1986 Indianapolis Colts season
| 1986 Indianapolis Colts season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
Rod Dowhower Ron Meyer |
| General manager | Jim Irsay |
| Owner | Robert Irsay |
| Home field | Hoosier Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 3–13 |
| Division place | 5th AFC East |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1986 Indianapolis Colts season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and third in Indianapolis. The team finished the year with a record of 3 wins and 13 losses, and fifth in the AFC East division.
The 1986 Colts were the last team until the 2007 Miami Dolphins to lose their first thirteen games in a season. Head Coach Rod Dowhower was fired with three games left in the season and was replaced by Ron Meyer. It appeared that the Colts could be on their way to the NFL’s first anti-perfect season since the 1976 Buccaneers, and indeed there were many critics who argued that Colts wanted to go 0–16 to gain hot college quarterback prospect Vinny Testaverde,[1] despite some fears Testaverde – like John Elway – would refuse to play for the team.[2]
However, at 0–13, the Colts defeated the Atlanta Falcons 28–13 in Week 14, by returning a blocked punt for a touchdown.[3] They then won their last two games, to finish with three wins on the season. The Colts are the only team in NFL history to win the remainder of their games after starting winless.
Personnel
Staff
| 1986 Indianapolis Colts staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7, 1986 | at New England Patriots | L 3–33 | 0–1 | Sullivan Stadium | |
| 2 | September 14, 1986 | at Miami Dolphins | L 10–30 | 0–2 | Miami Orange Bowl | |
| 3 | September 21, 1986 | Los Angeles Rams | L 7–24 | 0–3 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 4 | September 28, 1986 | New York Jets | L 7–26 | 0–4 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 5 | October 5, 1986 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–35 | 0–5 | Candlestick Park | |
| 6 | October 12, 1986 | New Orleans Saints | L 14–17 | 0–6 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 7 | October 19, 1986 | at Buffalo Bills | L 13–24 | 0–7 | Rich Stadium | |
| 8 | October 26, 1986 | Miami Dolphins | L 13–17 | 0–8 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 9 | November 2, 1986 | Cleveland Browns | L 9–24 | 0–9 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 10 | November 9, 1986 | New England Patriots | L 21–30 | 0–10 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 11 | November 16, 1986 | at New York Jets | L 16–31 | 0–11 | The Meadowlands | |
| 12 | November 23, 1986 | at Houston Oilers | L 17–31 | 0–12 | Astrodome | |
| 13 | November 30, 1986 | San Diego Chargers | L 3–17 | 0–13 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 14 | December 7, 1986 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 28–23 | 1–13 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | |
| 15 | December 14, 1986 | Buffalo Bills | W 24–14 | 2–13 | Hoosier Dome | |
| 16 | December 21, 1986 | at Los Angeles Raiders | W 30–24 | 3–13 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
Standings
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| New England Patriots(3) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 7–1 | 8–4 | 412 | 307 | W1 |
| New York Jets(4) | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 364 | 386 | L5 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–3 | 6–6 | 430 | 405 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 3–11 | 287 | 348 | L3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–7 | 2–10 | 229 | 400 | W3 |
References
- ↑ Vierria, Dan; ‘Colts May Need a Win, but They Need Vinnie Even More’; Sacramento Bee, November 16, 1986, p. C4
- ↑ Kaufman, Ira; ‘Will testaverde, like Elway, Spurn Colts’; Seattle Times, November 23, 1986, p. C5
- ↑ Sheeley, Glenn; ‘Rope-a-dope: Falcon blunders give Indianapolis first victory’; Atlanta Constitution; December 8, 1986, p. D1