INDIANAPOLIS -- Crazy. Dramatic. Embarrassing.
The list of words to describe the Indianapolis Colts’ 2015 season could go on and on. All 32 NFL teams enter the season with Super Bowl aspirations. But the Colts truly did believe they were good enough to make a Super Bowl run after reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2014.
That obviously didn’t happen, as the Colts are at home watching the playoffs. So let's take a look back at the season. Over the next five days, I’m going to look at the top 10 moments -- two each day -- that played a part in defining the Colts’ season.
No. 10: The fumble
No. 9: Fake field goal
What happened: The Colts were in position to surrender just three points to the New Orleans Saints when they lined up for a 43-yard field goal. But rather than kick it, holder Luke McCown, who is also the Saints’ backup quarterback, rolled to his left and completed a 25-yard pass to tight end Benjamin Watson, who got behind Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. The Saints scored on the next play on a 1-yard touchdown run by Khiry Robinson.
The impact of the play: Quarterback Andrew Luck threw an interception on the Colts’ very next offensive play deep in their end of the field. The Saints scored five plays later to take a 14-0 lead. Griff Whalen had a 30-yard kickoff return later in the game, but he fumbled, and the Saints recovered and eventually scored to take a 20-0 lead. The Colts spent previous seasons having one of the top special-teams units in the NFL, but giving up a fake field goal added to what turned out to be a season-long problem for them, especially since they had the botched fake punt the week before against New England. “Like anything in sports, lack of concentration, lack of execution, one or two times can really affect a lot of things,” Pat McAfee said during the season.
