# 2012 Indianapolis Colts season

The 2012 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 60th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 29th in Indianapolis. The Colts earned the first selection in the 2012 NFL draft due to a dismal 2–14 record in 2011 and used their first pick on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. The season marked the first for both head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson with the franchise.
In the offseason, the Colts released quarterback Peyton Manning, who had been with the team since 1998, after having missed the previous season due to neck surgeries.
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians served as interim head coach while Pagano underwent treatment for leukemia from week 5–16. Pagano returned, with his cancer in remission, during the final week of the regular season. The team went 9–3 under Arians, who won the Coach of the Year Award. The Colts earned a playoff berth, their first playoff appearance without Peyton Manning since 1996. They were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round.
Football Outsiders calculated the 2012 Colts were the worst team to ever go 11–5 in a season.

## Personnel changes

On January 2, 2012, one day after the final game of the 2011 season, Colts owner Jim Irsay fired team Vice Chairman Bill Polian (who had been the team's general manager since 1998) and his son, team vice-president and general manager Chris Polian. Nine days later (January 11), Ryan Grigson was named the new general manager. Head coach Jim Caldwell was fired on January 17, 2012. Eight days later (January 25), former Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano agreed to becoming the Colts new head coach.

## Roster changes
### Draft

2012 Indianapolis Colts draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Andrew Luck * | QB | Stanford | |
| 2 | 34 | Coby Fleener | TE | Stanford | |
| 3 | 64 | Dwayne Allen | TE | Clemson | |
| 3 | 92 | T. Y. Hilton * | WR | Florida International | Pick from SF |
| 5 | 136 | Josh Chapman | NT | Alabama | |
| 5 | 170 | Vick Ballard | RB | Mississippi State | Compensatory |
| 6 | 206 | LaVon Brazill | WR | Ohio | Compensatory |
| 6 | 208 | Justin Anderson | G | Georgia | |
| 7 | 214 | Tim Fugger | DE | Vanderbilt | Pick from PHI |
| 7 | 253 | Chandler Harnish | QB | NIU | Compensatory |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes
    During the draft, the Colts traded up five spots from the fourth-round (#97) to the third-round (#92), with the team sending a 2013 fifth-round selection to the San Francisco 49ers.
    The Colts traded their original sixth-round selection—#172 overall—to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for tackle Winston Justice and the Eagles' sixth round selection—#187 overall. The Colts later traded the #187 overall selection to the New York Jets in exchange for quarterback Drew Stanton and a seventh-round selection (#214 overall).
    Compensatory selections.
    Mr. Irrelevant.

### Undrafted free agents

All undrafted free agents were signed just after the 2012 NFL draft concluded on April 28.
| Position | Player | College |
| DT | James Aiono | Utah |
| DT | Chigbo Anunoby | Morehouse College |
| OL | Jason Foster | Rhode Island |
| LB | Chris Galippo | USC |
| T | Steve Baker | East Carolina |
| WR | Griff Whalen | Stanford |
| CB | Micah Pellerin | Hampton |
| CB | Antonio Fenelus | Wisconsin |
| CB | Cameron Chism | Maryland |
| DB | Buddy Jackson | Pittsburgh |
| OL | Hayworth Hicks | Iowa State |
| WR | Jabin Sambrano | Montana |
| S | Matt Merletti | North Carolina |
| P | Brian Stahovich | San Diego State |
| DE | Kevin Eagan | Endicott |
| S | Latarrius Thomas | Eastern Michigan |

