Gm 72: Indianapolis at Buffalo
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Tag Archives: Indianapolis Colts
Gm 45: Miami at Indianapolis
Gm 42: Indianapolis at Cleveland
Gm 17: Chicago at Indianapolis
Gm 9: Houston at Indianapolis
Game 5. Indianapolis at Pittsburgh
1997 Game 232 (Week 17) Indianapolis at Minnesota
Vikings slay the Colts
The Minnesota Vikings’ offense woke up on the final Sunday of the NFL regular season. They racked up 546 total offensive yards in the 28-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the HHH Metrodome.
Viking backup QB Randall Cunningham showed signs of his youth as he had a huge game. He threw for 336 yards on 18 of 25 passing with two touchdowns. He also made some plays with his legs as he rushed for 45 yards on 7 totes.
The Vikings also rushed for 216 yards in the game. RB Robert Smith rushed for 119 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns.
The Colts got 115 rushing yards from RB Marshall Faulk. QB Jim Harbaugh threw for 212 yards on 20 of 28 passing with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. WR Marvin Harrison caught six passes for 72 yards and 2 TDs.
The Vikings finished the season with an 8-8 record, while the Colts finished 5-10.
1997 Game 217 (Week 16) Miami at Indianapolis
Colts take down the Dolphins
Jimmy Johnson’s second year in Miami didn’t go so well. Johnson had great success in Dallas winning two Super Bowls and many in Miami have expected the Dolphins to improve in Johnson’s second season. The Dolphins were 8-8 a year ago. After losing to the Colts 17-13 on Sunday, Johnson and the Dolphins will be saddled with a losing season as they are now 6-9.
The Dolphins signed RB Lawrence Phillips this week to bolster their running game. Phillips was waived by the St. Louis Rams a couple of weeks ago, but he did nothing to help the Dolphins. They were once again inept in the running game as they finished with 70 yards against the Colts run defense.
The Colts didn’t light things up either, but they did just enough to get the victory. RB Marshall Faulk rushed for 102 yards on 27 carries and scored a TD. QB Jim Harbaugh was 17 of 26 passing for 163 yards.
The Colts Dan Footman had 1.5 sacks in the game. He currently has 18.5 sacks. The NFL record for the most sacks in a season is 22 by Mark Gastineau of the NY Jets.
The Dolphins will end their disappointing season against New England on Monday Night, while the Colts (5-10) finish up at Minnesota.
1997 Game 206 (Week 15) Indianapolis at NY Jets
Jets get back into playoff contention!
The New York Jets corralled the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Giants Stadium with a 32-17 victory to get themselves back into AFC playoff contention as they fight for a Wildcard position.
The Jets got a huge performance from their defense. They shut down the Colt rushing attack and held them to 56 yards on the ground. Then the Jets harassed QB Jim Harbaugh all day long. They sacked him three times on the day. (They actually sacked him 7 times, but the sack/int rating took away four sacks).
The Colts made a game of it late in the 4th quarter. Harbaugh hit WR Sean Dawkins for a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 25-17 with 7:15 to play. Then the Jets went on a long drive that seemed to ice the game away. Kicker John Hall set up for a 37-yard field goal to put the game away, but the snapper sailed the ball over the kicker’s head and went out of bounds 32 yards back, and the Colts got the ball at the +48-yard line with a minute to play.
Harbaugh quickly moved the Colts into scoring position. On a third down and goal from the Jets’ 7-yard line, Harbaugh tried to force a ball into Marvin Harrison. Jet’s DB Otis Smith stepped in front and took it to the house sealing the game with a 100-yard INT return! Smith closed the door and the Jets won 32-17.
Jet’s running back Adrian Murrell had another outstanding day. He carried the ball 27 times for 124 yards and a touchdown. O’Donnell still hasn’t thrown an interception yet this year in 387 passing attempts. He was 11 of 28 in the game for 150 yards and a touchdown to Keeshawn Johnson.
The Jets and the Seahawks are tied (9-5) for the final spot in the AFC Wildcard race; however, the Jets have a one-game lead in conference record, so if the season ended today, the Jets would get the final spot. They’ll have to play great football in their final two games to keep that spot as they host the Buccaneers next weekend and then close out the season at Silverdome in Detroit.
The Colts (4-9) have now lost five in a row and will take on the Dolphins at the RCA Dome. Then they will end the season on the road against the Vikings.
1997 Game 185 (Week 14) New England at Indianapolis
Bledsoe rips the Colts
The New England Patriots are the defending AFC Champions, and they are beginning to look like they will contend for it again as they came back to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 28-24, Sunday afternoon at Foxboro behind a big performance from Drew Bledsoe.
Trailing 24-21 midway through the 4th quarter, Drew Bledsoe showed why he is a contender for the league’s MVP. He zipped a 15-yard pass to TE Ben Coates and then connected with WR Shawn Jefferson for another 17 yards. Another completion to Jefferson and the Patriots were at the Colt 27-yard line. With the Colts in man-to-man coverage, Bledsoe found a matchup he liked. RB Dave Meggett was matched up with a linebacker and Bledsoe took advantage of it. Meggett went on a wheel-route and Bledsoe hit him in stride for a 27-yard touchdown! The Patriots took a 28-24 lead.
The Patriot defense stepped up on the Colts next possession and forced a punt. They never saw the ball again. With 4:10 on the clock, Bledsoe and the Patriots ran an awesome 4-minute offense and kept the ball away from the Colts. RB Curtis Martin kept the chains moving and the Patriots ran out the clock to secure the victory.
Martin rushed for 103 yards on 24 carries on the day. Bledsoe threw for 306 yards on 20 of 32 passing with four touchdowns.
The Colts got a big passing day from QB Jim Harbaugh. He passed for 341 yards on 23 of 37 passing with two touchdowns and an Interception.
The Patriots have control over the AFC East with a 10-3 record with three games remaining. Next week, they travel to Jacksonville, while the Colts (4-9) travel to New York to play the Jets.