User:WikiGiancarloC2/sandbox
Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
| |
| Location | Indianapolis, Nashville |
|---|---|
| First meeting | October 11, 1970 Colts 24, Oilers 20[1] |
| Latest meeting | December 3, 2023 Colts 31, Titans 28[1] |
| Next meeting | 2024 |
| Stadiums | Colts: Lucas Oil Stadium Titans: Nissan Stadium |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 59[1] |
| All-time series | Colts: 37-22[1] |
| Largest victory | Colts: 35-3 (2005) Titans: 45-26 (2020)[1] |
| Longest win streak | Colts: 11 (2011-2016) Titans: 5 (2020-2022)[1] |
| Current win streak | Colts: 2[1] |
| Championship Success | |
| Super Bowl Championships (2)[2][3]
Super Bowl Appearances (4)[2][3] Conference Championships Appearances (8)<[2][3] Division Championships (14)[2][3]
| |
The Colts–Titans rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.[4][5]
During the 1960s, both teams competed in separate Leagues and went by different names, with the Colts identified as the Baltimore Colts and the Titans recognized as the Houston Oilers. Following a merger, the Colts and Oilers were both assigned to the American Football Conference, leading to sporadic matchups. A standout event during this period occurred when the Oilers ended their eighteen-game losing streak against the Colts and securing their sole victory of the season. Following a series of conflicting situations, both teams relocated. The Colts made their move to Indianapolis, while the Oilers found their new home in Nashville, Tennessee, where they underwent a name change and became the Tennessee Titans.
Background[edit]
The Indianapolis Colts originally played in Baltimore and were known as the Baltimore Colts and they began in the 1953 NFL season as a member of the National Football League.
The Tennessee Titans were originally known as the Houston Oilers, and they began in the 1960 AFL season as a charter member of the American Football League.
Due to being in separate leagues, the two teams couldn't compete against each other. However, a significant development occurred on June 8, 1966, when the American Football League and National Football League decided to merge. This merger led to the formation of a combined league, preserving the name and logo of the "National Football League," and was planned to kick off in the 1970 season, resulting in a single league with two conferences. The Baltimore Colts, originally in the Western Conference of the NFL, agreed to move conferences to become part of the American Football Conference (AFC) alongside the Oilers. However, the Colts were placed in the AFC East division, whereas the Oilers were placed in the AFC Central division.
1970-1983: Beginning[edit]
1970: First matchup[edit]
The Colts and Oilers had their inaugural meeting during the 1970 season on October 11 in Houston. Both teams had identical 2-1 records going into the game. During the 2nd quarter, the Colts established a 14-0 lead by executing scoring drives spanning 38 and 44 yards. However, the Oilers managed to recover a fumble at the Baltimore 8-yard line and scored their first points on a 7-yard pass. The Colts added a 43-yard field goal before halftime, securing a 17-7 lead. Although the Colts failed to score in the third quarter, the Oilers managed to score a rushing touchdown, narrowing the lead to 17-14. In the fourth quarter, the Oilers took the lead with two field goals by K Roy Gerela, making it 20-17 with only a few minutes remaining. However, with just 46 seconds left on the clock, future hall of famer QB Johnny Unitas connected with WR Roy Jefferson for a 31-yard touchdown pass, securing a 24-20 victory in their first game against the Oilers.[6][7]
After a promising beginning, the Oilers went 1-8-1 the rest of the season and concluded with a record of 3-10-1. Conversely, the Colts excelled, winning eight games, drawing one, and finishing with an impressive record of 11-2-1, the best in the newly established American Football Conference. In the playoffs, they shut out the Cincinnati Bengals and defeated the Oakland Raiders in the inaugural AFC Championship Game, paving the way for their second Super Bowl appearance. In Super Bowl V, the Colts avenged their upset defeat in Super Bowl III and defeated the Dallas Cowboys with a final score of 16-13, securing their first Super Bowl Championship.[8]
1972-1973: Oilers' Eighteen-game losing streak and back-to-back one win seasons[edit]
After winning 26-20 against the New York Jets, which later turned out to be their only win in their 1972 season, the Houston Oilers proceeded to lose eleven consecutive games to conclude the season. The team ended the season ranked second-to-last in the NFL for both points scored and points allowed, with the 26 points scored in the Jets game being their highest total for the entire season.[9] Entering the 1973 season, the Oilers embarked on a seven-game losing streak, which extended their total losing streak to eighteen games. Their defense, which was already performing poorly, deteriorated further, conceding 250 points and 2429 total yards in the past seven games.[10][11]