### Departures

| Position | Player | Tag | 2012 Team | Reason |
| QB | Peyton Manning | UFA | Denver Broncos | Released by Colts, later signed by Broncos. |
| QB | Curtis Painter | UFA | Baltimore Ravens | Released by Colts, later signed by Ravens. |
| QB | Dan Orlovsky | UFA | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Released by Colts, later signed by Buccaneers. |
| WR | Pierre Garçon | UFA | Washington Redskins | Released by Colts, later signed by Redskins. |
| WR | Blair White | UFA | | Released by Colts. |
| RB | Joseph Addai | UFA | New England Patriots | Released by Colts, signed by Patriots. |
| FB | Jerome Felton | UFA | Minnesota Vikings | Released by Colts, signed with Vikings. |
| WR | Anthony Gonzalez | UFA | New England Patriots | Released by Colts, signed by Patriots. |
| TE | Dallas Clark | UFA | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Released by Colts, signed by Buccaneers |
| TE | Jacob Tamme | UFA | Denver Broncos | Released by Colts, signed with Broncos. |
| C | Jeff Saturday | UFA | Green Bay Packers | Released by Colts, signed by Packers. |
| DE | Jamaal Anderson | UFA | Cincinnati Bengals | Released by Colts, signed by Bengals. |
| CB | Jacob Lacey | UFA | Detroit Lions | Untendered as a Restricted Free Agent, later signed by Lions. |
| LB | Gary Brackett | UFA | | Released by Colts. |
| DB | Melvin Bullitt | UFA | | Released by Colts. |

### Additions

| Position | Player | Tag | 2011 team | How acquired |
| WR | Donnie Avery | UFA | Tennessee Titans | Signed on March 25, 2012. |
| LB | Jerrell Freeman | UFA | Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL) | Signed on January 16, 2012 |
| C/G | Mike McGlynn | UFA | Cincinnati Bengals | Signed on March 15, 2012 |
| NT | Brandon McKinney | UFA | Baltimore Ravens | Signed on April 4, 2012. |
| TE | Kyle Miller | UFA | None | Signed on April 3, 2012. |
| LS | Matt Overton | UFA | Omaha Nighthawks (UFL) | Signed on April 3, 2012. |
| DE | Cory Redding | UFA | Baltimore Ravens | Signed on March 14, 2012. |
| C | Samson Satele | UFA | Oakland Raiders | Signed on March 22, 2012. |
| QB | Trevor Vittatoe | UFA | Tampa Bay Storm (AFL) | Signed on March 8, 2012 |
| SS | Tom Zbikowski | UFA | Baltimore Ravens | Signed on March 16, 2012. |
| TE | Dominique Jones | UFA | Reading Express (IFL) | Signed on April 30, 2012. |
| RB | Deji Karim | WVR | Jacksonville Jaguars | Claimed on April 30, 2012. |
| TE | Andre Smith | WVR | Chicago Bears | Claimed on May 15, 2012. |
| C/G | Zane Taylor | WVR | Philadelphia Eagles | Claimed on May 18, 2012. |
| RB | Mewelde Moore | UFA | Pittsburgh Steelers | Signed on June 19, 2012. |
| CB | D.J. Johnson | Trade | Philadelphia Eagles | Traded for on July 22, 2012. |
| CB | Vontae Davis | Trade | Miami Dolphins | Traded for on August 26, 2012. |

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 12 | St. Louis Rams | W 38–3 | 1–0 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 24–26 | 1–1 | Heinz Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | at Washington Redskins | L 17–30 | 1–2 | FedExField | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 20–16 | 2–2 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 9 | at Chicago Bears | L 21–41 | 0–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | Minnesota Vikings | W 23–20 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 17–22 | 1–2 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 5 | October 7 | Green Bay Packers | W 30–27 | 2–2 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | at New York Jets | L 9–35 | 2–3 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | Cleveland Browns | W 17–13 | 3–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 28 | at Tennessee Titans | W 19–13 (OT) | 4–3 | LP Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | Miami Dolphins | W 23–20 | 5–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 8 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27–10 | 6–3 | EverBank Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 18 | at New England Patriots | L 24–59 | 6–4 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 25 | Buffalo Bills | W 20–13 | 7–4 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Detroit Lions | W 35–33 | 8–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Tennessee Titans | W 27–23 | 9–4 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | at Houston Texans | L 17–29 | 9–5 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–13 | 10–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | Houston Texans | W 28–16 | 11–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
    Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

