2001 Indianapolis Colts season

2001 Indianapolis Colts season
2001 Indianapolis Colts season
Owner	Jim Irsay
General manager	Bill Polian
Head coach	Jim Mora
Home field	RCA Dome
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	4th AFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	WR Marvin Harrison; TE Ken Dilger
	← 2000; Colts seasons; 2002 →;

The 2001 Indianapolis Colts season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League and 18th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 2001 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses, and finished fourth in the AFC East division. In the process the Colts allowed 486 points in sixteen games, an average of 30 points per match and the franchise worst since the 1981 Colts who allowed 533. At the time only the aforementioned Colts, the 1980 Saints and the 1966 Giants (in a 14-game schedule) had ever allowed more points.^[1] This would be the last time the Colts would miss the playoffs until 2011 and the only time in the 2000s decade in which they didn't qualify.

This was the Colts' final season as a member of the AFC East, as they would move to the newly formed AFC South in the 2002 league re-alignment. It was also the final season Mark Rypien would play in the NFL.

Offseason

Additions	Subtractions
CB Thomas Smith (Bears)	QB Kelly Holcomb (Browns)
LB Donnel Thompson (Steelers)

NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2001 Indianapolis Colts draft
1	30	Reggie Wayne *	WR	Miami (FL)	from NY Giants
2	37	Idrees Bashir	FS	Memphis	from Dallas
3	91	Cory Bird	SS	Virginia Tech	from NY Giants
4	118	Ryan Diem	OT	Northern Illinois
5	152	Raymond Walls	CB	Southern Mississippi
6	193	Jason Doering	FS	Wisconsin	from NY Giants
7	220	Rick DeMulling	OG	Idaho
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

2001 Undrafted Free Agents of note
Player	Position	College
Dominic Rhodes	Running Back	Midwestern State
Nick Harper	Cornerback	Fort Valley State

Personnel

Staff

**2001 Indianapolis Colts staff**
	Front office Owner and chief executive officer – Jim Irsay President – Bill Polian Director of football operations – Dom Anile Director of pro player personnel – Clyde Powers Assistant director of football operations – Chris Polian Director of player development – Steve Champlin Coordinator of player personnel – John Becker Director of college scouting – Mike Butler Head coaches Head coach – Jim E. Mora Assistant head coach/defensive backs – George Catavolos Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Tom Moore Quarterbacks – John Hufnagel Running backs – Gene Huey Receivers – Jay Norvell Tight ends – Tony Marciano Offensive line – Howard Mudd			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Vic Fangio Defensive line – Todd Grantham Linebackers – Mike Murphy Defensive assistant – John Pagano Special teams coaches Special teams – Kevin Spencer Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Jon Torine Assistant strength and conditioning – Richard Howell

Roster

Indianapolis Colts 2001 final roster

Quarterbacks

18 Peyton Manning
16 Mark Rypien

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

93 Lionel Barnes DE
92 Chad Bratzke DE
62 Ellis Johnson DT
91 Chukie Nwokorie DE
67 Hans Olsen DT
99 Brad Scioli DE
90 Mark Thomas DE
96 Josh Williams DT
95 Mike Wells DT

Linebackers

94 Rob Morris MLB
51 Mike Morton OLB
52 Mike Peterson OLB
56 Ryan Phillips OLB
98 Sam Sword MLB
54 Donnel Thompson MLB
53 Marcus Washington OLB

Defensive backs

28 Idrees Bashir FS
41 Cory Bird SS
26 Rodregis Brooks CB
20 Jeff Burris CB
37 Chad Cota SS
31 Clifton Crosby CB
34 Jason Doering FS
25 Nick Harper CB
27 David Macklin CB
42 Raymond Walls CB

Special teams

Reserve lists

2 Troy Albea WR (IR)
69 Ben Gilbert G (IR)
84 Drew Haddad WR (IR)
47 Jermaine Hampton CB (IR)
55 Sean Harris LB (IR)
32 Edgerrin James RB (IR)
86 Jerome Pathon WR (IR)
97 Christian Peter DT (IR)
72 Tim Ridder G (IR)