On November 4, they faced off against the Colts, who were also struggling, in Baltimore. By the end of the first half, the Oilers had built up a 21-3 lead as the Colts offense has surprisingly struggled scoring against the Oilers pathetic defense. In the second half, things started to change as the Colts scored two touchdowns and held the Oilers scoreless in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quater, it was a back and forth until the Colts took a 27-24 lead At the two minute warning. The Oilers got the ball back
Following the win, the Oilers ended their eighteen-game losing streak, setting a record at the time post-merge. When considering losing streaks before the merge, it was the third longest losing streak of all time, only behind the Chicago Cardinals (29) and Raiders (19).[12][13][14] The Oilers' record-breaking losing streak post-merge would be surpassed a couple of years later when the newly established Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-26 in their first two seasons, which began with their inaugural game against the Oilers.[15][16] This victory would later be the Oilers' sole win in the 1973 season, as they concluded the season with a six-game losing streak, resulting in a 1-13 record.[11] Interestingly, the Colts later went winless in the shortened 1982 season due to a players' strike, finishing with a 0-8-1 record and last in the AFC, with the Oilers just above them with a 1-8 record.[17] The Oilers would later have another long losing streak in the 1982-1983 season, losing seventeen consecutive games.[18]
https://vault.si.com/vault/1973/11/12/after-18-dry-wells-a-little-gusher
1976-1983: Struggles and last Baltimore game[edit]
Making their debut on Monday Night Football, the Colts seized the opportunity to avenge their previous matchup against the Oilers. On November 1, amidst the 1976 season, the Colts showcased their dominance in Baltimore. With an impressive 31-0 lead going into the final quarter, they maintained their stronghold and emerged victorious with a 38-14 win.[19]
The early 1980s saw the Oilers and Colts struggle heavily. The Colts had one of the worst defenses in the 1981 season, as they finished with a 2-14 record.[20] In the shortened players' strike 1982 NFL season, the Colts finished 0-8-1, the worst record in the league.[21] The Oilers did not fare any better. Following a wild card defeat to the eventual Super Bowl Champions Raiders in the 1980 season,[22] the Oilers struggled to regain their relevance and endured consecutive losing seasons, including a 17-game losing streak from 1982-1983.[18] Due to their poor records, the Colts and Oilers held the top two picks in the 1983 NFL Draft, with the Colts being in position to draft future hall-of-famer QB John Elway. However, Elway refused to play for the Colts, citing concerns about his potential success with the team.[23] He later expressed his desire to play for a West Coast team, ruling out the Oilers.[24] In the end, the Colts drafted Elway but traded him to the Denver Broncos, who would lead them to five Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl championships.[25]
The Oilers faced a similar issue. Like John Elway, RB Eric Dickerson, a future hall of famer running back, declined to play for the Oilers, who were set on drafting him with the 2nd overall pick.[26] The Oilers, worried about Dickerson's intentions, decided to trade their second-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams, who subsequently selected Dickerson.[27] Dickerson became an immediate success with them, as he established rookie records for most rushing attempts (390), most rushing yards gained (1,808) and most touchdowns rushing (18), ultimately earning him the Rookie of the Year title.[28] However, the Oilers also had a stroke of luck when they traded with the Seattle Seahawks for the 9th pick, which they used to draft the future hall-of-famer offensive tackle, Bruce Matthews.[29][30] Interestingly, Dickerson would later join the Colts after experiencing contract disputes with the Rams.[31]
In the 1983 season finale held in Baltimore, the Colts emerged victorious with a 20-10 win over the Oilers, marking yet another disappointing season for both teams. It is worth mentioning that the Oilers' quarterback during that time was QB Oliver Luck, who would later become the father of QB Andrew Luck, a prominent quarterback for the Colts.[32] Although this game went unnoticed at the time, it gained significance later on as it marked the final game played by the Colts as a Baltimore team.[33]
1984-1997: Indianapolis Colts[edit]
Colts relocate to Indianapolis[edit]
Wait until Tennessee titans move to change?!