## Game summaries
### Regular season
#### Week 1: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Bears | 7 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,341
* Referee: Wayne Elliott
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Jerrell Freeman 4-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:23. Colts 7–0.
CHI – Michael Bush 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 7:19. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:04.
Second quarter
CHI – Brandon Marshall 3-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 10:33. Bears 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 96 yards, 5:52.
CHI – Robbie Gould 35-yard field goal, 5:32. Bears 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 4:08.
IND – Donald Brown 18-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:17. Bears 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:15.
CHI – Michael Bush 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 0:44. Bears 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 2:33.
Third quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 6-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 11:52. Bears 31–14. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:10.
CHI – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, 10:02. Bears 34–14. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:44.
Fourth quarter
IND – Donnie Avery 4-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:20. Bears 34–21. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:52.
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 42-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:08. Bears 41–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:12.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 23/45, 309 yards, TD, 3 INT
CHI – Jay Cutler – 21/35, 333 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
IND – Donald Brown – 9 rushes, 48 yards, TD
CHI – Matt Forte – 16 rushes, 80 yards, TD
Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 9 receptions, 135 yards
CHI – Brandon Marshall – 9 receptions, 119 yards, TD :
The Colts began their season on the road against the Bears. The game was highly hyped due to the start of the career of rookie QB Andrew Luck. The Colts drew first blood in the first quarter as Jerrell Freeman returned an interception 3 yards for a touchdown and a 7–0 lead. However, the Bears tied the game with Michael Bush's 1-yard run to tie the game at 7–7. In the 2nd quarter, the Bears took the lead as Brandon Marshall caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to make the score 14–7. They then increased their lead when Robbie Gould scored a 35-yard field goal to make the score 17–7. The Colts drew closer to shorten the lead to 3 with Donald Brown's 18-yard touchdown run to make the score 17–14. However, with just seconds before halftime, the Bears drove down the field while Michael Bush ran in on a 1-yard touchdown for a 24–14 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter the Bears gained momentum once more with Matt Forte's 6-yard touchdown run for a 31–14 lead and then Robbie Gould's 26-yard field goal for a 34–14 lead. In the fourth quarter, Luck threw his first touchdown pass of the regular season. A 4-yard pass to Donnie Avery to shorten the lead to 34–21. However, the Bears capitalized the victory with Cutler's 42-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery for a final score of 41–21.
With the loss, the Colts began their season 0–1.

#### Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Colts | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,192
* Referee: Don King
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 51-yard field goal, 7:48. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 20 yards, 7:12.
IND – Dwayne Allen 3-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:49. Colts 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:59.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 29-yard field goal, 11:38. Colts 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:11.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 1:49. Colts 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:13.
IND – Reggie Wayne 30-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:07. Colts 17–6. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal, 7:06. Colts 20–6. Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 7:54.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Stephen Burton 7-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 5:07. Colts 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:03.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 6-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick), 0:31. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 2:19.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 53-yard field goal, 0:08. Colts 23–20. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 0:23.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 27/35, 245 yards, 2 TD
IND – Andrew Luck – 20/31, 224 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 16 rushes, 60 yards
IND – Donald Brown – 16 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 12 receptions, 104 yards
IND – Donnie Avery – 9 receptions, 111 yards :
After a tough loss to the Bears, the Colts returned home to take on the Vikings. The Vikes took the lead as Blair Walsh nailed a field goal from 51 yards out for a score of 3–0. However, the Colts made it 7–3 with Andrew Luck's 3-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Allen. The Vikings came within a point as Blair Walsh kicked a 29-yard field goal for a 7–6 score. However, the Colts moved further ahead as Vinatieri scored a 26-yard field goal, followed by Andrew Luck's 30-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne for leads of 10–6 and then 17–6 at halftime. In the 3rd quarter, the Colts increased their lead when Vinatieri scored a 45-yard field goal to make the score 20–6. However, in the fourth quarter the Vikings were able to score 2 straight touchdowns with Christian Ponder's 7-yard pass to Stephen Burton to make the score 20–13 and then a 6-yard pass to Kyle Rudolph to tie the game at 20–20. With 8 seconds left, the Colts drove down the field and wrapped the game up with Vinatieri 53-yard field goal for a final score of 23–20.
With the win, the Colts improved to 1–1 and remain undefeated at home against the Vikings as a franchise.

