October 20, 2026
October 20, 2026
The 2005 Indianapolis Colts finished with a 14-2 record and the second-highest-scoring offense in the league. They also ranked second in points allowed. Perennial MVP candidate Peyton Manning led the team, but the offense stalled in the Divisional round against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and the Colts couldn’t recover. The Colts lost 21-18, and in the offseason they lost star running back Edgerrin James to free agency. At the start of the 2006 campaign, the 2006 Indianapolis Colts looked to finally fulfill their promise and erase the memories of past playoff disappointments.
The 2006 season began with the Colts winning their first nine games before losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11. Despite losing James’ 1,506 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, the offense continued its excellent play. The Colts drafted Joseph Addai, and he and Dominic Rhodes combined for over 1,600 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Of course, the focal point of the Colts’ offense has always been Peyton Manning and the passing game. Manning continued his march to the Hall of Fame with 4,397 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne were the primary recipients of Manning’s passes. Harrison led the team with 95 receptions, 1,366 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns, while Wayne wasn’t far behind with 86 receptions, 1,310 yards, and 9 touchdowns.
The offense ranked second again in points per game, scoring 26.7 points per contest. The defense, however, was a completely different story. After allowing only 15.4 points per game in 2005, the Colts’ defense surrendered 22.5 points per game in 2006, according to Pro Football Reference. They were the second-stingiest defense in 2005 and fell to 23rd in 2006. The Colts had one of the worst run defenses in the league. They allowed the most rushing yards and the second-most rushing touchdowns while giving up an unacceptable 5.3 yards per carry. With such a poor run defense, the pass rushers struggled to pressure the quarterback. Pass rush specialists Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney finished with fewer sacks than the year before. Freeney sacked the quarterback only 5.5 times, compared to 11 in 2005. Part of this fall from grace was attributed to the loss of safety Bob Sanders to injury early in the year. Sanders returned in Week 13, but the Colts still lost three of their final five games of the regular season.
The Colts won the AFC South division with a 12-4 record. As the No. 3 seed in the 2006–07 NFL playoffs, they faced the Kansas City Chiefs and their Pro Bowl running back, Larry Johnson. Going up against the league’s second-leading rusher, the defense elevated its play. It held Johnson to 32 rushing yards and limited the Chiefs to 7 first downs and 126 yards of total offense. The Colts won 23-8 to advance to the Divisional round for the fourth consecutive year.
The best defense in the league faced the Colts in the next round. The Baltimore Ravens allowed only 12.6 points per game and lived up to their regular-season reputation. Manning completed only 50% of his passes for 170 yards, and he threw two interceptions as the Colts’ offense struggled to score. The Colts called upon their defense once again, and it answered. The Colts held the Ravens to field goals and forced four turnovers. In a defensive battle, the kickers were the only ones to score. Adam Vinatieri made all five of his field goal attempts to lead the Colts to a 15-6 victory over the Ravens, setting up a meeting with his former team, the New England Patriots, in the AFC Championship Game.
The Patriots finished the season 12-4 and brought with them the momentum from upsetting the 14-2 San Diego Chargers in the Divisional round. The Patriots continued their exceptional play and took a 21-6 lead against the Colts at halftime. The Colts began to claw their way back into contention at the start of the second half. They scored two touchdowns to tie the game at 21. Tom Brady answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney before the end of the third quarter. The Colts were fortunate to recover a Dominic Rhodes fumble in the end zone to tie the game at 28. Stephen Gostkowski and Adam Vinatieri traded field goals until Gostkowski put the Patriots ahead by 3 with his second field goal of the day.
With a little more than two minutes left to play, Peyton Manning and the Colts had a chance to take the lead or tie the game. After some key completions, Manning led his team into the Patriots’ red zone. Rookie Joseph Addai finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Colts their first lead of the game, 38-34. With only one minute left to play, Tom Brady had his own opportunity to mount a comeback drive, but his chance ended when he threw the game-ending interception to cornerback Marlin Jackson.
The Colts completed one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history, and they did it against a fierce rival.
Peyton Manning earned his first trip to the Super Bowl, where the Colts would play the Chicago Bears. Aside from Devin Hester returning the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, the Bears were overmatched. They trailed only 16-14 at halftime, but their quarterback, Rex Grossman, threw two interceptions in the second half, including one that was returned 56 yards for a touchdown. It would be the last score of the game as the Colts defeated the Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI. The 2006 Indianapolis Colts’ defense stepped up when the games mattered most, and the team finally delivered a championship after many years of regular-season dominance.
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