Indianapolis Colts History
The Colts have had two different eras and two different origin stories that involve other cities.
The Baltimore Colts were an NFL expansion team in 1953. This was after a team called the Dallas Texans (not the Dallas Texans of the AFL) was in such rough financial straits the NFL had to take over.
The league was not in the business of running franchises. Therefore, they agreed to sell the rights to the Texans to Baltimore businessman Carroll Rosenbloom for the 1953 season. However, officially this was not a continuation of the Texans. The NFL considered it a brand new franchise in Baltimore, and treated all records as such.
Indianapolis Colts Beginning
In the end, 31 years later that the Indianapolis Colts were born at the expense of the fans in Baltimore. There was no announcement or goodbye, just moving vans that packed up the Colts’ offices. They then moved the team out of town in the middle of the night of March 28, 1984. To this day the name Bob Irsay is a four-letter word in the city of Baltimore.
In the 31-year history of the Baltimore Colts the team was a success. They won NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959, and they played in a pair of Super Bowls. They won Super Bowl V over the Cowboys, 16-13. Johnny Unitas was the league MVP that season.
As the Indianapolis Colts the team has also played in two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLI over the Bears, 29-17. Peyton Manning was the Super Bowl MVP.
Along with the two great quarterbacks who played the majority of their careers with the Colts, Unitas and Manning, the Colts have several Hall of Fame enshrinees.
Raymond Berry was an All-Pro wide receiver before eventually coaching the Patriots to their first Super Bowl. Art Donovan was a four-time First-team All-Pro defensive tackle before becoming one the great NFL personalities in retirement. Running back Eric Dickerson is the single-season rushing record holder, and Marvin Harrison was the other half of 114 touchdown passes from Peyton Manning – the current NFL record for TDs between a quarterback and wide receiver.
NFL Big Changes from Last Season – Indianapolis Colts
Following the Colts Week 16 win over the Cardinals last season, their sixth win in seven games, the team looked like it had something special that they could build on for years to come.
Then came Week 17, a 23-20 loss to the Raiders. Then there was Week 18, an embarrassing 26-11 loss to the worst team in the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Just like the team went from being the one team no one wanted to face in the playoffs, to a team no one would face in the playoffs.
Change was clearly coming.
The axe fell hardest and swiftest on quarterback Carson Wentz, who shouldered most of the blame because of the position he plays. He was traded to Washington, and the Colts will reset their offense in 2022 with Matt Ryan, a former MVP with the Falcons. The change to Ryan is clearly a win now move. He is 37-years-old and his best years are behind him.
Ryan’s veteran wide receiving corps isn’t the best, but the team has high hopes for wide receiver Alec Pierce, a second round rookie out of Cincinnati. As a senior with the Bearcats Pierce caught 52 passes for 884 yards.
The defensive side is also in transition as last year’s defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has gone to Chicago to be the Bears head coach. Taking over for him is Gus Bradley, the former Jags head coach who most recently was the defensive coordinator in Las Vegas.
Joining Bradley from the Raiders is pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, traded to Indy for corner Rock Ya-Sin. It’s a move largely seen as a good trade for the Colts.
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AFC South
