A brief history of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football
The Indianapolis Colts will play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. How has Indy performed in these games in the past?
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Indy will once again be playing in primetime this week on Sunday with a matchup against the much tougher 8-3 Dallas Cowboys. It will be Indy’s 36th game on Sunday Night Football.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football began with its inaugural season in 2006. In the very first week of the NFL season, they did not have a Sunday night game due to conflicts with other sports. The second NBC broadcast and the first to actually be on a Sunday was a road matchup for the Colts against the New York Giants.
Indy would win that matchup against the Giants by a score of 26-21. The Colts would go on to play three more games that season on Sunday Night Football, winning all of them to start off with a 4-0 record on the telecast.
By my tally, Indianapolis currently holds a 21-15 record on Sunday Night Football. The Colts last played on Sunday Night Football on October 24th, 2021. Indy won that game on the road against the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 30-18.
What is the Colts’ worst loss on Sunday Night Football?
Indy’s worst loss on Sunday Night Football came in a road game against the New Orleans Saints in 2011. The Colts lost this game 62-7. Indy was winless to that point in the season. You might remember, this was the season prior to the drafting of Andrew Luck.
The Colts were led by quarterbacks Curtis Painter and now ESPN talent Dan Orlovsky in the game. Indy managed under 300 yards of total offense in the game and had three turnovers. The defense allowed 557 yards of total offense. This loss is the worst loss Indianapolis has had since moving to Indianapolis.
A memorable Sunday Night Football win for Colts
The Colts’ most iconic win on Sunday Night Football came on November 15th, 2009. Indy was hosting the New England Patriots and this game is considered one of the more iconic games in the storied rivalry.
Indianapolis was down 34-28 with under three minutes left in the game. The defense stopped the Patriots’ offense three straight plays to force a 4th down with two yards to go. The Patriots elected to go for it on their own 28-yard line. Brady passed the ball to Kevin Faulk, but he was hit and stopped short by Melvin Bullitt.
It would just take three plays for Peyton Manning to hit Reggie Wayne for the touchdown to steal a one-point win away from the Patriots.
Over the past five appearances on Sunday Night Football for Indianapolis, the team holds a record of 3-2. There is some measure of optimism going into the matchup against the Cowboys. The Colts will undoubtedly be underdogs, but looking at their history on Sunday nights, they should have a chance.
