1991 Indianapolis Colts season

39th season in franchise history

The 1991 Indianapolis Colts season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and eighth in Indianapolis. The team was looking to improve on the 7–9 record they had recorded in 1990. Instead, the Colts put together a campaign that ranked as one of the worst in NFL history.[1]

The Colts only recorded one victory in sixteen games, becoming the fourth team since the extension of the NFL’s regular season to sixteen games to suffer this ignominy. To date it is their worst full season record in the entire history of the franchise, and the second worst overall record in team history, beaten only by the 1982 Baltimore Colts squad, where the team failed to record a victory in the strike-shortened season and finished at 0–8–1.

The Colts’ poor performance cost sixth-year head coach Ron Meyer his job after the Colts’ fifth consecutive loss to open the season. Meyer had been with the Colts since Week 14 in 1986, when he replaced the fired Rod Dowhower after the Colts had lost their first thirteen games of the season. Defensive coordinator Rick Venturi was promoted to interim head coach; he would lead the team to its only win, a one-point victory over the New York Jets on the road. The 1991 Colts are one of three 1–15 teams to win their lone game by one point; the others are the 1980 New Orleans Saints and 2000 San Diego Chargers.

The Colts scored the fewest points up to that point (143)[note 1] of any team in NFL history in a sixteen-game schedule,[note 2] scoring in the single digits in 11 games. The Colts never scored more than 28 points in any game (doing so in their lone victory), scored less than ten points eleven times, were shut out twice, and failed to score one single touchdown in nine of their sixteen games, which remains the largest proportion of games without scoring a touchdown since the 1977 “Zero Gang” Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not score a touchdown in eight of fourteen games.[2] Statistics site Football Outsiders said of the Colts 1991 season:

It’s the flipside of [Super Bowl champion] Washington; the Colts were the worst offense and defense in the league in the second half of close games, and the worst offense in the league in the first quarter.[3]

Their futility was mentioned in a Thanksgiving edition of Bill Swerski's Superfans, a recurring Saturday Night Live sketch. The four characters, all Chicago Bears fans, commented on how some cities aren't as fortunate as Chicago to have a good football team, citing Indianapolis as an example. Coincidentally, six days before the skit aired, the Bears defeated the Colts 31–17 at Indianapolis.[4] Ironically, however, the Colts would defeat the Bears in Super Bowl XLI, 15 years later.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round Pick Player Position School/Club Team
2 40 Shane Curry Defensive end Miami (FL)
3 69 Dave McCloughan Defensive back Colorado
4 96 Mark Vander Poel Offensive tackle Colorado
5 125 Kerry Cash Tight end Texas
6 152 Mel Agee Defensive end Illinois
7 181 James Bradley Wide receiver Michigan State
8 208 Tim Bruton Tight end Missouri
9 236 Howard Griffith Running back Illinois
10 263 Frank Giannetti Nose tackle Penn State
11 292 Jerry Crafts Offensive tackle Louisville
12 319 Rob Luedeke Center Penn State

Personnel

Staff

1991 Indianapolis Colts staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams – Brad Seely

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Tom Zupancic

Roster

1991 Indianapolis Colts final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 47 active, 12 inactive, 3 practice squad

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 August 2 at Denver Broncos L 3–10 0–1 Mile High Stadium 75,375
2 August 10 Seattle Seahawks L 7–17 0–2 Hoosier Dome 47,943
3 August 17 New Orleans Saints W 34–28 1–2 Hoosier Dome 45,963
4 August 23 at Philadelphia Eagles L 21–23 1–3 Veterans Stadium 52,687

[5]

Regular season

The Colts were victorious only once in the regular season, finishing last in the AFC East, and their fifteen losses tied an NFL record that was initially set by the 1980 New Orleans Saints and tied by the 1989 Dallas Cowboys and 1990 New England Patriots in the previous two NFL seasons. The 1991 Colts had a much weaker schedule to play than either the 1990 Patriots or 1989 Cowboys, playing eleven games against teams with non-winning records,[6] as against only five for the 1990 Patriots and four for the 1989 Cowboys.[7] The Colts lost nine consecutive games to start the season before rallying to defeat the playoff-bound New York Jets by a single point in Week 11. The win against their division rivals came at Giants Stadium; the Colts went 0–8 in the Hoosier Dome. (Incidentally, the Jets would become the next team to finish 1–15, doing so five years later.)

