reflections
Five Best Moments in Indianapolis Colts History

I have been an Indianapolis Colts fan for as long as I can remember. Since I am also a Tennessee Volunteers football fan, I was ecstatic when Peyton Manning(notes) joined the Colts . My favorite moments from Colts history include their first Super Bowl win and their move from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

December 28, 1958 – The 1958 NFL Championship Game

Played in New York City at Yankee Stadium, this is the first time an NFL playoff game went into sudden death overtime. The game, generally referred to as “The Greatest Game Ever Played” ended regulation play in a 17-17 tie when Myhra kicked a field goal for the Colts with only seven seconds remaining. The Colts carried the momentum into sudden death toppling the New York Giants 23 -17 to claim the championship.

January 17, 1971 – Super Bowl V

The Colts and the Dallas Cowboys were tied at 13-13 in Miami after a series of errors and missed opportunities on both sides of the field. Two interceptions late in the game by the Colts set up the win—the first interception resulted in a touchdown. The second interception set up a 32-yard field goal for the Colts to win Super Bowl V in the last five seconds of regulation play.

March 28, 1984 – The Colts move from Baltimore to Indianapolis

In the late night hours of March 28, 1984, Mayflower trucks were loaded with records and equipment and the Colts began their move from Baltimore to Indianapolis. The dramatic move was in part because legislators had agreed to use state eminent domain laws to force the team to remain in Maryland. This began a two-year battle between the team and Baltimore that included bills being filed in the U. S. House and Senate to block the move. The controversy reached the United States Supreme Court before the parties finally came to an agreement in early 1986 that ceased Maryland’s efforts to move the team back to Baltimore.

October 31, 1988 – Monday Night Football

The Colts appeared in their first Monday Night Football game on Halloween 1988. Played at home in Indianapolis, Colts fans were give a treat as Denver Broncos fans were handed not only a fright but also a serious defeat. The Colts beat the Broncos 55-23 giving all football fans a thrilling surprise for Halloween.

January 21, 2007 – AFC Championship Game

The Colts hosted their first AFC Championship game facing their nemesis, New England, in the highest rated television Championship Game since 1997. The Colts were down 21-3 late in the second quarter but rallied and won the game 38-34. A last-minute interception by Marlin Jackson(notes) sealed the win for the Colts. The Championship win set up the Colts for their domination over the Chicago Bears to win the Super Bowl XLI with a final score of 29-17.

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Indianapolis Colts: Years of Poor Drafting Leaves Peyton Manning in the Cold

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 09: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts throws a pass during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 9, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Colts won 30-28. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)The Colts Have Left Peyton Manning Down In Recent Years
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian’s strategy for the NFL Draft is, “First of all, you should take the best player.”

The way things have been going in Indianapolis recently, it might be time for Polian to rethink this strategy. With a string of poor drafts, it is a miracle that the Colts have stayed good for as long as they have. Peyton Manning has covered up years of mistakes the Colts front office has committed in the draft, but now even he cannot save the day.

While there are seven round in the NFL Draft and diamonds in the rough can be found in the later rounds, the best talent is usually found in the 1st round. They are picked first, after all, for a reason. For example, 18 of the 32 starting NFL quarterbacks as of right now (Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer, Vince Young, Jason Campbell, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Michael Vick, Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford, Josh Freeman, Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, and of course, Peyton Manning) were 1st round picks. Drafting in the 1st round is where the Indianapolis Colts have struggled in recent years, and it is finally starting to show.

Since Peyton Manning was drafted in 1998, the Colts have spent six 1st round picks on offense and only four on defense (in 2004 and 2008 the Colts had no 1st round pick). Of those four defense 1st round picks, one has become a bona-fide star (DE Dwight Freeney, 2002), two became useful pieces (LB Rob Moore, 2000 and S Marlin Jackson, 2005), and one has not played enough to make a determination on (DE Jerry Hughes, 2010). While these picks have not necessarily been busts, only drafting one elite defensive player in 12 years is not a good percentage for a team.

More problematic for the Indianapolis Colts is the quality of the offensive 1st round picks. While RB Edgerrin James (1999), WR Reggie Wayne (2001), and TE Dallas Clark (2003) have worked out well, more recent 1st round picks have not. WR Anthony Gonzalez (2007) has been an absolute bust for the Colts. Since Peyton Manning can make a perfectly suitable receiving corps with Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, WRs Pierre Garcon (6th round, 2008), Austin Collie (4th round, 2009), Blair White (undrafted, 2010), and TE Jacob Tamme (4th round, 2008), the Anthony Gonzalez pick seems really wasteful.

The biggest issue with the Colts’ drafting is their 2009 pick. RB Joseph Addai (2006) has served as a suitable replacement to Edgerrin James, racking up 2697 rushing yards, 895 receiving yards, 30 TDs, and 4.2 yards per carry from 2006 to 2008. Considering the fact that the Colts with Peyton Manning are a pass-first team, Addai was very productive. This makes the drafting of RB Donald Brown (2009), just three years after drafting Addai, extremely wasteful. There are barely enough carries for one running back in the Colts offense, and there are nowhere near enough for two. This needless waste of 1st round picks has left Indianapolis in the mess they are in now.

Since hindsight is 20/20, it is unfair to say that the Colts should have drafted LB LaMarr Woodley (picked 14 spots after Anthony Gonzalez) and LB James Laurinaitis (picked 8 spots after Donald Brown). However, it is fair to say that by neglecting the defense and wasting 1st round picks, the Colts have fallen into a state of decline. This decline is threatening to waste the final years of Peyton Manning’s prime. The Colts have enough offense by now. They need to grind out what they can the rest of this year, then devote next year’s draft to shoring up the defense and salvaging the time that Peyton Manning has left.

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