Even though he achieved success and won a Super Bowl Championship while in charge, former Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom was discontent with Baltimore Memorial Stadium and faced issues with Baltimore Orioles ownership over stadium revenues.[34] Consequently, after the 1971 season, Rosenbloom and then-owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Robert Irsay, exchanged ownership, with Rosenbloom taking over the Rams and Irsay acquiring ownership of the Colts. With no progress made on a new stadium being built for the team, Irsay began talking to Phoenix, Arizona and Indianapolis, Indiana about potentially moving his team. In response, March 27, 1984, the Maryland Senate passed legislation giving the city of Baltimore the right to seize ownership of the Colts by eminent domain. Facing pressure, Irsay called Indianapolis and they offered him to play in their newly construted stadium, Hoosier Dome. Irsay agreed and worried about the eminent domain bill signing into law, quickly called moving Mayflower trucks to move the Colts to Indianapolis, effectively becoming the Indianapolis Colts.
Baltimore was left without an NFL team until the 1996 season, which followed a similar controversial move as the Cleveland Browns relocated from Cleveland to Baltimore to become the Baltimore Ravens.[35] Interesting to note, the Ravens' final home game at Baltimore Memorial Stadium was against the Tennessee Oilers.[36]
1984-1986: First matchups as an Indianapolis team and continued struggles[edit]
During the 1984 season, the Colts faced off against the Oilers in Houston on September 9th, marking their second game as an Indianapolis franchise. In the 2nd quarter, the Oilers managed to secure a 14-7 lead. However, QB Mike Pagel threw for three touchdown passes as he led the Colts to a 35-21 victory over the Oilers. In his first appearance in the rivalry, Warren Moon, a future hall-of-famer quarterback who was recently signed by the Oilers, had his best performance yet. He completed 23-of-43 and threw for 365 yards. However, he did not throw any touchdowns, as another future hall-of-famer RB Earl Campbell rushed for three touchdowns in what would be his last season with the Oilers.[37]
In the 1985 season finale game, the Colts and the Oilers faced off for the first time in Indianapolis at the newly built Hoosier Dome. Once again, Moon had a great performance, as he completed 22-of-44 for 364 yards, including nine completions for 210 yards and falling one yard short of his total from the previous year's game against the Colts, and threw for two touchdowns. However, the Colts dominated the ground game, rushing for a total of 299 yards against the Oilers' weak rushing defense, which ranked 27th out of 28 teams, and Pagel threw three touchdown passes as the Colts won 34-16. This win marked the first time the Colts had secured consecutive victories since their move from Baltimore prior to the 1984 season. Furthermore, this result meant that both teams finished the season with identical records of 5-11.[38]
Despite finishing the previous season on a positive note, in the 1986 season, the Colts entered their matchup against the Oilers in Houston on November 23 with an eleven-game losing streak. The Oilers, determined not to be the team that handed the Colts their first win, dominated the 3rd quarter by scoring 21 points in just 3 minutes and 42 seconds, ultimately winning 31-17. Oilers HC Jerry Glanville expressed satisfaction with the victory, stating, “They had us by three touchdowns and were still throwing the bomb in the final minute of the game last year. Revenge was on everyone’s mind.” Moon also commented, "The win keeps us from being embarrassed. We certainly didn’t want to be the team to give them their first win."[39] The Colts would later get their first win of the season against the Atlanta Falcons, snapping a thirteen-game losing streak.[40]
1987-1990: Return to relevancy[edit]
The 1987 season saw the Colts and Oilers return to the playoff mix. When they faced off on November 29 in Indianapolis, the Colts held a 5-5 record while the Oilers had a 6-4 record. Noticeably, Eric Dickerson was starting at RB for the Colts. After declining to play for the Oilers, the Oilers traded their 2nd overall pick to the Rams in the 1983 NFL draft, and Dickerson went on to break rookie records and awards.[27][28] Nevertheless, ongoing contract disputes led to his eventual trade to the Indianapolis Colts.[41] In the first half, Dickerson scored two rushing touchdowns while QB Gary Hogeboom threw two touchdown passes, including a 72-yard bomb to RB Albert Bentley, helping the Colts establish a 28-10 lead by halftime. As the game progressed to the final quarter, the Oilers narrowed the gap to 31-20, but the Colts responded with another touchdown to seal the victory, finishing with a 51-27 win, their highest scoring output since a 58-20 triumph against the Buffalo Bills in the 1976 regular-season closer.[42] Dickerson finished with 136 yards on 27 carries. With the result, both teams now had identical records of 6-5.[43][42]