Since the Colts finished with the worst record in the NFL, they won the right to draft Steve Emtman, a defensive lineman from Washington whose career was derailed by injuries. It would take them until 1995 to reach the playoffs again, and the Colts did not become consistently successful until Peyton Manning joined the team near the end of the 1990s.

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 1 New England Patriots L 7–16 0–1 Hoosier Dome 49,961
2 September 8 at Miami Dolphins L 6–17 0–2 Joe Robbie Stadium 51,155
3 September 15 at Los Angeles Raiders L 0–16 0–3 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 40,287
4 September 22 Detroit Lions L 24–33 0–4 Hoosier Dome 53,396
5 September 29 at Seattle Seahawks L 3–31 0–5 Kingdome 56,656
6 October 6 Pittsburgh Steelers L 3–21 0–6 Hoosier Dome 55,383
7 October 13 at Buffalo Bills L 6–42 0–7 Rich Stadium 79,015
8 October 20 New York Jets L 6–17 0–8 Hoosier Dome 53,025
9 Bye
10 November 3 Miami Dolphins L 6–10 0–9 Hoosier Dome 55,899
11 November 10 at New York Jets W 28–27 1–9 Giants Stadium 44,792
12 November 17 Chicago Bears L 17–31 1–10 Hoosier Dome 60,519
13 November 24 at Green Bay Packers L 10–14 1–11 Milwaukee County Stadium 42,132
14 December 1 Cleveland Browns L 0–31 1–12 Hoosier Dome 57,539
15 December 8 at New England Patriots L 17–23 (OT) 1–13 Foxboro Stadium 20,131
16 December 15 Buffalo Bills L 7–35 1–14 Hoosier Dome 48,286
17 December 22 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–17 1–15 Tampa Stadium 28,043
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. New England Patriots

Week One: New England Patriots (0–0) at Indianapolis Colts (0–0)
Period 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 3 3316
Colts 7 0 007

at Hoosier Dome

  • Date: Sunday, September 1, 1991
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m., EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • Referee: Dale Hamer
  • [8]
Team Category Player Statistics
NWE Passing Tommy Hodson 13/18, 136 yards, TD
Rushing Leonard Russell 24 rushes, 72 yards
Receiving Irving Fryar 4 receptions, 57 yards
IND Passing Jeff George 27/42, 301 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Eric Dickerson 15 rushes, 64 yards
Receiving Bill Brooks 4 receptions, 89 yards, TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP NWE IND
1 Patriots Marv Cook 23-yard touchdown reception from Tommy Hodson, Jason Staurovsky kick good 7 0
1 Colts Bill Brooks 24-yard touchdown reception from Jeff George, Dean Biasucci kick good 7 7
2 Patriots 35-yard field goal by Jason Staurovsky 10 7
3 Patriots 39-yard field goal by Jason Staurovsky 13 7
4 Patriots 36-yard field goal by Jason Staurovsky 16 7
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 16 7

Week 2: at Miami Dolphins

Week Two: Indianapolis Colts (0–1) at Miami Dolphins (0–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 3 036
Dolphins 3 0 7717

at Joe Robbie Stadium

  • Date: Sunday, September 8, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m., EST
  • Game weather: 82 °F (27.8 °C), relative humidity 77%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
  • [9]
Team Category Player Statistics
IND Passing Jeff George 17/31, 98 yards
Rushing Eric Dickerson 19 rushes, 60 yards
Receiving Albert Bentley 7 receptions, 42 yards
MIA Passing Dan Marino 14/25, 147 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Mark Higgs 27 rushes, 111 yards
Receiving Tony Paige 5 receptions, 53 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP IND MIA
1 Dolphins 48-yard field goal by Charlie Baumann 0 3
2 Colts 48-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 3 3
3 Dolphins Aaron Craver 7-yard touchdown run, Charlie Baumann kick good 3 10
4 Colts 21-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 6 10
4 Dolphins Jim Jensen 9-yard touchdown reception from Dan Marino, Charlie Baumann kick good 6 17
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 6 17