#### Week 3: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 3 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 22 |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 59 °F (15 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,536
* Referee: Donovan Briggans
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 44-yard field goal, 7:13. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 7:47.
IND – T. Y. Hilton 40-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:42. Colts 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:31.
Second quarter
IND – Mewelde Moore 4-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:37. Colts 14–3. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 4:53.
Third quarter
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew 59-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), 12:05. Colts 14–10. Drive: 1 play, 59 yards, 0:11.
JAX – Josh Scobee 47-yard field goal, 2:55. Colts 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:23.
Fourth quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 26-yard field goal, 11:02. Jaguars 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 5:25.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 37-yard field goal, 0:56. Colts 17–16. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 0:37.
JAX – Cecil Shorts 80-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (run failed), 0:45. Jaguars 22–17. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:11.
Top passers
JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 10/21, 155 yards, TD
IND – Andrew Luck – 22/46, 313 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 28 rushes, 177 yards, TD
IND – Donald Brown – 18 rushes, 62 yards
Top receivers
JAX – Cecil Shorts – 1 reception, 80 yards, TD
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 4 receptions, 113 yards, TD :
After the tough home win over the Vikings, the Colts stayed home for a division rival duel against the Jaguars. Scoring started early as the Jags drew first blood scoring a 44-yard field goal from Josh Scobee to take a 3–0 lead. However, the Colts took the lead with Andrew Luck's 40-yard touchdown pass to T. Y. Hilton for a 7–3 lead. The Colts increased their lead in the 2nd quarter with Andrew Luck's 4-yard touchdown pass to Mewelde Moore for a 14–3 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter, the Jaguars were able to fire back as Maurice Jones-Drew ran in a touchdown from 59 yards out to cut the lead to 14–10. Followed up quickly by Scobee's 47-yard field goal to shorten the lead to a point 14–13. In the fourth quarter, the Jags were able to take the lead with Scobee kicking a 26-yard field goal for a 16–14 lead. The Colts however retook the lead with Vinatieri's 37-yard field goal for a 17–16 lead. But then the Jags were able to complete the comeback attempt 11 seconds later with Blaine Gabbert's touchdown pass to Cecil Shorts III (with a failed 2-point conversion) to make the final score 22–17.
With the loss, the Colts went into their bye week at 1–2. It would also be their last loss to a division opponent at home until 2015.

#### Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 30 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 67,020
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin
Game information :
First quarter
GB – John Kuhn 2-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 2:07. Packers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:33.
Second quarter
GB – James Jones 6-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 12:25. Packers 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 2:46.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 24-yard field goal, 6:21. Packers 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:09.
GB – Randall Cobb 31-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:21. Packers 21–3. Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 2:00.
Third quarter
IND – Dwayne Allen 8-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:06. Packers 21–10. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 2:13.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 50-yard field goal, 7:42. Packers 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 2:26.
IND – Andrew Luck 3-yard run (pass failed), 0:18. Packers 21–19. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:59.
Fourth quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 8:04. Colts 22–21. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:23.
GB – James Jones 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (pass failed), 4:30. Packers 27–22. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:14.
IND – Reggie Wayne 4-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Donald Brown run), 0:35. Colts 30–27. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 3:55.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 20/32, 235 yards, 3 TD, INT
IND – Andrew Luck – 31/55, 362 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
GB – Alex Green – 10 rushes, 63 yards
IND – Donald Brown – 17 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
GB – Randall Cobb – 4 receptions, 82 yards, TD
IND – Reggie Wayne – 13 receptions, 212 yards, TD :
Coming off their bye week, the Colts stayed home for a duel against the Packers. Scoring got off to an early start as John Kuhn ran for a 2-yard touchdown to take a 7–0 lead. In the 2nd quarter, the Packers increased their lead with Aaron Rodgers's 6-yard touchdown pass to James Jones to make the score 14–0. After this, the Colts finally got on the board with Vinatieri's 24-yard field goal to make the score 14–3. However, the Packers pulled away as Aaron Rodgers connected with Randall Cobb for a 31-yard touchdown pass to take a 21–3 halftime lead. After the break, the Colts began to fire back As Andrew Luck connected with Dwayne Allen on an 8-yard touchdown pass, followed by Vinatieri's 50-yard field goal and then Luck's 3-yard rushing touchdown (with a failed 2-point conversion) to shorten the lead to 21–10, 21–13, and then 21–19. In the 4th quarter the Colts took the lead as Vinatieri kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 1-point lead 22–21. However, the Packers again retook the lead as Rodgers found Jones again for an 8-yard touchdown pass (with a failed 2-point conversion) and led 27–22. However, the Colts were able to capitalize the comeback victory with Luck's 4-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with the 2-point conversion successful and win the game 30–27. This game was rated #7 on the Top 20 NFL Games of 2012 on NFL.com, as Wayne's World. The Colts also improved their record to 4–0 against the Packers at home.
With the win, the Colts improved to 2–2.