The Colts would later win three out of their last four games, concluding the season with an 9-6 record and clinching the AFC East. This marked a significant milestone for the Colts as they returned to the playoffs, clinched a divisional title, and achieved a winning season for the first time since becoming an Indianapolis-based franchise.[44][45] The last occurrence of such success was back in the 1977 season when the team was still based in Baltimore.[2] The Oilers also had a strong finish, winning three of their last four games to finish with a 9-6 record and secure the 4th seed in the playoffs, marking their return for the first time since the 1980 season.[46][47] this marked the first time both teams made the playoffs in the same season.[2][3]
During the playoffs, the Colts were defeated by the Browns in the Wild Card round,[48][44] whereas the Oilers secured a victory with an overtime game-winning field goal against the Seahawks before falling to the eventual AFC Champions Broncos.[49][47]
The two teams faced off in the season opener of the 1988 season in Indianapolis, eager to build on the momentum they had gained by breaking their playoff droughts in the previous season. The teams were deadlocked at 14-14 at halftime. In the third quarter, disaster struck for the Oilers when Warren Moon suffered a shoulder injury, forcing backup QB Cody Carlson to take over for the remainder of the game. Despite the Colts being held scoreless for the rest of the game, the Oilers failed to capitalize on their opportunities, with K Tony Zendejas missing two field goals, including a crucial 26-yard attempt with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.[50] With the score tied, the game went into overtime, marking the first overtime in their rivalry.[1] In the first play in Overtime, Eric Dickerson caught a pass when it was knocked out of his hands by LB John Grimsley, only for LB Robert Lyles to recover the ball at Indianapolis's 42-yard line. Following a drive down the field, Zendejas was able to redeem himself by successfully kicking a 35-yard field goal, securing a 17-14 victory for the Oilers.[50]
After the New England Patriots' defeat by the Broncos, who were already out of playoff contention, the Oilers clinched a spot in the postseason.[51] As the season finale week commenced, the Colts were in a crucial position where they had to secure a victory on their home turf against the playoff-bound Bills. Additionally, their playoff hopes also relied on the Oilers defeating the Browns. Assuming the Colts win, if the Oilers beat the Browns, the Oilers would secure the 4th seed and commence the playoffs at home against the Colts. However, if the Browns defeated the Oilers, the Colts would be eliminated, the Browns would secure the 4th seed, and the Oilers would have to travel to Cleveland for their playoff match.[52] In the 4th quarter, even though they were behind 7-3 and had lost QB Chris Chandler to an injury, Hogeboom stepped in and threw two touchdowns, securing a crucial 14-7 victory for the Colts. Nevertheless, the Colts players held off on celebrating their victory until they were aware of the outcome of the Browns-Oilers game.[53] The Oilers-Browns matchup witnessed the Oilers establishing a 23-7 lead towards the end of the 3rd quarter, only for the Browns to stage a remarkable comeback by scoring 21 unanswered points and ultimately winning 28-23.[54] With the result, the Colts were officially eliminated from the playoffs, while the Oilers are now set to face off against the Browns in Cleveland again in the wild card round.[53][55] Nevertheless, the Oilers would get their revenge as they knockout out the Browns with a narrow 24-23 victory in the wild card round.[56]
Both teams were looking for their first win of the season in the 1990 season when they faced off in Houston on September 23.
1997-1999: Houston Oilers become Tennessee Titans, first playoff meeting[edit]
After years of thretaning, Bud Adams moved his team to Tennessee.
2012-2018: Andrew Luck Era[edit]
The Colts had the worse record last year (2-14) so they acquired the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft. They used to to select Stanford QB Andrew Luck.
Game results[edit]
| Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans Season-by-Season Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1970s (Tie, 2–2)
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1980s (Colts, 4–3)
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1990s (Oilers 2-1)
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2000s (Colts, 11-6)
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2010s (Colts, 16–4)
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2020s (Titans, 5–3)
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Summary of Results
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