Week 3: at Los Angeles Raiders

Week Three: Indianapolis Colts (0–2) at Los Angeles Raiders (1–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 0 000
Raiders 0 13 3016

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

  • Date: Sunday, September 15, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m., EST
  • Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C), relative humidity 77%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
  • [10]
Team Category Player Statistics
IND Passing Jeff George 21/32, 220 yards
Rushing Eric Dickerson 20 rushes, 77 yards
Receiving Anthony Johnson 10 receptions, 89 yards
RAI Passing Jay Schroeder 13/22, 181 yards, TD
Rushing Roger Craig 19 rushes, 57 yards
Receiving Mervyn Fernandez 7 receptions, 90 yards, TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP TB NYJ
2 Raiders Mervyn Fernandez 16-yard touchdown reception from Jay Schroeder, Jeff Jaeger kick good 0 7
2 Raiders 33-yard field goal by Jeff Jaeger 0 10
2 Raiders 41-yard field goal by Jeff Jaeger 0 13
3 Raiders 33-yard field goal by Jeff Jaeger 0 16
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 0 16

Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Four: Detroit Lions (2–1) at Indianapolis Colts (0–3)
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 7 161033
Colts 10 0 01424

at Hoosier Dome

  • Date: Sunday, September 22, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m., EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • [11]
Team Category Player Statistics
DET Passing Rodney Peete 17/23, 167 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Barry Sanders 30 rushes, 179 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Brett Perriman 6 receptions, 63 yards
IND Passing Jeff George 29/40, 348 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Eric Dickerson 13 rushes, 17 yards, TD
Receiving Anthony Johnson 9 receptions, 105 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP DET IND
1 Colts Eric Dickerson 2 yard rush-yard touchdown run, Dean Biasucci kick good 0 7
1 Colts 20-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 0 10
2 Lions Rodney Peete 7 yard rush-yard touchdown run, Eddie Murray kick good 7 10
3 Lions Barry Sanders 2-yard touchdown run, Eddie Murray kick good 14 10
3 Lions Eric Dickerson tackled in end zone for a safety by Jerry Ball 16 10
3 Lions Willie Green 11-yard touchdown reception from Erik Kramer, Eddie Murray kick good 23 10
4 Lions 19-yard field goal by Eddie Murray 26 10
4 Colts Eric Dickerson 2-yard touchdown reception from Jeff George, Dean Biasucci kick good 26 17
4 Lions Barry Sanders 23-yard touchdown run, Eddie Murray kick good 33 17
4 Colts Jessie Hester 12-yard touchdown reception from Jeff George, Dean Biasucci kick good 33 24
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 33 24

Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Five: Indianapolis Colts (0–4) at Seattle Seahawks (1–3)
Period 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 3 003
Seahawks 7 10 7731

at Kingdome

  • Date: Sunday, September 29, 1991
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • [12]
Team Category Player Statistics
IND Passing Jeff George 17/31, 144 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Eric Dickerson 13 rushes, 42 yards
Receiving Clarence Verdin 4 receptions, 44 yards
SEA Passing Jeff Kemp 7/10, 56 yards, TD
Rushing John L. Williams 17 rushes, 80 yards, TD
Receiving John L. Williams 5 receptions, 41 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP IND SEA
1 Seahawks John L. Williams 6-yard touchdown run, John Kasay kick good 0 7
2 Seahawks 41-yard field goal by John Kasay 0 10
2 Seahawks Punt returned 59 yards for touchdown by Chris Warren, John Kasay kick good 0 17
2 Colts 54-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 3 17
3 Seahawks Tommy Kane 7-yard touchdown reception from Jeff Kemp, John Kasay kick good 3 24
4 Seahawks Derrick Fenner 10-yard touchdown run, John Kasay kick good 3 31
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 3 31

