 69 Gilbert Gardner Linebacker Purdue from Atlanta no yes 4 107 Kendyll Pope Linebacker Florida State from Pittsburgh no yes 4 125 Jason David Cornerback Washington State from Philadelphia via Atlanta no yes 5 141 Jake Scott Guard Idaho from Cleveland no yes 6 173 Von Hutchins Cornerback Mississippi from Cleveland no yes 6 193 Jim Sorgi Quarterback Wisconsin no yes 7 229 David Kimball Kicker Penn State from St Louis no no no Undrafted free agents + 2004 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeJosh ThomasDefensive endSyracuseBen UtechtTight endMinnesota Roster Indianapolis Colts 2004 final roster Quarterbacks  5 Travis Brown 18 Peyton Manning 12 Jim Sorgi Running backs 32 Edgerrin James 23 James Mungro 33 Dominic Rhodes Wide receivers 88 Marvin Harrison 85 Aaron Moorehead 84 Brad Pyatt 83 Brandon Stokley 86 Troy Walters 87 Reggie Wayne Tight ends 44 Dallas Clark 80 Ben Hartsock 81 Marcus Pollard Offensive linemen 64 Rick DeMulling C 71 Ryan Diem OT 76 Makoa Freitas OT 78 Tarik Glenn OT 61 Trevor Hutton G 65 Ryan Lilja G 56 Tupe Peko G 63 Jeff Saturday C 73 Jake Scott G Defensive linemen 79 Raheem Brock DE 93 Dwight Freeney DE 98 Robert Mathis DE 90 Montae Reagor DT 99 Brad Scioli DE 75 Larry Tripplett DT 96 Josh Williams DT Linebackers 58 Gary Brackett MLB 51 Gilbert Gardner OLB 59 Cato June OLB 94 Rob Morris MLB 55 Kendyll Pope OLB 97 Nick Rogers OLB 50 David Thornton OLB Defensive backs 26 Waine Bacon CB 28 Idrees Bashir FS 41 Cory Bird SS 42 Jason David CB 20 Mike Doss SS 39 Anthony Floyd FS 25 Nick Harper CB 27 Von Hutchins CB 29 Joseph Jefferson CB 21 Bob Sanders SS 38 Gerome Sapp SS Special teams 10 Martin Gramatica K 17 Hunter Smith P 48 Justin Snow LS 13 Mike Vanderjagt K Reserve lists 72 Thomas Houchin DE (IR) 7px 57 Jim Nelson LB (IR) 7px 30 Donald Strickland CB (IR) 7px 91 Josh Thomas DE (IR) 7px 47 Ben Utecht TE (PUP) 7px -- Patrick Venzke T (IR) 7px 52 Keyon Whiteside LB (IR) 7px Practice squad  6 Tom Arth QB 35 Ran Carthon RB 49 Bryan Fletcher TE 14 Eric Hill WR (IR) 7px 36 Tom Lopienski FB 53 Andre Sommersell LB 11 John Standeford WR 60 Jason Stewart DT 31 Jarrell Weaver S Rookies in italics 53 active, 8 inactive, 8 practice squad Preseason Date Opponent Result Game Site NFL Recap August 14, 2004 at San Diego Chargers W 21–17 Qualcomm Stadium Recap August 21, 2004 New York Jets L 7–31 RCA Dome Recap August 28, 2004 Buffalo Bills W 30–17 RCA Dome Recap September 3, 2004 at Cincinnati Bengals L 13–16 Paul Brown Stadium Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site NFL Recap 1 September 9 at New England Patriots L 24–27 0–1 Gillette Stadium Recap 2 September 19 at Tennessee Titans W 31–17 1–1 The Coliseum Recap 3 September 26 Green Bay Packers W 45–31 2–1 RCA Dome Recap 4 October 3 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 24–17 3–1 Alltel Stadium Recap 5 October 10 Oakland Raiders W 35–14 4–1 RCA Dome Recap 6 Bye 7 October 24 Jacksonville Jaguars L 24–27 4–2 RCA Dome Recap 8 October 31 at Kansas City Chiefs L 35–45 4–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 9 November 8 Monday Minnesota Vikings W 31–28 5–3 RCA Dome Recap 10 November 14 Houston Texans W 49–14 6–3 RCA Dome Recap 11 November 21 at Chicago Bears W 41–10 7–3 Soldier Field Recap 12 November 25 at Detroit Lions W 41–9 8–3 Ford Field Recap 13 December 5 Tennessee Titans W 51–24 9–3 RCA Dome Recap 14 December 12 at Houston Texans W 23–14 10–3 Reliant Stadium Recap 15 December 19 Baltimore Ravens W 20–10 11–3 RCA Dome Recap 16 December 26 San Diego Chargers W 34–31 (OT) 12–3 RCA Dome Recap 17 January 2 at Denver Broncos L 14–33 12–4 Invesco Field Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Standings IND Game summaries Week 1: at New England Patriots Colts 0 17 0 7 Patriots 3 10 14 0 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 9:00 pm EST/8:00 pm CST 73 °F °C on, Cloudy, warm, and humid (ABC) Al Michaels, John Madden 68,756 Week 2: at Tennessee Titans Colts 3 0 7 21 Titans 7 3 7 0 The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST 71 °F °C on, Sunny 68,932 Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers Packers 14 3 7 7 Colts 21 14 0 10 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 4:15 pm EST/3:15 pm CST Game played indoors Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver (Sideline Reporter) 57,280 Week 4: at Jacksonville Jaguars Indianapolis Colts 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary October 3 1:00 p.m. EDT Colts 7 3 7 7 Jaguars 0 3 3 11 Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida 85°, relative humidity 62%, wind 5 mph, wind chill 0 55,770 Walt Anderson Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders Raiders 0 7 0 7 Colts 7 14 0 14 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST Game played indoors 57,230 Week 7: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Indianapolis Colts 2004 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary October 24 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST Jaguars 0 10 3 14 Colts 0 14 0 10 RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana 56,615 None (indoor stadium) Terry McAulay A fumble by Colts' TE Dallas Clark allowed the Jaguars to capitalize with a field goal, giving them a 16–14 lead as the fourth quarter began. In response, Manning led the Colts down the field to score a field goal, reclaiming the lead. On the subsequent drive, Leftwich connected with Smith for a 25–yard touchdown and then successfully targeted WR Ernest Wilford for a two–point conversion. The Colts quickly answered back, with Manning finding Harrison for a 39–yard touchdown that leveled the score. During the Jaguars' next possession, Leftwich completed two passes of over 10 yards, advancing into Indianapolis territory. On a 3rd–and–7, Leftwich located Wilford, which positioned the Jaguars within field goal range. K Josh Scobee then successfully converted a 53–yard field goal, allowing the Jaguars to take the lead with under a minute left in the game. With no timeouts left, the Colts were unable to mount a comeback, resulting in a 27–24 victory for the Jaguars, marking their first win in Indianapolis. This win propelled them to the top of the AFC South standings.Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts - October 24th, 2004 https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200410240clt.htm Pro Football Reference 23 August 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20150829113228/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200410240clt.htm August 29, 2015Jaguars tame the Colts https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/oct/25/jaguars-tame-the-colts/ The Spokesman-Review William Stacey Cowles 23 August 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240823145544/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/oct/25/jaguars-tame-the-colts/ August 23, 2024 October 25, 2004 live This would ultimately be the Colts' sole defeat in their RCA Dome that season.Jaguars show Colts respect, but no fear https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2005/09/18/jaguars-show-colts-respect-but-no-fear-2/ Orlando Sentinel Paul Pham 23 August 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240823174052/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2005/09/18/jaguars-show-colts-respect-but-no-fear-2/ August 23, 2024 September 18, 2005 Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs Colts 7 7 14 7 Chiefs 7 24 0 14 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST 67 °F °C on, Clear 78,312 Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings Vikings 0 6 8 14 Colts 7 7 7 10 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 9:00 pm EST/8:00 pm CST Game played indoors Al Michaels, John Madden 57,307 Week 10: vs. Houston Texans Texans 0 0 7 7 Colts 7 14 21 7 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST Game played indoors 56,511 Week 11: at Chicago Bears Colts 7 20 14 0 Bears 3 0 0 7 Soldier Field, Chicago 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST 43 °F °C on, Partly Cloudy 61,908 Week 12: at Detroit Lions Colts 13 14 14 0 Lions 6 3 0 0 Ford Field, Detroit 12:30 pm EST/11:30 pm CST Game played indoors 63,107 Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans Titans 24 0 0 0 Colts 17 14 10 10 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST Game played indoors 57,278 Week 14: at Houston Texans Colts 14 0 3 6 Texans 0 7 7 0 Reliant Stadium, Houston 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST 68 °F °C on, Clear 70,762 Week 15: vs. Baltimore Ravens Colts 3 3 14 0 Ravens 3 0 7 0 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 8:30 pm EST/7:30 pm CST Game played indoors ESPN 57,240 Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers Chargers 7 10 7 7 0 Colts 0 9 7 15 3 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST Game played indoors CBS 57,330 Week 17: at Denver Broncos Colts 7 7 0 0 Broncos 7 13 10 3 Invesco Field, Denver 4:15 pm EST/3:15 pm CST 32 °F °C on, Cloudy Jim Nantz, Phil Simms 75,149 Postseason schedule 2004–05 NFL playoffs Playoff round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Host stadium NFL recap Wild Card January 9 Denver Broncos (6) W 49–24 1–0 RCA Dome Recap Divisional January 16 at New England Patriots (2) L 3–20 1–1 Gillette Stadium Recap Postseason results AFC Wild-Card Playoff Game: vs. Denver Broncos Broncos 0 3 14 7 Colts 14 21 0 14 RCA Dome, Indianapolis 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST Game played indoors CBS 56,609 AFC Divisional Playoff game: at New England Patriots Colts 0 3 0 0 Patriots 0 6 7 7 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 4:45 pm EST/4:45 pm CST 25 °F °C on, Cloudy, Cold, Snow CBS 68,756 Awards and records Peyton Manning, Bert Bell AwardMaxwell Football Club – Bert Bell Award Past Recipients https://web.archive.org/web/20090619081037/http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org/content/awards/bell/past_bell.htm June 19, 2009 See also History of the Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts seasons Colts–Patriots rivalry References Category:Indianapolis Colts seasons Indianapolis Colts Category:AFC South championship seasons Colts