2009 Indianapolis Colts

The 2009 Indianapolis Colts season was a milestone season for the Colts, and a season many fans will remember. It was the team's first season of the decade without wide receiver Marvin Harrison. The Colts also started the year with a coaching change, as coach Tony Dungy retired, and so Jim Caldwell took over and became head coach. On opening day the Colts got a tough win over the Jaguars, but wide reveiver Anthony Gonzalez injured his knee and would be out for the season. He was playing in the same spot that Harrison usually played in, creating a problem, since there was no clear next-string behind him. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon both came in his place the next week in Miami. Late in the 4th quarter with the game on the line, Peyton Manning completed a screen pass to Garcon and Garcon took the pass for a huge gain and a touchdown. The Colts won the game and found the solution to their receiver problems. Garcon and Collie were very important to the Colts next four games. From Week 3 to Week 7, all of the Colts 4 games in that span were victories by multiple scores, and the Colts bye week in week 6 helped to rest the team momentarily.

In week 8 the Colts got a reality check when the 49ers came into Indianapolis and dominated the first 3 quarters. The Colts could not move the ball well offensively and continued to settle for field goals. The Colts had not scored a touchdown in the game and were trailing by 2, 14-12. The Colts took a major risk on the first play of the 4th quarter by calling a halfback option pass. In one of the most interesting plays of the Colts season, the play scored a touchdown that ended up being the winning score. But the Colts had learned that victory was not to be taken for granted. And they were not out of the woods yet, as the next week they won by only 3 points over Houston in a game that very nearly went to overtime, and only failed to make it to the extra period because of a Texan missed kick. It was a bad time for the Colts to be playing poorly, as the next week they had to face their archrival New England Patriots.

The Colts game against New England was one of the most stunning and memorable finishes of the entire history of the Colts. Instead of the normal shootout between two of the NFL's elite offenses, the Patriots dominated the game for most of the first 3 quarters and part of the 4th. The Colts faced a 31-14 deficit with under a quarter to play. But the Colts launched a major comeback and put the game in the hands of their defense inside of 3 minutes to play with Patriot possesion of the ball. The Patriots were stopped, but Patriots coach Bill Belicheck suprised many people with the decision to go for the first down on 4th down and 2 from their own 28 yard line, and he failed. The stunning call gave the ball to the Colts inside the Patriot 30 and the Colts won the game with a touchdown to Reggie Wayne with just 0:13 left on the clock, and the defense stopped New England from there.

Despite the incredible win, the Colts troubles were not done. The next week in Baltimore the Colts had 3 turnovers and could barely move the ball. In that game the defense stepped up, as a goal line stand in the 4th quarter held the Ravens to a field goal instead of a touchdown. This was key as the Colts, trailing by 2, kicked the winning field goal inside of 5 minutes, and then forced the game-sealing interception for a 17-15 win. In Houston in week 12 the Colts came back from a 17-0 deficit to win, despite 2 interceptions by Manning.

By week 16 the Colts were still undefeated and were having a great season. But in the 3rd quarter of the week 16 matchup against the Jets the Colts pulled their starters to keep players healthy, and therefore were defeated. Taking a loss to rest starters and ruining an undefeated season was not popular among fans, and the 29-15 loss was followed up by a lot of fan critisizm. The Colts rested their starters the next week as well, and finished the regular season a league-best 14-2, thus earning a bye week.

The Colts faced the Ravens in the divisional playoffs. The Colts dominated the game, taking a 17-3 halftime lead and never looking back. The defense created more turnovers than points allowed, and won 20-3. The Ravens had held their own against Indy in the regular season, but ended up losing easily. The Colts moved on to face the Jets in the AFC Championship for the right to go to the superbowl. The Colts had allowed the Jets into the playoffs, as the Colts decision to rest their starters was the only reason the Jets made it, because the Jets would have been removed from the playoffs if they had lost. In the rematch, the Colts played poorly in the 1st half, trailing 17-13 at halftime. However the Colts outscored the Jets 17-0 for the rest of the game and secured a 30-17 victory.

Superbowl 44 was played in LandShark Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. The Colts were favored by a touchdown, but the vast majority of fans supported their opponents, the New Orleans Saints, because of the fanbase and Hurricane Katrina. The Colts defeated the crowd early, as they played well enough to get a 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter. But the Saints came back. A second half decision by the Saints to start the half with an onside kick worked, and allowed New Orleans to score a touchdown. The Colts found themselves trailing 24-17 with under 4 minutes to play and started a drive to try to win. Peyton Manning was then intercepted, and it was returned for the game sealing touchdown. In a heartbreaking game, the Colts lost 31-17.