2018 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2018 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 66th in the National Football League and their 35th in Indianapolis. It was also their first season under head coach Frank Reich and second under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard. Despite a 1–5 start, the Colts managed to improve on their 4–12 campaign with a 38–10 victory over the Tennessee Titans which also included a 5-game winning streak. On Week 16, the Colts achieved their first winning season since 2014 with a 28–27 win against the New York Giants. The next week, they beat the Tennessee Titans in a win or go home match-up to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and became the third team in NFL history to qualify for the playoffs after a 1–5 start and first since the 2015 Chiefs.
2018 Indianapolis Colts season | |
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Head coach | Frank Reich |
General manager | Chris Ballard |
Owner | Jim Irsay |
Home field | Lucas Oil Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 10–6 |
Division place | 2nd AFC South |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Texans) 21–7 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Chiefs) 13–31 |
Pro Bowlers | QB Andrew Luck TE Eric Ebron G Quenton Nelson |
Uniform | |
In the Wild Card Round, the Colts defeated the Houston Texans 21–7, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round 31–13 ending their season.
This would be the last season that the Colts would be with franchise quarterback Andrew Luck, as he would retire following the season, citing his continuous struggle with injuries and no longer enjoying the game.[1]
Offseason
Coaching changes
On December 31, 2017, the Colts parted ways with head coach Chuck Pagano. After two interviews, it was widely reported that the Colts would hire New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to replace him, after McDaniels fulfilled his obligations to the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.[2] The Colts announced on the team website that they had agreed to terms with McDaniels and scheduled a press conference with McDaniels for February 5, 2018. However, one day later, McDaniels unexpectedly withdrew from the agreement in principle to become the Colts' head coach.[3][4] On February 11, 2018, after interviewing multiple candidates, including Leslie Frazier and Dan Campbell, the Colts announced the hiring of Frank Reich, formerly the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator.[5]
Draft
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Quenton Nelson | Guard | Notre Dame | From NY Jets |
2 | 36 | Darius Leonard | Linebacker | South Carolina State | |
37 | Braden Smith | Guard | Auburn | From NY Jets | |
52 | Kemoko Turay | Defensive end | Rutgers | From Baltimore via Philadelphia | |
64 | Tyquan Lewis | Defensive end | Ohio State | From Philadelphia via Cleveland | |
4 | 104 | Nyheim Hines | Running back | NC State | |
5 | 159 | Daurice Fountain | Wide receiver | Northern Iowa | From Kansas City via Cleveland, New England, and Oakland |
169 | Jordan Wilkins | Running back | Ole Miss | From Philadelphia | |
6 | 185 | Deon Cain | Wide receiver | Clemson | From Oakland |
7 | 221 | Matthew Adams | Linebacker | Houston | |
235 | Zaire Franklin | Linebacker | Syracuse | From Seattle via NY Jets |
Draft trades
- The Colts traded their first-round selection (3rd overall) to the Jets in exchange for the Jets' first-round selection (6th overall), two second-round selections (37th and 49th overall), and their second-round selection in 2019.
- The Colts traded a second-round selection they received from the Jets (49th overall) to the Eagles in exchange for the Eagles' second-round selection (52nd overall) and fifth-round selection (169th overall).
- The Colts traded their third-round selection (67th overall) and their sixth-round selection (178th overall) to the Browns in exchange for the Browns' second-round selection (64th overall).
- The Colts traded their fifth-round selection (140th overall) to the Raiders in exchange for the Raiders' fifth-round selection (159th overall) and sixth-round selection (185th overall).
- The Colts traded defensive end Henry Anderson to the Jets in exchange for the Jets' seventh-round pick previously acquired from Seattle (235th overall).
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Final roster
Preseason
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 9 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 19–17 | 1–0 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
2 | August 20 | Baltimore Ravens | L 19–20 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 25 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–17 | 2–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
4 | August 30 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 27–26 | 3–1 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
The Colts' 2018 schedule was announced on April 19.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 23–34 | 0–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
2 | September 16 | at Washington Redskins | W 21–9 | 1–1 | FedEx Field | Recap |
3 | September 23 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–20 | 1–2 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
4 | September 30 | Houston Texans | L 34–37 (OT) | 1–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
5 | October 4 | at New England Patriots | L 24–38 | 1–4 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
6 | October 14 | at New York Jets | L 34–42 | 1–5 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
7 | October 21 | Buffalo Bills | W 37–5 | 2–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
8 | October 28 | at Oakland Raiders | W 42–28 | 3–5 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
9 | Bye | |||||
10 | November 11 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 29–26 | 4–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
11 | November 18 | Tennessee Titans | W 38–10 | 5–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
12 | November 25 | Miami Dolphins | W 27–24 | 6–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
13 | December 2 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 0–6 | 6–6 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap |
14 | December 9 | at Houston Texans | W 24–21 | 7–6 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
15 | December 16 | Dallas Cowboys | W 23–0 | 8–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
16 | December 23 | New York Giants | W 28–27 | 9–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
17 | December 30 | at Tennessee Titans | W 33–17 | 10–6 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengals | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 34 |
Colts | 3 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: September 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 58,699
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Jane Slater
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Despite leading 23-10 in the second half, the Bengals managed to pull off a comeback to win 34-23. The Colts had a chance to win the game late. However, while driving down the field, Jack Doyle lost a fumble which was returned 83 yards for a touchdown, putting the game away. This was the Colts 4th straight opening day loss.
