2001 Indianapolis Colts season

2001 Indianapolis Colts season
General manager	Bill Polian
Head coach	Jim Mora
Home field	RCA Dome
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	4th AFC East
Playoff finish	out of playoffs
Pro Bowlers	WR Marvin Harrison TE Ken Dilger

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.

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

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game Site	TV Time	Attendance
1	September 9, 2001	at New York Jets	W 45–24	1–0	The Meadowlands	CBS 1:00 pm	78,606
2	September 23, 2001	Buffalo Bills	W 42–26	2–0	RCA Dome	CBS 1:00 pm	56,135
3	September 30, 2001	at New England Patriots	L 13–44	2–1	Foxboro Stadium	CBS 1:00 pm	60,292
4	Bye
5	October 14, 2001	Oakland Raiders	L 18–23	2–2	RCA Dome	ESPN 8:30 pm	56,972
6	October 21, 2001	New England Patriots	L 17–38	2–3	RCA Dome	CBS 1:00 pm	56,022
7	October 25, 2001	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 35–28	3–3	Arrowhead Stadium	ESPN 8:30 pm	74,212
8	November 4, 2001	at Buffalo Bills	W 30–14	4–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	CBS 1:00 pm	63,786
9	November 11, 2001	Miami Dolphins	L 24–27	4–4	RCA Dome	CBS 1:00 pm	57,127
10	November 18, 2001	at New Orleans Saints	L 20–34	4–5	Louisiana Superdome	CBS 1:00 pm	70,020
11	November 25, 2001	San Francisco 49ers ("Playoffs?" tirade)	L 21–40	4–6	RCA Dome	FOX 1:00 pm	56,393
12	December 2, 2001	at Baltimore Ravens	L 27–39	4–7	PSINet Stadium	CBS 1:00 pm	69,382
13	December 10, 2001	at Miami Dolphins	L 6–41	4–8	Pro Player Stadium	ABC 9:00 pm	73,858
14	December 16, 2001	Atlanta Falcons	W 41–27	5–8	RCA Dome	FOX 1:00 pm	55,603
15	December 23, 2001	New York Jets	L 28–29	5–9	RCA Dome	ESPN 8:30 pm	56,302
16	December 30, 2001	at St. Louis Rams	L 17–42	5–10	Trans World Dome	CBS 1:00 pm	66,084
17	January 6, 2002	Denver Broncos	W 29–10	6–10	RCA Dome	CBS 1:00 pm	56,192

Standings

AFC East
	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 only 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 to go with a loss to Oakland. Two more wins followed but the season fell apart with losses in seven of the season's final nine games; a 40–21 rout by the San Francisco 49ers on national television set off an infamous postgame press conference rant by coach Jim Mora in which he harped on four Manning interceptions, repeatedly noting one was returned (by the Niners' Zack Bronson) for a touchdown and the others set up San Francisco scores, and a fumble; he angrily scoffed at a reporter's question about the Colts' playoff chances when he barked, "Ah, p-p-p-Playoffs?!? Don't talk about...playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!" 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.

See also

• Chiefs-Colts rivalry
• Colts-Patriots rivalry
• History of the Indianapolis Colts
• Indianapolis Colts seasons