| Team: | Indianapolis Colts |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Record: | 10–6 |
| Division Place: | 2nd AFC South |
| Coach: | Frank Reich |
| Owner: | Jim Irsay |
| General Manager: | Chris Ballard |
| Stadium: | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Texans) 21–7 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Chiefs) 13–31 |
| Pro Bowlers: | QB Andrew Luck TE Eric Ebron G Quenton Nelson |
| Ap All-Pros: | G Quenton Nelson LB Shaquille Leonard |
| Uniform: | File: Colts football uniforms.png |
| Shortnavlink: | Colts seasons |
The 2018 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 66th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 35th in Indianapolis. It was also their first season under head coach Frank Reich and second under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard. Despite a 1–5 start, the Colts managed to improve on their 4–12 campaign from the year prior with a 38–10 victory over the Tennessee Titans, and a 5-game winning streak. On Week 16, the Colts achieved their first winning season since 2014 with a 28–27 win against the New York Giants. The next week, they beat the Tennessee Titans in a win or go home match-up to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and became the third team in NFL history to qualify for the playoffs after a 1–5 start and first since the 2015 Chiefs.
In the wild-card round, the Colts defeated the Houston Texans 21–7, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round 31–13, ending their season.
This would be the last season that the Colts would have franchise quarterback Andrew Luck, as he would retire following the season, citing his continuous struggle with injuries and no longer enjoying the game.[1]
On December 31, 2017, the Colts parted ways with head coach Chuck Pagano, who had led the team for six seasons. After two interviews, it was widely reported that the Colts would hire New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to replace him, after McDaniels fulfilled his obligations to the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.[2] The Colts announced on the team website that they had agreed to terms with McDaniels and scheduled a press conference with McDaniels for February 5, 2018. However, one day later, McDaniels unexpectedly withdrew from the agreement in principle to become the Colts' head coach.[3] [4] On February 11, 2018, after interviewing multiple candidates, including Leslie Frazier and Dan Campbell, the Colts announced the hiring of Frank Reich, formerly the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator.[5]
See main article: 2018 NFL draft.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | From NY Jets | ||||
| 2 | 36 | ||||
| 37 | From NY Jets | ||||
| 52 | From Baltimore via Philadelphia | ||||
| 64 | From Philadelphia via Cleveland | ||||
| 4 | 104 | ||||
| 5 | 159 | From Kansas City via Cleveland, New England, and Oakland | |||
| 169 | From Philadelphia | ||||
| 6 | 185 | From Oakland | |||
| 7 | 221 | Matthew Adams | |||
| 235 | From Seattle via NY Jets |
Draft trades
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 19–17 | 1–0 | CenturyLink Field | Recap | ||
| 2 | Baltimore Ravens | L 19–20 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | ||
| 3 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–17 | 2–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 27–26 | 3–1 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
The Colts' 2018 schedule was announced on April 19.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 23–34 | 0–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 2 | September 16 | at Washington Redskins | W 21–9 | 1–1 | FedEx Field | Recap | |
| 3 | September 23 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–20 | 1–2 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | |
| 4 | September 30 | Houston Texans | L 34–37 | 1–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 5 | at New England Patriots | L 24–38 | 1–4 | Gillette Stadium | Recap | ||
| 6 | October 14 | at New York Jets | L 34–42 | 1–5 | MetLife Stadium | Recap | |
| 7 | October 21 | Buffalo Bills | W 37–5 | 2–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 8 | October 28 | at Oakland Raiders | W 42–28 | 3–5 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap | |
| 9 | Bye | ||||||
| 10 | November 11 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 29–26 | 4–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 11 | November 18 | Tennessee Titans | W 38–10 | 5–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 12 | November 25 | Miami Dolphins | W 27–24 | 6–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 13 | December 2 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 0–6 | 6–6 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap | |
| 14 | December 9 | at Houston Texans | W 24–21 | 7–6 | NRG Stadium | Recap | |
| 15 | December 16 | Dallas Cowboys | W 23–0 | 8–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 16 | December 23 | New York Giants | W 28–27 | 9–6 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
| 17 | December 30 | at Tennessee Titans | W 33–17 | 10–6 | Nissan Stadium | Recap | |
Despite leading 23–10 in the second half, the Bengals managed to pull off a comeback to win 34–23. The Colts had a chance to win the game late. However, while driving down the field, Jack Doyle lost a fumble which was returned 83 yards for a touchdown, putting the game away. This was the Colts 4th straight opening day loss.
With the win, the Colts evened their record at 1-1.
In a rain-filled affair, the Colts were unable to nurse a late lead, as they lost to the defending champion Eagles 20-16 and fell to 1–2.
In a shootout, the Texans were able to pull it out in overtime, winning 37–34, as the Colts fell to 1–3.
The Colts were seeking their first road win over the Patriots since their 2006 Super Bowl-winning season.
See also: 2018–19 NFL playoffs.
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | at Houston Texans (3) | W 21–7 | 1–0 | NRG Stadium | Recap | ||
| Divisional | at Kansas City Chiefs (1) | L 13–31 | 1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
This would be Andrew Luck's last game in the NFL, as he retired before the commencement of the 2019 NFL season.