Week 6: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Six: Pittsburgh Steelers (2–2) at Indianapolis Colts (0–5)
Period 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 0 71421
Colts 0 3 003

at Hoosier Dome

  • Date: Sunday, October 6, 1991
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m., EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • [13]
Team Category Player Statistics
PIT Passing Bubby Brister 13/16, 181 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Barry Foster 12 rushes, 49 yards
Receiving Chris Calloway 3 receptions, 71 yards
IND Passing Jeff George 22/28, 191 yards
Rushing Eric Dickerson 13 rushes, 24 yards
Receiving Bill Brooks 6 receptions, 79 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP PIT IND
2 Colts 19-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 0 3
3 Steelers Eric Green 21-yard touchdown reception from Bubby Brister, Gary Anderson kick good 7 3
4 Steelers Barry Foster 24-yard touchdown reception from Bubby Brister, Gary Anderson kick good 14 3
4 Steelers Merril Hoge 1-yard touchdown run, Gary Anderson kick good 21 3
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 21 3

Week 7: at Buffalo Bills

Week Seven: Indianapolis Colts (0–6) at Buffalo Bills (5–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 6 006
Bills 14 14 7742

at Rich Stadium

  • Date: Sunday, October 13, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 44 °F (6.7 °C), relative humidity 78%, wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
  • [14]
Team Category Player Statistics
IND Passing Jeff George 22/33, 168 yards, INT
Rushing Ken Clark 19 rushes, 44 yards
Receiving Jessie Hester 5 receptions, 59 yards
BUF Passing Frank Reich 6/7, 76 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Thurman Thomas 20 rushes, 117 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Keith McKeller 3 rushes, 34 yards, TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP IND BUF
1 Bills Thurman Thomas 14-yard touchdown run, Scott Norwood kick good 0 7
1 Bills Carwell Gardner 3-yard touchdown run, Scott Norwood kick good 0 14
2 Colts 26-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 3 14
2 Colts 29-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 6 14
2 Bills Thurman Thomas 7-yard touchdown run, Scott Norwood kick good 6 21
2 Bills Keith McKeller 5-yard touchdown reception from Frank Reich, Scott Norwood kick good 6 28
3 Bills James Lofton 11-yard touchdown reception from Frank Reich, Scott Norwood kick good 6 35
4 Bills Kenneth Davis 78-yard touchdown run, Scott Norwood kick good 6 42
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 6 42

Week 8: vs. New York Jets

Week Eight: New York Jets (3–4) at Indianapolis Colts (0–7)
Period 1 2 34Total
Jets 7 7 3017
Colts 0 6 006

at Hoosier Dome

  • Date: Sunday, October 20, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • [15]
Team Category Player Statistics
NYJ Passing Ken O'Brien 14/19, 205 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Brad Baxter 20 rushes, 59 yards, TD
Receiving Rob Moore 4 receptions, 96 yards, TD
IND Passing Jeff George 14/22, 107 yards
Rushing Anthony Johnson 10 rushes, 51 yards
Receiving Bill Brooks 4 receptions, 31 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP NYJ IND
1 Jets Rob Moore 47-yard touchdown reception from Ken O'Brien, Pat Leahy kick good 7 0
2 Colts 42-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 7 3
2 Jets Brad Baxter 1-yard touchdown run, Pat Leahy kick good 14 3
2 Colts 34-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 14 6
3 Jets 19-yard field goal by Pat Leahy 17 6
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 6

