2005 Indianapolis Colts season

"at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana"
*Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
*Game weather: "Game played indoors" (Domed stadium)
*TV announcers (CBS):
*Game attendance: 57,389
*Referee: Terry McAulay

Game Summary

The Colts came into Week 15 of the NFL season still undefeated, and this week's game featured the Colts playing the San Diego Chargers at home. San Diego started the game with 4 scores in the first 3 quarters of the game, before the Colts could even score. By the time the Colts finally put some points on the scoreboard, they were down 16-0 to the Chargers. Marty Schottenheimer and the Chargers were in the middle of a playoff hunt, and they were not going to go down easy. But after San Diego jumped out to a 16-point lead, the Colts came back in the third quarter with three scores of their own, to put them up by one point at the beginning of the fourth quarter, 17-16. However, they were not able to score the rest of the game, and the Chargers scored twice in the fourth quarter, once on a field goal and another on an 83-yard touchdown run by RB Michael Turner. The loss to the Chargers was the first loss of the season for the Colts, but the last team to go 13-0, the 1998 Denver Broncos, lost their 14th and 15th games, before winning their last game of the season, and they went on to win Super Bowl XXXIII. The Colts had history in their favor, but Peyton Manning did not want to lose any more games during the 2005 season.

Scoring Summary

Q1 - SD - 9:13 - 29-yard TD pass from Drew Brees to Keenan McCardell (Nate Kaeding kick) (7-0 SD)

Q1 - SD - 1:56 - Nate Kaeding 36-yard FG (10-0 SD)

Q2 - SD - 0:15 - Nate Kaeding 20-yard FG (13-0 SD)

Q3 - SD - 9:30 - Nate Kaeding 48-yard FG (16-0 SD)

Q3 - IND - 6:41 - Mike Vanderjagt 32-yard FG (16-3 SD)

Q3 - IND - 3:42 - Edgerrin James 1-yard TD run (Vanderjagt kick) (16-10 SD)

Q3 - IND - 11:44 - 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark (Vanderjagt kick) (17-16 IND)

Q4 - SD - 6:41 - Nate Kaeding 49-yard FG (19-17 SD)

Q4 - SD - 2:09 - Michael Turner 83-yard TD run (Kaeding kick) (26-17 SD)

Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks

"at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana"
*Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
*Game weather: "Game played indoors" (Domed stadium)
*TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf
*Game attendance: 57,449
*Referee: Pete Morelli

Game Summary

The Steelers became the first #6 playoff seed (since the league expanded to a 12-team playoff format in 1990) to defeat a #1 seed, and also the first #6 seed to reach a conference championship game. Colts QB Peyton Manning had a superb statistical performance with 290 passing yards and a touchdown, but it wasn't enough to win. The Steelers took a 14-0 lead in the first period with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's six yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El on the game's opening drive, and tight end Heath Miller's seven yard touchdown reception. The Colts could only manage a field goal in the second quarter while running back Jerome Bettis's one yard touchdown run late in the third quarter increased the Steelers' lead, 21-3.

The Colts rallied in the final quarter to cut the deficit 21-18, with quarterback Manning's 50-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark and running back Edgerrin James's 3-yard touchdown run (and Reggie Wayne's successful two-point conversion reception). James' touchdown came a few plays after an interception by Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu was overturned by instant replay (a reversal that the league would later admit was a mistake [http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9168866] ). But with 1:20 left in the game, Manning was sacked on fourth and 16 at the Colts' 2-yard line, and the ball was turned over to the Steelers on downs.

At this point, the game appeared to be over. However, the Steelers were forced to advance the ball towards another score instead of taking a quarterback kneel because the Colts still had three timeouts remaining. But on Pittsburgh's first play, in which Bettis tried to punch it in for an insurance touchdown, he fumbled for the first time all season when linebacker Gary Brackett popped it from Bettis' hands with his helmet. Indianapolis defensive back Nick Harper recovered the ball and appeared to be on his way for an Indy touchdown that would've given the Colts the lead when Roethlisberger made a season saving tackle at the Colts' 42-yard line (midfield), spinning around and grabbing his ankle. Eventually, the Colts then advanced to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line, but kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who had been perfect at home in the playoffs, missed a 46-yard game-tying field goal attempt wide right with 17 seconds remaining, and the Steelers ran out the clock.

Roethlisberger's game-saving tackle would later be known as "The Immaculate Tackle" and "The Tackle II".

Scoring Summary

Q1 - PIT - 9:25 - 6-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Antwaan Randle El (Jeff Reed kick) (7-0 PIT)

Q1 - PIT - 3:12 - 7-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller (Reed kick) (14-0 PIT)

Q2 - IND - 1:20 - Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard FG (14-3 PIT)

Q3 - PIT - 1:26 - Jerome Bettis 1-yard TD run (Reed kick) (21-3 PIT)

Q4 - IND - 14:09 - 50-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark (21-10 PIT)

Q4 - IND - 4:24 - Edgerrin James 3-yard TD run (Reggie Wayne 2-point conversion) (21-18 PIT)

Notes

* When Mercury Morris, a member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins team that had a perfect season, was asked what would it mean if the Colts would have a perfect season Morris said "don't talk about them when they're on my block, talk about them when they're on my doorstep" Fact|date=February 2007.
* CB Nick Harper played in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers despite being involved in a stabbing incident a couple days before.
* This would be Edgerrin James' final season with the Indianapolis Colts, as he would later sign with the Arizona Cardinals.
* Edgerrin James has accounted for over 9,226 yards of the team's total 12,296 rushing yards since he joined the Colts. The running backs who have contributed to the latter total are Dominic Rhodes, James Mungro, Ran Carthon, Ricky Williams, Autry Denson, Kevin McDougal, Jim Finn, Lennox Gordon, Keith Elias, and Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar.

See also

*History of the Indianapolis Colts
*Indianapolis Colts seasons
*Colts-Patriots rivalry
*Chiefs-Colts rivalry