November 3, 2026
November 3, 2026
The term “cardiac” in sports describes a team that looks less talented on paper than it proves to be on the field — one that exceeds expectations by winning close games that give fans a genuine cardiac scare. That term fits the 1995 Indianapolis Colts perfectly. Expectations for the team were low heading into the regular season, and the Colts looked like just another club trying to get by. Instead, they found they had much more to play for than anyone imagined.
In the 1995 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts went 9-7, finishing one game behind the Buffalo Bills and tying the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East Division. The Colts were ranked fifth in the playoffs over the Dolphins thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker. Indianapolis went 5-3 at home in the RCA Dome and 4-4 on the road.
Quarterback Jim Harbaugh was the driving force behind the Colts’ sudden resurgence, and he had plenty to prove himself. He went 7-5 as the starting quarterback, completing 200 of 314 pass attempts for 2,575 yards and 17 touchdowns while throwing only 5 interceptions. Harbaugh was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and he capped the season as the NFL’s overall passing leader with a passer rating of 100.7.
Running back Marshall Faulk was only in his second NFL season at age 22, but he was already dazzling fans with his swift moves. Faulk carried the ball 289 times for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns, and added 56 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns. Fullback Roosevelt Potts rushed 65 times for 309 yards and caught 21 passes for 228 yards and 1 touchdown. Running back Lamont Warren added 47 carries for 152 yards and 1 touchdown.
Wide receiver Sean Dawkins caught 52 passes for 784 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tight end Ken Dilger had 42 receptions for 635 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Floyd Turner added 35 receptions for 431 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Aaron Bailey caught 21 passes for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Willie Lee “Flipper” Anderson chipped in 8 receptions for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns.
On special teams, Aaron Bailey also contributed as a returner, tallying 21 kick returns for 495 yards and 1 touchdown. Running back Ronald Humphrey had 21 kick returns for 453 yards, and Lamont Warren added 15 kick returns for 315 yards.
Right defensive end Tony Bennett recorded 47 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery he returned 32 yards for a touchdown. Defensive tackle Ellis Johnson added 4.5 sacks. Right linebacker Quentin Coryatt posted 87 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 3 fumble recoveries. Left defensive tackle Tony McCoy had 50 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Left linebacker Steve Grant contributed 76 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 fumble recoveries. Right defensive tackle Tony Siragusa added 41 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Left defensive end Bernard Whittington had 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Linebacker Trev Alberts posted 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, while middle linebacker Jeff Herrod led the unit with 82 tackles and 2 forced fumbles.
Left cornerback Ray Buchanan totaled 68 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries. Strong safety David Tate had 61 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Free safety Jason Belser added 63 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. Right cornerback Eugene Daniel picked off 3 passes for 142 yards and returned one for a touchdown. Defensive back Ashley Ambrose had 3 interceptions and 1 forced fumble, and defensive back Derwin Gray chipped in 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.
Keeping it close remained a regular theme for the 1995 Indianapolis Colts, and that theme carried into the playoffs as they held on to beat the San Diego Chargers 35-20 in the Wild Card Round on December 31 at Jack Murphy Stadium. The Chargers got on the board first in the 1st quarter with a long 54-yard field goal from kicker John Carney. In the 2nd quarter, the Colts responded with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Ken Dilger, before San Diego tight end Alfred Pupunu answered with a 6-yard touchdown reception. Colts fullback Zack Crockett then picked Indianapolis back up with an impressive 33-yard touchdown run.
In the 3rd quarter, wide receiver Sean Jefferson had an 11-yard touchdown reception for San Diego, and Sean Dawkins answered with a 42-yard touchdown reception for Indianapolis. In the 4th quarter, Carney kicked a 30-yard field goal to make the score 21-20, but the Colts pulled away with a booming 66-yard touchdown run by Crockett and a 3-yard touchdown run by Jim Harbaugh.
The Colts faced less adversity in the Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 7, beating the Chiefs 10-7. Kansas City wide receiver Lake Dawson opened the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown reception in the 1st quarter, and Indianapolis found its footing from there. Floyd Turner answered with a 5-yard touchdown reception in the 2nd quarter, and kicker Cary Blanchard’s 30-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter proved to be the game-winner.
The improbable run of the Cardiac Colts came to an end at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat Indianapolis 20-16 at Three Rivers Stadium in the AFC Championship Game on January 14. Key contributors to that run — including the team’s only two Pro Bowl selections, Jim Harbaugh and Marshall Faulk — had given the Colts a fighting chance every time they took the field.
While it wasn’t meant to be for this version of the 1995 Indianapolis Colts, several players went on to find more success elsewhere in football. Flipper Anderson helped the Denver Broncos reach Super Bowl XXXII. Ray Buchanan helped the Atlanta Falcons reach Super Bowl XXXIII. Marshall Faulk was traded to the St. Louis Rams and helped that team win Super Bowl XXXIV. Tony Siragusa helped the Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV. And Jim Harbaugh went on to a successful career as a head coach, both in college and in the NFL.
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