Week 10: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week Ten: Miami Dolphins (3–5) at Indianapolis Colts (0–8)
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 10 0 0010
Colts 0 3 306

at Hoosier Dome

  • Date: Sunday, November 3, 1991
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • [16]
Team Category Player Statistics
MIA Passing Dan Marino 21/37, 231 yards, TD
Rushing Sammie Smith 14 rushes, 49 yards
Receiving Mark Duper 3 receptions, 64 yards, TD
IND Passing Jeff George 18/34, 189 yards, INT
Rushing Eric Dickerson 17 rushes, 63 yards
Receiving Jessie Hester 7 receptions, 90 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP MIA IND
1 Dolphins Mark Duper 12-yard touchdown reception from Dan Marino, Pete Stoyanovich kick good 7 0
1 Dolphins 35-yard field goal by Pete Stoyanovich 10 0
2 Colts 47-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 10 3
3 Colts 25-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 10 6
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 6

Week 11: at New York Jets

Week Eleven: Indianapolis Colts (0–9) at New York Jets (5–4)
Period 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 7 21028
Jets 7 7 7627

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: Sunday, November 10, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Rain, 40 °F (4.4 °C), wind 22 miles per hour (35 km/h; 19 kn), wind chill 31 °F or −0.6 °C
  • [17]
Game information

First quarter

  • Jets — Brad Baxter 4 yard run (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 7–0

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • Colts — Clarence Verdin 88 yard kickoff return (Dean Biasucci kick). 14–14
  • Jets — Brad Baxter 1 yard run (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 21–14
  • Colts — Jessie Hester 7 yard pass from Jeff George (Dean Biasucci kick). 21–21
  • Colts — Bill Brooks 7 yard pass from Jeff George (Dean Biasucci kick). Colts 28–21

Fourth quarter

  • Jets — Pat Leahy 22 yard field goal. Colts 28–24
  • Jets — Pat Leahy 25 yard field goal. Colts 28–27

Colts

  • Jeff George — 16/26, 296 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
  • Ken Clark — 20 rushes, 50 yards
  • Jessie Hester — 5 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD

Jets

  • Ken O'Brien — 23/36, 329 yards, TD
  • Blair Thomas — 11 rushes, 58 yards
  • Al Toon — 6 receptions, 93 yards

Week 12: vs. Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears (8–2) at Indianapolis Colts (1–9)
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 7 3 14731
Colts 7 3 0717

at Hoosier Dome

  • Date: Sunday, November 17, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • [18]
Team Category Player Statistics
CHI Passing Jim Harbaugh 18/32, 287 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Brad Muster 15 receptions, 101 yards, TD
Receiving Anthony Morgan 1 reception, 84 yards, TD
IND Passing Jeff George 16/33, 176 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Ken Clark 11 rushes, 67 yards
Receiving Bill Brooks 7 rushes, 106 yards, TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP CHI IND
1 Colts Jessie Hester 4-yard touchdown reception from Jeff George, Dean Biasucci kick good 0 7
1 Bears Jim Harbaugh 6-yard touchdown run, Kevin Butler kick good 7 7
2 Bears 21-yard field goal by Kevin Butler 10 7
2 Colts 56-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 10 10
3 Bears Brad Muster 13-yard touchdown reception from Jim Harbaugh, Kevin Butler kick good 17 10
3 Bears Anthony Morgan 84-yard touchdown reception from Jim Harbaugh, Kevin Butler kick good 24 10
4 Colts Bill Brooks 9-yard touchdown reception from Jeff George, Dean Biasucci kick good 24 17
4 Bears Brad Muster 9-yard touchdown run, Kevin Butler kick good 31 17
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 31 17

Week 13: at Green Bay Packers

Week Thirteen: Indianapolis Colts (1–10) at Green Bay Packers (2–9)
Period 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 3 0710
Packers 7 0 7014

at Milwaukee County Stadium

  • Date: November 24, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 28 °F (−2.2 °C), relative humidity 80%, wind 18 miles per hour (29 km/h; 16 kn), wind chill 16 °F (−8.9 °C)
  • [19]
Team Category Player Statistics
IND Passing Jeff George 21/40, 184 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Ken Clark 19 rushes, 51 yards
Receiving Bill Brooks 10 receptions, 70 yards, TD
GNB Passing Mike Tomczak 5/17, 50 yards
Rushing Darrell Thompson 15 rushes, 63 yards
Receiving Jackie Harris 1 reception, 19 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP IND GNB
1 Packers Vince Workman 1-yard touchdown run, Chris Jacke kick good 0 7
2 Colts 35-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 3 7
3 Packers Mike Tomczak 2-yard touchdown run, Chris Jacke kick good 3 14
4 Colts Bill Brooks 6-yard touchdown reception from Jeff George, Dean Biasucci kick good 10 14
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 14