Practice squad

rookies in italics
53 active, 9 inactive, 3 practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 9	at New York Jets	W 45–24	1–0	Giants Stadium	78,606
2^[A]	September 23	Buffalo Bills	W 42–26	2–0	RCA Dome	56,135
3	September 30	at New England Patriots	L 13–44	2–1	Foxboro Stadium	60,292
4	Bye
5	October 14	Oakland Raiders	L 18–23	2–2	RCA Dome	56,972
6	October 21	New England Patriots	L 17–38	2–3	RCA Dome	56,022
7	October 25	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 35–28	3–3	Arrowhead Stadium	74,212
8	November 4	at Buffalo Bills	W 30–14	4–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	63,786
9	November 11	Miami Dolphins	L 24–27	4–4	RCA Dome	57,127
10	November 18	at New Orleans Saints	L 20–34	4–5	Louisiana Superdome	70,020
11	November 25	San Francisco 49ers	L 21–40	4–6	RCA Dome	56,393
12	December 2	at Baltimore Ravens	L 27–39	4–7	PSINet Stadium	69,382
13	December 10	at Miami Dolphins	L 6–41	4–8	Pro Player Stadium	73,858
14	December 16	Atlanta Falcons	W 41–27	5–8	RCA Dome	55,603
15	December 23	New York Jets	L 28–29	5–9	RCA Dome	56,302
16	December 30	at St. Louis Rams	L 17–42	5–10	Trans World Dome	66,084
17^[A]	January 6	Denver Broncos	W 29–10	6–10	RCA Dome	56,192

Standings

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
⁽²⁾ New England Patriots	11	5	0	.688	371	272	W6
⁽⁴⁾ Miami Dolphins	11	5	0	.688	344	290	W2
⁽⁶⁾ New York Jets	10	6	0	.625	308	295	W1
Indianapolis Colts	6	10	0	.375	413	486	W1
Buffalo Bills	3	13	0	.188	265	420	L1

Season summary

The Colts suffered the second losing season of Peyton Manning's career. After opening with dominant wins over the Jets and Buffalo, the Colts were crushed twice in three games by the Patriots with a loss to Oakland in between. Two more wins followed to bring the Colts to 4–3, but they followed this up with two more losses heading into their matchup with the San Francisco 49ers at home on November 25. The 49ers entered the game having only lost twice to that point in the season, but had struggled to put up points and had barely beaten the Carolina Panthers, who would only record one win that season, the week before.

The Colts, needing the victory, instead turned the ball over five times. Manning threw four interceptions, two to Ahmed Plummer and two more to Zack Bronson including one that was returned for a touchdown. The 49ers scored 23 total points off of the five Indianapolis turnovers. Despite outgaining the 49ers, the Colts lost the game 40–21 and after the game, head coach Jim Mora sharply criticized his offense's effort, especially Manning's four interceptions.

During the press conference, a reporter asked Mora a question about the Colts' playoff chances now that the team was 4–6. Mora, who had not heard what was said, asked him to repeat the question. When the question was repeated, Mora responded by dismissing the suggestion that the Colts could make the postseason in the following manner:

What's that? Ah, *garbled*, playoffs?! Don't talk about — playoffs?! You kidding me?! Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game! Another game!

A few days later, Manning spoke to reporters ahead of the Colts' next game with the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens and sharply criticized Mora's handling of the situation. He said that he did not appreciate being called out in public like he had been and that if Mora had a problem with him he should have spoken to him directly. This caused Mora to backtrack on his previous statements, but the damage was done.^[2]

The Colts went on to finish 6–10 and Mora was fired after the season.

Manning threw 23 interceptions during the season, the highest number of his career following his rookie season. He was sacked a career-high 29 times.

Notes

^ ^a ^b The Colts were originally scheduled to host the Denver Broncos during Week 2 of the original NFL schedule (September 16) at RCA Dome. However, due to the September 11 attacks, the game was rescheduled to Week 17.

References

^ Over 450 points allowed in regular season
^ "Manning airs out on Colts' Mora". The Baltimore Sun. November 28, 2001. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2022.

[DEN-IND-2] The Colts were originally scheduled to host the Denver Broncos during Week 2 of the original NFL schedule (September 16) at RCA Dome. However, due to the September 11 attacks, the game was rescheduled to Week 17.

[1] Over 450 points allowed in regular season

[3] "Manning airs out on Colts' Mora". The Baltimore Sun. November 28, 2001. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2022.

[1]

[A]

[2]