Everyone knows the most heartbreaking moment in the history of the Indianapolis Colts since the franchise moved from Baltimore in 1984. The real question in search of a top-five list: What about the other four moments?
5. 1999 AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the Titans
The Indianapolis Colts under quarterback Peyton Manning earned a wild-card bye on several occasions, grabbing home-field advantage in the divisional playoff round. The Colts lost in most of these instances. Remember: One of their two AFC championships under Peyton came when Indianapolis was a wild-card team, in the 2006 NFL season.
The first divisional playoff loss at home for Peyton came under then-coach Jim Mora, a very good coach who was trying to make his first Super Bowl. The Tennessee Titans and coach Jeff Fisher — riding high from the Music City Miracle against the Buffalo Bills — played fantastic defense, smothering Peyton's air attack in a 19-16 win.
The Titans made their only Super Bowl to date. Mora never reached the Big Game. This was Peyton's first taste of the playoffs, which is why this game is merely fifth on the list. Bigger heartbreaks were to come for the Colts:
4. 2008 AFC Wild Card loss to the Chargers
This game isn't higher on the list because it was a wild-card game, and also because the Colts would have had to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round. Their road to the Super Bowl was difficult.
However: Tom Brady was not going to be part of that road. The New England Patriots did not make the playoffs in the 2008 NFL season. Had the Colts managed to beat the Chargers, their game at Pittsburgh might have been their toughest remaining test in the AFC Playoffs. The top-seeded Tennessee Titans lost at home in the divisional round. Indianapolis could have hosted the sixth-seeded Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.
The other reason this loss stings: The Colts were 12-4 in 2008, the Chargers 8-8… and yet the Chargers hosted the game because they were a division champion. The Colts had to play on the road because they finished behind the 13-3 Titans in the AFC South.
3. 2007 AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the Chargers
The Chargers were a thorn in the side for the Colts, knocking them out of the playoffs in consecutive years. The 2007 loss was a bigger setback for the Colts, who had a first-round playoff bye and had home-field for this meeting against the Bolts.
The Indianapolis offense so often failed to take flight under Peyton Manning in the playoffs. When the Colts lost to the Titans in the 1999 divisional round, eight years earlier, it could be chalked up to Peyton's youth and inexperience. Those were not factors this time; the Chargers simply beat — and beat up — the Indianapolis offense in a 28-24 win.
The Colts were denied a chance to face the unbeaten New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, an opportunity Peyton dearly wanted.
2. 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the Steelers
This is the worst non-Super Bowl loss of the Peyton era, and for the Indianapolis Colts. This was the best Peyton team of the era, at 14-2. The Pittsburgh Steelers were a pesky No. 6 seed. A lot had to go wrong for the Colts to blow this… and that's what happened.
Two plays stand out from this game: One is Mike Vanderjagt badly shanking a game-tying field goal attempt for the Colts at the end of regulation, sealing their 21-18 loss. Peyton could be seen muttering, “Missed it!”, on CBS cameras.
The biggest moment from the game was Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger making an improbable open-field shoestring tackle of Colt cornerback Nick Harper after Harper recovered a fumble by Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis near the Colts' goal line.
Harper was indecisive in finding a running lane, and that indecision enabled Roethlisberger to size him up and trip him. If Harper had not switched his running path, the Colts might have made and won the Super Bowl. They would have been huge favorites over the Denver Broncos in the AFC title game that season.
1. Super Bowl XLIV — Tracy Porter's pick-six against Peyton Manning
There isn't much to say about this. The Colts and Peyton were driving, trying to tie the Super Bowl. Manning had done this so many times before. Most Americans expected him to tie the game… but he didn't.
Porter jumped an inside route and went to the house. Another great Colts team fell short of a Lombardi Trophy.
Follow Us
Subscribe