#### Week 6: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Jets | 0 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear, 65 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 79,088
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 20-yard field goal, 6:02. Colts 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:13.
Second quarter
NYJ – Stephen Hill 5-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 14:13. Jets 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 6:49.
NYJ – Shonn Greene 10-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 9:47. Jets 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 3:04.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 50-yard field goal, 6:06. Jets 14–6. Drive: 11 plays, -4 yards, 3:41.
NYJ – Jason Hill 5-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick), 0:27. Jets 21–6. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:39.
Third quarter
NYJ – Shonn Greene 4-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 1:36. Jets 28–6. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 14:40. Jets 28–9. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 1:56.
NYJ – Shonn Greene 2-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 1:05. Jets 35–9. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:44.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 22/44, 280 yards, 2 INT
NYJ – Mark Sanchez – 11/18, 82 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 8 rushes, 25 yards
NYJ – Shonn Greene – 32 rushes, 161 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 5 receptions, 87 yards
NYJ – Jeremy Kerley – 3 receptions, 24 yards :
After their tough home win over the Packers, the Colts traveled to take on the Jets at Metlife Stadium. The Colts scoring took off in the first quarter with Adam Vinatieri's 20-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead. However, the Jets took the lead in the 2nd quarter with Mark Sanchez looking up with Stephen Hill for a 5-yard touchdown pass for a 7–3 lead. They would later increase their lead with Shonn Greene's 10-yard run for a 14–3 lead. However, the Colts were able to draw closer with Vinatieri's 50-yard field goal to make the score 14–6. However, the Jets pulled away as Sanchez found Jason Hill on a 5-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21–6 at halftime. The Jets went back to work as Shonn Greene ran for a 4-yard touchdown to make the score 28–6. The Colts scored another field goal from Vinatieri from 47 yards out to make the score 28–9, however the Jets wrapped the game up with Shonn Greene's 2-yard touchdown run to make the final score 35–9.
With the huge loss, the Colts fell to 2–3 while rookie QB Andrew Luck would have his first career game without a single touchdown pass.

#### Week 7: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 64,560
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Andrew Luck 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:23. Colts 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 7:37.
Second quarter
CLE – Greg Little 14-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (kick failed), 14:01. Colts 7–6. Drive: 16 plays, 78 yards, 8:22.
IND – Andrew Luck 5-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:41. Colts 14–6. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 6:20.
Third quarter
CLE – Josh Gordon 33-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick), 11:53. Colts 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:07.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 38-yard field goal, 3:19. Colts 17–13. Drive: 17 plays, 61 yards, 8:34.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
CLE – Brandon Weeden – 25/41, 264 yards, 2 TD
IND – Andrew Luck – 16/29, 186 yards
Top rushers
CLE – Montario Hardesty – 7 rushes, 28 yards
IND – Vick Ballard – 20 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Josh Gordon – 2 receptions, 59 yards, TD
IND – Reggie Wayne – 6 receptions, 73 yards :
The Colts managed to recover from the blowout loss against the Jets and improved to 3–3 with the win.