Week 2: at Washington Redskins
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Redskins | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
- Date: September 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
- Game attendance: 57,013
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Colts evened their record at 1-1.
Week 3: at Philadelphia Eagles
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 7 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
Eagles | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Rain, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 69,696
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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In a rain-filled affair, the Colts were unable to nurse a late lead, as they lost to the defending champion Eagles 20-16 and fell to 1-2.
Week 4: vs. Houston Texans
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 37 |
Colts | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly sunny, 73 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 57,716
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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In a shootout, the Texans were able to pull it out in overtime, winning 37-34, as the Colts fell to 1-3.
Week 5: at New England Patriots
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
Patriots | 7 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 38 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,878
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox/NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink; Amazon Video: Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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The Colts were seeking their first road win over the Patriots since their 2006 Super Bowl-winning season.
Week 6: at New York Jets
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 7 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 34 |
Jets | 10 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 42 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 14
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 77,982
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 7: vs. Buffalo Bills
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Colts | 0 | 24 | 0 | 13 | 37 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: October 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 56,848
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 8: at Oakland Raiders
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 10 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 42 |
Raiders | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: October 28
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 69 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,372
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Amanda Balionis
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 10: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 7 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
Colts | 14 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: November 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 57,473
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 11: vs. Tennessee Titans
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Titans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Colts | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: November 18
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 57,401
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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Week 13: at Jacksonville Jaguars
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: December 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,030
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Steve Beuerlein
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 14: at Houston Texans
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
Texans | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,814
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Steve Tasker
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Colts | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: December 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 66,654
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Week 16: vs. New York Giants
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 14 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
Colts | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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Week 17: at Tennessee Titans
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 7 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 33 |
Titans | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: December 30
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,978
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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Standings
Division
AFC South | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(3) Houston Texans | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 402 | 316 | W1 |
(6) Indianapolis Colts | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 433 | 344 | W4 |
Tennessee Titans | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 310 | 303 | L1 |
Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 245 | 316 | L1 |
Conference
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1[lower-alpha 1] | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .480 | .401 | W1 |
2[lower-alpha 2] | New England Patriots | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .494 | W2 |
3[lower-alpha 2] | Houston Texans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .471 | .435 | W1 |
4 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .496 | .450 | W3 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5[lower-alpha 1] | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .477 | .422 | W1 |
6 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .465 | .456 | W4 |
Did not qualify for the playoffs | |||||||||||
7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .504 | .448 | W1 |
8 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .520 | .465 | L1 |
9 | Cleveland Browns | North | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 3–2–1 | 5–6–1 | .516 | .411 | L1 |
10 | Miami Dolphins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .469 | .446 | L3 |
11[lower-alpha 3] | Denver Broncos | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .464 | L4 |
12[lower-alpha 3] | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .535 | .448 | L2 |
13[lower-alpha 3] | Buffalo Bills | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .411 | W1 |
14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .549 | .463 | L1 |
15[lower-alpha 4] | New York Jets | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .506 | .438 | L3 |
16[lower-alpha 4] | Oakland Raiders | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .406 | L1 |
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 5] | |||||||||||
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Postseason
Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wild Card | January 5, 2019 | at Houston Texans (3) | W 21–7 | 1–0 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
Divisional | January 12, 2019 | at Kansas City Chiefs (1) | L 13–31 | 1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (#3) Houston Texans
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: January 5, 2019
- Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST/3:35 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,798
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (#1) Kansas City Chiefs
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
Chiefs | 14 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: January 12, 2019
- Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST/3:35 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Snow, 32 °F (0 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,765
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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References
- Wells, Mike. "Luck retires, calls decision 'hardest of my life'". ESPN. ESPN. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- "Report: Colts to hire Pats OC Josh McDaniels as coach".
- "Will There Be Any Legal Fallout for Josh McDaniels, Colts?".
- "Josh McDaniels withdraws from Colts coaching job".
- "Indianapolis Colts on Twitter".