Week 14: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Fourteen: Cleveland Browns (5–7) at Indianapolis Colts (1–11)
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 3 28 0031
Colts 0 0 000

at Hoosier Dome

  • Date: Sunday, December 1, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • [20]
Team Category Player Statistics
CLE Passing Bernie Kosar 18/23, 189 yards, TD
Rushing Kevin Mack 9 rushes, 69 yards, TD
Receiving Leroy Hoard 6 receptions, 74 yards
IND Passing Jeff George 10/21 100 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Eric Dickerson 16 rushes, 117 yards
Receiving Jessie Hester 4 receptions, 66 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP CLE IND
1 Browns 41-yard field goal by Matt Stover 3 0
2 Browns Kevin Mack 3-yard touchdown reception from Bernie Kosar, Matt Stover kick good 10 0
2 Browns Kevin Mack 51-yard touchdown run, Matt Stover kick good 17 0
2 Browns Leroy Hoard 2-yard touchdown run, Matt Stover kick good 24 0
2 Browns Interception returned 20 yards for touchdown by James Jones, Matt Stover kick good 31 0
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 31 0

Week 15: at New England Patriots

Week Fifteen: Indianapolis Colts (1–12) at New England Patriots (4–9)
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Colts 0 14 30017
Patriots 3 0 014623

at Foxboro Stadium

  • Date: Sunday, December 8, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 44 °F (6.7 °C), relative humidity 66%, wind 14 miles per hour (23 km/h; 12 kn)
  • [21]
Team Category Player Statistics
IND Passing Jeff George 15/24, 159 yards, TD
Rushing Eric Dickerson 30 rushes, 53 yards, TD
Receiving Bill Brooks 6 receptions, 85 yards
NWE Passing Hugh Millen 21/40, 330 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Leonard Russell 20 rushes, 82 yards
Receiving Greg McMurtry 8 receptions, 119 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP TB NYJ
1 Patriots 24-yard field goal by Charlie Baumann 0 3
2 Colts Jessie Hester 13-yard touchdown reception from Jeff George, Dean Biasucci kick good 7 3
2 Colts Eric Dickerson 1-yard touchdown run, Dean Biasucci kick good 14 3
3 Colts 40-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 17 3
4 Patriots John Stephens 1-yard touchdown run, Charlie Baumann kick good 17 10
4 Patriots Ben Coates 2-yard touchdown reception from Hugh Millen, Charlie Baumann kick good 17 17
OT Patriots Michael Timpson 45-yard touchdown reception from Hugh Millen, Charlie Baumann kick not attempted (end of game) 17 23
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 23

Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 16: Buffalo Bills (12–2) at Indianapolis Colts (1–13)
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 21 7 0735
Colts 0 0 077

at Hoosier Dome

Team Category Player Statistics
BUF Passing Jim Kelly 9/11, 119 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Kenneth Davis 22 rushes, 90 yards, TD
Receiving Andre Reed 4 receptions, 65 yards, TD
IND Passing Mark Herrmann 11/19, 137 yards, 3 INT
Rushing Ken Clark 21 rushes, 74 yards
Receiving Jessie Hester 5 receptions, 77 yards
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP BUF IND
1 Bills Kenneth Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Scott Norwood kick good 7 0
1 Bills James Lofton 11-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Scott Norwood kick good 14 0
1 Bills Kenneth Davis 14-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Scott Norwood kick good 21 0
2 Bills Andre Reed 23-yard touchdown reception from Jim Kelly, Scott Norwood kick good 28 0
4 Colts Tim Manoa 1-yard touchdown run, Dean Biasucci kick good 28 7
4 Bills Pete Metzelaars 4-yard touchdown reception from Frank Reich, Scott Norwood kick good 35 7
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 35 7

Jim Kelly and Frank Reich managed just thirteen completions, but four of them were touchdowns as the Bills romped in 35–7. Jeff George was benched after completing just 83 yards and Mark Herrmann was even worse, throwing three interceptions. The win secured the #1 playoff seed for the Bills.

Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Seventeen: Indianapolis Colts (1–14) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2–13)
Period 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 3 003
Buccaneers 0 7 7317

at Tampa Stadium

  • Date: Sunday, December 22, 1991
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 63 °F (17.2 °C), relative humidity 72%, wind 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
  • [23]
Team Category Player Statistics
IND Passing Jeff George 20/37, 203 yards
Rushing Tim Manoa 4 rushes, 30 yards
Receiving Bill Brooks 7 receptions, 76 yards
TB Passing Vinny Testaverde 15/31, 168 yards, TD, 3 INT
Rushing Reggie Cobb 24 rushes, 87 yards
Receiving Mark Carrier 3 receptions, 60 yards, TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP IND TB
2 Colts 39-yard field goal by Dean Biasucci 3 0
2 Buccaneers Mark Carrier 29-yard touchdown reception from Vinny Testaverde, Steve Christie kick good 3 7
3 Buccaneers Lawrence Dawsey 9-yard touchdown run, Steve Christie kick good 3 14
4 Buccaneers 28-yard field goal by Steve Christie 3 17
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 3 17

Standings

AFC East
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 W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Buffalo Bills 13 3 0 .813 7–1 10–2 458 318 L1
(6) New York Jets 8 8 0 .500 4–4 6–6 314 293 W1
Miami Dolphins 8 8 0 .500 4–4 5–7 343 349 L2
New England Patriots 6 10 0 .375 4–4 5–9 211 305 L1
Indianapolis Colts 1 15 0 .063 1–7 1–11 143 381 L6

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The 1991 Colts’ total is now second-lowest of all-time, behind the 140 points the Seattle Seahawks put up in 1992.
  2. ^ The league switched from a 14- to a 16-game schedule in 1978.

References

  1. ^ "The 25 Worst NFL Teams of All Time". Complex Networks.
  2. ^ "In a single season, from 1940 to 2017, in the Regular Season, requiring Touchdowns = 0, sorted by most games in season matching criteria". Pro Football Reference.
  3. ^ Schatz, Aaron. "1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary". Football Outsiders. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023.
  4. ^ Bill Swerski's Super Fans: Thanksgiving - SNL (Video). Saturday Night Live. September 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  5. ^ "1991 Indianapolis Colts (NFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  6. ^ 1991 Indianapolis Colts against opponent with non-winning record
  7. ^ 1989 Dallas Cowboys against opponent with non-winning record
  8. ^ "New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts — September 1st, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  9. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins — September 8th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  10. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Raiders — September 15th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  11. ^ "Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts — September 22nd, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  12. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks — September 29th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  13. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts — October 6th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  14. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills — October 13th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  15. ^ "New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts — October 20th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  16. ^ "Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts — November 3rd, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  17. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets — November 10th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  18. ^ "Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts — November 17th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  19. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers — November 24th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  20. ^ "Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts — December 1st, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  21. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots — December 8th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  22. ^ "Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts — December 15th, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  23. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — December 22nd, 1991". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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Indianapolis Colts
  • Founded in 1953
  • Played in Baltimore (1953–1983)
  • Based and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana
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Division championships (16)
Conference championships (7)
League championships (5)
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Indianapolis Colts seasons
Played in Baltimore (1953–1983)
Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–65) or Super Bowl (1966–present) victory
Italics indicates NFL Championship (1920–65) or Super Bowl (1966–present) appearance