#### Week 8: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Colts | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| Titans | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,143
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Rob Bironas 39-yard field goal, 7:35. Titans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 7:25.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 20-yard field goal, 1:06. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 6:29.
Second quarter
TEN – Kendall Wright 23-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 1:00. Titans 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 6:28.
Third quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 44-yard field goal, 10:20. Titans 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:40.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Rob Bironas 30-yard field goal, 10:26. Titans 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:39.
IND – Delone Carter 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:24. Tied 13–13. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:02.
Overtime
IND – Vick Ballard 16-yard pass from Andrew Luck, 10:11. Colts 19–13. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:49.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 26/38, 297 yards, TD, INT
TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 22/29, 236 yards, TD
Top rushers
IND – Donald Brown – 14 rushes, 80 yards
TEN – Chris Johnson – 21 rushes, 99 yards
Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 7 receptions, 91 yards
TEN – Nate Washington – 5 receptions, 69 yards :
With the overtime win, the Colts improved to 4–3.

#### Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 3 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Colts | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 66,479
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Dan Carpenter 37-yard field goal, 4:15. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:19.
IND – Reggie Wayne 9-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:47. Colts 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
MIA – Charles Clay 31-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Dan Carpenter kick), 13:25. Dolphins 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 2:22.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 9:37. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:48.
MIA – Reggie Bush 18-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:07. Dolphins 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:30.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 0:07. Dolphins 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 1:07.
Third quarter
IND – T. Y. Hilton 36-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:49. Colts 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 4:27.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Dan Carpenter 31-yard field goal, 13:12. Tied 20–20. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 3:37.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 43-yard field goal, 5:58. Colts 23–20. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 7:14.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 22/38, 290 yards, TD
IND – Andrew Luck – 30/48, 433 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIA – Reggie Bush – 10 rushes, 41 yards, TD
IND – Vick Ballard – 16 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Brian Hartline – 8 receptions, 107 yards
IND – Donnie Avery – 5 receptions, 108 yards :
In a close match of rookie quarterbacks, Andrew Luck barely outmatched Ryan Tannehill in a close win 23–20, with the win the Colts improved to 5–3. In the fourth quarter, referee Tony Corrente unintentionally screamed out obscenities on the microphone, causing announcer Kevin Harlan to apologize to television audiences.

#### Week 10: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Everbank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Clear, 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,272
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, and Alex Flanagan
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 7:27. Colts 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:31.
Second quarter
IND – Andrew Luck 5-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:44. Colts 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:30.
IND – Andrew Luck 1-yard (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:39. Colts 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:43.
JAX – Josh Scobee 40-yard field goal, 0:17. Colts 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 1:31.
Third quarter
IND – Darius Butler 11-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:50. Colts 24–3.
Fourth quarter
JAX – Cecil Shorts 4-yard pass from Chad Henne (Josh Scobee kick), 9:16. Colts 24–10. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 5:36.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 41-yard field goal, 3:23. Colts 27–10. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:53.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 18/26, 227 yards, INT
JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 18/31, 209 yards, INT
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 12 rushes, 48 yards
JAX – Rashad Jennings – 11 rushes, 27 yards
Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 8 receptions, 96 yards
JAX – Cecil Shorts – 6 receptions, 105 yards, TD :

#### Week 11: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Patriots | 7 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 59 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Clear, 42 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,756
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Delone Carter 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:49. Colts 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:11.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:07. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:42.
IND – T. Y. Hilton 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:44. Colts 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:23.
Second quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 68-yard punt return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:00. Tied 14–14.
NE – Aqib Talib 59-yard interception return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:59. Patriots 21–14.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 5:46. Patriots 21–17. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 5:13.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 1:54. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 3:52.
Third quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:07. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 3:53.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 24-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:22. Patriots 38–17. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:06.
Fourth quarter
NE – Alfonzo Dennard 87-yard interception return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:47. Patriots 45–17.
IND – T. Y. Hilton 43-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:32. Patriots 45–24. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:15.
NE – Stevan Ridley 3-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:05. Patriots 52–24. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:27.
NE – Shane Vereen 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:55. Patriots 59–24. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:42.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 27/50, 334 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
NE – Tom Brady – 24/35, 331 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 16 rushes, 42 yards
NE – Julian Edelman – 1 rush, 42 yards
Top receivers
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 6 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 7 receptions, 137 yards, 2 TD :
The Colts visited the Patriots and fell to 9-4 with the loss. It marked the first time since 1997 in which Peyton Manning was not on the team’s roster in the season rivalry.

#### Week 12: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Colts | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 64,366
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information :
First quarter
IND – T. Y. Hilton 75-yard punt return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:56. Colts 7–0.
BUF – Rian Lindell 33-yard field goal, 4:28. Colts 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:28.
Second quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 25-yard field goal, 4:08. Colts 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 6:03.
BUF – Rian Lindell 31-yard field goal, 2:16. Colts 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 1:52.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 19-yard field goal, 0:00. Colts 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 0:32.
Third quarter
IND – T. Y. Hilton 8-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:02. Colts 20–6. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 8:04.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Lee Smith 1-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick), 11:30. Colts 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:36.
Top passers
BUF – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 17/33, 180 yards, TD, INT
IND – Andrew Luck – 20/37, 240 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – C. J. Spiller – 14 rushes, 107 yards
IND – Vick Ballard – 13 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Stevie Johnson – 6 receptions, 106 yards
IND – Reggie Wayne – 8 receptions, 102 yards :

#### Week 13: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Lions | 10 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 63,887
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, 8:49. Lions 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:45.
IND – Donnie Avery 17-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:29. Colts 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:20.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 1:48. Lions 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 4:41.
Second quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 11:27. Lions 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
IND – Coby Fleener 26-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:47. Lions 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:40.
DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, 7:17. Lions 20–14. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:59.
DET – Jason Hanson 52-yard field goal, 3:46. Lions 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 2:29.
Third quarter
IND – Vick Ballard 11-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:05. Lions 23–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:55.
DET – Calvin Johnson 46-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 0:02. Lions 30–21. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, 8:41. Lions 33–21. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:09.
IND – LaVon Brazill 42-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:39. Lions 33–28. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 1:23.
IND – Donnie Avery 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:00. Colts 35–33. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 1:07.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 24/54, 391 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/46, 313 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 9 rushes, 41 yards, TD
DET – Joique Bell – 7 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 6 receptions, 100 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 13 receptions, 171 yards, TD :

#### Week 14: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Colts | 7 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 27 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 64,688
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Jared Cook 18-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), 10:10. Titans 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:50.
IND – Reggie Wayne 4-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:01. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 4:11.
Second quarter
TEN – Rob Bironas 40-yard field goal, 12:27. Titans 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:34.
TEN – Will Witherspoon 40-yard interception return (Rob Bironas kick), 4:40. Titans 17–7.
TEN – Rob Bironas 31-yard field goal, 0:37. Titans 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 1:14.
Third quarter
IND – Delone Carter 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:36. Titans 20–14. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:24.
IND – Cassius Vaughn 3-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:36. Colts 21–20.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Rob Bironas 25-yard field goal, 10:28. Titans 23–21. Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 10:08.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 53-yard field goal, 6:23. Colts 24–23. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:05.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 3:48. Colts 27–23. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:44.
Top passers
TEN – Jake Locker – 22/35, 262 yards, TD, 2 INT
IND – Andrew Luck – 16/34, 196 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
TEN – Jake Locker – 4 rushes, 51 yards
IND – Vick Ballard – 19 rushes, 94 yards
Top receivers
TEN – Kenny Britt – 8 receptions, 143 yards
IND – Reggie Wayne – 6 receptions, 64 yards, TD :

#### Week 15: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Texans | 10 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 29 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,702
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Shayne Graham 29-yard field goal, 11:47. Texans 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:13.
HOU – Andre Johnson 3-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Shayne Graham kick), 4:51. Texans 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 5:44.
Second quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 6:12. Texans 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:10.
HOU – Shayne Graham 35-yard field goal, 3:50. Texans 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 2:22.
HOU – Bryan Braman 8-yard blocked punt return (Shayne Graham kick), 1:46. Texans 20–3.
IND – T. Y. Hilton 61-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:07. Texans 20–10. Drive: 2 plays, 74 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
HOU – Shayne Graham 27-yard field goal, 7:33. Texans 23–10. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:20.
IND – Dwayne Allen 8-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:32. Texans 23–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 5:01.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Shayne Graham 46-yard field goal, 8:30. Texans 26–17. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 3:24.
HOU – Shayne Graham 33-yard field goal, 1:05. Texans 29–17. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:40.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 13/27, 186 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Matt Schaub – 23/31, 261 yards, TD
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 18 rushes, 105 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 27 rushes, 165 yards
Top receivers
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 3 receptions, 78 yards, TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 11 receptions, 151 yards, TD :
This was Indianapolis' last loss to a divisional opponent until 2015.

#### Week 16: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 25 °F (−4 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,938
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Darius Butler 32-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:08. Colts 7–0.
KC – Ryan Succop 47-yard field goal, 8:18. Colts 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 1:50.
Second quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 48-yard field goal, 13:27. Colts 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:14.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 0:07. Colts 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
KC – Jamaal Charles 86-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 14:40. Colts 13–10. Drive: 1 play, 86 yards, 0:15.
KC – Ryan Succop 47-yard field goal, 6:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:02.
Fourth quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 7-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:08. Colts 20–13. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:05.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 17/35, 205 yards, TD
KC – Brady Quinn – 10/22, 162 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 20 rushes, 69 yards
KC – Jamaal Charles – 22 rushes, 226 yards, TD
Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 5 receptions, 81 yards, TD
KC – Jonathan Baldwin – 2 receptions, 64 yards :

#### Week 17: vs. Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 66,957
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Coby Fleener 1-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:51. Colts 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:09.
HOU – Shayne Graham 51-yard field goal, 0:06. Colts 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 48 yards, 7:45.
Second quarter
HOU – Shayne Graham 37-yard field goal, 10:22. Colts 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:28.
IND – Vick Ballard 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:00. Colts 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:05.
Third quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 13-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 9:25. Colts 14–13. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 5:35.
HOU – Shayne Graham 37-yard field goal, 5:22. Texans 16–14. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:28.
IND – Deji Karim 101-yard kickoff return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:10. Colts 21–16.
Fourth quarter
IND – T. Y. Hilton 70-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:22. Colts 28–16. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 1:51.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 24/36, 275 yards, 2 INT
IND – Andrew Luck – 14/28, 191 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 16 rushes, 96 yards, TD
IND – Vick Ballard – 27 rushes, 78 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 12 receptions, 141 yards
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 4 receptions, 111 yards, TD :
With the win, the Colts finished the season 11-5 and 2nd place in the AFC South. Good enough for the fifth seed, first wild card in the AFC playoffs. Also, they would improve to 11–0 against the Texans at home. The Colts also improved from their 2–14 record from 2011.

## Standings

AFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Houston Texans | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 416 | 331 | L2 |
| $^{(5)}$ Indianapolis Colts | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 357 | 387 | W2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | 330 | 471 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | 255 | 444 | L5 |

## Postseason

| Playoff round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| Wild Card | January 6, 2013 | at Baltimore Ravens (4) | L 9–24 | 0–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |

### Wild Card: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Ravens | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: January 6, 2013
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 49 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,379
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 23-yard field goal, 11:18. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:56.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 2:25. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:44.
BAL – Vonta Leach 2-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 0:50. Ravens 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 1:35.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 52-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 0:50.
Third quarter
BAL – Dennis Pitta 20-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 8:26. Ravens 17–6. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:23.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 0:40. Ravens 17–9. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 7:46.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Anquan Boldin 18-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 9:14. Ravens 24–9. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:30.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 28/54, 288 yards, INT
BAL – Joe Flacco – 12/23, 282 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 22 rushes, 91 yards
BAL – Bernard Pierce – 13 rushes, 103 yards
Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 9 receptions, 114 yards
BAL – Anquan Boldin – 5 receptions, 145 yards, TD :